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!
Friday, September 23, 2011
"Under the Lights" with Team Menapode: Part 2
We had a *fabulous* weekend!
Both dogs made the finals and placed second in their jump group (Master for Kes, Junior for Aeri) and KESTREL HAD THE LONGEST JUMP OF THE ENTIRE COMPETITION before the finals! Wooo!
Aerten's full video (had music but it's been removed :( )
Kestrel's full video:
Kes got to do Speed Retrieve again and while he didn't qualify for finals, he still performed well, tying his PB from Cherokee. We did try EV, but Kes didn't really understand the concept. In practice he managed to grab the bumper at 4'6", but in the actual competition he looked at me like I had 3 heads and stood on the edge of the dock and barked - we've obviously got a bit more training to do there before we're ready for Iron Dog.
Given how well the dogs did this weekend, and the prize money they earned paying for their entries and most of my gas, we've decided to drive down to an event in GA hosted by Dixie Dock Dogs. We'll be staying with my friend Heather, so it should be a fun time regardless of how the dogs do!
Both dogs made the finals and placed second in their jump group (Master for Kes, Junior for Aeri) and KESTREL HAD THE LONGEST JUMP OF THE ENTIRE COMPETITION before the finals! Wooo!
Aerten's full video (had music but it's been removed :( )
Kestrel's full video:
Kes got to do Speed Retrieve again and while he didn't qualify for finals, he still performed well, tying his PB from Cherokee. We did try EV, but Kes didn't really understand the concept. In practice he managed to grab the bumper at 4'6", but in the actual competition he looked at me like I had 3 heads and stood on the edge of the dock and barked - we've obviously got a bit more training to do there before we're ready for Iron Dog.
Given how well the dogs did this weekend, and the prize money they earned paying for their entries and most of my gas, we've decided to drive down to an event in GA hosted by Dixie Dock Dogs. We'll be staying with my friend Heather, so it should be a fun time regardless of how the dogs do!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
"Under the Lights" with Team Menapode: Part 1
Kes, Aeri, and I helped at the Carolina DockDogs dock diving demos at the Lee County Fair tonight. I figured that 1. it would be a great way to get both dogs familiar with the dock they'll be jumping off on Sat/Sun and 2. it gives us a chance to give back to our club and share the joy of dock diving with more people.
The biggest news? AERI JUMPED!!!!!!
At the last minute I threw Aeri's life vest in the car just in case. The vest has given her more confidence in the past and has handles that would allow me to lower her into the water if needed, so I figured it might be helpful.
As at the Cherokee event, Aeri didn't want to jump all on her own, but I held the handles and started to lower her into the water and she finished getting in on her own. The next round, I held the straps but she jumped on her own, and then after that I just threw the toy and she did the rest.
After a few nice vested jumps, I went ahead and took the vest off and that's where the video picks up. :)
Kes did nicely as well, especially given that the pool was set up at a *fair*, only about 100 feet from the food vendors, and after dark!
We had a ton of fun and can't wait until this weekend!
The biggest news? AERI JUMPED!!!!!!
At the last minute I threw Aeri's life vest in the car just in case. The vest has given her more confidence in the past and has handles that would allow me to lower her into the water if needed, so I figured it might be helpful.
As at the Cherokee event, Aeri didn't want to jump all on her own, but I held the handles and started to lower her into the water and she finished getting in on her own. The next round, I held the straps but she jumped on her own, and then after that I just threw the toy and she did the rest.
After a few nice vested jumps, I went ahead and took the vest off and that's where the video picks up. :)
Kes did nicely as well, especially given that the pool was set up at a *fair*, only about 100 feet from the food vendors, and after dark!
We had a ton of fun and can't wait until this weekend!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Casual Saturday!
The dogs and I got a chance to attend a fun day at a local pool yesterday! It was a great opportunity to get Aeri jumping off of a low surface (the pool deck) and in a new place in preparation for our next event.
Dogs are poor generalizers, so making things easy in a new location can often help a dog gain confidence in their performance faster than trying to get them to jump at standard height in the new place where the setting can be intimidating, especially if there are spectators and lots of noise like at most events.
I'm hoping the extra exposure and recent practice will help prevent us from having another "Erin goes swimming" Big Air Wave. ;)
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Canine Cross-Training
The dogs and I enjoy activities other than dock diving, too. ;) One of our favorite fun activities is hiking, especially in areas where it's safe for the dogs to go off-leash. Hiking itself is a good workout for everyone - lots of running, jumping, navigating obstacles, and practicing obedience skills - but I realized recently that we can use these fun outings as opportunities to work on specific dock diving skills, too!
Enter my new cross training idea!
One of the trails we frequent parallels a wide, shallow river. This is *perfect* for working muscles for speed retrieve - Kes wades/swim-jumps through the belly-high water which means lots of resistance training for him. Inevitably Kes will end up swimming against the current as well, which also builds the muscles he uses to propel forward as it acts like a treadmill of sorts.
When we first started, I used a life vest for Kes' safety - I didn't know if he would know when to stop and the current can get fairly swift in some spots. He did very well in that first session, so on our second visit to the river I had him just wear his regular hiking harness. His stamina is already improving and he was just as confident without the vest as he was with it!
When we have someone to throw for me I also work on Kes' starts. I stand or crouch on the bank and try various holds to determine which allows him to get the most explosive starts.
In addition to working on muscles for strong swimming and practicing starts for speed retrieve and EV, we also work on balance and body awareness via the uneven river bottom - sometimes Kes can touch, sometimes he must swim - and the rocks that sit in the middle.
The swimming/swim-jumping is great exercise in and of itself and Kes loves it, so we now spend at least 45 minutes at one of the river access points on the trail each time we go.
Aeri hasn't had a chance to come along yet since she's in heat and thus can't be off-leash, but as soon as she's out she'll be joining us as well. :)
Enter my new cross training idea!One of the trails we frequent parallels a wide, shallow river. This is *perfect* for working muscles for speed retrieve - Kes wades/swim-jumps through the belly-high water which means lots of resistance training for him. Inevitably Kes will end up swimming against the current as well, which also builds the muscles he uses to propel forward as it acts like a treadmill of sorts.
When we first started, I used a life vest for Kes' safety - I didn't know if he would know when to stop and the current can get fairly swift in some spots. He did very well in that first session, so on our second visit to the river I had him just wear his regular hiking harness. His stamina is already improving and he was just as confident without the vest as he was with it!
When we have someone to throw for me I also work on Kes' starts. I stand or crouch on the bank and try various holds to determine which allows him to get the most explosive starts.
In addition to working on muscles for strong swimming and practicing starts for speed retrieve and EV, we also work on balance and body awareness via the uneven river bottom - sometimes Kes can touch, sometimes he must swim - and the rocks that sit in the middle.
The swimming/swim-jumping is great exercise in and of itself and Kes loves it, so we now spend at least 45 minutes at one of the river access points on the trail each time we go.
Aeri hasn't had a chance to come along yet since she's in heat and thus can't be off-leash, but as soon as she's out she'll be joining us as well. :)
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Dryland Dock Diving
With the new tool came the desire to test it out fully, so I worked with both dogs this morning.
Kestrel and I focused on finding the best starting position for SR and EV runs, building a cue for gathering himself before taking off, small jumps, and adding speed off the start.
Aeri and I worked on stays, finding the best starting position for SR and EV runs, and drive for the bumper.
Kestrel and I focused on finding the best starting position for SR and EV runs, building a cue for gathering himself before taking off, small jumps, and adding speed off the start.
Aeri and I worked on stays, finding the best starting position for SR and EV runs, and drive for the bumper.
Another invention
The EV rig is great, but without a base it doesn't help me much for groundwork on land. Team Southern Charm (you can find them on facebook) has plans for a base for the EV rig that looks quite promising, but I haven't gotten around to asking Scott if he'd be up for making one, so in the mean time, I'm exercising my creativity. ;)
I was at Target last night getting some odds and ends and saw clothing racks on sale - they are freestanding and fairly tall (5 foot ish), so for $9 I figured I'd give it a try.
This is what I came up with:
This is the full set up. The bumper is secured to the two ropes with binder clips and the ropes are adjustable by either the sliding knot near the top, or by untying the knot and tying the ropes shorter.
The base of the rack is supposed to have wheels, but since this is something designed to be as stationary as possible for my uses the wheels are still in the box.
I did have some trouble with the rack falling over when Kes pulled the bumper off the first few times, but that was solved by attaching the bumper lightly so it released more easily. You could also stake the rack down fairly easily using tent stakes and the base's cross bars.
Here's a close up of how the bumper is attached. The bumper *is* moth eaten thanks to Kestrel's kill shaking prior to the video - I'm very glad I used the already damaged one for this!
The binder clips work so well that I may switch to using them instead of magnets on the EV rig too - even when barely holding the bumper strings, the bumper doesn't fall off with slight movement, an issue on the EV rig, and it also means there are no heavy pieces of metal on the ends of the bumper that Kes can bruise me with. ;)
Video to come later today or tomorrow - both Aeri and Kes got to try their paws at working with the new set up and I'm thrilled I got it on tape!
I was at Target last night getting some odds and ends and saw clothing racks on sale - they are freestanding and fairly tall (5 foot ish), so for $9 I figured I'd give it a try.
This is what I came up with:
The base of the rack is supposed to have wheels, but since this is something designed to be as stationary as possible for my uses the wheels are still in the box.
I did have some trouble with the rack falling over when Kes pulled the bumper off the first few times, but that was solved by attaching the bumper lightly so it released more easily. You could also stake the rack down fairly easily using tent stakes and the base's cross bars.
Here's a close up of how the bumper is attached. The bumper *is* moth eaten thanks to Kestrel's kill shaking prior to the video - I'm very glad I used the already damaged one for this!
The binder clips work so well that I may switch to using them instead of magnets on the EV rig too - even when barely holding the bumper strings, the bumper doesn't fall off with slight movement, an issue on the EV rig, and it also means there are no heavy pieces of metal on the ends of the bumper that Kes can bruise me with. ;)
Video to come later today or tomorrow - both Aeri and Kes got to try their paws at working with the new set up and I'm thrilled I got it on tape!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Stay (*not* staaaay.....staaaaaay........staaaaay.....) Part 2
Have a rock solid stay in all sorts of settings off of the dock? Now you're ready to start introducing the various aspects of your routine on the dock. Again, start small. Can your dog hold position when you walk away a few steps away? Half the length of the dock? The full length of the dock? When you're holding his toy? What about holding position when you stop and turn toward them? This pause and turn is often the cue many dogs see *right before* you give them their release cue, so many dogs creep or break here. Treat each of these aspects of your routine as a new distraction and train through them as needed.
If your dog creeps or breaks, use that information! Next time, try breaking your action that triggered the self-release into smaller pieces - walking a shorter distance and adding a step or two at a time instead of 5', turning around 1/4 way instead of all the way, holding the toy still in your hand instead of swinging it, etc.
A note about rewards for staying: The most powerful reward you have is releasing the dog to jump, so use it wisely. If you *always* reward with a jump you further emphasize the pattern of "place dog - handler walks way - handler releases dog to jump" which will add to the anticipation.
It is wise to keep your dog guessing, especially in this setting where anticipation of release can cause so many issues. I often will walk back to Kestrel or Aeri to reward a stay - with a toy or food, whichever the dog prefers and you have handy - so that they learn that the pattern sometimes changes and their best bet is to remain in place vs. trying to anticipate what happens next.
Once your dog is at least 90% reliable with the full stay on the dock, you can start introducing consequences for breaking or creeping. Your dog wants to jump, so taking that away usually is the only consequence you need, but how you apply that can vary.
The simplest option is re-placing the dog and trying again. If you do this, keep an eye on your dog as you walk away - a quick re-place is more effective than one that happens after the dog has already run half way down the dock.
A more severe response would be removing the dog from the dock completely for breaking or creeping. You can do this immediately after the first break/creep or institute a "3 strikes rule" that allows for 2 re-places on the dock before removing them completely. Having another dog jump before you try again can also be useful here.
Once you decide on what you'll do if your dog breaks or creeps, be sure to enact the consequence *every* time - if you occasionally give into the pressure of competition or impatience you will find that your dog is more likely to "test" your rules about stays while on the dock. This is due to the power that random reinforcement has - the slight possibility of a reward will encourage your dog to gamble that the next stay is one that they can break or creep on and still get their reward!
In summary, keep the following in mind:
Things *to* do
- Be aware of your routine on the dock: how you place your dog, how you walk away, what you do with the toy, etc. and work on teaching your dog that they are not release cues, too. Dogs are keen observers and often detect patterns we don't even realize we're creating, thus adding to their anticipation.
- Be consistent in your response to breaking or creeping. Dogs thrive on predictability and patterns and you don't want to create a canine gambling problem!
- Have patience when training the stay and when responding to breaks and creeping. Getting frustrated won't do anything to help you or your dog and can create negative associations with the dock.
- Practice, practice, practice! The more variety in practice the better!
- Never allow your dog to continue down the dock after breaking or creeping. Running and jumping after a self-release will reinforce that behavior.
- Don't expect your dog to hold a stay in a situation with more distraction, distance, or duration than you've been successful with in practice.
Stay (*not* staaaay.....staaaaaay........staaaaay.....) Part 1
My friend has a dog who enjoys the sport, but holding a stay is incredibly difficult for him in the high energy setting of a dock diving event and she was hoping for some tips that go above and beyond the usual "just take him back and reset him each time he breaks" advice.
The biggest challenge for a dock diving dog is maintaining a stationary position while the object of his desire (the toy) is moving away from him; he knows he will be released and he's often highly aroused just by the presence of the toy itself, let alone all of the additional distractions on and around the dock at a competition. In general, the anticipation of the release to a strong motivator is the reason behind creeping or outright breaking of position on the dock.
A dog might have an awesome stay under distraction elsewhere, but the high toy drive that makes for a good dock diver will work against you on the dock!
Before you even start stay training on the dock, make sure your dog understands what you want from him in a lower key environment.
I use clicker training to teach stays initially because the extra precision of the click as a marker can be very helpful, especially with busy dogs!
I start by asking for a sit (or down, your preference) and clicking as soon as the dog gives me the position. The click/treat is the release at this point and the "sit" cue means "sit until you are released or I give you another cue" (implied stay). An implied stay eliminates the need for another cue (i.e. "stay") and removes the very human temptation to repeat the word stay over and over during the exercise. ;)
I gradually increase the time between the dog getting into position and the click/reward - I don't generally increase the duration by more than 2 seconds per repetition at this early stage. As the dog progresses, I will ask for a shorter sit every once in a while to keep things interesting, rather than continually making the task more difficult for the dog. I always start with duration, too, to keep things simple for the dog.
Once the dog is comfortable with 15-20 seconds, then I will add more time on each repetition (perhaps 5 seconds or so) and I will drop the clicker in favor of a verbal release cue. The verbal cue is given exactly where I would've clicked, so it also acts as a marker in some respects; the reward is given after the verbal cue.
Be careful when choosing a release cue - many people use the word "OK", but then realize at a later point that they use that word in a lot of situations where it's not a release for the dog. This often will require extra work to teach the dog what tone or hand signal means the word is a release vs just part of an unrelated conversation. For around the house and on the dock I use "OK", I use "Free" in other more precise settings - this is just what works best for us. You can use any word you like, even "asparagus", just make sure you'll remember it when releasing your dog.
If the dog breaks position before the click or release cue, I take it as info to make the duration/distance from me/distraction easier rather than correcting. It is not the dog's fault that I increased my difficulty level too quickly.
I'm a firm believer that a dog breaking a stay during training is just them trying to figure out the game vs "disobedience"; it is up to us humans to figure out how to help the dog understand the exercise more clearly without assuming that the dogs "know better". After a break in position I will often ask for a shorter stay immediately after, reward, ask for a stay slightly longer (baby steps!), reward, and gradually surpass the point where he broke - no need to "correct", just break the behavior into smaller parts!
Once your dog is successful with the basic stay training foundation you can start to add more difficulty, but keep it simple. *Never* increase more than one aspect of a stay (the length of time, distance from you, level of distraction) at a time - your dog will struggle with the huge leap in difficulty. Stay training should be a game for the dog, not something to be dreaded!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Video from our last event
I finally got the video of Kestrel's jumps at the Carolina DockDogs Cherokee Dock Warriors event uploaded! Enjoy!
In which the EV rig goes to the lake
The EV rig is now complete, so it's off to the lake to try it out! Both dogs were jumping up for the bumper on the rig at home; Aeri was so keen on it that I had to put her up to allow Kes a chance to try it out as well. Perhaps EV will be her fav dock diving element?!
(Video Notes: I call my dogs names, but in jest, I say "frick" twice in the video, and yes, Aeri is fine LOL)
Guess we have some more work to do. ;)
(Video Notes: I call my dogs names, but in jest, I say "frick" twice in the video, and yes, Aeri is fine LOL)
Guess we have some more work to do. ;)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
They're here!
The bumpers arrived speedily from Dokken in MN! The bumpers do NOT have magnets attached, so some finagling with attachment options was required. I tried two main versions, pictured below:
Attachment type 1: The D rings worked ok, but there was so little metal in contact at any one time that they didn't stick very securely to the magnets on the arm of the rig. Tying required a lot of the rope as well, making the bumper hang a bit closer to the arm than I would've liked.
Attachment type 2: This ended up being the method I stuck with - the clamps were a bit tricky to put on securely (you need tools, not just your own fingers LOL), but once on, the additional metal in contact with the magnet makes this more secure. I do still need to play around with magnet placement to ensure maximum contact on the arm, but it's serviceable for now.
A note to those using these bumpers - they are NOT very durable. Kestrel had one in pieces within a few minutes of bringing it to shore after a retrieve. Make sure you have a good "drop it" with your dog or you will need to buy a gross. ;)
 |
| Attachment type 1: Metal D rings tied to ropes |
Attachment type 1: The D rings worked ok, but there was so little metal in contact at any one time that they didn't stick very securely to the magnets on the arm of the rig. Tying required a lot of the rope as well, making the bumper hang a bit closer to the arm than I would've liked.
 |
| Attachment type 2: Metal rope clamps |
Attachment type 2: This ended up being the method I stuck with - the clamps were a bit tricky to put on securely (you need tools, not just your own fingers LOL), but once on, the additional metal in contact with the magnet makes this more secure. I do still need to play around with magnet placement to ensure maximum contact on the arm, but it's serviceable for now.
A note to those using these bumpers - they are NOT very durable. Kestrel had one in pieces within a few minutes of bringing it to shore after a retrieve. Make sure you have a good "drop it" with your dog or you will need to buy a gross. ;)
Monday, August 15, 2011
On Air
It looks like I made it into a short Youtube video the Visitor's Info Channel put together for the Cherokee Dock Warriors event! My interview (and a Kestrel cameo) is at the end. Please excuse the horrible hair - that's what high humidity does to a gal!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Vocabulary
Here's a short vocabulary list for those of you new to the wonderful world of dock diving dogs! Terms are arranged alphabetically.
Big Air (aka BA): The most familiar form of dock diving. BA measures the horizontal distance a dog achieves when running and jumping off of a 40' long dock. Distance in measured in feet from the end of the dock to where the base of a dog's tail enters the water. The world record is currently 28'10".
Chase method: A technique that involves putting the dog in a stay on the dock, releasing him, and then tossing the toy so that the dog "chases" it off the dock. Often works best when the dog has a chance of catching it in mid-air.
Dock diving: The sport this blog is about. ;) In its most basic form it involves a human tossing a toy into the water for a dog to retrieve from the dock surface. In competition it may include measuring distance from dock to the base of the tail as it enters the water, the speed with which a dog retrieves a bumper held at the end of a dock diving pool, and/or the height a dog reaches to grab a bumper suspended above the water.
DockDogs: My preferred dock diving venue! Splash Dogs, UKC, and Ultimate Air Dogs are other venue options.
Extreme Vertical (aka EV): The category of dock diving that involves seeing how high a dog can jump for a bumper suspended 8' off the end of the dock and above the water's surface. The height is measured from the top of the dock to the base of the bumper. The world record is currently 8'0".
Iron Dog: Teams that compete in BA, SR, and EV at the same event accumulate points to determine the top overall dog, often referred to as Iron Dog competition.
Place and Send: A technique involving tossing the toy into the pool before setting the dog up and sending him to jump. This is often the method of choice for dogs new to the sport since it does not require a stay like the Chase method does.
Pond event: A competition that is held in a location with a natural body of water.
Pool event: A competition that uses an official DockDogs dock and freestanding pool.
Pop: A term that describes the height (or lack thereof) a dog achieves as he pushes off at the end of the dock. An optimal pop for a given dog should result in longer jumps in Big Air.
Speed Retrieve (aka SR): The category of dock diving that measures how quickly a dog can retrieve a bumper held at the end of the dock diving pool. Dogs are set up at the 20' mark on the dock and released after a countdown or light signal. The world record is currently 4.62 seconds.
Big Air (aka BA): The most familiar form of dock diving. BA measures the horizontal distance a dog achieves when running and jumping off of a 40' long dock. Distance in measured in feet from the end of the dock to where the base of a dog's tail enters the water. The world record is currently 28'10".
Chase method: A technique that involves putting the dog in a stay on the dock, releasing him, and then tossing the toy so that the dog "chases" it off the dock. Often works best when the dog has a chance of catching it in mid-air.
Dock diving: The sport this blog is about. ;) In its most basic form it involves a human tossing a toy into the water for a dog to retrieve from the dock surface. In competition it may include measuring distance from dock to the base of the tail as it enters the water, the speed with which a dog retrieves a bumper held at the end of a dock diving pool, and/or the height a dog reaches to grab a bumper suspended above the water.
DockDogs: My preferred dock diving venue! Splash Dogs, UKC, and Ultimate Air Dogs are other venue options.
Extreme Vertical (aka EV): The category of dock diving that involves seeing how high a dog can jump for a bumper suspended 8' off the end of the dock and above the water's surface. The height is measured from the top of the dock to the base of the bumper. The world record is currently 8'0".
Iron Dog: Teams that compete in BA, SR, and EV at the same event accumulate points to determine the top overall dog, often referred to as Iron Dog competition.
Place and Send: A technique involving tossing the toy into the pool before setting the dog up and sending him to jump. This is often the method of choice for dogs new to the sport since it does not require a stay like the Chase method does.
Pond event: A competition that is held in a location with a natural body of water.
Pool event: A competition that uses an official DockDogs dock and freestanding pool.
Pop: A term that describes the height (or lack thereof) a dog achieves as he pushes off at the end of the dock. An optimal pop for a given dog should result in longer jumps in Big Air.
Speed Retrieve (aka SR): The category of dock diving that measures how quickly a dog can retrieve a bumper held at the end of the dock diving pool. Dogs are set up at the 20' mark on the dock and released after a countdown or light signal. The world record is currently 4.62 seconds.
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