Oh Mum is so excited because I can now do twelve weave poles!  We had our ups and downs, sometimes I was too excited to remember what I was doing, sometimes other dogs almost got in the way, and I still find it harder if Mum is at the other end of the poles and I have to go in from the left but we will be working on that. But just in case any of you have time on your hands (this video lasts 50 minutes) you can watch my weave training from Session One until I get to do the twelve poles.  Only four sessions were not videoed and these included two sessions when Mum and Amy put up two lots of six poles with a gap between them.  I hope you enjoy watching me and if your Mum or Dad is playing the 2x2 weave game with you, I might give you some inspiration by showing you how I got there, despite my mistakes here and there where Mum had to pay attention to what I was telling her and perhaps go back a step or two sometimes.

My Weave Training

Journey so far

Hi again

I've been a bit lax in keeping you up to date with my life recently.  I'm 15 months old now and have learned so many things.  I won two competitions for best trick.  At one I took the clothes of the washing line and put them in the basket and at the other I began by putting my four feet in a little bowl, then Mum turned the bowl upside down and I pivoted on it to the left and right.  Mum then sent me of to sit on my wobble cushion, about 20 feet away and wait there while she crouched down, then she called me and I ran up and jumped onto her back.   When she released me, I did a sit pretty and smiled at the Judge!

But the thing I have learned best just recently are the weaves. Mum thought that using Susan Garrett's 2x2 method would be best.  We started this on 11 April and here is a video of our first very short session.

Today I did six straight weave poles for the first time.  There were other people in the garden, so more distractions than usual.  But I am proud of this first attempt.

We have such fun playing together, me and my Mum.

Until next time.
Bob

My Mum and Dad

Good morning

I am a Sprocker, my Dad, Blue is a working cocker and my Mum, Summer is a working Springer.  Thought I would show you what they look like.

Blue

Summer

Good Morning

Gosh my Mum is proud of me today.  This morning I got the whole thing of putting one food bowl in the other very quickly.  Now all we have to do is take the trick out of our den and on the road.  Here is our video of me learning this new trick in less than 6 minutes.

I also did the washing line trick using pegs for the first time today.   All this is getting us ready for the show we are going to put on for the elderly that I visit at the Care Home in June.

I'll keep you posted with my progress.
Bob

Hi there

Well since last time Recallers 4 has begun and we have a challenge to do for IC Peeps as well as continuing with our Contacts, and Mum says I will start my 2 by 2 weaves pretty soon.  I am also learning a lot of new tricks in readiness for the show I am in for the Rest Home in June.  These videos show my progress with the Washing Line Trick and the Dice Trick.

Washing Line Trick

Dice Trick

This is a good one because it involves interaction for

the elderly as they can choose which number

I have to find

Good Morning, Mum just watched Susan Garrett's third Webinar for Recallers 4.00 and look how exciting life is going to be for me now!

Framework for Inspired Learning

( the reason for this particular font can be found at http://www.edge.org/conversation/disfluency)

1.         Know exactly what you want.

I want Bob to wait at the start line, quivering, just waiting for my release but never releasing until I say the word GO.

I want Bob to come at squirrel speed to me any time I give one call, even in the house.

I want Bob to weave at breakneck speed no matter from where I send him to the weaves.

I want Bob to have the tightest turns round jump wings no matter where I am on the course.

I want Bob to have absolutely solid 2on2off contacts no matter where I am on the agility course.

I want Bob to really work for me at distance.

I want Bob to walk loose lead beside me no matter where we are or what is going on around us.

I want Bob to love lying on my lap when I’m watching TV.

I want Bob to go see the elderly and look up at them cutely on my command.

2.     Visualise the Benefits

When Bob can wait whenever he is on the startline, I will be able to enter the agility ring with confidence that Bob’s focus is on me and his work and that we will have great fun running the course.

When I know that Bob has squirrel speed one calls 100% of the time we will be able to enjoy walks wherever we are without being concerned, say, if I see a dog on leash who might not want other dogs to visit it.  Also, it would save his life if he happened to be running straight toward a road.

When Bob weaves at breakneck speed if I send him to the weaves from anywhere on the course, I will have the confidence that yes, we will make G7 at Kennel Club as well as Champion level at UKA.

When Bob has very tight turns I will have confidence that our speed in agility will always be the optimum we can achieve on the day.

When Bob has solid 2on2off contacts I will have confidence that he will always stop and never fly off the end of the contacts how Dylan used to.

When Bob works brilliantly at distance, it means that me, as an older agility competitor will not have to rely on running at the breakneck speeds of Shaun Hunt and Greg Derrett, and that Bob need not be limited by my own running speed.

When Bob walks loose lead beside me wherever we are, we will walk confidently down streets, around the rings at trials, in fact anywhere and I shall be so proud of my naughty Bob.

When Bob lies in my lap when I’m watching TV in the evenings we will have the warmest snuggles on cold winter nights.

When Bob goes see the elderly at the Care Home that he visits, he will impress with his tricks, but even more so by looking adoringly at the elderly clients so that they really believe he loves them.

3.        Strategically introduce working stress.

a)       Duration

b)       Distractions (your dog’s five senses, hearing, sight, taste, touch, smell)

c)       Distance (away from you or something your dog loves or fears)

Unique approach to introducing stress training to your dog.

First teach the dog a joyful response to stress training before introducing this stress into training. – Crate Games

4.       Break your targeted behaviour down into small, more manageable responses.

 

Take into consideration the complexity of the behaviour, environment, or dog’s natural drives. (Sprocker Bob loves sniffing).

Don’t be trapped by the limits of your own perception.

Focusing on training small responses leads to big successes!

5.        Balance value and distractions strategically.

Reinforcement empowers choice.

Control the level of intensity of stress (or distraction) for the dog.

You control outcome of an inappropriate choice.

Remember 80% success guideline

.

Mastery = Synchronised Desires

Foundation layers build mastery from understanding.

Work = Play & Play = Work

Joy in training

Here we come again – upwards and onwards to RECALLERS 4.0

Hi there,

It's been a little while since I updated my blog.  Mum has been struggling with me because I didn't understand exactly what she wanted when she asked me to wait in front of the jump and I kept jumping up on her and grabbing her coat, so she decided it might be a good idea to go back to the critical core games of Recallers.  Over today we did these in the garden.  

Crate Games

Walking with Mum in RZ 

Collar Grab

In this game Mum practised restraining

me on my collar as well because I get very

silly doing this when we have a toy and I need to

learn to do this whether with food or a toy.

This is me doing my favourite trick

Sit Pretty

I am really clever because I stay in my Sit Pretty

even when Mum throws lovely treats, like little

pieces of steak all around me.

And this video shows that I can play tug without actually

climbing all over Mum when she asks for the tug and then a sit.