Flyball Links and Notes

To better prepare for our flyball training class/time, I've been gathering resource information.

It's interesting how there's not a lot of recently updated flyball information, most of the sites look like they haven't been updated recently. I don't necessarily recommend everything I'm putting here, but I've gotten some information of use from the resources:

- 2 day flyball workshop in Indianapolois in Feb. I'll be at vet conference and there's NO way I'll give up Ken Ramirez for this!
- Videos of training and tournaments. I wish the videos were in youtube or at least just bigger.... but, it's a good collection to see how this group progresses their new dogs.
- A Denver team has a REALLY nice website, it's clean and neat and easy to read and follow. It's good to see how they've laid out their classes and what info they give beginners before attending.
- The massive amount of text on this page makes it hard to read, but this Atlanta group was very kind to post their 'training manual'
- This is a handout, I'm not sure when it was written or who the author is. I have a feeling it is not the most recent handout and some of the technical training pieces are just incorrect. But it may be useful for us to have some sort of handout to give to students who have dogs appropriate for the class?


Griffin is so cute! He ended up crashing the last jump of this, I was probably too much of a distraction, sitting at the end taking photos while someone else was working him!

And that's how I do research. I read and read and read what I can find online, sometimes I order books/DVDs/etc. I watch videos posted online that show the activity (if available). I have a document that I use to save interesting links, there are a bazillion categories.

After I review information, I break down the dog skills and handler skills and prioritize. I look for the most basic small parts of the behavior to build on, and the different ways we can categorize the behaviors. We continually monitor progress (or lack of) and adjust accordingly.

Yesterday I wrote out the basic outline training plan for our flyball training times at PosiDog, and it ended up being a few pages. I'm going to work to condense it to a page of big font for each station and all as one page for everyone who is helping. I also feel like we should have a progress check sheet like I've talked about for other classes to help people know what to work on at home. It's supposed to not be a class but just practice time with helpers available, and so we can answer questions. But last week I ended up helping more than training my dog and that was not a very good thing. We had three beginners to the class (all have had some sort of class experience with it before elsewhere) and had to do some repair training to get proper behaviors and speed.

The goal is to finish up this modification so that I can take the training plan sheets for tomorrow.

(Why do I keep switching from "I" to "we"? Arg!

Gaining Control?

Griffin is adorable. Exceptionally adorable. He has the opportunity to get a lot of environmental reinforcement because he is so cute doing so. That's not to say he can do whatever he wants... we have rules and I maintain criteria. But it's not always set where it probably should be.

So, in an effort to prepare for our competitive endeavors, we've changed a few things.

- More training in public and various places.
- Increasing the variety of food reinforcers we use.
- Increase toy/play reinforcers
- Adventure walks: Walking even without attention or polite walking. no frenzied pulling etc... we feed and walk when passing people or dogs. Vary the locations every time.
- ONLY letting him off leash if I'm VERY sure he'll stick with. No being pressured by instructors or others.

And after a week, how's it going? Our adventure walks have been great. Today we were able to use a toy as the reinforcer for most of flyball class. The exceptions were food for the resting in between turns and at the beginning of class before I pulled out the toy.

Griffin didn't run away or think about it during flyball. I felt safe enough to let him get the toy and bring it back, rather than only tug from my hand.

So... something we're doing is working. I just wish I knew which pieces were making the biggest impact!

Griffin Flyball: 1

This isn't really session one, we've had informal, less organized practice times. But yesterday was the very official, intended-organized, serious-working, super-focused practiced time.

It's set up so teams come and work for the hour, no formal instruction, but helpers around to help problem solve and everyone is definitely expected to be responsible for employing good training skills without a lot of supervision.

THIS is cool because it means I get to work Griffin. I did have to run and get a bagel for him.. I gave all my cheese to a student in the previous class.

After the not so great agility practice last week, I was especially careful. We did restrained recalls where needed for dogs, right near the working lane, and then we just moved over a few feet to start calling the dogs over the jumps to start that back chaining process. We'd work the dogs for just a few reps and switch off.

Griffin was really great. One time after he got his reinforcer he ran off... to the back. And pushed open the HEAVY door. And left. It's a fenced potty yard, so he wasn't in danger, but he was very reinforced for his escape.

His next turn. I didn't want to let him loose. We thought about other options. And blocked off the lane so he couldn't go anywhere. So he pushed down the barriers and then ran off to the back door. So we sat out.

Box-working time for a while. One dog was having his first time on the box and very quickly he was giving his 2o2o. And then we added a go-around pole in front of it. And now he's going around the pole, into a 2o2o and coming back.

None of us are experienced at flyball, we're relying on reading and the instruction of our workshop presenter a couple months ago. But...we were all impressed with what we saw! Griffin wasn't quite as amazing as that dog. But he was working well and stayed engaged with me.

We did another session with the jumps, and he was good for his restrained recalls. I could tell he wouldn't leave...so we let him off leash and not only was he doing really well but he was turning towards me at the end and responding to all the cues he should.

He did well... for next week I need to NOT LET HIM GO unless I'm SURE he'll stay with me. No silly barrier blockades. I should try more tugging. And use a higher ROR initially. He went from lunging and wanting to chase the other dog to lying while the dog ran 5' away... but it will be several weeks before we can start parallel recalls.

And to our decisions... I NEED TO DECIDE TODAY. And I don't know what to do!

Found Things and a Flyball Box Turn

Yesterday afternoon we went on a walk and Blaze found a thing he carried home. Later we found out it was part of a tire. The dogs really like it. Unfortunately it had a really strong plasticy-rubber smell and was very soon confiscated.



Griffin and I worked on his flyball turn last night. He's not always putting both front feet on and sometimes trying to launch with just one back foot. But overall the % of correct responses is improving.

This is an extension of the 2o2o contact behavior. Several years ago, Deb Nelson told me that they typically taught the flyball turns very easily if the dogs had a solid 2o2o behavior. The dog would go to the box, offer the position and then be cued away and soon it became a very nice turn. I didn't think it would work, but it's gone better than I expected. Griffin offered a 2o2o (as well as a lot of other stuff...leg lfts, both feet on the same side, climbing up, jumping over!) and soon figured out how to get his clicks and treats. I wish I had the early sessions on video!