Donna Brown Seminar on Contacts & Weaves Summer 2008

Donna Brown Seminar on Contacts & Weaves – Summer 2008 Notes by Holly Hammerle

CONTACTS: Morning Session

THOUGHTS

 Train a specific behavior = just yellow isn’t enough o 2 on 2 off o Running = stride through the bottom o 4 off = stride through the bottom  Most of us need to revisit our contacts  Donna uses “bump” for touch the target

 When you hold back at the end of the Dog Walk or A Frame, it causes the dog to pop off above the yellow  Identify the behavior you want o Mark it when it is right and reward it o Mark it when it is wrong – gently

 When you decide what you want, write it down & the release (which is as important as the position)

Discussion on 2 on 2 off (also applies to 4 on the floor)  This is a clear behavior  Lots that you can do away from equipment  If you are going to stop – stop ahead of your dog not next to them  Reward on the opposite side (dog’s head turns away from you) 

 After the reward – go back behind the dog – run forward to release when you are ahead of the dog  Donna’s definition o Hit it – foot touch o Bump – nose touch  Do target work o In your hand o In hand closer to the floor o Dog is parallel to you o Target onto the floor Plank work [4 ft long 10 – 12 in wide with 2 x 4 underneath in 3 places for support]

o Dog on plank with 4 on = train this o Teach the dog to turn around on the plank o Then treat in outside hand o Target between the front feet o Teach “Bump” with nose o No treat on target  2 Rules o Constant motion when you release o If you stop – release – then move o Starting to move & release are never paired “linked” together  Take it to the stairs o On lowest step o Work “bump” o 2 steps to bottom o Add handler run bys, etc  On the plank o Run by o Send dog to position o Front cross

Foot touch for a 4 on the floor  Donna uses a different target (half of a paint stirring stick)  Train the dog to stop with front feet on the board  Placement is a little over 1 body length away from the edge of the plank  Treat on the away side

Quick Release  Done with a stop in every weekend competition in the ring  Random training

****Maintain your criteria”**** Set what is and what isn’t acceptable Groundwork 1. Target behavior a. Between feet b. Reward on side away from handler c. Add handler movement

Then get the dog used to the plank/board 2. Plank familiarization a. Stand on it b. Turn on it c. Get on the side – (not end to end movement) this helps them learn to square their rear 3. Add target to end of plank a. Get on the side b. Some with wait & handler ahead c. Some send to the Target d. Always with a release word e. Add handler movement

GAMES (3 times a week) [Full Contacts & Sequences 2 times a week]  With the target o Train with the target o Work to remove target before trialing (and no reward)  Take it to the obstacle – get on from the side of the obstacle o Front feet on first o Swing rear into position o Hit the position o Reward it o Try working it in a Figure 8 o Place a jump to the side of the AFrame and low . Dog clears jump going to position

. This can also be done on the Dog Walk but is much harder and it helps the dog get balance

****Change your release word for great or just fair behavior**** Similar but different

 Upper level game

o Give jump then bump command for the behavior o Dog touches down after the jump and then goes for the contact behavior o If the dog is going too fast – having trouble – drop a treat behind the jump to slow them down  Restrained going to position – push back to get the dog to want to get on the side HINTS  Train the groundwork  Train away from full equipment  Train on equipment but not a rull run  Reach treat over the dog’s shoulders to reward on away side  Treat low at the target  Important to hit with the front feet first and square the rear  Make a game out of the end position  Don’t put props in haphazardly  Teach the square-up of the rear in groundwork before up on end of equipment

TARGETS  Lots of ways to teach a contact behavior. Donna likes a target because it teaches a behavior.  Less confident dogs need this to help with their understanding of the expected behavior  More confident dogs get impulse control from knowing the behavior  How to teach targets 1. Touch the hand – no work o Reward in the hand o Later a word that means the contact behavior of head down 2. Target in your hand – fingers out of the way (dog comes straight in and pushes with the nose) o Do everything on both sides o Don’t move the target as you are not asking the dog for the behavior but to chase the target 3. Work on getting the target to the ground o You need to get down there o Look for a definite drop of the head 4. Begin to fade your hand 5. Target on the ground o Name it different fro touching the hand because it is a head down behavior 6. Go to parallel position (agility heeling) o Treats in hand nearest dog o Rear of dog in straight alignment with the handler o Reach across the shoulders with the reward o Dog touches target between their feet o Across the shoulders – reach to the target for the reward to the dog o Click-treat-click-treat for repeated touches 7. Stand up and do # 6 again 8. When real consistent, go to the plank, stairs and contacts 4 on the FLOOR Donna like them to foot touch & lay down (uses paint stir paddles about 8” long)  Click foot touch  Start to toss the stick  Click for touch & lay down (may need to remind them to lay down)  They need to leave you to touch the stick

TEETER GAMES: bounce games 2 on 2 off

 Don’t let dog go up the chair end  Gradually move the chair back so the board bounces more  Dog gets on from side  If using 4 on the teeter – different word for a different behavior (“get on”)  Bungie the target to the teeter

MEANWHILE: See wood – run – use hoops at the ends  Get balance as they run across the equipment  Hoop = run it  No hoop = end behavior (later)

Fading the target  Random times there or not  Work this at every level before doing it on the equipment (plank – side – table at side – jump, etc)  Eventually = don’t want the dog to think “target=reward”  Put target in & out & then les and less – keep clicking and reward everything  Dog misses the “picture” o Option A time out – stop and ask dog to come back to you before you go on o Option B take them out of the ring “really have to think about whether or not to do this” . Before you use B you really need to think  Are you being consistent  Have you faded the target  Have you done all the prep work consistently  Even then?????

WEAVES: afternoon session  Uses wings/gates to the side of each pole  Straight ups right from the beginning  Weave-A-Matics for footwork  Channels for speed  Does not allow luring through the poles – very hard to get the finished product with luring  Need to give good information when right and mark when wrong too – gently  Make it worth their while to be correct  Does not feed from the hand o It makes the dog check in & shift weight back o Uses a food tube/toy  Teach 12 from the beginning  Donna doesn’t like training on the lesser number of 6, 8, 10, 12 for long o Works them in rotation  If lack of understanding with one method, try another method  Feed/reward with the head tilted back into the poles  Never allow a curve back at the end of the poles – toss something  Both sides from the beginning  Work 5 or 6 times through in a session  Changing wires (or Weave-A-Matics or Channel) o Take one in the middle off – put it back on – take another off o Leave on the front and back 2 o Continue random removal & replace until they have done them all o Then 2 random off – not together . Two off one off then one back on . then another off o Then 3 off – ten 4 until only first 2 and last 2 left  Use obstacles ahead & behind  Always throw something at successful end  Always stop at mistake & mark gently and go back  When a problem 1or 2 times – help them

Channel  First wide enough to run through for reward  Then a little at a time

Constantly changing the picture toward the end product Start over when wrong WEAVE GAMES

#1 – reward more than beginning or end after they know how to weave – it helps with speed 

 Treats in both hands  Reward where they are right and by your let  Back up 1 at a time until you can get to the other end  Randomly where you are standing  NO body movement until dog offers last poles  Feed with the dog’s head level or slightly down – never up

ENTRY GAME  You need a treat that can be seen (white cheese on grass)

  Pole 2 on your belly  Release the dog  As the dog’s shoulder passes pole 1 – click – and treat from right hand  Then when they come for reward o Give treat and toss another treat away o They go for the tossed cookie and you “okay” (release) and they have to find the entrance o Where you toss the treat determines how difficult the return entrance will be o Dog makes a mistake – don’t throw as you are rewarding the mistake o If dog has trouble with the entry – click when they get up (as released) and reward with the Right hand to the Left of pole 1 on the pole o Always stay with second pole on handler’s belly

Strengthen weaves: Distraction Training  Good for impulse control, high drive has to think while low drive wants it  Hold toy & weave then drop toy beyond  Hold and toss toy  Bag of food near them on pole base  Mark mistake “Oh My”  Start at a fair place and make it possible to be successful – then increase the level of distraction

Hard entries [only after all foundation work and success] Only use 6 poles 

 Work at 0 degrees, 30 degrees, 60 degrees, 90 degrees from 15 ft away  Yeah marker – means I like the entry but keep going  Miss entry – go back to landing side of jump to make it easier  Front Cross  Rear Cross  Call through  If rough for them check o Feet pointing at 1st pole o Look at first pole o Stand in the poles (for entry) or use a small gate, weave wire, etc  When you get that victory – stop  If getting lots of failure – help the dog to have success