New winds and new ideas to catch

Agilitycoach course 2016-2017

I glad to be chosen to second level agility coach course. This course will deepen our knowledge in agility training and also our ability train the handler even more. We a training book that introduces the newest training tools in human sports and goes through how human physiology develops. This has been interesting to read even though some of it pretty familiar from own sport background and my studying in the University. I think this will be a very interesting journey in to more training tools. During this course I will also work with a dog team and train both dog and the human part of team. It will new thing to train more specific way the physical part of the human training. More I read it more I feel I want to know about it.

I have also started train in a gym. I haven’t done this kind of training in a long time but I think it will a good way built up my physic and also learn more about training from training classes in Mentor Gym. Learning to train right is journey. Sometimes you get too excited and train too much. Sometimes your training doesn’t take you anywhere. It’s cool to learn more tools to test and analyze training to make it more efficient. I have already got a some training how train and built up a sport dog but I hope learn from that even more during this course. Goal is to be able to train better both dogs and humans and give tools to become even better agility team.

Competition and training

We had a nice competition day in Kirkkonummi last weekend. Both Pixie and Freya did some nice runs even though we didn’t get a clear ones. I tried Pixie’s running A-frame in competition and it went pretty well. The hit was little too high to my liking but much better it used to be. We still need work on that in training. Pixie jumped really well this time. I hope her body starts be in good condition again. Freya had yet again amazing contacts. I just absolutely love her work with contacts obstacles. Freya and I had few spots where she wasn’t sure what I wanted with my handling. So we have some work to do with handling maneuver separation training to make sure she doesn’t always turn away from me when I put my hand down.

In Tuulias training last week we had the same turning away from me problem when I started to do a normal handling of a wrap. We did some work with it but it needs more training. Otherwise she did pretty nice job. Her jumping has improved a lot. Our forced front cross starts to look pretty ok. I need take off from marking site really fast to give her enough space and time to make a nice jump. Freya can really commit to handling maneuver and obstacle really early. This is something I need to learn to be faster and give her room to do her thing. Slalom was a little slow but we haven’t trained it so much so yet another thing we can improve to get more speed.

ClickerExpo 2017 and my first clicker training class

CE is coming again!! I can’t wait to be there again. Lots of super classes and lots new people to meet. New training ideas and improving my old skills. CE is one the best training events I have ever been. Your just get overwhelmed from all the exciting lectures and the faculty is just full of amazing trainer. If you haven’t been there yet you should go! This year it will be held in Denmark. So I have a very short fly to get there. I hope to have a backpack full new books to read and head exploding from new ideas.

I have also put together my first clicker training class. Well actually I want to share training tools that have helped me to get better performance in different dog sports. I have learned to use different target training in rally, obedience and dog dancing that has made training easier and make dogs performance even better than before. I have also included social learning to my course. I want share the wonder Do as I do protocol created by Claudia Fugazza. My dog have just loved to train copying. I have notice that their focus have improved and they pay much attention to my doings. I hope that this would be a nice plus for everyone that has passion for dogs training.

TALENT DOGS - TYÖKALUJA KOULUTUKSEEN KURSSI

That's all for now!!!!

MPF

Obedience training for Winner Class

Route to Winner Class

We have been to two trials in Winner Class. First one was one paw away from first price and second went more off. I first had in mind of just trying to compete but I got to my senses. I wanted to improve our weaknesses and built her ready better for the higher classes. In the end after one first price in winner class we have to make three first prices in OB4 to become ob champions. Freya is also pretty good in ob so we might even try our luck in the National Championships. But we have more few challenges ahead and the biggest one is her sensitivity.  

We have done lots of work to make her comfortable near people. In last trial she got distracted from work of ring guide. She wanted sniff her every time she showed us our new starting point. This little distraction and checking her our took part of drive. So we need to do lots of work to make everyone in the ring meaningless. She has done already a lot of progress. But as you can see from our training video from last week she still get tense every time we go near people. This same can happen with dogs when we do the laying down or sit in a row. Freya's confidence is pretty fine line but it can be built to be better.

In overall she has improved in every task. Our biggest challenge has been the box. Freya has had a habit of stopping before to first cones. We have done position work from close range and helped sending from  long distance ( by this I mean going half way to send her so that I'm closer to box). Work has finally started to pay off. I think we will be soon ready to take another try in winner class. She has speed and super work ethic but I hope we will over come her fear to people and dogs so that she can work with full confidence.

Here is our video from our last training. This was competition mode training where we did about three task in row without reward:

That's all for now!!!

MPF

Talent Code - What is talent??

Talents aren’t born, they are made.

I finally had time to read a book Talent Code written by Daniel Coyle. This books takes a research how some place have produced multiple super star in their field. Studies have shown that there isn’t talents. Talent is made with right guidance and support. More Daniel found out about the talent hot spots, more story seems repeat itself. Behind every talent is a coach that can support deep practice and motivation. Usually behind talent weren’t any fancy places and top class facilities. They just needed a teacher that ignited their motivation and fueled the hunger for learning for the rest of their lives. These stories came from music and sport world but similar way talents were created in business world.

Ignition

Sirpa Saari

When you start your sport or other hobby, you don’t need to have a super coach or teacher. The person just has to have a way of teaching that fuels your motivations to practice yours skills in your chosen sport or other trait. First touch to for example to new sport can be to key factor does your inner flame burst in fire and to learning start on the right path. This really makes it even more important to find the right persons to teach to first steps. When ground work has been done solid and motivating it can create a life long journey of learning. This can be transferred to agility too to both in humans and dogs. Motivation base must be built well to help the team go through the hardships and difficulties on the route. Passion must be fueled to help fire the learning. So do we support enough the learning of the handler and the dog to give start to route to become supreme agility team?

Deep practice

Sirpa Saari

Next part on the journey is to learn to train in deep practice mode. Deep practice is based on error solving. We learn most efficiently when process the mistakes we have made and divide them in to small pieces. This actually reminds of clicker training. There we chop up the skills in to little pieces and built them together. In clicker training we try keep learning error free but do animals learn also from mistakes? We all learn from our mistakes. Of course as humans we can make this process deeper but I think dogs will also learn from their mistakes in life and in training (this means when dogs don’t get rewarded which makes them change their behavior).  Deep practice is mental zone when we work more slowly and work the problem bit by bit. Deep practice actually helps us built myelin in our brain which enhances the neural transmission. This is a important part the learning in brain.  

Deep practice is something we can learn and train but to help it we need a teacher or a coach that knows how keep us in the deep practice zone. Super coaches can change way of teaching to match each learner. It key to find the best way individual learns and take the teaching in. Everyone has little things that helps them to keep in deep practice zone and coaches in the hots spots have learned see them in every learner. Coaching is another skill to learn to become a deep practice expert. It takes 10 000 practice hour to master a skill, it needs about ten years of training and deep practice to become the talent.

Sirpa Saari

The deep practice idea can be also transferred to dog training. I actually just had light bulb moment when I thought of jumping technique training – deep practice! We give dogs training exercises where they can learn and feel about the jumping and built up their myelin wrapping in their brain circuits. Of course the dog need to be in deep practice zone which in dog training terms is in the right alert state and motivated. So how can we take deep practice to more consideration when coach our dogs? One for starters remember built up everything from little pieces. Clicker training rules are quite like building animal to do deep practice. So more you understand science based training more you can coach your dog work in the deep practice zone. I know this is my conclusion but to me it really make a lot of sense.  My thought may not be totally true. But if it makes even few people to explore operant training this writing has open few new windows to clicker training world.

That's All for now!!

MPF

Finlands National Championships in Nastola

WE DID IT FINALLY!!!!!

What a wonderful National Championship Weekend in Nastola. Pixie was a part of TSAUs team. We had four dogs in our team Petri Mannonen and Bordercollie Fleet, Santtu Stenberg and bc Rairai, Pixie and I, Taija Salokannel and Iisi. Our team did the fast clean runs and got GOLD in team championships. This was our first clean run in big competitions and our first medal in National Champion level. This was a big win to me and my dog and of course to the whole team. Feeling just amazing to finally succeed in a big competition.

I have to thank you Tanja Kotti and Leena Piira to helping Pixie to become better again!!! All our coaches Janita and Jaakko from One Mind Dogs. We are finally starting to find right way to work together still lot to do but it nice to have little prize for all the hard we have done. We want to thank you Acana and Orijen for providing the best nutrition to my Queen. Here is our super run
from the team championships:

In National Championships we did a pretty nice run with one fault and we were first dog out of final but I was really pleased with our work during the whole weekend. We worked as a team and Pixie's jumping had improved miles from the work she has done so far. Her body isn't still perfect since her sick leave but we are getting there. Things are done right and it is starting to so in our work. I think this weekend you could see our totally improvement in agility. My vision and work have started work to our favor. Thank you to our jumping trainer class!! Lots of thinking have changed. It is process that is still going on. I like where this journey has started to take.

Here is our run in the jumping course in National Championships:





In few weeks we have National Team tryouts. I can't wait!!! We are so ready for them!! I have the feeling we have finally have found our team work. It has taken 6 years. Too long for Pixie, she could have been super dog but she needed to wait for me to develop to be worth of her skills. We have found a flow feeling.... We will cherish it as long as we can and Pixie has healthy year ahead.

That's all for now... Next time we will see do we ticket to Spain ;D ;D ;D

MPF

Training with Jaakko and Janita

Jaakko’s training

Koirakuvat Jukka Pätynen

Finally had a training session. It has been a long time since we have had someone to watch our work. We did a course training in Onemind Dogs Arena. I had develop my old bad habits back like forgetting to handle tunnels. Too much hurry in my head again. Pixie did pretty nice work but I had to remember real lines to find my right positions to do handling maneuvers. With both girls I needed reminder again about the connection. Especially Freya really got benefit from connection before slalom and also in other training parts. I wish I could slow down my mind even more. I don’t know why I have problem to keep the contact because in many cases I can be too far ahead.

One thing we also worked on was Freya cross bar jumping. She has tendency round up the jumps she goes behind and this makes it hard for her to get in to right rhythm in serpentine work. We did 8 figure work with nets that made a round circle behind the jump. The goal was to stop her from rounding up the turn behind the jump. Freya got the idea right away and started to do smooth and tight jumps cross the bar serpentine jumps. We also did this training in course in few little parts. Freya did really good job. Now we just need to train this a little bit more to make as skills she masters. This will give us more speed in serpentine tasks in competition courses.

Practicing on our own

Koirakuvat Jukka Pätynen

We continued our work with the serpentine jumps. I used jump bars behind the jump to guide her to do a tight and smooth jump. This worked as the same as the nets. It prevented Freya to round up the jumps. I did different angles and started to do more than one jump in row. I used a target toy in the end of the serpentine to help her keep her head and neck line in down position. This helped her a lot to find right rhythm. All jumps were maximum of 45 cm when I started this work. At this moment she can very nice and collected jump with 60 cm jumps. Still work but she is getting there. She has got a lot more confidence in her serpentine work.

One thing I have also tried to improve in the connection. I have my moments but I really need to concentrate to keep my eye contact with the dog. I have done this work with small practices because it has been hard for me. I want to give my self a little goals we can reach with my dog. I have also started concentrate to work in handling to make more calm and clearer to the dog. Still a lot of work and the hurry in head has given me a good fight. I think I have one some battles but the war with my brain is still going on strong. :D

Connection Connection - Training session with Janita

Yesterday we had a training class with Janita. Again we did a connection work. We did a course walk where Janita walked the dogs line and checked our connection. First I had hard time of giving up connection to obstacles but I did found my connection points. This is skill I need to still train. I feel often very unsure about the obstacle positions even though I have done the course walk. I need to concentrate even more to work a eye connection to my virtual dog on the course walks. Yet a new skill to improve in training and competitions. Here are some video of our training. Freya was just super little girl!!! 

Rally Obedience

Rally-O – our journey to a new sport continues

Rally-O has been a sport for every dog because of simple tasks and more flexible rules about aids and rewarding. Handler can use hand signals and vocal cue during whole the competition performance to help the dog to perform tasks. Dogs can also be praised all the time which can give boost to low drive dogs and more happy appearance overall team. We hardly are unhappy if we praise each other or dogs. This has given more relax mode to this sport. As obedience trainer these rules has been a new thing that you can do but old habits won’t die so easily. So I have teach my dogs to work mostly without any hand signals and I have hard time to use praise during tasks. Am I then a too serious Rally-O trainer? I don’t think so I just want to make performance as fluent and composed as possible. I think this Rally-O will more change to variety to how to do things. I think it is a richness. Our journey to this sport has been a fun one already! 

 

Finally we have had a change to enter our team to a rally obedience trial. This a nice sport because I can compete with both dogs at the same time. Our beginner class will be in few weeks. I have studied the rules and trained the signs. To my surprise I needed improve Freya back leg work to make spiral work. I have only done 90 degree turns and she couldn’t do properly turns that were milder. I did some turning work so that she keep the leg line all the time. It took few training session but now I have a dog that better uses her back end. This was one of the new tasks to train and made Rally-O even more interesting to me. I love improve my dogs bodywork to be as perfect as possible.

We have also trained stuff from the higher classes. I really love more trick type of things you need teach like “valkovuokko” (dog and handler turns out opposite direction to change healing sides) and tulip (“tulppaani”) were handler and dog turns in to opposite direction. This really tests the team ability understand healing and different direction. Both of my girls are pretty good at healing in both sides to we have been able train these more complex changes right away. I have had to also make a list of cue I use so I don’t mix them up. I learned to make these cue lists when I did my freestyle course. It has really helped to keep everything in track and also it has made it easier to come up cues that aren’t so similar.

Here is our work from todays training:

Dancing Queens on the road

Dog Dancing competition 3.4.16

I had entered both girl to a dog dancing competition in Ylöjärvi. Pixie did her first run at open class and Freya made first try in beginner HTM (heelwork to music).  Pixie's dance didn't go as well as I wanted it to but she ok and was only 0,7 points from honor prize. I think with her we will do a new program. Freya did routine to Maniac song from Flashdance. She did pretty well for her first try in this sport. We got 172 /200 points which meant that she got honor prize and ticket to open class. I was very happy with our work. I was too fast with my side steps and Freya couldn't keep up. Otherwise everything went almost how we planned. Here is our video from our performance, but the music is wrong... Youtube will block the video with the right song:

Acana treats for tasting

We got this seasons first testing bag from SLN imports. We got Acana Pork and Butternut Squash which has been a huge hit with my girls. They liked it so much that it is easy to use as training treat. I always carry part they meal in my pocket so I can train recall and passing of another dog or human. Kibble is very clean to keep in coffee bag in a pocket. My dogs are pretty greedy so this makes it easier to keep them in shape if use part of their daily meal in everyday skill learning.

Acana has kept my girls in shape for almost 5 years. I wouldn't change for any prize. Best quality, best content and very taste... Well my girls thinks so anyway :D :D

Jumping training begins.... So cool!!

Next week I start my training to become a jumping technique trainer. I hope this course with Vappu Alatalo will give tool to help my future agility students and their dogs to succeed even better. We will have our first training day in Lohja. Freya will be my project dog for this class so I will write more about her training here. I will also start a group that I will teach the jumping technique skills and I will work with them the whole summer. This will be an interesting route and lots of thing to learn. But more about this course in the coming weeks.

That's all for now!!!!

MPF