Ive decided to summarize my 2o/2o training that I have done. Just in case someone has some wisdom for me. I use the word "touch" for my 2o/2o command.
Sept. 2008 :Took Miley( 15 months old) to her first trial . We had been doing running contacts. She jumped all her contacts ( 3 days, standard). She jumped off the a-frame so high I thought she was going to hurt herself. I decided to retrain to a 2o/2o.
Worked on a plank teaching the 2o/2o and worked on a full dogwalk.
December 2008 : Took her to her next trial to see how things were going. I entered her in one Gamblers run and a jumpers. In the gamblers run, she stopped in a 2o/2o the first time over the dogwalk but didn't stop the second time. I felt this was positive and going in the right direction.
Worked more with taking the plank to all different places. She would hit the 2o/2o every time. Worked full dogwalk at home and at the training field. Did the 2o/2o every time. She didn't get a 2o/2o at a class I went to the first time through the run.
End of Jan. 2009: Went to a trial. 2 Standard runs. Didn't stop on any of the contacts. Did run lower into the contacts but no stop.
Off training for about 6 weeks. Did keep practicing the 2o/2o on the plank and just the bottom of the dogwalk. Had decided to go back to a running a-frame after injury.
April 2009 : 2 day trial. Jumped the contacts( dogwalk) in both standard runs
Took her to the training field for the first time in several months. Jumped the dogwalk contact several times before getting a 2o/2o. Had back chain before running the whole dogwalk. She would stop with all back chained dogwalks. But as soon as she was on the grass and then run the dogwalk she would blow thur the contact.
Wordless Wednesday
2 days ago
6 comments:
how did you teach your running contact. i know people who taught 4 on the floor are having big problems with their dogs keeping contacts because the dogs hop into position omitting the yellow because it was the reinforcement spot. as far as the 2o2o, i was never able to maintain it in a trial. luckily whisper doesn't jump her contacts very often - sometimes she comes off higher than i'd like so i've changed to running. she's slower in a show so it's easier for me to maintain in a trial.
I did Sylivia Trakman (sp?). You teach them to run the board and slowly raise the board. I would click for hitting the yellow. Diana
Sometimes what happens with reformed running contacts is that the dog has no idea how to gear back and stop in position when they are going so fast. With the running contact we want them forward and running fast. With the 2on2off we want them fast, but we also want the dog to fall back on their haunches to drive into position.
If the dog doesn't understand how to get into the position they are going to have a hard time maintaining that criteria when you've added the speed.
Even with dog who didn't learn running contacts first it can be difficult- but I think with the dogs who were initially taught to run off you have to be 100% consistent in what you expect. Do you expect a nose touch on the end? A head bob? Nothing- just as long as two feet are on, and two feet are off? When you backchain is she running with the same speed as she when she runs across the full board?
Wicca learned 2on2off right off the bat, but my friends little border collie initially learned to run her contacts- using hoops actually, and after a few months of that her owner decided she couldn't beat her dog to the end, and she couldn't pinpoint the exact moment she was rewarding for.
Anyway, she went back and did what you did- taught a 2on2off on a board, then backchained- a lot. She was very specific as to waht the dog was supposed to do- she used a target plate to get a nose touch. I think in this case the target plate gave the dog something to look at, and a reason to stop initially.
Anyway, just some thoughts and ideas...Contacts are hard. I am still trying to figure out what to do with Pixels.....
I think the nose touch will help. Im still working on the nose touch ( away from the equipment) right now. You are proably right about not being able to gear down to stop. I never thought about that. Hmmm. Diana
My heart is with you, contacts are the sore point in my life, LOL. I am trying to retrain for a 2o2o, and we are having a lot of trouble with the collecting and stopping at the end. I too had thought of doing Rachel S running Aframe but I am scared I will be lost in the dust and I do not think my dogs will not jump off and I am afraid to throw one more behavior at them to learn, I am worried if it doesnt work I will never get a 2o2o after one more thing. I have confused them so much already.
I agree with manymuddypaws about using a target plate for a short time. Your dog might need more of a visual reminder of what her new behavior is *before* she gets to the end of the contact. You don't have to bait it after the first few times. Just run down there and put the food on the target plate as she holds her 2o/2o. Get her as revved as possible once she starts looking for the target and keep sessions very short--3-5 reps only. Start removing the target randomly after that (sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not) or make it smaller and smaller until it disappears.
I'd also do this when you won't be trialing for a few weeks. It sounds like her reinforcement history for running far outweighs her reinforcement history for stopping so I'd try to do lots of rewarding for standing in 2o/2o on a plank also.
Good luck, let us know how it goes.
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