I miss videos from some participants... I hope you're still posting it, it really doesn't matter if you're not finished with the trick just yet, you can always do that later, but it's good to have some directions, that's why I would like to see everybody's videos!
But well, it's time for a new to-do list:
1. see in what situations your dog gets really crazy and exited or runs as mad and name it - my "magic" word is "ajde, ajde" and you can really see how much speed they add when hearing it - in agility or when running in the fields. I got it by saying anytime they would be chasing each other in full speed or go crazy and run in circles on a wet grass.
2. make the front feet target lower&lower and smaller&smaller and then fade it completely, still circling away from the dog and have him follow your leg. Then, add movements to the side, forward and backward and reward your dog for being glued to the leg
3. side version of 2on2off: try to get side legs (the two left or the two right legs) on an object. The easiest is to choose an object that is angled (I put a pillow under the angle against the sofa or a wall), so that the dog can't climb on it with all 4 feet. Because of 2on2off, they will probably try hind feet on, but position yourself next to an object so that the dog is parallel to it and will probably first try just one hind foot (it helps if you have a pee trick down already!): reward a couple of times so that he keeps it there as opposed to try to put the other hind leg on too and then see if you can get front foot on too. You can tell them to paw touch your hand that you keep close to an object and eventually fade the hand to have both feet on an object. Jackpot if the dog puts both feet on at the same time (vs. first hind, then front). Do it with both sides right from the start, you want to build muscle and balance on both sides.
4. one object into another: shape the dog to pick up an object, then to carry it around, then to carry it in the direction of another object, then to let it go close to it and eventually to actually put it in another object. I usually start directly with two bowls of the same size, but to make it easier, you can also use a toy and a box or something similar. Do try it with a bowl too, though, they require more precision.
5. hug the pole/umbrella trick, first clicking for any paw touch, then for sliding to the side and then for going more&more around the object, the final goal is a firm hug with one or both front feet around the object - see this video
6. stays with distractions: tell the dog to sit or down and continue with proofing the stay until the release word as we were practicing in 2on2off position already in the last lesson: have them stay in a position with you running passed them, throwing toys and treats, making different hand gestures etc. - then say "go" (sometimes standing still, sometimes while moving) and reward, preferably with a toy as you want a fast start out of the position on "go"
Hi Silvia,
I want to confirm how to get my small dog (Wylie the Norfolk) to hold the pole. I had issues with this before with him but was able to get my Wheaten to do it, but he has longer legs. Wylie (small dog) either tries to stand on the pole with front feet or just scratches at the pole. I have found a pretty small pole and the position should be straight up and down like your new DVD tricks trailer? Any tips with small dogs for hugging the pole? I will try to send a video soon. Sara and Wylie.
Yes, I start with a vertical pole. Of course, you would need a really thin pole for a small dog, but I think he should be able to do it -- corgies for example can do it. Scratching and leaning on it is pretty normal to get first, wait if he slides to the side a little bit, reward and then go from there.
Video update! 1. perch work; 2. sideways 2o2o; 3. hugging a pole; 4. backing up onto an object; 5. targetting with right paw only; 6. closing cabinets; 7. #5 while lying down (was supposed to be before the previous clip, oops); 8. cavaletti
1. I know that I am using a big obvious hand signal here. I initially started this trick using luring, before this class started, and am working on fading the hand signal rather than trying to get it as a freely offered behavior, because it’s the easier route at this point. I’m still figuring out where exactly to stand. He is not orienting to my leg yet — he is actually a little uncomfortable staying real close to my leg, especially the right one, so that’s why I feed multiple treats with my hands right there, keeping him in position.
2. Our first session. He offered pawing at it right away because it reminds him of the plank of wood covered in sandpaper that he files his nails on. I C/Ted standing kind of sidways by it and moving his back feet or pawing at it with his front left foot. Next session I’ll start by doing some backing up onto it and then try to get him sideways, I think.
3. Our third session. He backs way the hell up when doing the meerkat, so I bring the pole to him. But he clearly gets that it has to do with swiping at the pole with his paws, so I think this will go clearly.
4. Doing great with this. The challenge is finding wide objects of an appropriate height! Used two books here.
5 & 7. (They were supposed to be next to each other in the video.) Showing our progress with crossing paws. He uses just his right paw 90% of the time now. I’m still slowly working on putting the target right in front of him and then slowly moving it toward his left.
6. He’ll paw at the cabinets to bang them pretty well now. 🙂 Slowly opening them more and more.
8. Cavaletti is looking pretty good, I think. Sometimes he’ll crouch in the objects to try to get all four feet in, thinking that it’s that other trick! It was a challenge to find objects that were the right size and shape. I didn’t work up to having them very close together but I think that that is as far as I want to go with that trick.
I’m gone the next two days, and then I’ll have four days to train before I leave the country for one week. We’ll be cramming! 🙂
Great job! Hugging the pole is sure going great, but he seems somewhat uncomfortable with the pole, so I would let him approach it at his terms and work on one leg hug first -- he did some really good ones, so just go from there! And yes, for side legs, it’s better to try to get hind foot first -- clicking front foot usually gives you too much climbing up with front paws. Start with backing up, then set him under such an angle he can’t go up with both legs, c&treat for one hind foot several times and then add the front one. For pivoting, you’re mostly standing too much behind him -- you need to be forward enough that his paws are pretty much where your heels are, not where your fingers are. You’re also often rewarding with his head too much forward -- you want head up, as vertical as possible, I often reward so that they even need to hop up with front feet (not at the target stage, later on -- just to give you an idea where to reward). No problems with other tricks!
Thank you for the feedback!!
Everybody work great!!! We have only problems…:)
We are stuck. Heeling without target is not so good I think. Maybe we should go one step back? Definitely she goes in left side better but we made some progress and she changes sides more fluently. With a food is ok but without energy. With a toy there is too much energy. She tries so much! She can’t calm down. Maybe I should practice with a toy but reward single steps? What do you think? We also practice hugging the bottle. We have started today at home and in distractions. When I watch those movies I think I keep the bottle to high. Do I? Do I reward good movements? And we also have a problem with 2on2off side 🙂 She lifts only rear feet but we just started this task so I think I will capture front feet soon. Crossing paws is better and better 🙂
About cavaletti. I didn’t realise that I have practised this when Azja was about 4 month old. We have learned good jumping technique (Susan Salo program).With two PCV was ok, but more was not good because Azja simple run through obstacles 🙁 I didn’t practice this later but I will today! She just has to walk through the obstacles, yes? Here is a short film from our former training with this obstacles.
With heeling, I would go one step back, I wouldn’t walk forward for now but work on better position, doing lots of circling and side movements. She is often too much in front, especially with the toy -- but then, you are promoting that the way you reward with a toy. Also with a toy, you need to reward from upside down and not in front of you, she has this tendency to push in too much anyway, so pay attention to that. So yes, go one step back, reward with a toy and pay attention to the position.
For hugging the bottle, holding it closer and somewhat lower would help. I actually prefer to start this with a pole so that it’s on the dog to come as close as necessary and only then switch to a bottle, when I already have a hug. For side legs, even if she knows the pee trick, I think it’s faster if you give her an object where she can actually put her hind foot on and lean on it -- that will make getting front foot up MUCH easier. I trained Bu without the support and it’s possible, but MUCH longer as with a support. With cavaletti, you don’t want her to jump, but just walk over, one leg by one.
And, by the way, I’m not sure what problems you are talking about? In your video, I don’t see any problems! I see a couple of fun training challenges 🙂 and a very nice team work! Great job!
Thank you Silvia! Today I was training with Azja hugging a pole. She did this very fast! And she was working with her normal food which she doesn’t normally want to eat if I put it in her bowl!!! I am very surprised! She loves working with me. That is great!
Of course she does, it’s well seen from the videos already! Great job!
Hallo Silvia, I´ve got a two questions: 1. Nr.4 Is the final goal of this trick that the dog is able to solve problems like “something large doesn`t fit in something smaller” or is this trick more about precision of movements with their noses? Nr. 6 Do you make a difference between the release word for a start in agility and the normal release word for any durable behaviour?
I like #4 because it forces people to shape it -- that one is hard to lure! I usually do it with two identical bowls that require good precision, but did try it with three different sizes and they were very good in understanding a big one won’t fit into a small one! My release word tells them to leave the position, so I’ll say it any time I want them to leave the position -- but mostly for 2on2off and start line stays as those are the two behaviours they know very well to make it last until that specific word.
Hah, I am lucky I have two dogs for this lesson. 🙂
Pivoting is going SO much better after Silvia pointed out that I was standing in the wrong spot- oops. I adjusted my position and it seemed to make all the difference for Dynamite. We are starting to fade the target, but still trying to enforce side positions before adding anything beyond a circle. (She really prefers the front zone so she can stare at me…)
Side 2o2o- very large test of my patience! 🙂 Had to try lots of different things to end up with what Dynamite shows here. She really wanted to do everything else BUT this position, but the multiple clicks and giving it a verbal cue helped make it clear. Finally. Thought it would be good for my BC Shiver to start this one too (very bad rear end awareness) so started with the leg lift trick for her. Took about 2 months to get what’s in the clip! Now on to both side feet for her.
Dynamite JUST started doing a fairly stable sit-up without a target. I will reward this a bit more as is before I start the pole hugging trick (not quite in control of her body yet), but I introduced her to the pole and did some c/t for touching it with a paw. No problems, she loves to hit. 🙂 Shiver learned to ‘hug’ with just one paw, so I’m trying to shape that trick into both paws now, lots of scratching but getting there.
Last, Dynamite is having a big failure on #4. She absolutely does not get why she should take a toy when there is food around. IF she’ll take the toy, she’ll usually run away to chew on it. And then doesn’t see why she should come back. So we’re trying some different ideas, but this trick will probably take longer than this class! In the meantime, I’m brushing up on this trick with Shiver, who thinks it’s the best game ever. Worst trick I ever taught her though- she puts the toys EVERYWHERE now (like… the toilet?).
Huh, yeah, you definitely don’t want toys in a toilet! 🙂 Sounds like with Dynamite, it would be the easiest to teach her to take the object in presence of food by shaping it. Maybe start off by holding an object, so that she can’t take it away, click her for sniffing it, then opening the mouth etc. until she is taking it -- and dropping when you click it. That will make #4 much easier.
Great job with pivoting!!! Head position is perfect! I can see she sometimes still steps away after the reward, so yes, keep circling some more 🙂 to get her completely glued. Side legs look great now, try it with a higher object now! A tip for a next dog: it’s MUCH easier to start with an object angled so much that they can’t go on with all 4 feet! It reduces their options on what to do with that object 🙂
Our progress so far.
With the bowl into another bowl trick Tibby has started throwing the bowl. I’m not sure what the next step should be to get her to put the bowl into another bowl.
We are still working on pivoting. I really want Tibby to be able to heel someday. Was I moving around too much? What do you think?
We have so many tricks now it is too hard to get them all into a video (or into a training session). Good problem to have -- yay! for lots of tricks! 🙂
P.S. I worked hard to talk to Tibby, but I don’t talk very loud, so I hope you can hear it LOL!!
Hi!
I love watching you and Tibby work together 🙂 It does seem that she is a little bit confused/frustrated because she doesn’t know exactly what you want.. Maybe if you can break things down into even smaller baby steps? Summer used to be like Tibby, but now I spend a lot of time in training plans to make everything as simple as possible so she is always succeeding. A training friends once told me to aim for as many clicks per minute as possible, so use an easier criteria. Now Summer seems to understand that a click means to keep repeating the behaviour, and then we build from there.
We also got stuck with the circling behaviour, but when I tried to step into the picture, she liked to stand next to me so we skipped a step. I think Silvia told me it was ok to walk around a little and cheat (like what you did), so its ok! Another tip would be to toss the treat off on your right side, so that when she goes back to the perch, she will turn a bit to the left to face you, you can click for that..
Just wanted to say don’t feel disheartened! When I first started clicker training with Summer it was VERY hard and I was sad everyday. Now we are a happy happy team! 🙂 Keep up the good work! 🙂
Yeap, I hear you talking! Very good! You both look happier today! 🙂 Great progression with the tricks too, I see you’re getting there with left circling too! Position the target to close to the sofa she can’t pass it, it seems to be working well. Veeery cute sit up too! And a really good stay!
For bowl to bowl trick, position them so that she has the most chances to by accident hit the other bowl. Another way to make it easier is to always reward from the other bowl as that makes them move in that direction, in anticipation of the reward 🙂 That would be called cheating a little, but it usually makes a great difference if you get stuck.
Excellent! I too love watching your videos. Good to see you two happy again 🙂
Your cat cracks me up!
Kristin & Da Vinci
Finally our video of Lesson 3!
We live downtown, so we get lots of exposure to city life! We have been visiting petstores and working on tricks beside busy roads. He generally does very well!
We now have full circles in both directions. I am about to step into the picture, thanks for reminders to make sure I reward the appropriate position when I do!
The cavaletti was cute, interesting to have to adjust the distances are really learn about his current trotting stride.
We had already worked on a handstand outside of class, and had progressed to a straight wall. I hadn’t considered that this would be physically difficult, please let me know if you think I progressed too quickly with him?
Our paw targeting is getting better, and a little more controlled. Looking forward to going back to cross paws and sit up now using it, but we did move straight to closing cupboards, so cute and fun! He is getting more and more forceful about it since this video.
Couldn’t help but update the paws in a bowl, since it has been going so well! Do you think I should stay with this size for a while, it seems to me he has to work at balancing to stay in there!
Thanks very much for any comments/suggestions.
Katie + Synchro
Oops, happens to everyone at least once, right?…
Sooo cute! 🙂 He is just adorable! The pivoting was too cute! The handstand is going really well too! 🙂 It was also good to click for lifting just one leg, you can also name it. For a handstand, reward even closer to the wall, so that he is even more vertical. I think it’s o.k. if you do it here and there as he seems well balanced, just don’t do too much and don’t fade the wall yet -- that’s physically the hardest part. 4in is great too, I think he is only loosing balance when you handle him a treat, otherwise he doesn’t seem to have a problem with that size, so yes -- time for a smaller one! Great job!
Back Home : So happy !
Hi Silvia,
I’ve read all your previous comments and hope I won’t make you repete too much. I’m having difficulties with #4:
When I put a toy on a floor she puts her paw on it, she hides it with both paws… but not with her mouth.
I’ve tried to c/r when she approaches her face to the toy, when she touches it (w/o purpose) with her nose. Am I in the right direction? Or should I practice 1st a nose trick?
Thank you,
Céline
Yeap, it’s always nice to be back home! 🙂 And yes, that’s the way to go: click for looking at it, lowering the head, sniffing it, opening the mouth etc. -- don’t click for paws on anymore.
Ok, perfect.
Yesterday evening, I’ve found something: putting the toy on a shelve so that she has to put her paws on a chair to get the toy with her mouth. It’s funny because it’s much more complex but it works:-)
I’ll send the video this afternoon.
It won’t be complete because we are working on it since friday evening only.
Thank you again (it’s so comfortable to be followed path by path).
Céline
Our progress this week 🙂 Summer is such a joy to work with. She learns very fast that once an action is clicked, she will repeat and repeat making it easy to progress in one direction. However, she is a very focused dog and does not offer too many other things in one session. I’m glad she still looks like she enjoys working with me! 🙂 We love puppy class!
1) Pivot without perch: she is improving but still doesn’t understand to follow my leg when I step to the side. Also, her front feet are a little bit forward in front of my toes -- I am trying to feed further up and back to adjust her position. What else should I do to improve?
2) Sideways 2on2off: she learns very fast! She is offering the position in the first session. For the left side her balance is better, but for right side she can lift both legs up at the same time. When lifting her right side, I don’t know why she likes to put her front paw curled in. Is this ok? Should I try to fix it? We are going to work on making the object steeper and steeper this week.
3) Stacking bowls: she learned this one very fast! It took a while for her to learn precision but she almost never misses now! For those who are wondering, I built this behaviour on her clicker-shaped retrieve. I let her offer a retrieve with 1 bowl, then hold out the other one for her to put inside. Very quickly I started putting both bowls on the floor and she got it!
4) Pole hugging: she loves to hug the fat pole, and it helps her to build sit up duration also. But I am wondering if this is correct? She does not pull it close to her body. We are going to try with a skinnier umbrella this week!
Thanks for watching! Please do comment 🙂
She does the bowl in a bowl really good! And her sideways 2o2o is so cute! She is fast to! What a smart doggie!
Great! Pivoting looks good, she is also not looking down so much anymore. She is sometimes slightly too much in front -- not much, so nothing to worry about, just try to do another circle if her paws are in front of your toes before a reward. To eventually get side step, try to give your circling different shapes: don’t circle at the same spot anymore, but at the same time step somewhat forward or to the side. Side legs are going great too, I wouldn’t worry about a curled paw, I think it will go away. The bowl stacking is GREAT, what a smart dog! For pole hugging, I would first shape it sit position, with one leg. She needs to go deeper around the object with her paw in order to be able to really hold it, so you would need to put it closer to her and that could throw her out of balance. I always first teach this trick without putting the dog in any specific position, just hold an object and shape for going more&more around the pole. Once they have it with one paw, it’s very easy to get it with two when you put the dog in sit up position. Happy training!
Ok! For heeling, I did what you said before to try and make a bigger circle, but she did not follow -- what should I do if she ends up standing away from me? I don’t know how to respond! Thanks!
Then start off with just a little tiny bit bigger circles 🙂 When it happens again that she doesn’t follow, just do another small circle that she knows well and reward for that and then try to progress to bigger circles in smaller steps… 🙂