2009 Contacts & Weaves & Trials

Welcome 2009!
I hope everyone survived their New Year's Eve celebrations without feeling too badly today! I'm starting off 2009 very excited about the prospect of seeing Bungee in trial in a couple of months.

Contacts & Weaves Camp
As you may recall, one of my Christmas presents was attendance for Bungee and I at a Say Yes workshop called: "Contacts & Weaves". The timing on this camp was perfect for us. I was really looking forward to going, and it didn't disappoint. It turned out to be just what we needed. I love it when training opportunities exceed my expectations. I have to admit I loved this camp!

First, each of our skills were evaluated in a number of areas that are necessary for good contacts & weaves. Bungee was on top of the curve with everything, with contacts themselves being our weakest skill, in my opinion. From that point a plan was set in place for each of us to get where we wanted to go with our skills. The rest of the weekend was spent working our buns off with one really fun session after another, reviewing what we just did and working again, with lots of instructor help, mixing up contacts, weaves and the complimentary skills associated with perfecting each. As camps go, this one goes on the list as one my favorites.

Contacts
I was relieved to have Susan's nod of "good" for her initial evaluation of Bungee's contacts. We were not as far off as I thought, always nice to hear. However, though technically "correct", I found then average, lacking drive and boring - definitely not the way any of us would like them to stay, especially me! This is also why I have not had Bungee working full pieces of equipment yet.

The camp information was terrific. What we learned has already improved her contacts a lot and filled in gaps for me too. I'm confident it will be a short road from here to the equipment.

The 1st "Aaaaha" Moment
The target cue should create ACCELERATION (not brakes) to the target! This was a real epiphany for me. I've always used the word "target", for my dog's contact "end-zone" cue, so I'll use that as the example here, but it doesn't matter what cue you use. But the end result should be the same, you give the cue and the dog pushes harder. I've always pictured the opposite, the target cue as brakes on the dog's speed over the contact.

But here it is, when I say the word "target" it should cue the dog to accelerate to the contact!

Upon hearing the cue to "target", the dog should ACCELERATE into the contact!

How did I get such backwards thinking all this time? I suppose I just pictured it that way from the start. Lucky for Bungee she will now be the recipient of my new and improved understanding, which will really help. First giant gap in my knowledge of how to get from what I had to what I wanted closed by camp info! Awesome!

In truth, I had actually backed off training contacts recently. I was not happy with the results I had and not sure how to get the ones I wanted. Meanwhile when I did work them, it seemed I was forever working through various learning curves of my own regarding the many herding & stalking type things that a clever little Border Collie can present to you in training contacts! It's not often one of my dogs will lead the parade in how we use our training time but leave it to Bungee, she was doing just that. To say the least, our contact training time did not seem very efficient!

I am really pleased to come away from camp being able to make short work of Bungee's contacts now, they're already so much better.

Weaves
Bungee's weaves were already just rocking before we went to this camp. I've always been proud of the awesome weave skills I've been able to teach my dogs, using Susan's 2 X 2 weave method. The method has always served us well. But now Susan has expanded the training insights to allow greater proofing and create even stronger skills. So how great is it when you go through a camp and get 2 really big "Aaahaa" moments? The 2nd came in the weaves department, and it is going to help us create even stronger skills.

As for Bungee's weave skills now, she is running 12 poles brilliantly, but we backed up to 4 poles a while back to really push the envelope for entries and find every point of failure we can to train through. Once we work through this stage we will move up to 6 & 12 again and focus on handling.

Unfortunately we're in the middle of winter and coming up on our coldest season. At this point in time our only weave training limitations are brought on by deep snow, super cold temperatures and conditions that require us to wait for barn-time to get some work in on them.

Guinness


Ketch


Bungee


Can you believe a new year is here already?
I'm really getting excited about the prospects of being ready for agility competition in 2009. I believe Bungee could handle a Jumpers or Jumpers with Weaves course now. But I intend to finish working through the new 2 X 2 program we revisited first. We'll also have to see where we're going to be for late-January, February and March trials before we go entering any. Warm beaches, green agility fields and big fish are starting to call our names once again, but at this point, no solid plans yet. With any luck our dollar will start gaining it's strength back as the first week of the New Year gets going.

Click here to see if you can spot Bungee's many appearances in the video clips Susan posted to her blog from camp!



Until the next time, Happy Training! ....It's About Love

It's a Family Tradition!

Happy New Year Everybody!!!

Lately I have really been enjoying Jenny's latest videos. It's clear where our Kvarkin "Champagne kids" get one-half of their large talent!! So we just can not let 2008 get away before we get a chance to brag about brother, Ogin, and compliment the fantastic work he and "mom" Jenny Damm are already doing in agility training & competition! So, what better way to brag about them, than bring you directly to Jenny's latest YouTube video of Ogin & Elvis right here! And now...drum roll for Ogin, Elvis & Jenny, prepare to be impressed!



Congatulations Jenny & Ogin on your awesome debut! Congratulations also to "papa" Elvis on his continued success! In a word: Wow! You guys are looking awesome! We are tickled to see these videos and looking forward to many more! Meanwhile, I'll be filing this video under "inspiration" and Jenny's latest weaves video as well! (We've been keeping a little busy in that department too, but another time-this one's for Ogin!)

Between Mia & Ogin, it seems Sweden is off to an early start with a monopoly on the competition market for Kvarkin kids!!! Ho Ho Ho! Good thing we love them! Go Sweden!!!!! :-)))

I have some lovely photos & nice video clips of Jenny & Elvis relaxing in the park and showing a few of Elvis's many tricks, on a break during FCI AWC 2008. I'll be putting them up very soon!!

You can learn more about Kvarkin Kennels and our dogs, or Jenny Damm, Elvis & Lotus Education by visiting the "Family Links" to the side, the link to Jenny's YouTube site is also listed to the side under YouTube channels.

Signing off today to again wish you a Happy New Year! We raise a toast of champagne to all for a wonderful & prosperous 2009!

Luv & hugs from Bungee & family...XOXOXOXXXOOO!
Happy Training, It's About LOVE!

Toys, Toys, Toys - Agility Training Update

Sept. 12, Training Update...Can you believe it's already the 12th of September?

Toys
The over-riding elements in all of Bungee's agility training right now, be it as reinforcers or challenges, are toys. Toys have tremendous value to her. So rather than use toys less, since she has to work hard to be correct in the presence of certain toys, we leave the toys where they are and let her work through the distractions and challenges until she can be correct, even if it means breaking down the work, enlisting the aid of a coach or friend to help, and adding a lot of screw-up cookies to keep her motivated that she can still win this new version of our training game. Bungee has always had to work through toy distractions, but they are proving to be big challenges in contacts and handling, which is great information!

Most of the time we set up a small sequence to be run one of several ways so that we can put the pressure on, then let the pressure off. This also helps keep Bungee in the game and highly successful despite the increased difficulty of the work.

The circle work we did has created incredible responsiveness in Bungee. I have been amazed since the beginning of her sequence work at the obvious result. Her understanding of Greg's system is already phenomenal with what part of it she has been exposed to since we started working small sequences. We know she understands her Reinforcement Zone (RZ), and thus my Blind Cross Body Line (BCBL), we know she understands a Front Cross, we know she understands deceleration. So, the challenges we create with toys are fair challenges.

The reason we know these toys create big challenges is by pushing the envelope and putting the most desirable toys exactly where they will be potential stumbling blocks. Embracing the weaknesses rather than avoiding them. That's exactly what you want in a training challenge - one where you've really accomplished something big when you work through it. How better to prepare the dog for the thrill of the competition field?

Bungee loves training agility, no matter what it is we are doing, but she loves her toys more. As Sarah said yesterday: "Right now toys are the most valuable thing to Bungee, but as you continue to train, eventually the jumps will have the same value to her as these toys." So, much to Sarah's credit, we use these toys to their full potential, not just as fabulous rewards, but as challenges to grow by.

Contacts
Nose touches are really nice now. Turning up the heat with toys, motion and/or distance. Putting teeter games back into the picture with nose touches. Still undecided on frame.

Weave Poles
Working 4 straight poles w/ 2 X 2's. Working 6 straight poles with 1/2 of a regular set of 12. 3 sets of 2 X 2's and 2 sets of 6 poles are set up in various places on our field now. So she's seeing a lot of poles! Her speed & desire for the poles is beyond adequate, but I am intentionally using food more than toys on 6 poles to develop 1-step footwork. Letting her race through as she would prefer, she switched to 2 paw pulling in a moment. Obviously needing to correct that immediately, we slowed her down to food rewards for correct footwork. Right now entry variations and correct footwork are the emphasis. Since I last posted at any length on poles Sarah helped us create proper bending at the 3rd pole so as to avoid popping it later on with fast, angled approaches in couses.

Jumping
Haven't done any big session of grids lately, we're definitely due. I keep a set point jump set up as a warm-up jump on my own field, and one grid at almost all times. I change the one grid I leave up frequently so she does see a variety. She has been introduced to my new double & spread jumps at competition height, in a very simple setting here at home. In small sequences at competition height she is keeping the bars up nicely, handling now being the critical component to that picture too.

Handling
We're working on small sequences, 3 - 6 pieces. Each little sequence is "handling heavy" with the emphasis on learning to read turning cues and various parts of Greg's system. FFW continues with Crate Games being particularly usefull.

Overall Work
Excellent! Bungee is an awesome dog to work with and very impressive to watch. That said, Bungee would probably tell you she's teaching me more than I'm teaching her and that's probably right!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Bungee's Pig

The PIG!!!

A favorite toy & more contacts

How many things can we get going on at one contact session?





Happy Training!... It's About Love!

Backyard Contacts 2

Backyard Contacts - Part 2

Have to work from both sides of course!



Happy Training ~ It's About Love!!

More Contact Video

Backyard Contacts 1

Another day, another session of contacts...and another video clip. :-)) Enjoy!



Happy Training ~ It's About Love!

More Contacts

More Rainy Day Contacts

I'm enjoying my new video skills way too much! Here's some more new "old" video. If we're inside it was another rainy day, (can't film in the rain).




Happy Training! It's About Love!!

My 1st Video!

Rainy Day Contacts

At long last...Here's a clip of Bungee practicing 2o2oNT contacts.


This was her 1st homework session that I videotaped. Lots of room for improvement. Lots more film stacked up to process now and certainly more to come from now on. :-) Best part - I did it all myself! :-))

Happy Training! It's About Love!!

Contacts #3 - Salmon Brownies!

Bungee's Favorite Treats!

Salmon Brownies - pictured cut & ready to feed.
It takes longer to cut them than make them! EASY Recipe below.


Why do I like these treats best for training Bungee contacts?
Because she loves them and they seem to dissolve in her mouth instantly! They hold up nicely in my hand for using them in training too.

You may have to know Bungee to appreciate what a slow, slow, SLOW eater she is. She can chew a single kibble longer than any dog I've ever known. These brownies seem to melt in her mouth so fast, we can make great transitions to tugging for a stress-break and/or release off the contact.

The Recipe:

Salmon Spelt Brownies - Bungee-style

Ingredients:
1 Large Can Salmon (400-450 gm. or 14-16 oz.)
2-3 Cloves of garlic (peeled & diced fine)
1.5 - 2 Cups Whole Organic Spelt Flour (any whole wheat flour will do)*
Parmesan Cheese for a topping - optional

Instructions:
Peel & dice garlic fine or peel garlic and dice in food processor.
Add salmon (entire can including liquid) & food process.
Add spelt flour to food processor & mix that all up.
Spread the batter on a lightly oiled cookie sheet.
Sprinkle the batter with parmesan cheese if preferred.
Bake at 350 F. or 176 C. for 10 - 15 minutes.

If you want them to melt in your dog's mouth a little softer is better, (baked about 12 min.?) they will still hold together nicely in your hand in training.

Pictured below what I use to make them: food processor, cookie sheet, oil & brush to spread on cookie sheet, spoons to spread brownies, organic spelt flour, canned salmon (more shown than needed for 1 batch) & parmesan cheese



It may surprise you when the batter winds up looking like this big lump inside your food processor, but keep going, that's just right.



*I have also made them with organic chick pea flour and "Canine Life" formula base (click on this link to read more about this food). But any regular flour of your choice would probably work.

Here's a finished batch with parmesan topping:


The DH adds his tip: cut them with a pizza slicer! A knife works just fine too.


I take them to class in a little plastic container. I toss them in the freezer in between classes or training sessions.


From Bungee's house to yours, Enjoy!

Happy Training! ~ It's About Love!

Contact Soul Searching

Contacts: #1 Training Tip - Keep them FUN with a capitol "F"!

No sooner than I blog about our contact woes than we find some answers the very next day. Of course my whining surely created the motivation I needed to make a new training plan.


"Be A Splitter, Not A Lumper" ~Bob Bailey

I realized I was guilty of lumping Bungee's contact criteria. I looked at the level she IS successful at now, instead of the level I felt she should be at by now. That was a key question. Had I moved forward too fast?

I had. Bungee is always so brilliant at what she does right, it was easy to lose perspective and lump her criteria to a level that was too high too fast.

Success creates motivation. Bungee needed to be successful, so I really needed to split the behaviors to the point where she could be.

"The world moves double time when working with animals" ~ Bob Bailey

Next, I reminded myself that Bungee likes action! Toys, things really moving along fast. Fast to her is fun.

So, I played to her strengths for success in class since it is proving to be a tough environment - which meant toy rewards, shorter sessions, split criteria, all creating a much higher RR. If I could only get one great nose touch - that's what I'd take, until I could get two.

At home I reminded myself that she is (like most dogs) highly motivated by a little bit of jealousy and also that sessions must be short! So for a quick shot of instant motivation and fast turnovers, she is now always taking turns working contacts with my terrier at home. He loves them, it makes for great, quick transitions between them, so that's producing a lot of good energy too. That made contacts instantly more fun for all of us!

In making my plan I also reviewed what was right, (which was a lot)!

Even at school, going into 2o2oNT 'position' was strong, but focusing on targets after even a few repetitions when food was the reward and distractions abound was just too much for her. Part of the problem was surely an insufficient history of fun on contacts at home, making the work of mediocre interest to her at best.

The whole picture improved with the new plan at school Wed. night. Attention came back to task, she was more successful, that created a cycle of fun - the way it should be. I know we still have a lot to do to at home to improve her overall outlook about them, making fun a habit!

"Want more? Expect more!" ~ Bob Bailey

My immediate goal is simply to make contacts the most fun they possibly can be here at home, with the hope that the spirit of excitement carries over to class. If we can make that joy for contacts a habit, we're golden for the rest of the job, no matter how long it takes.

So that's where we're at now and it's really paying off quickly!

Today, a week after "turning over a new leaf", we got MANY nose touches on 1st touch, dropping into position, from the end of the travel plank, motivated as heck. WoW! It's all about the attitude.

Don't Get Frustrated - Stop & Evaluate!

When it comes to training, one of my overall goals is to produce the results we need with the least amount of stress & strain on both of us, particularly her!

Training positively (the Bailey way) provides one with a clear framework for evaluating results and examining challenges. Since I've learned it, it's never failed us, and I'm far from a pro. If I can learn it anybody can.

Creating good contacts is a daily process over a long period, and we both have to enjoy them. I know that contacts done right are loads of fun. So again, that is the #1 thing for us to focus on now - keeping them fun!

Every training session I have with Bungee teaches me a little more about who she is and what she needs to be successful. That's still a big part of the picture in our world.

Happy Training!
...and remember ~It's About Love!

Contacts #2 - Targets

Tools of the 2o2o Trade - continued

The "Touch It" from: www.nosetouch.com
(Click on the link to learn more)

Pictured above is the "Touch It" nose target. The "Touch It" is an electronic device that emits an electronic "beep" when the nose target is pressed, telling handler and dog that the dog has touched its nose to the electronic target. Invented by our friend, Mary Lou Hanlon, (website above and to be added to our links section), this is an ingenious little device, that can eliminate a lot of error when it comes to rewarding targeting behavior. You may notice a plastic covering on the touch pad pictured above, this is to prevent any moisture (damp noses, wet grass, etc.) from interfering with connectivity. Any thin plastic will do.

Mary Lou Hanlon's: "Touch It" - showing the whole unit.

In this picture above, you see the nose target on the floor in front of the travel plank, and the battery-operated electronic unit (connected by wire) hidden and out of the way, under the travel plank. This is also the way you would use it on stairs.

The "Hit It" also from: www.nosetouch.com

The "Hit It" board, also invented & made by Mary Lou, (website above), is another electronic training device that can be used for training of running contacts, advancing stopped contacts, and/or any other creative use you may think up. The "Hit It" also emits an electronic beep when a dog steps on the yellow board. The picture above shows the wired connection, with on/off switch, and the electronic unit the board plugs into, (identical to the "Touch It). The electronic unit is battery operated. Not only have people I've known used this device to train running contacts, but I have have seen some nice results using it to build drive into a release command, and getting a food-motivated dog to drive away from a contact as quickly as he drove into position.


Targets

Targets pictured above from sizes 4" square and round to 1" square.
Clicker shown for size comparison. These targets are cut pieces of clear Plexiglas. Some were purchased from agility supply store: Clean Run (click on the link, go to: "store" to learn more). Targets as shown above are used at the ends of contact trainers and stairs as a target for the dog to nose touch.

The Palm of Your Own Hand

The place where the nose touch training begins - the palm of your own hand. Many people would rush past this step, thinking it the least important, the least "fun" with all those attractive training tools I just showed you above. Don't be lulled into skipping this step. Without a good hand touch, you will only short-change the dog when it comes to getting good, reliable nose touches.

This is one place I really saw the "Princesse" in Bungee - she only wanted to touch my hand with the most delicate, soft, little nose touches possible. It took a long time of working this to get her pushing my hand firmly. We'll talk more about that later.


Clickers of various shapes & sizes (also the most dangerous tool in the arsenal!)

The 3 clickers shown above are each a little different, the two on each side have raised buttons that make it easier to use when wearing mitts or gloves. The black one at the right is an early version of Karen Pryor's "I-Click" It's greatest feature is how easy it is to click, making it ideal for a person with limited dexterity. Both raised clickers greatest danger is making it too easy to click accidentally!
To the left side you see another shot of a stack of Plexiglas targets.

Why would anyone call a clicker dangerous? Due to the degree of accuracy required in timing a click (to train correctly), it is very easy to time your click incorrectly, telling the dog it is correct when it is wrong.
Use clickers with caution!

While I still use clickers for many different things, they are NOT necessary to train great nose touches or contacts and this time around, I won't be using one for nose touches. In fact, if you are not well-prepared with your mechanics, they may just be an extra piece of equipment to fiddle with, get in the way, and mess up otherwise really good contacts! If you insist on using them to train your nose touches, it would be ideal to keep a video camera running to double-check your timing for accuracy, making sure your click is precisely as the dog pushes the nose to the target. It is also perfectly acceptable to start the behavior with the clicker and eliminate the clicker quickly after that. But it is definitely not necessary, and can just be risky business all together. This seemingly simple behavior is actually a very precise behavior, making much room for error on both your parts with the smallest of mis-steps - such as an ill-timed click.

Happy Training!

Contacts #1 - Planks & Stairs

Contacts - huge subject these days, where to begin?
OK, then, the beginning it is... :-))

Tools of the 2o2o Trade (at least at Bungee's place)

Travel Plank:

Above - our "travel plank", going on it's 3rd dog with Bungee. It packs along easily. It's painted just like agility equipment, complete with sand for traction. I've used other sizes and for many reasons, these measurements are good. Double click any picture to expand.


Some ways you can use your travel plank:
(the important thing is that it does not slip side-to-side as the dog gets on & off)

A travel plank can also be used flat on the floor, we have done so zillions of times, forgot to click that pix, but that's why it has the legs.

Travel planks are a valuable aide for teaching 2o2o contacts.

(2o2o = "2 on 2 off" meaning: 2 paws on - 2 paws off)

I'm adding "w/nt" meaning: with nose touch.
Like this: 2o2ow/nt
Bungee is learning these.


Contact Training Stairs:

The most recent addition to our agility field, our beautiful set of Contact Training Stairs!! I am very excited about them! They were made for us compliments of our generous and skillful neighbor, who heard on a Thursday night that I needed them, and had them sitting in our back yard early on Saturday morning when we 1st took the dogs out! Amazing or what? We were in total disbelief! That's actually the day I said to myself, "I've got to start a blog for Bungee".

Yep, so overjoyed with my new stairs, it was contacts and the excitement of training them to Bungee that urged me to keep track of our work, with an audience in tow. OK might be crazy too, but come trial-time there are no secrets anyway, so better to share our pain honestly - just teasing!!!! :-)))
They'll be a blast!

OK - about the stairs, use them to train 2o2o contacts, ideally before graduating to equipment, or to help clean up contacts if you've had them fall a bit apart on you - and who hasn't been there. They'll get a LOT of use!

Once we mow & get the field set up again, there will be plenty of room at each end of the stairs for great on-going work.

Here are some more pictures taken last month, I haven't measured the stairs.


The neighbor used regular stair hangers, or risers as you would buy from the hardware store to attach the steps to, so the spacing is just as would be for standard stairs in your house. They need to be solid and not wobble. They need to be really sturdy, as you'll wind up sitting on them and putting stuff on them when you're out training, and you'll want them to last. I'm guessing mine are about 38-40 in. wide. I've seen them painted and unpainted. Mine will remain "natural".

But almost any stairs will do:

One set off the back side of our deck, lack of railing is intentional.

The Travel Plank also sits over little stairs like this nicely.

I don't prefer to use the stairs in our house. One set steps to a ceramic tile floor with a twisty spindle railing at the bottom- don't want to scratch the stairs any worse or ask for drivey releases over the tile, and the access for me to reward is poor. The basement stairs are a similar situation with stairs ending in a sort of closed in area with railings on each side. I'd use them if that's all I had. Later on when I'm working further away, she may be asked for contacts at the bottom of the stairs and maybe I'll put a no-slip mat at the bottom for awhile.

But, like I said, almost any stairs will do!
Here's Bungee practicing contacts off our RV stairs~