Aeri continues to get stronger and stronger in her dryland work. I'm starting to learn more about the quirks of the dryland work using a jump myself, so I'm more able to spot changes in her performance *before* we miss a jump. As it is, I do need to get much better at identifying when she's tiring and stopping before she's too fatigued. Both Aeri and Kes show a sharp drop in their ability to maintain jump length as they tire, currently around the 8 minute mark.
We'll be adding some extra conditioning work in the future to help increase endurance, but until then, our sessions will be kept much shorter!
You'll find video from Aeri's session yesterday evening below. The camera cut off before our spectacular 8' long jump, but you'll get the idea of what we're working on despite that. ;)
UPDATED!
Here's video from Kestrel's first two sessions as well. As you can see, he is taking longer to progress than Aeri and it's taking a bit of creative problem solving to work through his specific challenges, but we're getting there. It's a learning process for both human and dog!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Dryland EV Training and Correct Form
Last summer I made a freestanding bumper holding rig for use on land. I figured I'd use it to teach the dogs to seek out non-thrown bumpers and start teaching both Aeri and Kes (Snipe wasn't in the picture yet) to jump for the bumper as well, in the hopes of the skill transferring to EV in addition to Speed Retrieve. (See the original post about using it here: http://teammenapode.blogspot.com/2011/08/dryland-dock-diving.html)
The rig worked well for holding the bumper, but I soon realized that it was encouraging both dogs to pause and then hop straight up for the bumper instead of smoothly jumping *out* toward it, like you see when it's suspended off of a dock. If it were purely "let's see how high our dogs can jump" this wouldn't be an issue, but when the bumper is suspended 8' away from the end of the dock, your dog needs to understand jumping out as well as up and I didn't like what I was seeing.
After watching the video, I realized that I needed to create a barrier, similar to the one the end of the dock presents, to encourage outward jumping in addition to height. Unfortunately that's easier said than done: how does one create such an edge without the dog just running off the end and onto the grass?!
Solution: you use an agility style bar jump! All of my dogs have been introduced to jumping over a displaceable bar jump, so they understand the concepts (clearing the bar without touching it, gauging jump height, and calculating when to take off to avoid hitting the bar) already. All I needed to do was apply it in this context!
I started with a low jump close to the bumper rig. When I saw that Aeri was indeed adjusting her jumping to accommodate the jump, I added a bit of distance from the rig. After several successful jumps at the increased distance, I added another 4-6". To keep things fun and progressing nicely, Aeri needed to have success several times at each increased difficulty level before moving ahead and I could only increase the challenge of one element - bumper height, jump height, or jump distance - at a time.
With the jump approximately 4' from the suspended bumper, Aeri started landing before grabbing the bumper, so I decided to add some height to the jump to encourage a higher, and thus longer, jump arc. This did the trick, and once again she was successfully grabbing the bumper in mid air. After 2 or 3 successful jumps with the jump set at 12" and 4' from the suspended bumper, I ended the session on a positive note.
I end all my sessions on a "high note" to keep things fun for the dog; if I had pushed Aeri to the point of tiring mentally or physically, she would have been less interested in the game in future sessions - this way she's always looking forward to our next session!
Note: I kept the bumper low throughout to allow her to be successful and to prevent excessive impact given the solid ground below and her young age.
Highlight reel from our work today:
The rig worked well for holding the bumper, but I soon realized that it was encouraging both dogs to pause and then hop straight up for the bumper instead of smoothly jumping *out* toward it, like you see when it's suspended off of a dock. If it were purely "let's see how high our dogs can jump" this wouldn't be an issue, but when the bumper is suspended 8' away from the end of the dock, your dog needs to understand jumping out as well as up and I didn't like what I was seeing.
After watching the video, I realized that I needed to create a barrier, similar to the one the end of the dock presents, to encourage outward jumping in addition to height. Unfortunately that's easier said than done: how does one create such an edge without the dog just running off the end and onto the grass?!
Solution: you use an agility style bar jump! All of my dogs have been introduced to jumping over a displaceable bar jump, so they understand the concepts (clearing the bar without touching it, gauging jump height, and calculating when to take off to avoid hitting the bar) already. All I needed to do was apply it in this context!
I started with a low jump close to the bumper rig. When I saw that Aeri was indeed adjusting her jumping to accommodate the jump, I added a bit of distance from the rig. After several successful jumps at the increased distance, I added another 4-6". To keep things fun and progressing nicely, Aeri needed to have success several times at each increased difficulty level before moving ahead and I could only increase the challenge of one element - bumper height, jump height, or jump distance - at a time.
With the jump approximately 4' from the suspended bumper, Aeri started landing before grabbing the bumper, so I decided to add some height to the jump to encourage a higher, and thus longer, jump arc. This did the trick, and once again she was successfully grabbing the bumper in mid air. After 2 or 3 successful jumps with the jump set at 12" and 4' from the suspended bumper, I ended the session on a positive note.
I end all my sessions on a "high note" to keep things fun for the dog; if I had pushed Aeri to the point of tiring mentally or physically, she would have been less interested in the game in future sessions - this way she's always looking forward to our next session!
Note: I kept the bumper low throughout to allow her to be successful and to prevent excessive impact given the solid ground below and her young age.
Highlight reel from our work today:
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
First Jumps (or "Snipe Flies!")
Team Menapode hit the docks today - a new record for earliest practice of the year! Last year it was February before we were able to get out and do some jumping. The water was a chilly 48* but air temp was over 60*, so the dogs didn't seem to mind!
Light was short, so I spent most of my time working with Snipe to get her more comfortable with jumping into the water from the dock surface. In general, I have fairly confident dogs, so I've been able to use the handle of their life vests to lift them off the dock and lower them into the water to show the dog there's nothing to fear, despite the big drop. I've done this with Aeri, and now with Snipe, and both girls were happy to run back up on the dock for another round, despite their initial uncertainty about being lifted. Both Aeri and Snipe began jumping on their own after only a handful of assisted jumps, so I'd call it a successful technique for my crew.
Know your dog before attempting this method: if you see your dog panicking when lifted, they try to leave the dock area after your attempt at assisted jumping, they don't start to offer jumping on their own after a few assisted jumps, or they are too large to lower slowly, please use another technique! Trying to skip steps or force the issue will only frighten your dog and make them dislike jumping even more, which doesn't help you at ALL!
Less confident dogs will likely find lowering too scary at first, so a gradual approach will work best. With Kestrel being a bit larger than either girl was at their dock introduction, I also found the gradual approach the best for him.
For Kes, once he was retrieving toys throw into a lake or river from the bank, I found low docks, just 4" above the water surface, to start working with him on. I began by gradually tossing the toy further and further out as he started jumping off of this low platform. Once he showed no hesitation at a 4" jump, I found a slightly taller dock with the water about 10" below the dock surface and repeated the close toy tosses, followed by longer ones, until he again showed no hesitancy at jumping.
Our next step was full height - this is a big jump (no pun intended) for some dogs, but we worked with what we had available. By the time we got to a dock with water about 18-24" below the dock surface, Kestrel was a confident jumper in general and used to the process, so the steps for introducing him to this change flew by and he never looked back!
Don't worry too much if your dog takes to it slowly - use lots of praise, take advantage of toy drive, and keep sessions short to avoid frustration and you'll have a flying dog of your own soon enough!
Light was short, so I spent most of my time working with Snipe to get her more comfortable with jumping into the water from the dock surface. In general, I have fairly confident dogs, so I've been able to use the handle of their life vests to lift them off the dock and lower them into the water to show the dog there's nothing to fear, despite the big drop. I've done this with Aeri, and now with Snipe, and both girls were happy to run back up on the dock for another round, despite their initial uncertainty about being lifted. Both Aeri and Snipe began jumping on their own after only a handful of assisted jumps, so I'd call it a successful technique for my crew.
Know your dog before attempting this method: if you see your dog panicking when lifted, they try to leave the dock area after your attempt at assisted jumping, they don't start to offer jumping on their own after a few assisted jumps, or they are too large to lower slowly, please use another technique! Trying to skip steps or force the issue will only frighten your dog and make them dislike jumping even more, which doesn't help you at ALL!
Less confident dogs will likely find lowering too scary at first, so a gradual approach will work best. With Kestrel being a bit larger than either girl was at their dock introduction, I also found the gradual approach the best for him.
For Kes, once he was retrieving toys throw into a lake or river from the bank, I found low docks, just 4" above the water surface, to start working with him on. I began by gradually tossing the toy further and further out as he started jumping off of this low platform. Once he showed no hesitation at a 4" jump, I found a slightly taller dock with the water about 10" below the dock surface and repeated the close toy tosses, followed by longer ones, until he again showed no hesitancy at jumping.
Our next step was full height - this is a big jump (no pun intended) for some dogs, but we worked with what we had available. By the time we got to a dock with water about 18-24" below the dock surface, Kestrel was a confident jumper in general and used to the process, so the steps for introducing him to this change flew by and he never looked back!
Don't worry too much if your dog takes to it slowly - use lots of praise, take advantage of toy drive, and keep sessions short to avoid frustration and you'll have a flying dog of your own soon enough!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Starting Position?
A small poll is traveling around the dock diving circles on fb this weekend. It asks the reader which position is the best to start a dog in for Big Air. The vast majority of people suggest the sit position because it is supposedly the best for allowing a powerful push off at the start, allowing the dog to gain speed more quickly, but I'm not so sure. (I answered "depends on the dog" lol)
Let's look at this in more depth:
SIT: The most common starting position in my experience, sit does seem to be more stable than a stand, but still allows creeping at the start and for some dogs. Sit does gather the dog's hind feet below him as well, so they are positioned well for that push off when released. Switching from a sit to running might be difficult for some dogs though, because the feet are under their body weight and they must push the rear up before moving forward. This likely only takes a split second, but does it use up needed force for that start?
DOWN: I've seen this used more by herding breed handlers than any other - it seems especially helpful for breeds that crouch when working as it is more natural than a full sit. I have seen some dogs creep in a down, but less often than in a sit or stand, and their starting momentum seems about the same as a sitting dog, though when that creeping stance is in play there might be a slight advantage in having the front low in more of a down than a sit to allow the front legs to "dig in" a bit more. Dogs who tuck their feet under or flop onto a hip before release will be at a definite disadvantage, however, as they'll have to get their feet sorted before starting forward momentum.
STAND: This seems to be the least preferred position and I think this is likely due to the difficulty most dogs have in keeping a true stand stay - creeping is just so much easier when you're already standing! One commenter on the fb poll did say that he had noticed dogs in a stand taking a stride to get up to speed as well, but I haven't watched enough stand started dogs to comment on this.
Another commenter on the poll mentioned trying a "bow" position (front down, rear up), which does make sense as it would eliminate the push up part of a sit and give the front more grip like a down, but I've never seen anyone use this, so who knows how well it works in practice.
For me, I've been starting Aeri in a sit just because she has a more solid sit stay than down stay at this point, but I may try all three positions in the future to see what works best for her. For Kestrel, a down seems to help him maintain position better than a sit - in a sit he switches to a crouched stand with creeping some of the time, while in a down he switches to a crouched sit without the creeping.
Perhaps our next trip to the dock will involve some experimenting!
Let's look at this in more depth:
SIT: The most common starting position in my experience, sit does seem to be more stable than a stand, but still allows creeping at the start and for some dogs. Sit does gather the dog's hind feet below him as well, so they are positioned well for that push off when released. Switching from a sit to running might be difficult for some dogs though, because the feet are under their body weight and they must push the rear up before moving forward. This likely only takes a split second, but does it use up needed force for that start?
DOWN: I've seen this used more by herding breed handlers than any other - it seems especially helpful for breeds that crouch when working as it is more natural than a full sit. I have seen some dogs creep in a down, but less often than in a sit or stand, and their starting momentum seems about the same as a sitting dog, though when that creeping stance is in play there might be a slight advantage in having the front low in more of a down than a sit to allow the front legs to "dig in" a bit more. Dogs who tuck their feet under or flop onto a hip before release will be at a definite disadvantage, however, as they'll have to get their feet sorted before starting forward momentum.
STAND: This seems to be the least preferred position and I think this is likely due to the difficulty most dogs have in keeping a true stand stay - creeping is just so much easier when you're already standing! One commenter on the fb poll did say that he had noticed dogs in a stand taking a stride to get up to speed as well, but I haven't watched enough stand started dogs to comment on this.
Another commenter on the poll mentioned trying a "bow" position (front down, rear up), which does make sense as it would eliminate the push up part of a sit and give the front more grip like a down, but I've never seen anyone use this, so who knows how well it works in practice.
For me, I've been starting Aeri in a sit just because she has a more solid sit stay than down stay at this point, but I may try all three positions in the future to see what works best for her. For Kestrel, a down seems to help him maintain position better than a sit - in a sit he switches to a crouched stand with creeping some of the time, while in a down he switches to a crouched sit without the creeping.
Perhaps our next trip to the dock will involve some experimenting!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Carolina in the "Almost Winter" = More Dock Diving!
Today dawned clear and in the 50s, so the dogs and I met up with a friend and her dog for some dock diving practice. Both Aeri and Kes are entered in their first national level event at the South Eastern Wildlife Expo in Charleston, SC in February, so the more practice we can get on the dock before the big day, the better!
We just practiced Big Air and Speed Retrieve since that's what they are both entered in, no EV this time around.
Notes:
Snipe was able to play in the lake a couple of times and, with the help of our friend's dog as a role model, she's starting to venture further out. She swam on her own (tho wearing a vest) several times! I'm hoping once the water warms up I can wade out with her and help her gain confidence in the water and when jumping off the dock. It'll be a while for that though, so we'll keep playing in the shallows until then! Light and fun is the way to go!
We just practiced Big Air and Speed Retrieve since that's what they are both entered in, no EV this time around.
Notes:
- My throwing is in need of polishing after a break.
- Kes' jumps look very similar to those before our recent break, even with crappy throws, once he got back into his groove.
- Aeri is getting better about holding her stay for the Chase method I would like to use in Big Air.
- Aeri appears to not be watching the toy as she hits the end of the dock, which may explain her flat jumping style in Big Air.
- For Speed Retrieve, Aeri does better if I pull her back, allowing her to maintain eye contact on the spot where the toy went in vs. turning her around and walking her back, breaking eye contact.
- Aeri's swimming is much stronger and faster and she's much better about keeping an eye on the toy even during splashdown - I'm VERY glad I decided to enter her in SR as it'll be fun to see how fast she is!
Snipe was able to play in the lake a couple of times and, with the help of our friend's dog as a role model, she's starting to venture further out. She swam on her own (tho wearing a vest) several times! I'm hoping once the water warms up I can wade out with her and help her gain confidence in the water and when jumping off the dock. It'll be a while for that though, so we'll keep playing in the shallows until then! Light and fun is the way to go!
Monday, December 12, 2011
'Tis the Season
As 2011 comes to a close, I find myself spending more and more time looking toward the 2012 DockDogs season: planning events I want to attend, considering sponsorship opportunities, and looking at my dock diving goals for the next 12 months.
I figured sharing with our fans would be a great way to keep us accountable *and* share some fun stuff at the same time, so here's our list of Team Menapode 2012 Resolutions/Goals!
Team-wide:
- Erin trains for and completes her judging certification
- Attend at least 4 regional events: Carolina DockDogs' events at the Blooming Festival, Ole Gilliam Mill, and Lee County Fair, Dixie DockDogs' event at the Lake Lanier PetFest.
- Attend at least 1 national event: SEWE in Charleston?
- Sign enough sponsors to cover travel costs for all events.
Kestrel:
- Improve Big Air performance to achieve a regional Elite DockDog title
- Receive qualifying legs in Master or higher at a national-level event
- Improve Speed Retrieve personal best time
- Train for and successfully compete in Extreme Vertical at at least one regional event
- Enter IronDog competition
Aerten:
- Complete regional Senior DockDog title.
- Improve personal best in Big Air!
- Jump into the Senior division at a national-level event
- Enter Speed Retrieve in at least one regional event
- Continue to train in EV for a 2013 debut!
Snipe:
- Complete at least one Big Air jump in competition!
I figured sharing with our fans would be a great way to keep us accountable *and* share some fun stuff at the same time, so here's our list of Team Menapode 2012 Resolutions/Goals!
Team-wide:
- Erin trains for and completes her judging certification
- Attend at least 4 regional events: Carolina DockDogs' events at the Blooming Festival, Ole Gilliam Mill, and Lee County Fair, Dixie DockDogs' event at the Lake Lanier PetFest.
- Attend at least 1 national event: SEWE in Charleston?
- Sign enough sponsors to cover travel costs for all events.
Kestrel:
- Improve Big Air performance to achieve a regional Elite DockDog title
- Receive qualifying legs in Master or higher at a national-level event
- Improve Speed Retrieve personal best time
- Train for and successfully compete in Extreme Vertical at at least one regional event
- Enter IronDog competition
Aerten:
- Complete regional Senior DockDog title.
- Improve personal best in Big Air!
- Jump into the Senior division at a national-level event
- Enter Speed Retrieve in at least one regional event
- Continue to train in EV for a 2013 debut!
Snipe:
- Complete at least one Big Air jump in competition!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Fun in the Sun at the Lake Lanier PetFest
Our final competition of the season: PetFest hosted by Dixie DockDogs in Georgia!
Kestrel *again* pulled out a "longest jump of the weekend" award with a new personal best; a whopping 23'4" jump that also meant he was the only dog who jumped into the "Elite" category for the entire 3 day event! Yay for the original Red Menace! :D
Aeri was on fire and is now consistently jumping into Senior with jumps between 15' and 16'2" (also a new personal best for her).
A compilation video:
The event itself was a good one - cool, sunny weather both days we attended, a great friend to hang out with between waves, and a very welcoming host club! We'll def be back next year!
I'm so proud of the progress I've seen in both dogs during out first season of dock diving competition. We'll be training through the winter and are hoping to start jumping in competitions again in March or April 2012!
Kestrel *again* pulled out a "longest jump of the weekend" award with a new personal best; a whopping 23'4" jump that also meant he was the only dog who jumped into the "Elite" category for the entire 3 day event! Yay for the original Red Menace! :D
Aeri was on fire and is now consistently jumping into Senior with jumps between 15' and 16'2" (also a new personal best for her).
A compilation video:
The event itself was a good one - cool, sunny weather both days we attended, a great friend to hang out with between waves, and a very welcoming host club! We'll def be back next year!
I'm so proud of the progress I've seen in both dogs during out first season of dock diving competition. We'll be training through the winter and are hoping to start jumping in competitions again in March or April 2012!
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