March 11-16

I've combined several tracks into this long blog. The first was the long article track that Mary Ann planned and Susan K laid for us. She is slowly learning. She could have done better, but she is picking it up as we go along (see below.) Unfortunately the GoPro cannot do a narrower angle than this, so it is always at long-distance, and the lighting is not great. But I wanted Judi to see what happened on Tuesday.

Second Segment is something different.(14:53) I know that we did obstacles recently and so we are out of rotation, but I wanted to give her a bit more work in woods and heavy cover before ticks, and especially copperheads, get to be a problem. Start her in heavy cover, transition to manicured grass, and into medium length field grass before turn. Nice loss of scent and turn on first corner, She handled the challenges of the second leg well, and, after a bit of searching, made the turn (open right). Third and fourth turns were open as well, owing to the terrain. Followed last leg into woods and found the article, tucked by a branch. Nice detection, but not yet the indication we've been working for.

Third Track. Article track. (23:18). Overcast, warm, windy (BFT 4-5). Straight track laid according to chart in Training Exercises. Doesn't down very well at start article, nor on the next article (I realized then that I had forgotten to put the lead on her harness.) Subsequent articles all exactly as I would like them--almost instant down when she reaches the article. Next to last not quict as good, and on final article you can see that she wanted to down, but didn't want to down on a pine cone! Very encouraging track!

Can't quite figure out why she was sidewinding, but she stuck to the track.



Comments

  1. JudiMarch 16, 2025 at 6:03 PM

    Sitting in O’Hare, comments as i watch. Question #1: when Maryann demonstrated the hand on the article, and Millie went to check, why did you pull her away? Thank you for insisting on the down at the start article! First article was lovely—your timing was lovely and you got a pretty nice, quick down. Not sure what happened at the next article—a good 15 seconds passed while you ?waited? For her to offer a down. In order for her to learn this, we have to establish a habit. One success isn’t a habit. Consistency is the king. Please don’t test!! Third article, lovely. Then you get an automatic down—yay—and so you test on the next one and wait 7 seconds to help her. One more time…we are establishing a habit, and it will NOT be established in one day, or one week, or given her past learning history, one month. Had you cued the article after the automatic down, and stepped right in, you would have STRENGTHENED her response. By waiting, you weakened it. Nice timing on the last one. Kudos to Mary Ann for keeping you close behind her—Mary Ann is correct. Ralph, the one time you got the auto down, it occurred in the 1 Second interval between nose touch and you helping. That is the only option you two have—you DO NOT change the amount of time you wait. One second—cuz 1 second will get you a fast indication in the field. The more automatic that indication is (the less she thinks about it) the more likely it will occur when you need it. Also, for now, please have food in the article, with the article rubber banded shut.

    Track 2. Before I watch it, I wish you’d please, please tell me how you augmented the track—a map would be great. I’d like to know where and how you augmented. Question 1: did you take her to the start or did she take you? Did she down or sit at the start? It looked like a sit to me. Ralph, you have GOT to be clear and CONSISTENT. She must down. Period. OK, loved the little gully, wish you’d preplanned to go over the big downed tree. All in all, nice tracking. The article was 110% your fault—you (big surprise) tested rather than trained. One more time Ralph—SHE DOES NOT HAVE THE BEHAVIOR. Every single time you let her not down, you have taught her to not down. I’m not sure how to get this across. Your dog is learning whether you are actively teaching her or not. So when you don’t get your butt up behind her as you two approach the article, have the food out in your hand, and give her 1 second, then CUE AND STEP IN, well, you’ve taught her NOT to indicate. It’s that simple. Can you please tell my why you won’t do this? Cuz I’m trying really hard to help you, and I feel dissed.

    Track 3: 5 seconds between when her nose touched the article and you cued the down—and I think the word came while you were moving. She’s sidewinding because the line is on her collar. Was that first article a down or a bow? I can’t tell. And there’s something wrong with her harness—it’s way off to the side, which again is why she is sidewinding. Lovely articles so far…. DAMN IT. Why, after so many perfect articles, were you inconsistent and accepted a bow instead of of a down? That’s exactly the time you want to make sure you are consistent. And then on the last one you accepted a sit.

    That was a lovely track with poor training. Do you need to read training research to believe me that Consistency is an imperative? Why I am failing to get this across?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ralph HattoxMarch 16, 2025 at 6:37 PM

      Just a preliminary observation, the line was only on the collar between the start and the first article, when I realized my mistake.

      Delete

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