Bored? Here's a video (2o2o Training)

[wildo]

Nothing special. Just a little training session at lunch. I set up Pimg's travel board on top of her wobble board since we've progressed to working 2o2o on an incline. Then I realized I hadn't worked the ladder in quite a while. Seemed like a fun thing to tack on there. The wobble board made it interesting... You can tell Pimg hasn't walked through it in a while as she is hesitant at first. But near the end of the video she is walking through just fine. Foundations...

2o2o Contact Training 9-9-2011 - YouTube

2o2o Contact Training 9-9-2011 - YouTube

I'm feeling pretty good about her contacts! I've only been seriously trying to train them for just over a week now. I have built a lot of value for the position, and I think Pimg is starting to get the game. I think I am pretty close to the point where I'd like to name the position/action, but am not sure what I want to call it quite yet. Touch, Wait, Pause, Halt, not sure yet...

[Whiteshepherds]

It's always fun watching your work with Pimg, I love these types of videos! I'm guessing you made all that equipment too?

[wildo]

Yep- all homemade! The only equipment I haven't made is our tunnel, and depending on how far you wanna take it- I did buy all the "parts" from cleanrun for our most recent set of bar jumps (which I gotta say- are niiiiiiiiiiiiiccccceee!)

And I *LOVE* working with Pimg! She is a serious blast. I wish so badly I could have gotten video from class last night. I've never seen her so happy, excited, even exuberant to do work!

[EDIT]-
DIY Ladder
DIY Wobble Board
DIY Travel Board

[MaggieRoseLee]

Great job, love her enthusiasm.

Question though... I know I was told to treat on the ground for contacts. They say to get the dog's focus down and off handler. Also supposed to be (they say ) healthier for the dog to have their head down when coming down into the zone. I was also told to treat using the same hand on the same side and not to turn into the dog and treat from the opposite hand.

You are using a different method and just wondering what the philosophy was? Always so interesting to learn new methods and the why...

[wildo]

I am using this video (and part two):

Teaching a "Two on - Two off" Contact Part One - YouTube

Teaching a "Two on - Two off" Contact Part One - YouTube

I am feeding to the side, but probably need to feed LOWER to the side... Good eye!

[MaggieRoseLee]

Ok, she's NOT turning into the dog to give the treat. So while I'd have been taught to (using her video) use my left hand too, I was taught to place the treat (not drop it) on the ground right in front of the dogs front feet. She's using the same hand (see how her shoulders AND the dogs shoulders both face the camera all the time?) but reaching over the dog to give the treat.

Course I'd be using the clicker rather than the 'yes yes yes'

HEY, part TWO looks like the one I made (even the dog looks the same! )

2on/2off Contact Training with clicker - First Lesson - YouTube

2on/2off Contact Training with clicker - First Lesson - YouTube

I'm not quite clear why it's benefit to treat over the shoulder on the opposite side of the dog?

What does your NEW INSTRUCTOR recommend for contacts? She use 2on/2off?

[wildo]

Yes, yes... I'm using the wrong hand to treat, causing me to turn my shoulders into the dog. I need to work on it.

Originally Posted by MaggieRoseLee

I'm not quite clear why it's benefit to treat over the shoulder on the opposite side of the dog?

In the video I posted of Debby Wheeler, she stated the reasons she treats down and to the opposite side:

"We want to feed them off to the side, and their head down low. It's important that you do both of these things because we want our dogs to 1) be balanced, and 2) that they learn to be independent from us. If we feed them [on the handler side] then they look towards us, and we don't want to train them to look towards us."

I think she's using it to help instill balance. You can definitely see in the video that the dog is adjusting his rear feet while she treats in an awkward position on the side of his body. So kind of a two-for-one... Rewarding the position AND working balance/rear foot awareness.

I've also read (here actually) about the dog's head needing to be in the down position because:
"Feeding low encourages him to keep his focus low and makes it less likely that he will jump over the contact zone." So true. Every time my dog jumps a contact- her head is WAY up, not down at all.

So I think there are advantages to both: treating both to the opposite side and down low.

Originally Posted by MaggieRoseLee

What does your NEW INSTRUCTOR recommend for contacts? She use 2on/2off?

Haven't asked her. She almost certainly uses 2o2o or ORTO. I bet she'd tell you though that there is no recommended contact performance. The correct answer is that it differs for each dog/handler. In that, I think she's correct.

[wildo]

Originally Posted by MaggieRoseLee

Also supposed to be (they say ) healthier for the dog to have their head down when coming down into the zone.

I happened to be reading through Shaping Success today, and came across page 78 where SG states that requiring a nose tap give the dog a job to do with their head meaning they are less inclined to twist back and look at you. She says that the twisting motion puts the spine out of alignment when the dog hits the ground. So in that way, it would be healthier for the dog to keep their head straight and low.

[MaggieRoseLee]

Originally Posted by wildo

I happened to be reading through Shaping Success today, and came across page 78 where SG states that requiring a nose tap give the dog a job to do with their head meaning they are less inclined to twist back and look at you. She says that the twisting motion puts the spine out of alignment when the dog hits the ground. So in that way, it would be healthier for the dog to keep their head straight and low.

Think all that is why my instructors encourage treating low, or onto the ground. Eliminates any head up or twisting....

[wildo]

I think lylol trains with Debby. Maybe she can ask her the reasoning for treating to the side. I'll PM her.