GRCA STD

This is Canon's STD run.  I can see that the way she does her contacts may have caused her to begin to spin.  Had she held her DW until I could get setup better, she may have been able to release cleanly and go to the jump/table without the spins.  Also, I released her to the wrong side of my body to take the tire.  That was awkward for us both.  She ran really nicely after that.

GRCA News

Canon had a wonderful trial at the National Specialty and had some really pretty runs.  We met lots of great Golden friends and got to visit and get to know many of them.  Canon won the FAST National run and was very close on other runs.  Fun time and learned a lot.

Progress

Canon had a trial this weekend and she did a very nice job with her runs.  I only got a few videos cause my friends were all running in the same class.
She got a cue in DAM Team with some individual Q's as well.  She also got a Q in Pairs, Standard, Snooker.  She finished her Advanced Standard title, and got a Snooker Q, so she got her Advanced Agility Dog title.

I was so proud of her for her contacts.  She faulted her teeter in the gamble in one run, but other than that, she was clean on all contacts.  She did not do the exact criteria, so we will have to continue to improve, but having all contacts clean is such an improvement.  It was so nice to not have to worry about it.

Canon's Standard Run - Huntsville

Fun Weekend

Sit Stay for Canon

Canon struggles with her SLS so much and I have been working on it in our down time.  She is getting stronger and stronger with it and I videoed her staying in the chair while I work with Cade.

This is really good for her.  She does stand up once and she barks while she stays.  We will see if she can do this at a trial.

***Must mention that I sped up the video. Who wants to watch 2 minutes of a sit stay when they can watch it in 1 minute!!!

2x2????? for Canon

Although Canon is a strong weaver, I am reshaping her entrances with 2x2's and Kristy's help.  She is progressing nicely.  We are on angle 3, which is almost straight.  She is doing well finding the entrance from the back side.  Today is progress.  She was not doing that great in the few days we worked last week finding her entrance from the back side.   She is having some fun doing this too.

July 6th - Full course run through

I setup a course to work this week and I ran Canon on it 3 full times and videoed our runs.  Issues to work on:

Release on OK - she is not releasing when I say OK from the SL or the DW.  She missed one AF and took a few bars.  I can see where I was the issue on most of them.  I need to work on my cuing while we run.  Sometimes I pulled her off jumps and sometimes I did not cue clearly to let her know where to go.  On the whole, good runs.

Link is here:  Canon's runs on course #1

SLS

We have been working everyday on the SLS and we had a show n go yesterday at the arena where we train.  It was a familiar place, but she was rock solid on her SLS.  Once we can get that issue resolved, we are going to have to work on a few other issues with my handling.  I am not supporting her and giving her enough information as to where she is supposed to go next and she is pulling off jumps and not letting me show her and then go. 

I will post some videos of her doing her SLS work with a bumper.

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Monroe Trial - SLS issues

We had the worst trial ever this weekend.  I was horrible and Canon was horrible.  We had fun with the puppies, but Canon broke her SLS every run except 2.  We ran 8 times.  I pulled her 4 of the 6 she broke.  I feel like one of the times I pulled her was a really good correction, the others were week.  Needless to say, we did not Q at all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U39NaEtXo-g

June 21st Canon sequences with contacts

Here is the video of Canon doing some sequences that include the DW & AF.  She is getting lots better at holding her feet and also at getting all the way to the end of the DW.

Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmaGJGPDXnE

June 21st - Canon tight jumps and sequences with contacts

Today we worked a box of jumps to try and just work some close turns.  We need help with some exercises to do here.  I will keep trying to work some stuff to make it more interesting and better practice for us.

Here is the link to the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5SvZ3vwYrs

Beginning Criteria for Canon

Here is the beginning of my criteria list for Canon's performance.

Criteria:

Dogwalk

1. run top speed, full stride over the dw
2. control the down ramp
3. stop in the 2o2o position on the down side.
4. watch me and release on my OK cue to the obstacle I am cueing
5. allow me to rear cross the up ramp
6. allow me to front cross the up ramp and down ramp
7. allow me to blind cross the up ramp
8. allow me to push her to another jump or tunnel
9. get on the end of the up ramp from any angle
10. push to a tunnel that is parallel to the DW or entrance from behind
11. discriminate between the DW and a tunnel

Teeter
1. Run over the teeter full speed
2. pause as it drops
3. wait on the end for my release - OK.
4. Feet can be 2o2o or 4on - just a wait on the end is fine.
5. release to next obstacle

AFrame
1. run up the front side
2. run down the back side
3. hold in 2o2o position and look at me
4. release to the next obstacle on my OK
5. Her feet should be about 2 " above the ground.  (see video)
6. discriminate between the AF and a tunnel
7. push to a tunnel that is parallel to the AF or entrance from behind
8. Get up the AF from any angle

Open Tunnel
1.  Find the tunnel with verbal command only.
2.  Drive to the tunnel at top speed.
3.  Run thru the tunnel at top speed.
4.  Drive/look forward out of the tunnel and not come directly to me unless called.
5.  Find the entrance to the tunnel, even if we are behind the opening.
6.  Allow me to rear cross the tunnel while dog drives through.
7.  Turn sharply out of the tunnel when called.
8.  Call off opening when called.
9.   Take verbal Left or Right, turning away from me, when exiting the tunnel

Chute
1.  Find the chute with verbal command only.
2.  Drive to the chute at top speed.
3.  Run thru the chute at top speed.
4.  Drive/look forward out of the chute and not come directly to me unless called.
5.  Allow me to rear cross the chute while dog drives through.
7.  Turn sharply out of the chute when called.
8.  Call off opening when called.
9.   Take verbal Left or Right, turning away from me, when exiting the chute

Weave Poles   
1. find the entrance
2. drive forward through the weaves with head down
3. use a rhythm to go through the weaves
4. allow me to run in any direction and finish weaves
5. always finish 12 poles (or 6)
6. move through with top speed.
7. collect before entering weaves
8. allow me to front cross entry
9. allow me to front cross exit
10. allow me to rear cross entry
11. allow me to blind cross exit
12. be able to enter weaves from any angle

Sit stay proofing

I worked with Canon on her sit stay while Cade played.  She did very well with it! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XOy0DSMFC4

remote work from Kristy

I want you to write down exactly what your finished criteria is for each obstacle.

Dogwalk

Teeter

Aframe

Open Tunnel

Chute Tunnel

Weave Poles

Table

Single Jumps

Winged Jumps

Double Bar

Triple Bar

Broad Jump

For example:

Batman and Dabbie's criteria for the Open Tunnel:

   1.  Find the tunnel with verbal command only.

   2.  Drive to the tunnel at top speed.

   3.  Run thru the tunnel at top speed.

   4.  Drive/look forward out of the tunnel and not come directly to me unless called.

   5.  Find the entrance to the tunnel, even if we are behind the opening.

   6.  Allow me to rear cross the tunnel while dog drives through.

   7.  Turn sharply out of the tunnel when called.

   8.  Call off opening when called.

   9.   Take verbal Left or Right, turning away from me, when exiting the tunnel

Take time to work out exactly what you want, not just, "a down on the table".  Do you want a fast down?  Turn towards you when they hit the table?  Think in your mind the perfect table performance and write it down in detail.  

Do this for both Canon and Cade and send it to me.

Notes from Lesson with Kristy

These are some notes from last lesson that need to be saved:

Release Criteria - must be fully defined, practiced, executed
Now or never thinking.  I must get the criteria or correct
Correction Protocol - must be defined in practice and in trial situations so Canon does not get away with breaking the rules
Stay on contacts and at start line must be practiced
Course planning
practice planning
mental game

These are things that are to be worked on with Kristy, me and Canon

Jumping - Aframe Practice June 18th 2011

I setup a practice course from my lesson and ran it, but I must have turned the video camera off by mistake.  This is the only video I got from our practice.  Canon did a really good job and the course is great practice for what we are trying to proof.  This is an exercise to help Canon accelerate around a turn.  Nice.

Weekend lessons with Kristy

For Canon, I need to define and write out my criteria.  I need to visualize it and only accept it.  I need to train for it as well.

I need to establish my correction protocol and stick to it.

The main challenge for the next few weeks is to get the sit/stay at the start and on the contacts solid.  It is close, but not there yet.  By the end of the month, it needs to be consistent.

Start line:  sit her, walk out, hand up, "Good Girl" release "OK"

Criteria to follow.

Weekend lessons Start Line Stay

Start Line Stay practice:

7 different criteria for stay
Stay in front of a jump trains start line and table
Sit her in front of a jump, lead out - hand out - "Good Girl"  release "OK"
Train by walking out and release her and reward
Also sometimes go back and reward her where she is
Sometimes release her back where she sits, sometimes walk back out and release
So release comes in 3 places during the training - walk out like in a run, walk out and then come back and release, or walk out, come back, reward, walk out release

Contact Stay practice on the flat:

Sit her in a stay, go behind her and run past her, do all the moves you may do in a trial - front cross, push, rear cross, blind cross, fall on the ground and dance, train two different ways:  go back and reward, then release, stop out front and from static position, release her with "OK"

As she makes progress, train running past her and doing all the turns I need to practice and release her while in motion.  No body cues, just the verbal cue.

Practice on the contacts and throw treat pouch to her feet when she stops and go back and reward her from the treat pouch.  Make the treat come to her.
klk

work with collar on aframe

In this session, I have to grab her collar and make her stop on the end and show her what I want.  I think it helped some.

good aframe with speed

This is a good aframe for Canon.  she had some momentum going up on the aframe and still held her contact.

work on aframe run off

I worked her aframe after she gave me the run off.  I got a few more run offs and got to really work with her to hopefully get her to understand that she is to hold it.  I had to hold her collar as she came over the aframe to get her to see she was to stop at the bottom with her feet on the aframe.  It helped.  we continue to work it.

sit stay - af run off

this is Canon doing a great Sit stay while I walk the course.  Also she runs off the aframe and does not hold.  We work on it in this session and make improvements.  more videos to follow

AFrame and DW work 5-25-11

Canon is stopping short of the end on the DW.  Have to work on that.  Her big error on the AF is that she runs off the end and does not stop if she has a lot of momentum.  We are working and proofing it.

Marietta USDAA trial May 13-15th

We went to try and get our GP Q so we can run GP at regional next weekend.  BUMMER.  We missed the DW down contact so we did not get our Q.  Here is a video of the course.  She ran a beautiful course and IF she had gotten the Q, she would have placed 3rd.  I am really bummed out about it, but NOT about her run.  We had many heart breakers this weekend.  We did Q on a couple of runs. 

May 6th, 2011 practice!!!

Well, we have been trialing and it has rained for the past 3 weeks such that we could not go out in the yard and practice.  Tonight after work was the first time I could work with the dogs in the yard.  I setup a series of jumps around the obstacles and worked with Canon on them.  We have been working on weave entries a lot because I could work that pretty quickly and she has missed some lately.  I have my channels open about 3 inches cause I am repeating her entrances and I want to encourage her to go fast and not cause any injuries.  I only have her doing 6 weaves.  I will add the other 6 next week when we are preparing for the trial.  She is doing a fabulous job with it.  She also did an excellent job holding her AFrame contact and her DW contact.  I did some sprints through some jumps spread out around the yard and want to do that each day to keep her in shape.  I think the Happy Dog trial wore her out with all the runs. She was fatigued by Sun.  Good day practicing.

Skills practiced and rating:  (1-10, with 10 best)
AFrame - 10
AFrame tunnel discrimination 10
weave entries 10
Start line 7 she left once and I had to put her back

turns and wraps 7 she missed a few turns coming out of the tunnels.  I have a 9 ft tunnel under the aframe and she shoots out of it and takes the next jump.  I worked getting her to check with me.  some success, but we need to work this skill.

Mon 3-28 Backyard dog

Today, Canon and I worked some of the Backyard dog exercises from Clean Run.  They were really helpful.  We got through the first 3 out of 10.  I will keep working them this week cause they are really helping me with front crosses and handling.  Hopefully I can work more this week on it.  It is supposed to rain tomorrow.

I did notice that Canon has a bit of resistance going into a tunnel.  I am going to have to work on it and make it a higher value for her.  She took pushing to get her into the tunnel in the Steeplechase last weekend.  What's up with that.

Sun 3-27 DW

Moved Canon halfway up the ramp and sent her to end.  She did pretty well scoring over 90% from there.  We will work again this afternoon and see how it goes.  She may be moving pretty fast now with it.

Hope so.

Fri 3-25 DW

Went out to just work DW with Canon for her reps and she got 93% at the end of the contact.  One more high percentage, hopefully later today and I am going to move her back some on the plank.  She is holding her feet if I am in any position.  Now to get her to run for the end from higher up.

Second practice of the day, we worked a 180 to a serp to the AF, then wrap and back over AF to serp to 180.  I tried to run my fastest and get Canon to do the same and hold her AF.  She did a great job and had some fun.  we then did 25 reps on the DW at 1st position and she got 92%.  That is the second consecutive >90%, so we are moving her back to half way up the DW down ramp and try it from here.  I am going to add more close front crosses.  That was what she failed to hold it on.

Wed 3-23 DW & lead out push & AF

Canon had 77% on her DW and did very good.  She got a big percentage of one's where I stayed behind and let her go forward.  Hopefully that will improve.  That is where she missed any.

Her lead out push was great and she held her contact on the AF very well.  She did not hold it when I threw a ball.  She could not hold it through that. We will work on that.

Tues 3-22 DW contact work & jump work

DW, we were 72% holding on the contacts.  She does not like her release word I don't think.  I may try and change to "Break".  I like that one.
Jumping: we did wraps and I practiced using inside hand to support over and outside hand to cue the wrap and I said the word.  I used Wrap for tight turn to the left and Hug for tight turn to the right.
I practiced this with one jump, two, three, four and five to try and get it.  She was a bit slow anticipating the wrap.

Wed work 3-9

Canon had a lesson yesterday and we worked on my timing on front crosses, rear crosses and running with Canon in acceleration/deceleration.  It was a good lesson.  We will go to class tonight as well and have some training.  I may take some video in class tonight.

We went to class tonight and worked on a course.  we did pretty well and learned lots.  After running the course a second time and working on pieces of it, Canon needed me to go closer to the jumps and be much more clear on taking a jump that was out of the path a little bit.  She did pretty well on her contacts, but I forced her to return to the contact if she missed it.  I think I need to fade that practice so I don't mess her up in a trial.  She did a great job.

Tues, 3-8 Work with Serpitines and cues

I worked with Canon on the same setup we had been working for the serps & crosses.  I had her jump 3 in the line and the 4th she had to collect and turn into me and then jump back to the same jump and then across to the other side for a serp out.  I worked with this and found that I should cue the 4th jump, but stay back and get a front cross after the 180.  That set me up better to be in front of the dog and run with he on to her next destination.  We were able to run this line a couple of times without knocking a bar.  We may keep it up and work it all week until we can do it without knocking a bar 5 times in a row.

Video to come

Canon has a lesson today and I will see what we have to work on.

Thurs. workout

Tonight, Canon and I worked a double line of jumps to do a serp with a pinwheel at the top.  She had some trouble cutting too close to the jump and knocking the bars.  I had to adjust the jumps a little so she did not have to slice every jump.  I want her to jump them for now.  I also tried to add a front cross at the end of three jumps and see if she could collect enough to keep it going.  Kinda-sorta.  It was some progress, but we will definitely work this more so we can run all out and then add the collection.  That is part of our problem.  Video to come

Mon & Tues

Monday, it stormed pretty bad so the ground was too wet to practice.  Cade has obedience class on Monday night, so Canon did not do much in the way of training.

Tues came and I tried to get my work finished and practice in the afternoon when it was warmer.  I setup a jump chute for Canon and she did really well.  I got a call and we had to end our practice early.  We got to go to class tonight and sub for someone.  It was a sequence class and it was pretty tough.  We did better on the last four jumps/obs. than the first four.  I will set this up and work it this week.  I was late and unsure of my self on the first four and the second four, I was much better.  Good way to end the class.

Feb 24th Long runs

Today's work was on long lines or jumps in a straight line with a 180 and back.  We did ok on this, but I can see in the video that I need to be cueing her much earlier on her turns especially when I am behind her.  I think the blind cross worked nicely for us.  We did do pretty well with the changes we made to take different courses.  I can see where I need to watch this video before I try this exercise again.  Yeah for video's in your training.

Feb. 23 Wed - Technical work, cues, short seq.

Today we worked on start line, lead outs, front cross, wraps on the run & hugs.  It was a very good training session. Canon still chose to move after I sat her down, so I had to go back to her and put her in place.  I had to put her in the kennel once.  She was over jumping her wrap and I used the orange cone to make her wrap tighter.  I placed the orange cone where she was jumping so she would have to change her landing spot.  It was helpful, but I am going to get another cone to put on the take off side to help her learn to adjust on that side to get the correct landing.  I think we made some good progress.  The video is still being edited.  Tomorrow we may not get to work because it is storming.  Regular work would be:  serps, jump circles, pinwheels, degree jumps.  Lots of good fun fast stuff.  We might just do it in the mud!!!!!

Feb. 22 - training shaping up

I have decided to do a certain set of skills each day and try and build our skill set. 
Monday - straight jumping in the chute & 2o2o work
Tuesday - start line work, tight turn work, longer sequencing work
Wed. - short work, technical work, wraps, jump to heel, cues
Thurs - serps, jump circles, pinwheels, degree jumps (90, 180)
Fri - weave entries
Sat. - wild card, tunnel play

How does that sound for some training fun!!!!!
Today we did our start line work and our tight turns and ran 20 obstacles which included jumps, Aframe, tunnel, weaves & table.  We did some good work.  Our stay really needs work.  We will review it each day!  Her weaves were not perfect.  I think she just gets sloppy on them.  Can't wait to train tomorrow.

I may run her again today to video so I can post it.

Canon DW & AF Work 2-21

Worked on her feet on the end of the DW & the Aframe.  She did pretty well.  I ran her to the table off the DW and a tunnel and a jump on either end of the Aframe.  She did pretty well.  I even introduced throwing a ball while she held her AFrame.  Progress is made.

Canon Jump Chute Feb 21, 2011

Well, I will be posting here again as we continue to train with Canon.  Best way to journal training.