BB, any chance, you get to any fun matches? And do they allow training in the ring at CPE? We are now allowed to in AAC, which is about bloody time!!
Where are things going wrong? Break it down, point by point and maybe we can help find that straw that is breaking the camels back??
Also are you videoing your training? If not, I recommend that you do, have that camera going in all training sessions. You maybe able to pin point the problem.
How did you first train the contacts, how did you run them when trialling and how are you training them now?
I've never been to a fun match, and don't know of any in the area. Our agility club does public demos sometimes (although we are well past the season for that) where you can use treats/toys in the ring, but they don't really allow any sort of "correction", including going back and re-doing the obstacle. No training in the ring for CPE.
Where are things going wrong? With me, and the fact that it took me too long to decide what my criteria are. I started by training a down on the contact, trying to lower her center of gravity and stop her momentum before she hit the ground (old, healed elbow injury that hasn't bothered her in over a year, but worries me). It worked fairly well at first, but once the a-frame got to full height, it got almost impossible for her to stop herself. She's pretty downhill, straight shouldered, heavy in front (picture an old style quarter horse).
So, I switched to running contacts. She was so slow and cautious about everything in life anyway, I thought it would be the easy way out. It worked fine for our first couple of trials - I don't think she ever missed a contact in training or in the ring. Then all our work on upping her drive and motivation kicked in, and suddenly it was easier to just launch over them (dog walk and a-frame, she still always hits the seesaw). We did two trials where she was consistently missing the contacts unless I really slowed her down, which I didn't want to do just when we got her going! So, we dropped out of the last two trials we were planning on for the fall, and made that our project.
New plan is 2o2o. Because I originally taught a foot contact for the down (mistake number 238), I was having a very hard time transferring her to a nose touch on a target. Instead, I'm using a cut up square of bathmat and using that as a foot target. My criteria is: both back feet on the equipment, both front feet on the target, and nose pointed straight ahead.
After a million reps on the plank, she's pretty solid there. She still doesn't always hold it until I've released her, but basically hits the criteria every time, even coming off a jump/after a rear cross/while I front cross/while I'm behind and sending her ahead. The holding until a release becomes an issue if I keep running past it, which is a new revelation I'm still working on.
The big issue is when we have the actual obstacles (we've been working with a really low a-frame in class) and speed. She's probably hitting 20% wonderfully, 10% close, and 70% just blasting over it. The 20% is generally when I am either with her or ahead of her and can stop at the end myself.
It's just been a really crappy couple of weeks, and I am pretty bummed about it. Right from the beginning of the re-training, my instructor said we should stick with this plan until Feb. before we re-evaluate and try something else if needed. I guess I just need to be patient and keep plugging along, although I certainly would love any ideas or thoughts you may have.
Actually, I have one question as well that I'd love your opinion on. Do you use contact trainers at all? I have very limited access to the real obstacles, and am wondering if using a CT would help with the transition from plank to full sized equipment. I've gotten varying opinions from other agility people (shocking, I know
), and don't know what to think. With Christmas money and then tax refunds following close after, it may be an option.
Sorry that got so long! As I said, I've just been frustrated and am eager for other ideas!
