Martin Reid
Hey Rike
Sorry I missed all of these videos to start with, but here is a big catch up for you!
So the problem is very common and it happens a lot and this is where people are not sure what to do and then it can start to go wrong.
You can see at training originally in the first few videos. The striding is two strides on the middle plank, and then two strides on the down plank. Typical for a collie, but also very typical how then once confidence has risen (or arousal has got higher) a stride comes out. Generally speaking most of the hits with the regulator on we had good hits the dog did one stride on the middle plank – (this is perfect and what you want).
The problem is what is tending to happen in competition or when the regulator is not on in training, especially the first time trying the dog walk, the dogs are not confident therefore go a little bit slow slower on the up plank and the middle plank (doing two strides on the middle plank) but then all of a sudden they get their confidence and then do one stride on the down plank. This is a problem.
I always want the dog to do more than one stride on the down plank, so what we need is more consistency in doing one stride on the middle plank (so you can get two strides on the down plank easily) or if they’re confidence is not there and we have two strides on the down plank (which is not a problem in itself) to then do a further two more on the down plank (like was happening in the first few clips on the very first video you posted).
So for me, my steps forward from here would be to continue working with the regulator on the down ramp. The position looks good. But you need to start phasing it out by using small regulators rather than just having it on and off, for now, I would leave the regulator on wherever you go training (ideally no competitions or practicing the dog walk without the regulator on for about a month) , to really get a pattern and confidence of two strides on the down plank. Then from there, I would look to be phasing the regulator down in size. Seen as you have to have a big brick to start with, I would then look to transfer to a smaller size regulator. Usually around. 40mm. But also after that phased down to another one even smaller, around 20 mm. At that point I would then look at intermittently putting it on and off. But this is no small project and will take a few months. Once the dogs are confident with the regulator on (even the big one) I think it is super important to practice different situations before and after the dog walk (and not just repeat the dog walk repetition after repetition) any new places or different dog walks you can get to would also help for generalisation!
Hope this helps sorry about the delay
Martin