Nonpartisan Post

Sometimes I’m surprised at how hard it can be to find time to jot down my thoughts. I didn’t think I had that many? But I guess life has been pretty demanding. So that, plus a Leader living in her head equals not a ton of production and output for the past few months.  I thought though that I might try and shake a few things out to make room for what’s coming up. 

***

Pensive Pup lives in her head too.

It’s been some forced rest since the Nationals. The Dog showed me immediately after that she needed a break.  She pretty much mentally collapsed as soon as we got home; all agility knowledge fell out of her brain and she reverted to freezing and questioning.  We thought maybe it was all a bit too much, holding herself together so well for so many days in Colorado and in the time leading up, but there was likely also ME to blame: I needed a break too.  She is smart. She picks up on these things. So we broke so that we wouldn't end up all broken.

We are showing this weekend though.  Back at it, and then back off it for another month, taking it nice and easy through the rest of the year.  While I’d sure love some Jumpers Qs and a few things knocked out for Nationals next year, I think the reconnection with the dogs is a better goal.

***

Yeah. I said dogs. Plural.  Running The Pup again. We haven’t trained much agility with her. Just lots of time working on life skills. Like, How Not to Be an A$$. What to Bite Instead of The Dog, volumes one and two. Stop Barking and Go Lay Down.  I had noticed how much more focus and control she had back in the day when all we did was Smart Puppy (behavior) Skillz. Moving over to more agility training, less skill work was a bad move (apparently).   She knows equipment. She knows handling.  These are not what she needs to practice.  Hence, return to Smart Puppy.

This discovery was well-timed; Jen Pinder was in town last weekend and had many observations.  She was not fooled by The Pup’s excellent drivey agility and called her out for what she is. That would be, a thief. Among other things.  So having realized what she needed, I got a lot of ideas on how to get her there.  No telling that anything will have rubbed off in time for the weekend, but at least she is slightly easier to deal with in general.  Someday she will have patience. And coping skills under pressure. And the ability to drive and think at the same time. Surely?

As a note, I really liked Jen. The seminars focused a lot on contacts and I think it was the right move given her talents there. She had some fantastic observations, helpful ideas, and process guidance that was so in depth. Contact foundation to the extreme.  I audited most of it and came away filled with tips on training and mechanics and…everything.  There is a real science to it that I hadn’t realized.  I’ve been a bit, well, whatever, as long as you have criteria that you and your dog get that you maintain, it works. But the details of the position itself really matter for whether or not it will hold up over time.  There is really too much to say, but I think I will be a better teacher going forward and will be able to do things with my own dogs in an optimal way.

I will say though, I had a lot of Ah-Has! over The Dog’s teeter performance.  At the base is her issue with not liking the reverberation of the plank. And where she was “stopping” trying to hold a 4 on was right in the reverb sweet spot.  Add in letting her lay down on the teeter…  And not having her release forward… Ah-HA!  No wonder she hated the end and boinked off the side.  (Plus, I had let her run it sometimes. Oops.)  So I was at least on the right track a few months ago when I asked her to start doing a 2o2o, but now we have the rest of the formula and- wait for it- she actually is driving her teeter! And waiting!  She is a nerd; I should have known she would take to more criteria.  Now though, let’s see how well the Leader remembers to uphold it. 

***

After this weekend, a seminar with The Pup, and then like I said- nice and easy for a few months. I want to teach my dogs silly things again, have a life, and probably deal with some things I should have a year ago.

Er, but first I have to finish all the seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  

***

Can you believe how long I have been doing this??

The Hot 100

I am no Susan Garrett, who can come up with 135 basic (relevant) foundation items to complete with your agility dog before you even actually do any agility, as well as an entirely separate and equally long list of tricks. But I can make a list too!

So here is my list of foundation-y STUFF that I want to be sure to do with puppy before actually moving on to any real equipment. Even though it falls far short of 135 (235 when you count her shaping ideas!), it was long enough that I had to write it down. Can you imagine the horror of running through what I thought was all the basic foundation I think is important, only to come to find that I forgot to teach a STAY when I go to do jump grids or whatever for the first time? I know, not very likely but again, I don't do this puppy thing but once in a coon's age (felt like an appropriate moment to bring out an ol' timey phrase) so I really want to approach this with some organization.

1	Um, the dog's name. Good thing to learn.
2	Sit
3	Down
4	Stand
5	Wait- temporary (lead outs)
6	Stay- For.ev.er.
7	"Okay"
8	"Put yer collar/leash/harness on"
9	Potty on command
10	"Get in Jail" (go in the crate)
11	"Get inside" (Useful in winter…)
12	"Get a Drink" (So helpful to have a dog hydrate on command)
13	Chase me, I have yer toy
14	Chase The Dog, she has the toy
15	Tug with your toy
16	Race to toy- "Let's Go"
17	Alternate taking toys/food for reward
18	Retrieve thing- "Get it"
19	Release toy
20	Put toy in my hand
21	"Bring" me that thing you have (eg that dead animal you're hiding)
22	"Take it" take toy from hand
23	"Leave it" toy or food
24	"Clean up" (Dogs ONLY eat food that falls on ground when I say)
25	"Watch"- look me in the eye
26	"Where is___?" Learn to look for what I say
27	"Find it" You lost it, you find it
28	"Put toys away"
29	"Nose Kisses" (Avoids unsavory french kiss with dog)
30	Back up
31	Nose-Hand touches
32	Shake, both paws
33	"High Five"
34	"Hug" or "grab it" with front foot/arm
35	Touch back foot to hand
36	Back up stairs
37	Back up onto wall
38	Headstand
39	Sit up
40	Sit up and scootch forward/back
41	"Bow" (for stretching)
42	Roll over
43	Lay on side
44	4 Feet IN a container
45	4 Feet ON a container
46	Push game with front feet- shut door
47	Walk forward balanced on my feet
48	Skateboard
49	"Between" start line line up between legs
50	Figure eights with legs
51	Back up through legs
52	"Pop up" onto object
53	"Off" jump down from object
54	Front feet up on the wall
55	Jump up w/Front feet on me at my invite
56	Jump into arms on invite
57	Low balance disk
58	Wobble board
59	Balance Ball
60	Retrieve toy running over wide plank
61	Restrained Recalls
62	Front facing recall, throw toy through legs, retrieve
63	Recall to front (informal)
64	Front position (formal)
65	Perch work (as precursor to heeling)
66	Line up on either side (swing finish)
67	Recall to side/heel
68	Around (R to L side)
69	Behind (L to R side)
70	Walk/Run side/heel
71	Send straight to toy- "go"
72	Send to toy at wall
73	Recall to side or heel, accelerated send to toy
74	Running into decel
75	Walk/Run outside circles
76	Walk/Run inside circles
77	Circles into accelerated send to toy
78	Direction change- FC, turn in
79	Directional- turn away to right
80	Directional- turn away to left
81	Direction changes at walk/run
82	Moving drop/full stop
83	Post turn on flat
84	Recall into post turn, either side.
85	Recall through Mine Field (toys, food, etc)
86	Walk/Run with me through Mine Field
87	Play with minor distraction
88	Stay with minor distraction
89	Focus work through minor distraction
90	Auto drop on low table top only
91	"Out" backside approach (use with jump wings only)
92	Circle cone to left
93	Circle cone to right
94	Multiple circles each way
95	Send to cone (distance) to complete circle
96	Send to cone and accel out of complete circle
97	FC on cone (wrap)
98	Post turn on cone
99	Multiple cones, change to jump post
100	Stay while The Dog works

There you have it. I love this complete mishmash of systems. The best of any one world I think. (But dear god, if I have forgotten something quintessential, LET ME KNOW!)

While it isn't in an exact order, it is sort of grouped by items that logically go together and is in some semblance of progression.  I want to get the basics covered first, and then spend a long time on drive and building the idea of play and reward, with the goal of ME being the Most Fun Thing Ever. Then we will move into Tricks With Ulterior Motive. I love teaching tricks and the ones listed as the ones I have found most beneficial to The Dog as far as teaching good manners, safety, and future applicable agility skilz.  Plus they do the job of teaching puppy to learn.  Then everything else pretty much falls into the obedience and agility flat work world.  I have set one firm rule- no moving on to the latter control exercises until I have a dog with tons of drive to work (play) and confidence, thinking of course of the phrase of the year "Don't worry about control until you actually have something that needs controlling."
***
A puppy is such an amazing thing.  There is a philosophical idea of Tabula Rasa, or translated, Blank Slate. The belief here is that we are all born with a blank mind, free of built-in content, and that all knowledge and personality (the 'soul' to Locke) comes from experience and perception. Think about it. Your dog will be exactly what you make it.

Heck... she could be an Astronaut! Or even... The first Mixed Female President!