This is an extra session to video J'Anna and Glory for their intermediate entry. I didn't enter because I think we need much more practice. As it turns out this course was much easier and we could have done this. Then again, on this day, perhaps not. It was clear Gimme was very distracted the moment we came in the door. She seemed anxious to me. I never figured out what was bothering her, but she worked through it; especially in the second and third sessions.
Session 1 video - I tried warming her up with some heeling before starting the course. It didn't really help and I think I should have worked a lot more on focus, starting with where she was mentally. I had the clicker, but didn't use it initially - what was I thinking? At the time I thought she was bothered by the ring fencing, but in watching this, I'm not so sure. As we start the course, the place where she starts smelling through the ring gate, Glory actually jumped the ring gate and went over to sniff up close. Through this course, there are places where she looks like she is starting to focus and then it falls apart again. Gimme doesn't like J'Anna's can, though she usually works better with it. The size is the same as ours, but the rim sticks up and pokes her feet. I cut a piece of foam to size for ours and glued it on. I had to laugh at Gimme including the sign in her "around". Where did that come from? She seemed to get happier and more focused at the end where we were working on some individual behaviors. I can't believe it took us just over five minutes to do this course and so badly. I really should have stopped and worked on where she was mentally, rather than spend the time practicing bad course work.
Session 2A video - I started with clicking for attention. When I asked her if she was ready to work, Gimme gave me some backing up, which is the same thing she did last week.
Free-shaping "tivo" video - I actually tried to work on "tivo" in parkour class the night before. She did well, but not as good as I'd hoped. Here I was trying so hard to click sooner and watching the other leg. It's better, but I'm still clicking late - video doesn't lie. I did step in with one foot for a gentle body-block if she started to "pivot", to remind her it wasn't what I wanted. Tossing the treat to my left set her up nicely, but I was still only getting a step or two and then she'd rotate back to "center". So I started using treat delivery/timing to get her to move further. I start this at 1:50. I click, then hold the treat to her lips at the side of her face, so she turns her head and her back feet continue the pivot. I give her the treat after a few more steps. This seemed to work the best and she figured out the best way to get a treat was to continue the movement. It only took 30 seconds after this change before she offered the first full "tivo" (no cue yet, obviously). And of course, mega-jackpots make a huge impression on Gimme (despite what the science says).
Session 3A video - For this session, I wanted to work on dog-inside pivots. While I do this, I'm coaching J'Anna since side-steps are a weak behavior for Glory. KathyW taught this as a first step for teaching side-steps when the dog is coming close, so I thought J'Anna would be more amenable to an idea that originally came from Kathy. It was far too soon to remove the brick for the dog-inside pivot. You have to appreciate her backing/side-stepping to the brick when I gave her the toe-out cue. Only Gimme would be so brilliant. Unfortunately as we were setting up to try it (brick on the chair), she jumped up and snagged my bracelet, breaking it and sending amber everywhere. So we had a break while I retrieved all the beads.
Session 3B video - Gimme was stressed by being held by J'Anna while I picked up the beads. Partly I'm sure this is because I shrieked when my bracelet broke, so she knew I was unhappy. I didn't want her to eat any beads, but I should have gotten the leash for J'Anna. So when we restarted, I tossed some treats for Gimme to run after, to bleed off any angst.
She did okay when I pivoted toe-out around an imaginary brick, but I really want to go through the fading process. Gimme has a very long history of backing around me instead of pivoting, when I'm turning toward her. I think I'll want to make some other thinner platforms to use as we fade the brick. I'm even thinking of painting sandpaper the same color and in gradually smaller sizes as a step along the way. I may also want to put the behavior on a verbal cue, but haven't decided if this will be of value. I did find making the steps smaller seemed to help her pin her front feet in place. I also noticed her putting the near paw on my foot, as a substitute brick. Clever girl.
When I switched to using the toe-out cue for side-stepping, it took Gimme just a moment to get it, but when she did, it was really nice. The butt swing out I think is a product of moving slowly. The answer until we get this to speed is to give her treats from the outside of her face, which creates a slight head turn and keeps the butt in. I think this was a very credible first effort.
The day's training started out poorly, but it certainly ended nicely. Gimme likes behaviors more than heeling. Clearly I need to put a LOT more value in heeling.
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