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"
Hah, Terra has an interesting idea on what to do with 2 bowls. Take the one closer to me in his mouth and put his hind foot in the one that is further away. Then look at me like I’m an idiot that isn’t clicking cause he clearly is done 😀
Hi Silvia, Classmates,
It’s hard keeping up but Keen and I are still having loads of fun!
I have two small issues. Adding duration to the sit-up is a bit difficult. Keen does not seem to have the skill yet,she sits a bit sloppy. But since she is still young I do not want to exaggerate. Do you have any hints how to improve this without stressing her physically? Consequence is that holding the object is not that easy. Well she loves grabbing it! I read that you prefer to teach it with a pole. I did not do that yet because I’m also using the pole for some kind of cik and cap training. I thought it might confuse her, no? Maybe I need to find another object that can give her support during the sit-up?
Secondly, one object putting into another. Keen likes to throw with them! 😉
I’m now trying to click sooner, just as she picks them up, before she throws them in the air. Do you think that’s the way to go?
Getting there with the bowls! It’s o.k. what you’re doing, you can also speed up the process by throwing a treat for her in the other bowl. Sit up is going o.k., it can take really long with some dogs to add duration, so don’t worry, just do a little bit of it every day (not more as you show in a video). It’s better to do two legs hug only later yes, when she can hold the sit up, as she is learning to lean on an object otherwise instead of pulling it to her. You could still use a toy for one leg hug, but yes, I usually use a pole for that. It can be confusing yes, if the dog already knows cik&cap (or the other way around), so I just try to make a situation as different as possible (outside vs. inside, sitting vs. standing up) and simply work through the confusion, I don’t mind it.
Inge,
I was worried about that too with Da Vinci and the pole trick. I did as Silvia suggests and made things look different…he does turns around a jump standard so when I picked a pole for the trick, I picked one that looks nothing like the jump standard. His pole is a VERY tall bamboo pole that I have to hold up vs. the PVC jump standard which is shorter and free-standing. He knows the difference.
Kristin
Hello Silvia, I leave here a little progress this week … Obelix and finally begins to lift hind paws, difficult but finally I understood …..
Reference to save object in bowl, has also begun to do so, I will gradually getting smaller bowl but still has some
Reference the new version of 2on 2OFF, first I want to show to keep one paw in the air before the show to build another, only that it maintains the balance, but that was just sitting, how to fix it??
A ball to a bowl is going really well! To get side 2on2off, I recommend teaching it with an object, like you can see in videos of others -- but you need some fluency in backing up an object in normal 2on2off fist -- you’re getting there! It’s much easier as teaching one foot first and then trying add another one. However, if you still want to teach that one foot up duration, you need to go for lower lifts, the balance is MUCH easier when they don’t go so high with the paw. Other than that, it’s always the same with duration: first add some by delaying the click, then add more by clicking&rewarding several times in a position. Happy training!
Silvia For now I’ve got the side version 2on 2off after working with today was that
Very cool! Still, fading the object is actually easier if you go for 2on (vs. 1on, 1off) as that will give you more simultaneous lifts of both feet that you can jackpot -- that makes fading an object much easier.
Ok, so I’ll try to 2on to see if I can rise simultaneously, and will upload the video when I get a little bit ahead of the Exercise …. Silvia thank you very much …. 🙂
OK, so I am still battling #4 basics with Dynamite. We are getting better at retrieving toys back to me when playing with JUST toys, she is bringing it back pretty generally though (my vicinity). Separately, I’ve managed to shape her to pick up an object (and not run away with it)- but that is as far as I can get. When I click, she drops the thing immediately. I have no luck shaping any duration for holding the object. I do try to click for duration only OR if she returns it to my hand, but she isn’t making any connections. Often she will lay down and chew the thing if there aren’t clicks happening. Or she will cycle through other behaviors trying to get the treat.
Thoughts? Ideas? She loves toys. She CAN hold toys forever and we do play interactively with them. Using the clicker and food to try and get small behaviors like #4 is not happening though…
I like to work on duration of the hold while playing: I will tug, let the toy go, click if the dog is still holding it and grab it again to tug some more for a reward. Then I slowly wait for longer&longer hold and also introduce some easy behaviours while holding a toy -- like a spin, sit, nose touch -- click and reward by playing. You can also name it, it’s easier to transfer it to other objects if you have it on verbal cue. For now, I would work on that separately, with no treats involved.
For #4, you don’t really need a hold anyway. Just position the two objects so close that if she picks it up and drops it, she might be dropping it to or close to another object. Once you get to the point she only gets rewarded if she drops it in, I’m sure she will made an effort to do some steps with it when necessary to get to the other object. But you don’t need to start with that if that’s hard for her -- just go for “drop it in” understanding -- once you have it, your problem will be solved 🙂
HI Silvia, This has been a great week and we got lots done. Cubby is doing great on the trick with the leg lifts- he is still being lured but I only videod his weaker side and it”s going well. Heeling is exceptional, However I have been working him a lot this week on his left side because I am going to take him with me to a fun match Sunday- so now my right side has gotten weak- I will work it a bunch to regain where we were. The umbrella trick was right up his alley- he loves it and got it right away.
When the dogs are running i name it speedy dog in an excited voice and the only problem is that they sometimes stop to check in- should I try to be less part of the equation or call them to me at that point?
He is a Pom and lives to eat- so retrieving if food is visible is going slowly, I have decided to work only on the retrive and the placement object seperately till i like the retrieve. He loved that ball and got it maybe 4 times then compeletely ignored it or ran to it and walked away. I will try clicking him for each step but he does a great play retrieve for 3-4 times and thats it- So i decided to go with a 2-3 time play retrieve and then stop at the moment. I am neutering him Tuesday becuase he has some retained teeth that must come out- so next week will be a very light training time.
He enjoys the cabinet closing a lot and started on the teeter bang game- which i notice he does better that other dogs at this age becuase he has a great understanding of his legs and how to hold on from his 2on20ff work- thanks a lot- this is one great class.
I also did some bang it! game yesterday (Leevi was at an unofficiall competition) and it went awesome! He was not scared at all even though it was his first time and it was quite a loud one 🙂 But I’m wondering, how much of this can I really do with a puppy? I did 2 sessions about 1 minute each. Will the bang be bad for his developing bones or is it going to make them stronger? I’ve heard that young poeple should jump alot cause it makes their bones more solid, how bout dogs? Not jumping overly much and high (I still haven’t added any height to our cik&cap), but banging a teeter
Ha-ha -- yes, I think it’s the same with dogs as with kids -- jumping is good! -- as long as it’s part of a game, but can be a problem when it’s done to the degree as professional athletes do -- hard training twice a day definitely isn’t good for either kids or dogs! But 2 minutes here and there can’t hurt any healthy puppy! Also, if you do it with front legs only, I don’t think it’s very hard on joints in a first place…
He does do it with all four legs… He Never even tried it with 2 legs (why get on with only front legs when you can just jump right on? ;)). But
I would hold him on leash in front of a see-saw, so that he can’t jump on with all 4. It’s very important they learn pushing it down first.
Oh really? Why is it so important to get only 2 paws? Isn’t the final bang it behaviour that he jumps up and bangs it?
I prefer 2 paws because it teaches them to really push it actively, putting a pressure and power into it as opposed to simply jumping on and waiting for it to fall. I do some of that too, just to get them used to something moving under them, but not much, just a session or two before going for a real thing. But I do lots of pushing with front paws first.
Cubby is ADORABLE!! Great job!!
Wow, that’s GREAT! The heeling is just beautiful!!! Great position and too cute with those high legs! Love how presice he is with his hind legs! He sure knows very well where those are! I’m sure he will be a star of the match! But does he really need that hand? Looks to me like it only makes him jump up?
Side legs are going great too, he actually does the best when you’re not luring and he comes on his own and hits the board, it’s too funny! The basketball game is a variation of a bowl to bowl trick, so that should go easily once you have that. I would teach a retrieve separately and work on a bowl to bowl trick like we were discussing with Shenna -- see her video.
I hope Cubby can get back to tricks soon, it’s always fun to watch his videos!
UPDATE!!!! Breakthrough on #4!!!
First- DUH- to me. Silvia- thanks for the good feedback. Without even seeing the unsuccessful horrible time we had, you managed to solve the problem for me. 🙂 You’re right- it wasn’t really about having a “hold,” it is about well-placed released. Since she happily takes things from me, but dropped it when I clicked the take, I started clicking her for dropping it near and finally in the bowl instead. 10 minutes of this and she is making an excellent effort to take the thing and put it in a bowl. Not sure how apparent it is in the video, but she was really thinking about it! YAY!! Viola:
OK, French people, sorry for spelling VOILA wrong…twice…to happy to care for spelling.
Yay, that sure was a huge breakthrough! Great job!
This lesson was difficult for us. 2 side legs -- She was so used to doing handstands or 2 hind on/off, I tried bowls, targets, boxes walls, a board worked.
Questions: Now do I just try to have further away from board? Now I should only click for both legs coming up at the same time. Should I go to a paw on my hand or just keep what I am doing?
Hugging: Finding a pole light enough or short enough was difficult.
It is not progressing a longer hold. I did try putting the pole on same side of arm that was hugging, that didn’t work either.
How long should she be able to sit up before you hug in a sit up. She does offer that a lot with 2 arm hug?
We have done so much feet & paw work, I had difficulty getting her to pick up something once she knew “game on” I read your post and started with toy and moved to bowl. She got 2-3 jackpots in one session. Then when I did it again, she never got it in the bowl once. It seems it you always click for a pick up & drop on floor, and put treat in 2nd bowl she would think that is it. So I was randomly not clicking and not clicking for not putting it in bowl. Suggestions?
Glue to leg: I do cut her treats in tiny tiny pieces, but sometimes she chews longer. When she is chewing she doesn’t watch me or move until she is done chewing. So I have be waiting until she is done before I move to be successful. Should I keep moving and let her be behind me or wait for success? Should I say the “name” every time I start again to take a step? or random? Should I start taking more steps before reward?
Will take video today of sit stays with distractions.
Oh, heeling is just great! I wouldn’t worry about her chewing as you will eventually stop rewarding in between. For now, just wait for her. You could try saying the name too, though, and jackpot if that eliminates the chewing. But again, I wouldn’t worry even if it doesn’t as we’ll eventually reduce rewards -- not yet, though.
For a hug in sit up position, sit up must be pretty solid already, I think I would for now work on the two separately -- independent hug with one leg and sit up duration. It’s definitely not much that is missing, so you’ll get there soon! When you try the hug in sit up again, try giving her an object from up down and don’t reward if she leans on it -- she should pull it back towards her, not lean on it.
Great job with side legs, boards or angled pillows are definitely the best objects for side legs! You don’t want a paw in your hand, just keep working like that, jackpot for simultaneous lifts and the rest is coming in your next assignment 🙂
I think its’ normal that a bowl to bowl is first few times just luck -- but after 10 or so accidental successful tries that got jackpotted, they get it. So just try to make it as likely as possible that it will happen so that you can jackpot it and I think she will get it soon. I loved her nose in idea, though, too cute! 🙂
Hi everyone, All I worked on this lesson is heeling and staying with distractions. I have been vary busy!!! I did work a lot on the above. Sloppy is coming along slowly. I filmed a practice race and put it on the end of this video. It looks like the pig won, but at the time I thought Zip won. The pig did win one that I’m not showing.
I have two questions.
#1 Zip likes to grab the tug toy and run out in the yard with it. If I call him, he may come or may not. What should I do about this?
#2 When working with toys instead of food, do you click and then say “get it” or can you just say “get it” and give him the tug toy?
Thank you.
Great!!! This is going really well, you definitely look more like a team now! Great job! Stays and heeling are sure going great! With stays, you don’t need the clicker anymore no, you can just release and say get it, nothing very precise you would need to click there. With heeling, I would probably use clicker some more (not necessarily always, he knows it well enough to sometimes practise without it too), but you can still improve little details by marking them with a click. Once you’re completely finished with the exercise, you don’t need to click anymore, no. You can try working with two toys: if he goes away with one, call and show the second one. Also, always reward when he comes back with more tugging, only then you can say drop and do some exercises. Loved the lambs and Sloppy too, I see you got that stay really well then! I didn’t know pigs can be that fast!
Fantastic !
I was waiting for this race for so long.
You should offer us a longer one if possible :_)
Your dog has made so many progresses, he is wonderful !
Good luck
Céline
those lambs are so cute- they distracted me- what a great idea- I will have to get my cats and Hushpuppy our hedgehog to interfere more- very cute!
1 I showed you Tibby’s crazy running in that video for the foundations class.
2 Tibby is moving in both directions now. I wait until she is doing good circles in both directions, but what is the next step? We are so far behind that I missed what you told other people.
3 Can’t do yet. Still working on back up 2o2o
4 I don’t think she knows why I’m clicking yet, but this is a fun trick. Also, she likes to steal the bowls 🙂
5 Tibby offered to sit up and hold the pole. I don’t know if we are doing this right?
6 I showed you last time -- still working on it.
Other things: I have been working a lot with Tibby outside. Just easy tricks. Also, on our walks I bring one of her balls along and when she recalls to me nicely 😉 then I throw the ball and we race to it together. Tibby thinks this is super fun! I just want her to get used to working outside.
I had the video all made and ready to put on youtube, but I forgot to save it and my computer ate it! So this is the 2nd time I made the video and I was in a hurry, but almost everything fit in the 2nd time too. I wanted to show you our trip to an agility trial last weekend and Tibby trying to close drawers (she doesn’t like drawers).
Watching agility and closing drawers. Tibby really didn’t like closing the drawers. It was the first time we had tried a drawer and it was at my parent’s house. The drawers are also really heavy. There is a big difference between her closing the doors at my house this week and this video (which was done last week). Also I was rewarding with food and Tibby likes her ball better!
We stayed at the agility trial for about 2 1/2 hours. That was long enough for Tibby. She was a little bit whiny. She had her tail wagging the whole time, so I think she was just excited about all the people and dogs. There was one tiny toy poodle that she was obsessed with. The toy poodle and its owners were sitting near us for a while and Tibby stared and stared at it. Then when they left she very intently watched them walk down the stairs and out the door. She was actually the most relaxed when she was watching other dogs run. When the people were moving the equipment around she was the most whiny and trying to walk around. She walked up and down on the seat in front of us and sat there by herself for a while. She ate some treats and pulled her tug toy out of my purse, but didn’t want to tug. Mostly she sat on my lap.
I’ve tried to find places to take Tibby, so she will be comfortable, but it’s difficult to find somewhere like an agility trial -- SO many dogs and people. June 1st the street market in my town will start again for summer,. I want to try and take her there every week.
O.k., I can see now, she doesn’t like the drawers so much, but it doesn’t look too bad, I think she would get used to those too and slammed those just as well as the doors. She sure like that! And her ball 🙂 She seems perfectly fine with the people and noise, it’s normal it gets somewhat boring for the dog to just sit there, but I don’t think she will have problems with that. Definitely take that as an opportunity to try some fun tricks and ball chasing!
Great job! Congratulations to the other direction! Once you have full circles, position yourself next to the target so that she can’t pass you and click for coming all the way to your leg. Getting there with stepping backwards too, slowly raise that pillow by putting some books underneath. She is picking up those bowls great, time to help her less with the positioning of the other bowl so that she needs to think some more! Getting there with the hug too, you’re doing it right, just select for a paw (or both) deeper&deeper around now. Her doors slams are GREAT, she definitely likes that! Why do you think she doesn’t like drawers, I would guess doors move more and make more sound, that’s why it doesn’t make sense to me? Also, GREAT to hear she likes her ball also outside, we will sure need that for Foundation class!
Thank you 🙂
She seemed to jump back when the drawers closed and acted like she was scared of them. Yeah I would think the doors were noisier.