http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4lWRDUxdvY
Suse 'n Gitchi
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Leapin' Gitchi Video!
It's been a long week and an even longer weekend. Yesterday was Saturday and great weather, but I was way too worried about Gitchi's brother Mojo at A&M to concentrate on training. So I took her to the Lakefront and let her jump in. And jump in, and jump in, and jump in.... ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4lWRDUxdvY
Suse 'n Gitchi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4lWRDUxdvY
Suse 'n Gitchi
Monday, February 21, 2011
Gitchi has found her bliss!
We went over to the New Iberia agility trial this week-end just to 'schmooze' with Gitchi's sister Amy and brothers Mojo and Chase. And we all agreed that these are the the cutest, sweetest, smartest puppies ever in the history of the world - LOL!!
Driving home across the Causeway in the balmy 70's late Sunday afternoon sunshine, I spotaneously detoured to take Gitchi to the Lakefront since she hasn't had a chance to go swimming since her Big Splash-a-palooza at Rummy's almost 2 months ago. Not that I really expected her to jump off the seawall into the waves of Lake Pontchartrain like she had leaped (repeatedly!) into the gentle warm waters under the protective bubble of Rummy's with me and brother Mojo and Auntie Linda in the water for moral support. But I figured we could start to get used to it by dangling our tootsies in the water, and then later in the year when it gets really warm I could wade in with her if necessary.
But the Lake was really choppy with some prety big waves splooshing on the steps which made it impossible to wade or even get just a little wet because the steps at the water line were alternately high and dry, then knee deep in rapid succession. So I hooked Gitchi's toy to a long line and dangled it in the water just so she could watch it floating up and down on the waves. And then all of the sudden KER-SPLASH!! the little bitch had leapt headlong into the waves right on top of the toy. She pretty much went totally under trying to grab the toy, but she managed to get it and navigate her way back onto the steps OK. So I took the toy and was sorting out the line to get it untangled when KER-SPLASH!! Gitchi had jumped into the water again *without me even throwing anything for her to go after*! So I lobbed the toy over her head to land in front of her, and she repeated the fetch/dive toy grab and again swam strong and sure through the pounding waves back to the steps. By this time I was pretty much completely drenched, so I figured what the hey, if I needed to go in after her I couldn't get much wetter.
So I just let her keep going, which meant she would bring the toy up two or three steps, drop it, and then turn around and LEAP as far out as she could back into the waves. Another diving fetch and back onto the stairs only to leap with wild abandon back into the waves, toy or no toy. Just like at Rummy's, she would not leave the water without fetching the toy, but it obvious it wasn't about the fetch - it was *all* about the LEAP into the water.
When the sun had dipped below the waves and it was time to go, I had my hands full trying to DRAG Gitchi back up the steps with her scrabbling to get back down to jump in again, finally bracing her butt against a step so I had to actually pick up the soaking little beast to get her back over the seawall onto dry land. Once up there, she didn't want anything to do with the toy - I had to just keep propelling her toward the car to make sure she didn't break and run back down the steps to the water.
It's not like I'm not familiar with high-drive retrievers -- moma Gris is quite obsessive about water retrieves. But with Gris, like most retrievers that I've known/trained in my life, it is all about throwing the bumper for her to go after - if I don't throw it, Gris will stand at the edge of the water and whine until I throw it. But I've never seen a dog so totally into the jumping in part of the water retrieve. Never.
Driving home across the Causeway in the balmy 70's late Sunday afternoon sunshine, I spotaneously detoured to take Gitchi to the Lakefront since she hasn't had a chance to go swimming since her Big Splash-a-palooza at Rummy's almost 2 months ago. Not that I really expected her to jump off the seawall into the waves of Lake Pontchartrain like she had leaped (repeatedly!) into the gentle warm waters under the protective bubble of Rummy's with me and brother Mojo and Auntie Linda in the water for moral support. But I figured we could start to get used to it by dangling our tootsies in the water, and then later in the year when it gets really warm I could wade in with her if necessary.
But the Lake was really choppy with some prety big waves splooshing on the steps which made it impossible to wade or even get just a little wet because the steps at the water line were alternately high and dry, then knee deep in rapid succession. So I hooked Gitchi's toy to a long line and dangled it in the water just so she could watch it floating up and down on the waves. And then all of the sudden KER-SPLASH!! the little bitch had leapt headlong into the waves right on top of the toy. She pretty much went totally under trying to grab the toy, but she managed to get it and navigate her way back onto the steps OK. So I took the toy and was sorting out the line to get it untangled when KER-SPLASH!! Gitchi had jumped into the water again *without me even throwing anything for her to go after*! So I lobbed the toy over her head to land in front of her, and she repeated the fetch/dive toy grab and again swam strong and sure through the pounding waves back to the steps. By this time I was pretty much completely drenched, so I figured what the hey, if I needed to go in after her I couldn't get much wetter.
So I just let her keep going, which meant she would bring the toy up two or three steps, drop it, and then turn around and LEAP as far out as she could back into the waves. Another diving fetch and back onto the stairs only to leap with wild abandon back into the waves, toy or no toy. Just like at Rummy's, she would not leave the water without fetching the toy, but it obvious it wasn't about the fetch - it was *all* about the LEAP into the water.
When the sun had dipped below the waves and it was time to go, I had my hands full trying to DRAG Gitchi back up the steps with her scrabbling to get back down to jump in again, finally bracing her butt against a step so I had to actually pick up the soaking little beast to get her back over the seawall onto dry land. Once up there, she didn't want anything to do with the toy - I had to just keep propelling her toward the car to make sure she didn't break and run back down the steps to the water.
It's not like I'm not familiar with high-drive retrievers -- moma Gris is quite obsessive about water retrieves. But with Gris, like most retrievers that I've known/trained in my life, it is all about throwing the bumper for her to go after - if I don't throw it, Gris will stand at the edge of the water and whine until I throw it. But I've never seen a dog so totally into the jumping in part of the water retrieve. Never.
Monday, February 14, 2011
My Funny Valentine
What better way to spend Valentine's day than in Puppy Love? LOL! Gitchi and I celebrated the day and the nice weather in the yard as the sun went down and even after under he lights.Here she is learning handling maneuvers, including her very first REAR crosses!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnEspvcIXac
Wishing Cade a painless and uneventful rabies shot tomorrow.
Suse'n Gitchi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnEspvcIXac
Wishing Cade a painless and uneventful rabies shot tomorrow.
Suse'n Gitchi
Sunday, February 13, 2011
It's got *something* to do with my left hand...
I'm pretty sure Gitchi is right-pawed. Why I think this doesn't have anything to do with training observations, nor even that at the end of a jump grid she always turns in the same direction to come back toward me. (Honestly, until I wrote that I hadn't even thought of looking - now I'll have to go watch her videos to see which way she turns.) It's just that I've noticed that she's more 'expressive' with her right paw - flops it over bones to hold them, waves it at me when I squeak toys at her, 'holds' my arm with it when I scrumple her ears, pawing with it to get under the sheet to play Tug Monster.
A couple days ago I was just sitting on the bed messing with her, too lazy to get up and go get treats and a clicker, and spontaneously decided to see if I could increase how much she used her left hand. (Sorry about the use of "hand" instead of "paw", but many many years ago a vet xrayed the family dog's "arm", and so my dogs have had arms and by extension hands, ever since - although adopting this terminology does open the door to some possible angst on their part, and guilt on mine, about the whole "disposable thumb" issue. But I digress.) So anyway I just sat there watching TV and waited for her to move her left hand independent of her right. When she did, I said "yes" softly and started a game of tug. Really no big deal, definitely no forethought or plan to it, and except for me watching for something specific and saying "yes", it was the same thing we were doing before this notion/observation/reaction occurred to me. And it was subtle, but within just a few minutes, probably less than a dozen left hand "yes" markers, she was definitely favoring leading with her left. I was impressed but pretty soon I wandered off and forgot about it.
20-30 minutes later Gitchi walked over and made eye contact with me and pawed the air, a kind of low wave, not an unusual action for her. But I did notice that she did it with her left "hand", so I said "yes" and gave her some loving.
Hours later I told Steve I was encouraging her to use her left "hand" so she would be ambidextrous, and he's been pointing out to me ever since how she is using left hand much more often now. He asked me what I was teaching her to do with her left hand, and I had to admit to myself I hadn't a clue. "Just stuff" seemed an inadequate answer, so I made up something about balancing her neural pathways and cerebral hemispheres to shut him up, and he seemed duly impressed.
But Gitchi might perhaps not be so easily impressed. It's been about two days now since that thoughtless little experiment, and she seems to be trying to get me to clarify just WHAT is earning these spontaneous bouts of attention. She knows it's got something to do with her left hand. She just isn't sure what, and so she keeps experimenting. And since I'm not sure what it is either, I keep reinforcing. I'm wondering if she'll go ON experimenting, and for how long? Will she eventually do something so clever with her left hand that I'll want to mark it, but by then will she'll have decided that what I'm after is for her to NOT do the same thing again next time?
I also wonder how many things like this I reinforce unconsciously by giving attention. Like we both know that when she walks by carrying a sock, it gets my attention. But does picking up the toy that's right next to my sock get my attention? She's got me at "woof", but does sitting nicely at the french door without barking at the squirrels get my attention? Or lying quietly while I eat? Going into her kennel on her own at night without being told? Napping at my feet right now while I type, even though it's beautiful out and she'd rather be out there DOING something?
Hmm....
Suse'n Gitchi
A couple days ago I was just sitting on the bed messing with her, too lazy to get up and go get treats and a clicker, and spontaneously decided to see if I could increase how much she used her left hand. (Sorry about the use of "hand" instead of "paw", but many many years ago a vet xrayed the family dog's "arm", and so my dogs have had arms and by extension hands, ever since - although adopting this terminology does open the door to some possible angst on their part, and guilt on mine, about the whole "disposable thumb" issue. But I digress.) So anyway I just sat there watching TV and waited for her to move her left hand independent of her right. When she did, I said "yes" softly and started a game of tug. Really no big deal, definitely no forethought or plan to it, and except for me watching for something specific and saying "yes", it was the same thing we were doing before this notion/observation/reaction occurred to me. And it was subtle, but within just a few minutes, probably less than a dozen left hand "yes" markers, she was definitely favoring leading with her left. I was impressed but pretty soon I wandered off and forgot about it.
20-30 minutes later Gitchi walked over and made eye contact with me and pawed the air, a kind of low wave, not an unusual action for her. But I did notice that she did it with her left "hand", so I said "yes" and gave her some loving.
Hours later I told Steve I was encouraging her to use her left "hand" so she would be ambidextrous, and he's been pointing out to me ever since how she is using left hand much more often now. He asked me what I was teaching her to do with her left hand, and I had to admit to myself I hadn't a clue. "Just stuff" seemed an inadequate answer, so I made up something about balancing her neural pathways and cerebral hemispheres to shut him up, and he seemed duly impressed.
But Gitchi might perhaps not be so easily impressed. It's been about two days now since that thoughtless little experiment, and she seems to be trying to get me to clarify just WHAT is earning these spontaneous bouts of attention. She knows it's got something to do with her left hand. She just isn't sure what, and so she keeps experimenting. And since I'm not sure what it is either, I keep reinforcing. I'm wondering if she'll go ON experimenting, and for how long? Will she eventually do something so clever with her left hand that I'll want to mark it, but by then will she'll have decided that what I'm after is for her to NOT do the same thing again next time?
I also wonder how many things like this I reinforce unconsciously by giving attention. Like we both know that when she walks by carrying a sock, it gets my attention. But does picking up the toy that's right next to my sock get my attention? She's got me at "woof", but does sitting nicely at the french door without barking at the squirrels get my attention? Or lying quietly while I eat? Going into her kennel on her own at night without being told? Napping at my feet right now while I type, even though it's beautiful out and she'd rather be out there DOING something?
Hmm....
Suse'n Gitchi
Friday, February 11, 2011
Crate Games - Gitchi at 6 months old
Can I say how much I LOVE Crate Games?!! At 6 months old, Gitchi is a veteran of "playing" these "games" - she's been doing them at least a third of her life, after all!! She's even taught a class on them ;-> I love how it carries over to doorways and gates. All I have to do is pause expectantly with my hand poised to touch the latch, and she pops into a sit and waits for a release - well, usually anyway. She is just a puppy after all, so we still have some generalizing to do. But all in all, I am thrilled at the amount of self-control she has shown she is capable of!
I know that watching a dog sitting in a crate is kinda dry viewing, but there are some neat scenes of her driving into the crate from a distance, as well as flying back out to engage in tug. So here's a video of Gitchi playing "Crate Games":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO_htjp4DdQ
Suse'n Gitchi
I know that watching a dog sitting in a crate is kinda dry viewing, but there are some neat scenes of her driving into the crate from a distance, as well as flying back out to engage in tug. So here's a video of Gitchi playing "Crate Games":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO_htjp4DdQ
Suse'n Gitchi
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Go Around
No text overlays on this video telling you whem I'm going to do a front cross or whether I have treats or a toy in my hand, so you'll have to watch closely ;-D
For the "rules" of the game, see the very first blog post I made here.
Here's Gitchi, Going Around:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrKoiPTh_vM
Suse 'n Gitchi
For the "rules" of the game, see the very first blog post I made here.
Here's Gitchi, Going Around:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrKoiPTh_vM
Suse 'n Gitchi
Monday, February 7, 2011
Contact Work Progresses
We revisited "touch" and added a target - which was a piece of cake; she's been doing "touch" to my open palm since she was about a month old ;-) So I quickly advanced to asking for "two-fer's" in prep for repetitive nose taps, and she almost immediately offered a few pecking-type touches.
Then we started combining the 'back up' with the target touch by placing (OK, actually kinda tossing) a rubber disc down, then actually under her belly. I am very pleased with the resulting rocked-back, head low and centered, position. THIS is what I am hoping to get on her 2o2o contact position!
Then we worked on the "H" of Susan Garrett's D.A.S.H. program - we changed the habitat by taking it outside. She did great, showing almost the same focus in the front yard as she did inside. (My baby's growing up - the front yard used to be so overwhelming she would zoom around on her long line like a bee on a string, to borrow a phrase from Sharon and Gee!) Neither the back up nor the target touch are on cue yet as they are both very much works in progress. When she's reliable and accurate, I'll name them - haven't decided if it'll be one name/one behavior, or two distinct actions/cues. Neither have I decided on what words to use. Gris backs up to the "beep beep beep" of a truck in reverse... so that's been done (and done and done.) How does "Yo Gitch!" "Back off" and "Peck it" grab ya'?
Anyway, I'm not seeing this contact position thing as so daunting a task as I did for the last 51/2 months while I was putting off deciding what I wanted it to look like and how I was going to teach it . I think Gitchi agrees - this is actually kinda fun, and coming along much faster than I anticipated!!
Here's some snippets of Gitchi assuming the position (well, approximating the position, anyway) strung together into a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ViqfkV0dTo
Suse 'n Gitchi
Then we started combining the 'back up' with the target touch by placing (OK, actually kinda tossing) a rubber disc down, then actually under her belly. I am very pleased with the resulting rocked-back, head low and centered, position. THIS is what I am hoping to get on her 2o2o contact position!
Then we worked on the "H" of Susan Garrett's D.A.S.H. program - we changed the habitat by taking it outside. She did great, showing almost the same focus in the front yard as she did inside. (My baby's growing up - the front yard used to be so overwhelming she would zoom around on her long line like a bee on a string, to borrow a phrase from Sharon and Gee!) Neither the back up nor the target touch are on cue yet as they are both very much works in progress. When she's reliable and accurate, I'll name them - haven't decided if it'll be one name/one behavior, or two distinct actions/cues. Neither have I decided on what words to use. Gris backs up to the "beep beep beep" of a truck in reverse... so that's been done (and done and done.) How does "Yo Gitch!" "Back off" and "Peck it" grab ya'?
Anyway, I'm not seeing this contact position thing as so daunting a task as I did for the last 51/2 months while I was putting off deciding what I wanted it to look like and how I was going to teach it . I think Gitchi agrees - this is actually kinda fun, and coming along much faster than I anticipated!!
Here's some snippets of Gitchi assuming the position (well, approximating the position, anyway) strung together into a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ViqfkV0dTo
Suse 'n Gitchi
Jump Grid Remediation
So Gitchi read all the viewer mail and took your comments to heart. And next time she's going to practice staying on pitch and learn the words before she takes the mike.
Meanwhile, she re-did her jump grid today. And this IS better, thanks Auntie C! Here's the new video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ8UOa5ro6g
I can see that "compression" you talk about now. It's one of those fleeting things you don't see unless you know to look for it, because the explosion of extension that occurs just after is so much flashier. But the kinetic burst wouldn't be possible without the marshalling of potential energy, that moment of coiling... wait... I'm hearing music...
"The tip of the iceberg, the sun before the burn
The thunder before lightning, the breath before the phrase"
The hourglass on the table, the walk before the run
The breath before the kiss and the fear before the flames"
Name that tune!
It's from a song that's very near and dear to me 'n Gitchi's hearts, what was ALMOST her name-song: "Glitter in the Air" by P!nk. Here are the opening lyrics, so descriptive of how she entered our lives and changed them forever:
"Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Close your eyes and trust it, just trust it
Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?"
(You *did* notice the sun glittering on her fur as she ran thru the jump grid in the video, right?)
Suse 'n Gitchi
Meanwhile, she re-did her jump grid today. And this IS better, thanks Auntie C! Here's the new video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ8UOa5ro6g
I can see that "compression" you talk about now. It's one of those fleeting things you don't see unless you know to look for it, because the explosion of extension that occurs just after is so much flashier. But the kinetic burst wouldn't be possible without the marshalling of potential energy, that moment of coiling... wait... I'm hearing music...
"The tip of the iceberg, the sun before the burn
The thunder before lightning, the breath before the phrase"
The hourglass on the table, the walk before the run
The breath before the kiss and the fear before the flames"
Name that tune!
It's from a song that's very near and dear to me 'n Gitchi's hearts, what was ALMOST her name-song: "Glitter in the Air" by P!nk. Here are the opening lyrics, so descriptive of how she entered our lives and changed them forever:
"Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?
Close your eyes and trust it, just trust it
Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?"
(You *did* notice the sun glittering on her fur as she ran thru the jump grid in the video, right?)
Suse 'n Gitchi
Response from Auntie C
I asked Sharon to watch Gitchi's jump video chute from the last post. Here are her comments (and next post will be Gitchi's remediation work ;->)
"Very nice enthusiam and drive to work! Jump grids will be her friend! Gee
actually lines herself up at the grid start she loves them so much!
actually lines herself up at the grid start she loves them so much!
I actually think you could move the jumps in a little closer ... maybe 6". Her
rear is working nicely, both feet together and pushing off in tandem. She
can use improvement in her front feet ... we want the front working closer together.
rear is working nicely, both feet together and pushing off in tandem. She
can use improvement in her front feet ... we want the front working closer together.
When she boing'd the last bar ... watch how poorly she started with her front feet
really not working together. She finally hits a nice stride toward the end of that
chute, but too late to recover.
really not working together. She finally hits a nice stride toward the end of that
chute, but too late to recover.
So do this ... move jumps 6" closer and start her from a sit. Starting from a stand,
watch the video, she's leading with her front vice pushing off from her rear. So
start from a sit, even if you are straddling over her.
watch the video, she's leading with her front vice pushing off from her rear. So
start from a sit, even if you are straddling over her.
These are some video(s) that I studied as I worked Gee initially ... they are from
a Salo jump workshop. The softer spoken "wisconsin" type accent is Salo.
This BC has really nice jump form and Salo sings praise throughout.
a Salo jump workshop. The softer spoken "wisconsin" type accent is Salo.
This BC has really nice jump form and Salo sings praise throughout.
Watch front feet of this dog ... start around 1:07 of the video:
Watch front feet movement starting around 6:56 of this video:
Keep up the great work! Gitchi is a rock star in training !!!"
Thanks, Sharon. Input like this is priceless (and no, I didn't *only* post your comments for the "rock star"reference ;-D)
Suse 'n Gitchi
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Gitchi Shows Off her Jump Chute
Finally, a sunny day! YAY! 'Cause Gitchi loves her some jump chute! Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bWUEf9S6wg
What a good girl!
Suse 'n Gitchi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bWUEf9S6wg
What a good girl!
Suse 'n Gitchi
Can I say this is chute training and call it a day?
It really did start by wanting her to be comfortable with being under fabric. At first I was trying to get her to push through it to get to a toy, but she liked staying under it better, so now this is her favorite game.
Seriously silly puppy. ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPBwa_zSlh0
Suse 'n Gitchi
Seriously silly puppy. ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPBwa_zSlh0
Suse 'n Gitchi
Returning to the Tug after Treats
Warning: This post could also be called "Gitchi the Guinea Pig" since I'm kinda making it up as I go... but I just had to do something to make an attitude adjustment once I realized the following correlation:
Gitchi's tug drive was inversely proportional to the value of the treats she got.
It became pretty obvious when I started giving her Crate Game yummies to snarf down before she ever even came out her kennel. When I was putting way more energy into our games of "motivational" tug than she was, I concluded it would take less energy to actually <gasp> train her to tug. First we went back to "playing" tug but with the mindset that it's not a game; it's a command.
The goal was to get tug on cue, so I began to always use that cue to instigate tugging when I knew that she was about to tug. No food involved yet - the game was the reward. I stylized the cue both verbal and physical: I hold the tug between two hands where she can grip in the middle and simultaneously give the verbal "GET IT!" The caveat is that once I give that cue, she IS gonna tug, dammit! I started with her favorite toy at the time (it's Pinky Dread in the video below, too) and if she didn't tug I'd "beat" her with it until she got irritated enough to engage with it/me. (I'll wait while you look up the # for the SPCA.)
Then I started to sneak in food. After she was engaged and tugging good, I would click (or say "yes") and offer a low-level treat, like a kibble. Once the release was reliable on the click, I started pairing it with a release word, "Break!". I had to learn to wait for that one treat to be chewed and swallowed and all residual molecules in the mouth to be fully processed - to prevent distraction as well as asphyxiation from inhaled cookie particles. Then I would present the toy in the previously-conditioned-without-food stylized manner with an excited cue to "Get it!", maybe also running, dragging, twitching, beating the dog, etc -whatever it took to get her to engage. When she engaged in tugging again, she'd get a click and JACKPOT! (Cesar, dinner, whatever. I just had to make sure I didn't show it to her or let her smell it until *after* she engaged in tug that 2nd time.) And that would be the END of that session. In other words:
["Get It!" - tug, tug - "Break"/click - low level treat] - "Get It!" - tug, tug, - "Break"/click - JACKPOT (end of session)
["Get It!" - tug, tug - "Break"/click - low level treat] - "Get It!" - tug, tug, - "Break"/click - JACKPOT (end of session)
When we'd done lots of reps of this, we started repeating from the [ to the ] above before ending with the Jackpot. I try to ping-pong how long we tug before the Break/treat, sometimes just a few seconds, sometimes a tug-a-thon. But you can see in the video below, I tend to be too consistent. (That's a not oft uttered phrase!!)
The idea is to build a record of success returning to the toy after food and highly rewarding that return.
So now I have just begun to throw in a couple of high level treats DURING a session, demanding that she return to tugging afterwards. You'll see in the video below that I misguidedly emphasized the "demand" after a high value treat, forgetting entirely the "whatever it takes to get her to engage" that had worked so well in previous sessions. Predictably she disengaged, sniffed, ignored me, etc. But she's a tractable pup who actually does love to play tug, so she quickly forgave me and rewarded my next more appropriate effort with an enthusiastic response. (Wait, who's training who here?)
The idea is to build a record of success returning to the toy after food and highly rewarding that return.
So now I have just begun to throw in a couple of high level treats DURING a session, demanding that she return to tugging afterwards. You'll see in the video below that I misguidedly emphasized the "demand" after a high value treat, forgetting entirely the "whatever it takes to get her to engage" that had worked so well in previous sessions. Predictably she disengaged, sniffed, ignored me, etc. But she's a tractable pup who actually does love to play tug, so she quickly forgave me and rewarded my next more appropriate effort with an enthusiastic response. (Wait, who's training who here?)
Suse 'n Gitchi
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Response From Gitchi's Aunt Coach (AKA Sharon McDonald)
Gitchi is one lucky puppy to have an advisor, mentor, coach, cheerleader, virtual midwife, and of course penultimate admirer of her adorableness in the person of her "Aunt Coach"! To illustrate what I mean, I'm posting below Sharon's response to what I wrote yesterday:
"Agility is such a team sport ... handlers forget that their role is just as crucial for
success as the dogs' actual athleticism. So ... good for you Susan Fraser! All
that cone and barrel racing work will serve to build and refine your role on the
team."
"Gitchi's athleticism will conquer the obstacles, but this early work will be crucial
to your skill in navigating the order of obstacles within a course. If a ship -
Susan is the navigator / helmsman; Gitchi is the propulsion. The navigator has
no purpose without propulsion. The propulsion will run aground without
the navigator. The link btwn navigator and propulsion = communication;
explicit, consice, and timely."
"It's profoundly more than a cone!"
"S (aka Aunt Coach)"
Nuff said!! Hopefully Sharon will be a regular "respondent" here - this might even turn into something worth reading if so! (And by the way, she had no clue that I was starting a blog, much less that I would shamelessly publish her private comments to me without even the semblance of an attempt to ask her permission!)
Suse'n Gitchi
Shaping Success Puppy Game #11: Backing Up
Nothing formal here. This will probably just be my notes on training the most adorable Golden Retriever puppy ever ;->. Gitchi (http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=415628) is 5 1/2 months old now. I may go back and document some of her earlier training/life experiences, but I'm not making any promises about that.
So without further ado... I have *finally* decided on a contact behavior for Gitchi: <drum roll please> She will do a 2o2o with repetitive nose-touches to a target close to/between her front feet.
Here is video of Gitchi tonite learning to back up with nose down and weight shifted to her rear: "Gitchi - Shaping Success Puppy Game #11: Backing Up"
And here's what it looks like being trained (and I do mean *trained*!)
Here's Greg Derrett and the finished behavior
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccm3lXB8uUM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccm3lXB8uUM
Susan Garrett says that patiently shaping a back up like this with head low and weight shifted back (as opposed to head up pushing backwards with the front feet like you get when you teach back by walking into the dog) is a great foundation skill that leads to a safe(er) contact performance that minimizes shoulder impact and neck twisting. The way she teaches it is ingenious really - it's more or less pure shaping except you toss the treat between the dog's front feet, which "shapes" the dog to offer more steps backwards with the head low, which you can mark and reward with another treat tossed between the front feet.... lather, rinse, repeat. ;->
So Gitchi talked me into training inside this blustery evening, since Tues nite class was canceled because it's been storming all day and is relatively cold (albiet not the blizzard raging from Dallas to Chicago). She's working on tug/treat/tug, sitting inside a pvc box, perch work (front feet up, rear feet moving around) --- and of course her favorite: Go Around!
"Around" means she is sent out to circle a 'cone' and then come back to me to tug. Here's a video of the very first time when we started it ~ a month ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_sq7sJkoI4 . The game's gotten a bit more complicated since then - there's even talk of starting a "barrell racing" league! Anyway, here are my rules: If sent from my left side, she is to go left to right around and then catch up to me to tug on my left side IF I do an about turn while she is going around. Occasionally I turn in toward her as she comes back toward me and reward with the tug in the Derrett "first arm" position, or I complete the front cross and she comes up to get the tug/reward on my right. Also sometimes as she is going around left to right I do a right turn and accelerate so that she goes only 90 degrees around to the right as I throw the toy out in front and race her to it. Of course, all this is reversed if she starts on my right.
Gitchi likes these movement kind of games the best. She also likes "Aim for It" and "Race to Reward" from the Agility Right From the Start book. Tonite we also worked on nose-touching a target, something she finds so very exciting - NOT! Now if I hold the target up real high where she has to make a Herculean leap to nose-touch it - THAT she excels at! Beeeee-caaaaaause her top is made'a da rubbah, and her bottom is made'a da springs! Anyway, I can see I'm going to need higher value treats to get the chicken-plucking pecking target touches those dogs do in the above videos - I mean are those even real dogs or just cartoons?
Hey, there's an idea for a cue - I could call the nose-touching "plucking", so at every contact obstacle, I could holler "GITCH, PLUCK IT!" ;-O
TTFN!
Suse 'n da Gitch
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