This weekend Scamp, Neena and I attended
our first Kathy Keats seminar, I had no expectations really…but Saturday noon I
ended up with 3 full pages of notes for Scamp aloneJ, I
know I’ll need the reminder in the future so here goes.
Disclaimer: I know that I’ve
heard a lot of what Kathy said before (RIGHT SARAH & AMANDA?). But
it was a fresh perspective, so don’t hold it against me ok? Lol
Scamp’s
Training Book:
Goals & training:
1.
Where do I want to see Scamp in
2 years? She said to reassess this goal
frequently to make sure I am taking them to that next level.
2.
How did my training today improve
our skills (to meet that goal)?
Scamp wasn’t targeting jump - We started
fixing this by preventing mistakes and rewarding correct choices/jumps. She used the idea of pressure a lot; this resonated
with me since I’ve been learning about in herding. The idea is to use pressure (e.g. my
presence/body) to get the dog to stop or prevent a negative behavior/choice
(e.g. not taking jump), and then release the pressure when they make the right
choice (e.g. takes the jump).
Here’s an example of how
training should look:
First run: run the
sequence/course with the expectation they will get it right
Second run: anticipate problem areas from the first run, don’t let them make a mistake
(e.g. catch the intent to do wrong, instead of fix the mistake), use pressure
to make them take the
jump.
BUT…remember, Scamp likes
flow, and I break the trust when I
break the flow. If I’m not there
in time to fix it, keep the flow.
Another good reminder is to watch if he hesitates on an obstacle, and be
prepared on the next run since there is a good chance he might make a mistake
in that spot.
Blind obstacles - Neena knows her obstacles
and how to find lines, I keep forgetting Scamp is still learning. I need to be aware of the course, to look at
it and prevent mistakes by seeing what he might see. In a nutshell, don’t walk a sequence/course
in autopilot.
General Good Dog Behavior – Don’t be a pez
dispenser, it’s a crutch. We did an
exercise where we walked around with loose leashes/no cookies and Scamp did
GREAT. THEN we put the dogs in
down-stays while we walked a course, Scamp was a little uncomfortable, but he
only broke his stay once. WOWSERJ!!! Adding stress/pressure in
this kind of setting helps the dog cope with other situations, e.g. agility
trials.
Scamp’s Immediate Plan:
1.
speed
circles/grids/figure 8’s to build confidence/speed/trust
2.
line of 3
jumps > start skewing jumps, need to be able to send/recall over/and run
with him through
3.
find/train
small pieces in larger sequences to keep the flow (e.g. pin wheels)
4.
keep working
on driving to a goodie container/toy
5.
Drop jump
heights to 16”, depending on what I’m training.
Right now it is sometimes more important that he is happy/gaining
confidence & trust than that he is jumping 22”.
Neena’s
Training Book:
Goals & training:
1.
Where one thing would up Neena’s
game?
2.
What drill do I need to do
tomorrow that will get us there?
Course awareness – increase it by looking
for what the dog sees, not what we see.
Position, Orientation & Motion – all good
handling systems are a combination of these three things. The best way to handle a dog like Neena (with
lower motivation) is to use motion & orientation to cue them before
obstacles.
New Moves:
·
the “throw and pull” move
·
the “pull and wrap” move
·
blind crosses, and when they’d
be useful
Neena’s Immediate Plan:
1.
Ready 1-2-3
game (driving ahead)
2.
Driving
to/out of obstacles, and without my motion
3.
Jump
commitement
4.
Drop the 1st
2-3 jumps to 16” when we are working a sequence with an ‘icky’ start
General
Notes from the Weekend:
·
Don’t anticipate, watch and
prevent from being wrong
·
Increase obstacle commitment
·
Pay attention to the dog in
front of you
·
Know your strengths/weaknesses
·
Do not default into handling
with my hands…handle with my FEET!
·
Run every sequence like it’s a
trial, add that same amount of pressure/stress
·
RUN!!! Push myself, I’m capable of more.
·
OWN patterns (e.g. 180°’s), be
able to do them a bunch of different ways
Throughout the weekend, but especially in
Neena’s sessions, Kathy talked to us quite a bit about our “Mental Game”. In one exercise we partnered up and took
turns leading the other person around the arena eyes closed. When we were done Kathy asked what we felt when
we were leading...and immediately I thought resistance. She said that’s exactly what our dog’s feel
when we don’t trust them, and even more so as they are more sensitive to our
emotion than we are...it was such a physical, tangible idea. I’d never thought of it like that...I want to
trust my dogs, and I want them to feel that.
She also challenged us to think about why
we feel insecure, and how to get past it.
Things like focus on the positive, and take action...it is always better
than inaction. Maybe the best line of
the whole weekend was...professional athletes have the same insecurities we do;
they are just quicker at giving themselves a vigorous shake and getting past
them.
And I’ve decided...every now and then, I
need a good vigorous shake;).
