School time for our puppies! Here is your first to-do list.
Just a short note first: there are lots of tasks waiting for you in this class as I like to keep it interesting also for those dogs who already know some of the tricks. HOWEVER, make sure you're not focusing on teaching too much as fast as possible, to the degree of trying to help/lure - but instead take the time and focus on the fun part. In order not to make you feel under pressure, I will be underlining the tasks you should focus on in each lesson. The rest you can do if the underlined exercises are going well, but we don't need those for the next lesson, so it doesn't hurt if you address those later.
1. The first task might sound a little silly for those with adult dogs, but in fact, it's never silly to make a recall even better! Call your dog at least 10 times a day to do something fun together: to play, to go out, to get a treat, something to chew on or a new exciting toy
2. put a plate (or another object, but I like to start with a plate as puppies can't chew on those too easily) on a floor and shape a puppy to touch it with a front paw: you can first click for head movement in the right direction, then one/two/three steps towards the plate, then stepping over it or close to it and finally for stepping on it
3. sit on a floor and put a fist full of treats or dog's favourite toy right in front of their nose, wait till they stop sniffing and click for anything they try other than getting directly to the food/toy or staring at it. It's very important the dog understands staring at food/toy doesn't get him anywhere as it will later on allow you to work with food/toys in your hand without distracting the dog's focus from the job at hand.
4. find a box or a drawer that is as long as your dog and not too high and shape a dog to put 1-2-3-4 legs into it. Then try with smaller&smaller objects, final goal is the dog can stand with all 4 feet in a small bowl.
5. observe your puppy and see if he sometimes stretches his legs out when in down position, puppies often do that when relaxed or playing. Name it (I call it "frog":) and reward. It's a nice stretching exercise and very easy to get it on cue if the dog does it naturally (some dogs do it as adults too, but mine didn't and it was much harder to train it as with puppy Le who was doing that naturally). If not, put a dog in a down position and reward from the floor and so far ahead that the dog needs to stretch out to get it - but not so far that he would crawl ahead. Watch the hind legs and click for moving them back OR out, but NOT for crawling step forward. It usually helps if you try to get them stretch over a pillow, like in this video:
Looking forward to see your videos! You can send them in one or more pieces, but keep the total length of the videos sent per lesson under 10min. Don't wait until you master the tricks before sending your videos, just post whatever you're working on for some feedback.
Just want to have a little brag about Buzz, it’s nothing major but I’m so proud of how he went. We had our first school visit today where me and another vet nurse went and spoke to some kids in years 5 and 6 about dog behaviour and vet nursing. We took Buzz and he had an absolute ball! The kids loved him and he soaked up the attention he got from so many kids! They learnt alot about vets and behaviour but the star of the show was definately Buzz! He was really excited to show off and do some tricks, we did frog, crossing paws, sit pretty, spins, rollover, shake paws, weave through legs, speak, but the favourite for the kids was when I got him to back up and put his back legs on a chair (where we are at with the handstand), they LOVED it and cannnot believe that one day he’s actually going to be able to do a handstand! So hopefully we can master everything in puppy class and advanced tricks coz the kids were so impressed with even the ‘simpler’ tricks!
I’m sure he was The star and enjoyed all the attention! Kids sure love those shows, I had some with my dogs and they could watch it for ever!
Better late than never…here’s Baxter’s Lesson 1 videos. Baxter is a 14-month-old Cardigan Welsh Corgi.
First, this is his third session on putting his paws on a plate. He likes to step on things, so this one was pretty easy.
Second, Frog. This is a natural position for him, so I did the lazy dog trainer trick of capturing a behavior. We were sitting around in a hotel room watching television. Whenever Baxter relaxed, he kicked his back legs out and I clicked and treated. It took us most of the evening, but he finally figured out what was making me click. His frog looks a bit more like a seal, but he doesn’t have the longest of legs!
Third, we have four in a box. This one is hard for us. I’ve actually tried this before, but seem to get stuck when the box gets small. Any ideas? Maybe smaller sides on the box? Or do I just need to wait it out and reward smaller bits? The others were so easy for him, this one is posing a challenge.
Our recall work is dismal. He comes readily if we’re in “work mode”, but he doesn’t come at all if there is any other distraction. We’ll keep working on it.
I think Baxter is doing great! I’m guessing that with a dog who is long backed and short-legged you have to diminish the size of the box in very small increments. Given his build I think he’s doing a great job!
Hi Karen 🙂
Baxter is build similar to my Lucy. She is an Aussie Terrier longish and short legs. She is only 5 months now.
I gave the carton boxes away and swapped them for plastic containers because she keept leaning on the edges.
Also, Silvia told me to reward her more while she is in the box and do a few jackpots in the box to keep her enthusiasm going.
Louise has a good point, go up in smaller increments. Don’t give up. 🙂
I am struggling with The Frog.
Thanks for the good feedback. I’ll try to find some appropriate sized plastic containers, reward more in the box, and keep working it.
My Swedish vallhund is also very similar -- long back and short legs. I think we just have to be patient as it takes time for them to build the right muscles to be able to perform this trick. 🙂
Baxter’s frog is great! We’re nowhere near yet. Papu does lie like that sometimes but not very often so when i reward him it may take hours before he does that again. So far he has no clue what I’m rewarding him for…
Heini
I have struggled with the Frog but have found away. I have constructed a mound from blankets and a pillow and it seems to be working. I will take a clip so you can have a look. 🙂
I didn’t know Swedish Vallhunds, but Papu caught my eye. He looks like a kind & fun dog.
Thanks Ivana, will be good to see your clip! It seems that the one you posted below is marked private so I cannot see it…
Heini
My clip with the Frog is on this page below. I am able to see it. You have to scroll down over those three with nothing in it. One says ‘Lucy practicing The Frog’ but the clip is not in that either, just keep going down. I forgot to change the URL link.
Yes, but only you can see your video as it’s private so only the author and authorised people can see it -- we can’t see it. Go to “edit video” on YouTube and change the setting from “private” to either “unlisted” or “public”.
Heini
You were right, my Frog clip was private. I have fixed it now.
Hope you can see it. 🙂
I agree, long back and short legs make it extra difficult, so you really need to go slowly with 4in! And well, it’s a great sign that Papu can do it naturally, that should help with getting the position! Post where you are with the frog now, maybe we can help!
Great job Baxter! No problems with the paw touches and a really great frog on just a verbal cue, how cool! Seal position is actually exactly what we want, so that’s great! I also think he is doing great with the box, he obviously knows his job really well, but finds it physically hard to do it. Given his long back, you actually got really far already! As you definitely have an understanding, I’m sure you’ll get that smaller box too, just keep practising without doing too much of it to not make him sore. But you’re definitely on the right track here, great job!
For recalls, keep working on them in situations you know he will come so that you can reward heavily. Try to find what he likes the most for a reward and then keep it just for recall work, practising in harder&harder situations for him, but only that gradually that he is mostly successful. When you’er not 100% sure he will come, keep him on a long leash so that you can prevent him wandering off and rewarding himself for not coming. You want to do as many successful recalls as possible and as little of unsuccessful ones as possible!
Unfortunately we have last weekend no time to train, because we participated on a german agility championship. But here our current training status on lesson #1. 🙂
First time food ignorance. Is this ok?
Page know the paw target from agility training. So we had to train it not extra. Is training level ok for the further tricks?
Four in a bowl: I use 1st time even smaller object. That do you think?
Second time to train “the frog”. She’s streching her legs faster. Sometimes she falls down to a side of the pillow. That do you mean about our “frog”?
How do you react, if you give a click to late or the dog is no more in the right position? For example by 4in. The dog goes 4in and you click in this moment, but the dog goes directly with one paw out of the bowl before you can give a treat. Give you a treat for this? Or ignore you this and your “wrong” click?
I’m really nosy at the comments! 🙂
Great job! Nice food ignorance, very cute paw touches (and yes, that’s all we need for lesson 2!), very nice frog and getting there with a smaller bowl too! It’s really amazing what a great balance she has! Keep working on a smaller bowl and put a frog on a verbal cue and then fade the pillow (using folded blanket first and then go from there).
And yes, I reward after each and every click. 🙂 -- We had this discussion under the first video you posted, not sure if you saw it. When I clicked something I didn’t want to, I will reward less enthusiastically, but I will reward.
Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
And no, I don’t saw the discussion under my first video. I will answer there for this theme. Thanks for the info!
By the way… give it a feature to get an information about a new command of the own postings?
Hello Silvia,
one question about the “frog”. Page is stretching her legs but it doesn’t look like a frog. It look like a seal. Which verbal cue would you put on? Would we also train this trick who looks like a frog? Or is this the end stadium of this trick?
We actually want seal legs, but somehow I ended calling it frog. You can of course call it seal instead 🙂
Here is Vera’s frog trick so far. I have put it on cue. I call it “Frenchie” (my boyfriend is French and I wanted to make him laugh). She does it very reliably on cue so far when I am sitting on the floor. She seems to really enjoy it. The cool thing is that my older dog is also doing it on cue now too! I have never seen him go naturally into this position in his whole life, but using the pillow as a prop I was able to teach him.
Hi Gia
Vera is a star! 🙂 What a super Frenchie. I love the term.
Cute! I’m really impressed that almost the whole class got the frog in just two weeks! You sure made it look easy -- even though it’s not!
Lucy practicing The Frog
It says it’s private, you need to change the settings to unlisted.
Hope it is right now. 🙂
Great! Very nice stretches! As we again want duration, reward mostly in a position for the frog too: keep clicking&rewarding as long as her hind feet are stretched back. Stay on this pillow for a while, then put it on cue and start making it lower.
Hi Silvia
I must be the remedial student in this class, every class has one. Please be patient 🙁 I am getting slowly used to the process of this website.
Re feedback -- as you suggested it is a good idea to go to ‘Recent Comments’, if you would beginn your comments with the person your are reviewing, it would be easier for us to find your replies to. The way it is now, I usually have to go into the comment to see who you are addressing. Am I right with this? Or am I missing something again?
I also would like to add how terrific it is to read your feedback to the others in this class and to see their endeavours. 🙂
Yes, it’s hard to navigate through that many comments, but it gets easier, I have many people who take several classes and read all the comments, I think we can all learn from others too. For example, I learned how much easier the frog is by the use of the pillow from my Puppy I students and I often get many ideas for different games and new exciting toys through the videos. I also want to teach Louise’s spider trick!
So I’ve taken Trumpet’s “jumping into a bow” on the target disc and changed it to me just pointing to the ground and saying “spider” and he pounces :-). I have to be really excited about it and make sure he’s excited too and I get a nice pounce :-). Thanks for the idea Silvia! I’ll try to get it on video tonight.
A new status our lesson 1 tricks “frog” and “four in a bowl” :-).
Silvia you say that we want seal legs. Must it be seal legs or is it also ok to click frog legs? I think you want the full stretched legs (seal legs), right?
Now it’s very difficult for she to hold the balance in this little bowl. I think I can not go to a smaller bowl again. What do you think?
Great! That’s impressively small bowl! And yes, probably the last one she can do. You’ll see, try more duration on this one first and then see if you want to try even smaller one or not. Great frog legs too! At the beginning, I click for frog legs as that’s what leads to seal legs -- and jackpot seal legs. Once I’m getting seal legs constantly, I don’t click frog legs anymore.
A question about the frog. Page now stretched her legs without a pillow. Certainly I must draw she with a treat. She crawls forwards and stretched her legs only on this way. She doesn’t stretched her leg without crawling. How can I train this? Must I go back to a pillow and train stretching her legs only without drawing with a treat? How can I do that? Or is it not possible that she stretched her legs only with crawling?
Sorry in my last sentence I meant “Does it not important that she stretch her legs only with crawling?”.
I wouldn’t worry if she crawls forward some when she is stretching the legs, I would just let it be, just fade the treat now.
A short video of our frog. After this we had much better training session with a bigger pillow but something must have gone wrong while I moved the video from my camera to my computer as the it says damaged file. So this must do for now.
Yeap, bigger pillow would definitely make things easier, but you sure got some nice almost-froggy-legs on this blanket too! The beginnings of a frog can be hard, but things should get easy from here on!
I joined the puppy class to learn to do great heeling with my 14-month-old German Shepherd, Adina. I’m training her for Schutzhund so her heeling needs to be Schutzhund style.
Here is a video of us using the bowl to shape heeling --
I’d really appreciate any suggestions on how to improve.
Nice job so far, but can you also post a video of just pivoting around, without you moving? I think I would work on that step some more to get smoother, faster circles as that will make her more glued to the leg and will give you faster adjustments to your movement. Also, when you get back into the picture, reward higher, with a more vertical head -- maybe even so high that her front legs need to leave the ground some. Higher head gives you lower hind end and more action with front legs and therefore looks of a more energetic performance that is very desired in IPO.