It's been almost a week since I did anything pertaining to agility training due to family function and the weather. I figured yesterday Chloe may have rusty and lost some enthusiasm but boy was I wrong!
Last week, the agility instructor invited us out to see how the classes were and I got some tips on how to teach the teeter. Luckily, she was teaching it that night! So I swayed from the Hobday method I learned in her book and decided to try the instructor's method as with the former you need two people. The instructor's method basically put tables under each of the plank with varying heights - one side higher than the other. The tweeter was set about 16" in class. Thankfully, I built several heights in my teeter which are 8", 16" and 24". The 8" setting is no problem for Chloe because it reminds her so much of the tippy/buja board at that height.
So now I need to something to put under each end of the plank in which I found two recycle bins stacked on top of one another and a plastic basin with a height of 8-10". Now I need to move the plank up to 16" setting which is no big deal. The higher the setting the easier the effort since I don't have to bend over as much. Now I position the bins on one side and the basin on the other. I call Chloe over to get on the teeter to get on the low side and she starts to move to the other end. Then we hit our trouble stop, the fulcrum, she starts to get hesitant and jumps off. And I repeat again but this time, I am going to shape with her best friend, chicken, and a click later she is rewarded. I repeated this process about 5-7 times and she started to stay on the board just going back and forth on it with a nice trot. OK, now it is time to remove one of the bins on the high side. So Chloe, "OFF!" :-)
Repeat for another 5-7 times. Now I need something else under the plank because removing the bin is too much of a drop for her to grasp. I go in the house, I found an old milk crate that I use to store whatnots. It is about three-quarters the height of the bin. It should work.
Time to get the dog and repeat the whole thing until both aids are removed which happened some 18 repetitions later. Now it is time to move up to 24" and repeat the whole thing again. I ended the training with milk crate and the basin. She did yelp because the banging noise got louder but I quickly corrected that situation but moving the plank up and down thus creating the loud noise. I feed her chicken. It will probably take 1-3 days to get her over the noise.
I did break in some jumps every now and then to break the monotony. One thing is for certain, I was curious if she was still able to do the weaves efficiently. So I tried something and set out a course that just used 2 jumps, 6 poles and the teeter. I laid the course out to have a set of jumps in front of the weave and teeter. I won't be using anymore food at this point because for one I am low and my secret weapon has been in my pocket this whole time, a small wubba toy! Look up at Cleanrun.com. I just happen to find this small one at Petsmart one day. So I ordered a bigger one at CleanRun because knowing Chole if I leave the small one she'll destroy it no time flat.
So now I am using both wubbas. She's already excited to see the bigger wubba which is interesting and rather humorous watching her grab the bigger one in her mouth and carry it all over the house or yard because it is as long as she is.
Every now and then I'll squeak the wubba in my pocket if she becomes distracted to something else that isn't me and she knows there is another wubba out there. Anyhow, I put her in a wait behind the jump and pull some lead to the middle of weaves. I call her and she jumps and weaves. Her weaves doesn't seem to have lost stride or speed, in fact, it is faster. That's a good thing. I need to time it again to be sure but I am pretty sure it is faster because her nose was tucked down and her body was closer to the poles.
Mind you, she was taught with the channel method which started last month in August however, I must stay I started just using the 2 X 2 method first since I was indoors. Since I worked with in August at a rate of 4-5 days a week in 20 minute sessions, we progressed fast the weaves. The last of the guide wires were off about two weeks ago. If she jumps out, I'll reinstall the corresponding wire. The poles are about 2-2.5" apart from center. The instructor told me to keep them apart to keep the speed up and start to close them when it is time for showing and we're no where near that stage at this point.
Now its time to do a whole sequence and I'll leave the aids under the teeter. The goal is to do two revolutions or circuits in a clockwise direction. First attempt was awesome and of course, she slowed a little on the teeter but that was to be expected but it was awesome. Second attempt, I think was handler error as she ended up on the wrong side and we got pinched. I think I turned my shoulders way too early and she read that. Now that I think of it, I should have done a front cross in our 180 to the teeter.
I attached a shot of the current lay out of the course.