Wow, it's your 5th lesson already! Here is your new list. As we were discussing, I'm underlining the assignments you should focus on in case you're somewhat behind and don't have time to focus on all those new tricks. But you sure want to try them all at one point!
1. heeling: make the "glued to the leg" exercise more like heeling: still do different kind of turns, but also some normal forward walking in different speeds (slow, normal, fast) to teach them to adjust and keep the right position in every situation
2. figure 8 backward: tell the dog to go into heel position and start spinning as we were doing on the target, then very suddenly stop and step back with the other leg (if the dog is at left side - with right leg), you can also make a gesture with left hand to try to get them to keep circling below the heeling position, eventually all the way around you leg, so that they come backwards between your legs back into front position. If the dog insists on staying in heel position, you can help with the hand a little bit, lure his head out (left for 90 degrees if the dog is on left side) and say back to have them back up in your direction. Step back with the other leg enough to have them back up between your legs. Reward and tell them to heel on the other side (right) and repeat the process. As soon as you get some smoothness with that, stop rewarding for coming in between, always first tell them to come to the other leg and reward at your side in order to avoid having them back up too far - they need to stay very close to your legs all the time.
3. skateboarding: try to find a skateboard (kids department) and reward for making it move with front feet. Don't reward 4on, but 2 or 3, the criteria is they make a skateboard move.
4. cik&cap: find a table leg, dog-food container, traffic cone or similar and shape the dog to go around it - first just a step, then two or three circles, both directions (you can reward both right from the start if you are getting it - if not, start with just one, but then on one session, don't reward that direction anymore but wait for the other)
5. fade the object for side legs: if the dog is already heaving both legs up at the same time, click&reward that before he even touches the object, so that he understands the idea is picking them up, not touching something. At the same time, try changing objects as much as possible. Going to vertical objects shouldn't be too difficult, then go to "empty" objects like a chair that looks like an object, but doesn't really offer much support, so at this point, the dog is already free-standing, the object is just there for mental support. Next step in table leg and then you don't need an object anymore. For free handstand, you go through the same process, only that it takes longer as it's physically more demanding - you can start working on it, but do not rush it, especially not with young puppies!
6. don't forget on recalls and playing, stays with distractions (you can combine it all in a really fun game), try the hug on a plastic bottle or something similar that is light enough for the dog to hold it and have them hold it independently, add more steps to backing up from you, tape the 4in the bowl trick again so that I can see to what size you managed to get: the smaller the better!
And most importantly: have fun!
Hi Silvia and classmates,
So for Lesson 5, I am concentrating on progressing the heeling and cik/cap. I do not have a skateboard, so cannot do that trick for now. I am not fading the object for the sideways 2on2off yet, but hope to in the next week or so.
In this video I’ve included our attempts at picking up an object and placing into another object. I am having a lot of trouble with it. First, she does not want to pick anything up. I tried using bowls of different sizes, but all she does is paw at them and try to get one or two feet into them. So I changed objects, to a ring. I chose a ring because it does not look like a bowl. This is our 4th session of trying to get her to pick it up. It’s not going well. She does retrieve frizbees and balls all the time. I tried using a ball, which she does pick up, but the second I bring out a bowl (or even a basket like in the video) she wants to put all 4 paws in and I cannot get her to get out and pick up the ball. I will keep trying because I am determined to get this trick!
The handstand is going well. I am using an almost vertical object.
Heeling is going well on a flat target. You cannot see my hands, but they are usually behind my back or at my side.
I have not tried the figure 8 backwards because she is not fluent with the heeling yet. I definitely will teach this trick because it is one of my favourite tricks to watch and I’ve always wanted to teach it!
Cik/Cap: after reading your comments and explination of it, I went back to a table leg and am rewarding for tight wraps. I really want her to understand the concept. I am using treats again. I am starting to use a toy here and there too, but she gets distracted a bit more with the ball, but she is much more enthusiastic with the ball too. What do you think?
Thank you! I love this class!!! 🙂
Oh, I have to tell you -- today in agility class we had to sit our dogs in a row, walk away and the instructor placed a wind-up singing and moving toy on a hard surface right infront of the dogs. They had to hold their stays and not go after the toy or run away. Maia did beautifully -- she did not flinch at all even when the toy was coming right towards her and when the instructor was dancing and making all sort of weird movements and noises right infront of her! I am so proud of my little girl.
Wow! Harley would have broke and jumped up in excitement! The last 2 weeks he seems to have regressed -- his recall has deteoriated and he has returned to being fixated with other dogs and not being interested in playing with me when there are other dogs around. Not sure what i am doing wrong!Perhaps he is getting too much off leash freedom running free in the local parks.
Any advice will be appreciated as I am at my wits end how to respond apart from curtailing his freedom.
Is he fixated with other dogs in the meaning to want to play with them or in a meaning to eye and herd them? Anyway, back on leash is definitely a must if his recalls are not good anymore. Keep him on a long leash and practice recalls A LOT, first with no distractions around and then slowly add more&more distractions. Use his favourite toy for recalls only, take it on a walk every time and do LOTS of recalling and playing. Do some of his favourite tricks in between too, for him to see interacting with you on walks is more fun as looking for other dogs.
He wants to say hello & play with some of them but mostly loves to herd -- he comes from a very strong herding line…. I have tried making him wait & then give him permission to say hello and that was Ok for a while as he would come back when I call to play with me but lately he refuses to return and switches to herding mode and then it is difficult to stop him.
I will put him back on leash again and return to square one! sigh! -- he has so much energy to burn!
Thanks Silvia.
I guess you can let him run when there are no other dogs around -- just call and play a lot in between. With the dogs around, I would work with him on a long leash, teaching him the self control to come even when in herding mode.
Hello Ania,
for 1into another:
I hope Silvia won’t mind if I testify because what your are passing through is exactly what we’ve passed through with Karmen.
Anyway I’m sure she will explain it much better that I do. I just want to reassure that is not going bad at all, you’re just at the first stages.
I had to find a smaller objet otherwise she tought she had to do the 4in trick. And for the object I used her prefered one and we proceed that way:
1st step: only with her prefered object as you did but insisting on duration 1st. She had to pick it up frankly to understand the purpose.
2nd step: a small basket put on the floor (without touching it) and her toy. Any time she picked it up I c/r in the basket
3rd step: only c/r in the basket for a path towards the basket with the toy in her mouth
4th step: she put it by random in the basket --> HUGE jackpot
5th step: she is really excited !
6th: keeping on with patience = 3rd step again for a while
7th: she put it by random in the basket again --> HUGE jackpot… etc etc but the 3rd step is going shorter and shorter and the 4th step appears more often.
8th: she understood the purpose --> only big jackpot for putting the toy in
Hope this explanation was clear enough
Good luck
Céline
PS: It’s worth being patience because then it is so funny to see her storing her toys !!
Céline
PS: for step 1: by object I meant toy
Thank you Celine, I will try this. 🙂
Hi Celine!
It worked! I’m so excited. I experimented with lots of different objects -- a small squirrel finally worked. Then within two days, I had her on a bowl. I treated in the bowl I wanted her to put the object into and it worked! Now I’m working on same sized bowls. THANK YOU!
Cik&cap is going really well, I especially liked the last tries. At the beginning, you were sometimes clicking too late, when she already finished the circle and looked at you. You can do few sessions more with treats and then switch to a toy. VERY nice pivoting! Time to fade the target! What language is that -- Czech? For the bowl to bowl trick, you can of course use that ring -- or even a ball first. Keep the other bowl in your lap, as you do at the beginning, as that keeps her out of it, but don’t reach with it towards her, it’s just confusing for her, but keep it in your lap and throw treats in it whenever you click for picking up an object. I think that will take her closer to a bowl and as a consequence, she will maybe drop the ball/ring in or very close to it. Great to hear she passed the test on stays! 🙂
Yes, I see that my clicking was late now. I will try clicking sooner.
The language is ‘Canadian Polish’ LOL -- I’m Polish and came to Canada when I was 8, so my Polish is very broken but I like to use it with the dogs especially in agility etc.
Hi,
In the street Deusty is afraid of skateboarders. He panicked when he sees or hears them. I think he didn’t understand that it was the same object.
Very nice!!! He doesn’t seem bothered by the sound or movement at all! That’s very good as he seems to be quite noise sensitive, I noticed that on your garden, he always reacts to every new sound. So this is a very good exercise for him, to teach him he can control the movement and the sound and have fun with it! Great job!
Am leaving to go overseas tomorrow 🙁 But first, here is an update on the other tricks we have been working on! Side legs practice and beginning backward figure of 8! We will pick up where we left off when I get back 🙂
Great! Figure 8 is going really well, it’s a hard one for big dogs! Getting there with side legs, she has great balance considering she can’t lean much on a slippery vertical object! -- You’re pretty much ready for a chair! Have a nice trip, see you when you get back! 🙂
Here is a small additional update on our pivot progress before I leave.. She is doing much better!!
A friend of ours attended a seminar where it was suggested that we pivot both towards and away from the dog for perchwork.. We tried it and it seems to have helped!!! Now even on the right side, she can stop in the right position. When she overshoots she knows she can come back instead of getting stuck! In the video you can see I am delaying the click even when she has reached the position because I want to make sure she learned that she has to stop even when I don’t click. It seems to be working!
What a good girl! Have a safe trip. Will you be in AF class with us when this one ends?
Kristin
Thanks Kristin 🙂 I would love to continue into another class, but because Summer has bilateral HD and still has occasional off days where she cant even walk normally, I’m not yet comfortable with her doing more athletic stuff, even running fast! She wants to work so hard that she won’t stop when it hurts and that scares me… The effects usually show up the next day. I’ll be back for more tricks when the class opens! Hope to see you guys there again 🙂
Oh, so sorry to hear her HD is giving her pain… That’s very sad, I hope the tricks make her muscle strong enough to support the joints, but yeah, its’ much more difficult with big dogs…
Yes. We will see you for the next tricks class. Already planning on that…and Da Vinci’s sister will be joining us then too.
Kristin
Hello Everyone,
Here is a video of Leia and I working on some lesson 5 tricks. I think we’re making some progress on heeling. I’m really trying to pay attention to her position relative to my body but I think she may still be a little to far forward sometimes. Our 1st attempt with backwards weave was not pretty. I noticed that she is not very happy about going through my legs. Should I leave the trick alone for a while or try something else? We have done a couple of skateboard sessions and I’m still trying to get her comfortable with the board. She does not seem afraid but is not too willing to get on it yet either. We are still working on the same bowl for 4in. I think it’s our 4th size down from the box we started with, but still working on getting the 4th paw in.
Next video is side legs and cik/cap (I say tic/tap).
Thanks,
Mara
Great job with side legs and cik&cap!!! Heeling is going great too and I also think that was pretty good for a first try on figure 8! I would just keep working like that, I think it’s just a question of couple more sessions. If you wanted, you could try backward circling first, like I suggested for a Beardie, but I think Leia will be o.k. with going through the legs very soon that way or another.
She does seem uncomfortable with that skateboard, so work really slowly on that one, with lots of rewarding for every small step forward. As it seems to be somewhat stressful for her, I would also prefer to throw treats away from the skateboard. Getting away from that weird object can be rewarding too and knowing that’s what happens next, she might be happier coming close and then you can reward that too -- more confident approaches. When dealing with some kind of discomfort/fear, it’s very important the dog knows it’s her choice and she can get away if wanted.
Thank you for your comments Silvia, I will be sure to progress slowly with the skateboard.
She looks great, Mara! I love how she take her time chewing her treats. My Sheltie, Cash, does that too. He was also unsure of the skateboard. I would control the movement some by putting my foot in front of the wheels. That way he could experience the motion a little bit at a time. It seemed to help. Now he will roll it a couple feet and I can tell when I need to stop or slow it before it slips out from under him (which would spook him).
Kristin
She is doing very well. I had to smile at the 4 in a bowl -- she’s so gentle and calm about it. My two are frantic!
That’s funny, I see the frantic dogs and think: I wish I had that.
I just posted my sit stay & recalls with distractions under week 4.
I don’t really understand cik&cap. Do you want continuous circles? Since she is small should it be a table leg? I thought as a trick we don’t want to use a jump standard right? I read you want toy for that? or after you get at least 3 full circles without coming in to me.
I am having problems with her coming into me and doing that turn. or after 1 circle she will stop and go the other way? Help!
Glue to leg, since she is so small how close do I want her? Both of us are afraid of getting stepped on. How is my duration, do I need to reinforce more frequent or go longer? Be are the is going to be a big distraction for her because her face is so close to the ground. We need to do it in a fenced larger space outdoors, but it has been raining.
Figure 8 I haven’t started that yet, but since she tends to drift behind me anyway & her size do I want to teach it to her?
Still having problems with holding pole & bowl in bowl. Going tomorrow again to no internet/cell reception. I will check site when I get home.
GREAT side legs!!! What a cute little skateboarder! Very nice heeling! I liked the session with clicker the most, she was close enough there. Somewhat too far at first session… I wouldn’t be adding duration for now, but instead work on little details of her position (not drifting behind you, being close enough, adjusting to your leg immediately).
To get more circles in the same direction, do exactly what you were doing on some tries: click the first circle, but reward by throwing a treat far enough to get her to pass you: a second circle is then very probable. Would be good to try it on table leg too, you can see the tightness better there: you want her as tight as possible, if possible with a back bended around somewhat. You can keep using treats for that exercise, you need the toy for another exercise on cik&cap that is adding speed into the picture -- on sends around the objects -- or jump standards, you could also use that, of course. But sends are Agility Foundation topic, we will only be focusing on tightness in this first, Puppy step of cik&cap.
I don’t see why her size would be a problem for figure 8 backwards? It’s true it can temporary confuse her about heeling position, but really just temporary, I do this with all puppies and they are all back to beautiful heeling in no time, I wouldn’t worry about it at all.
To advise on bowl in bowl and a hug, it would be good to see the video to see where are you at!
Thanks I will work on that while I am out of town with Lexus.
Can’t send video until wed. & then I will need to find a tripod. Husband will be out of town. She put 4 feet in a tiny bowl 3.5 inches across. Of course I didn’t have my camera. Thanks so much! Did I give you one of my Pilates For Pooches DVD, k9 Conditioning, when I met you at the Tricks Class in CA?
fitdogs.net
Oh, wow, I definitely need to see that, 4in in 3.5 inches bowl!!! Have a nice trip, great that Lexus can come! And no, I don’t have your DVD, but checked your website and it sure sounds interesting! I see you use those discs a lot, do you prefer those over a ball? I only have a ball and simply use pillows when I need a smaller object, but am thinking now to maybe get a disc afterall, they seem very useful.
My DVD was made also for pet people, so I showed luring, but said you can shape. At work I only have 30 min. with the dog. I love the air cushions! Only a couple inches off the ground and so much you can shape on them. Don’t need a harness, don’t need hold dog. Dog can offer behaviors without worrying about falling off or ball getting away. I do not like the balls at all. If the person isn’t aware of how they hold the ball with their legs or foot they can get away real fast and the dogs fall fast and hard. I only recommend with a harness and always holding the dog. The accidents happen fast. You want the disc with the knobbies so it is not slippery. Ball dynamics has both the large & small ones. You will want at least one small one and one large one. I have a big golden they can get all 4 on the small one. My trade mark is Fit Dogs, theirs is Fit paws. Our motto have Fit dogs with fit paws!
O.k., thanks, I’ll check what I can find here.
Hi Sarah,
Can you let me know what your web site is? I would love to learn more about conditioning a dog. My one sheltie, Chinook, had Leg Perthes Dx when he was young and had to have his left hip removed at 10 months of age, so I like to learn more strengthening exercises for him to do to strengthen his left hip muscles. He still has the left leg, but it’s only attached by muscles, ligaments and scar tissue. I do teach him tricks, but he cannot do many that require balance.
Thanks 🙂
My website is fitdogs.net, the DVD is Pilates For Pooches. I have a entire program for FHO the surgery your dog had but I havent’ make a DVD yet.
Where do you live? Email me personally.
sarah@fitdogs.net
I’m a big fan of the air discs as well as the BOSU. My dogs love to do tricks and exercises on them. The BOSU is great for canine and human use. We also use an egg ball. I’m an Athletic Trainer and believe balance/ stability to be crucial to athletic performance. Strength is only as useful as the ability to control it. I feel it is the same for dogs so balance and stability exercises are a big part of our conditioning work.
Here is where we are on lesson 5. How are we doing?
Backward figure 8 is going to take awhile I think ;)…growing boy! I keep stepping back with the wrong leg on side to heel (but of course I edited those out!)
With side legs, am I to the point of trying to fade the object? When I do start to fade it, do I put it vertical against an empty object first and put a cue to it?
I tried a different object for hugging as you suggested and he did well. I used a water noodle. Much better than the bottle! Thought I would work on the noodle for a bit making it shorter and shorter before transitioning to a bottle or toy. What do you think?
Kristin,
Your heeling looks great. DaVinci looks SO cute holding the noodle! You have inspired me to go back and work some more on that one.
Mara
Thanks, Mara. Can’t wait to see video. Your videos have inspired me a lot so happy we could return the favor 🙂
Kristin, We never finished the conversation we started on Youtube. Our dogs seem to have a lot in common. If you want you can email some time:
marainoz @ yahoo. com
LOL! I didn’t know I had an inbox on YouTube until now! Ha. Guess I have some reading to do. Sorry.
Kristen--Great video! DaVinci’s side legs are where Elsa’s were when I tried on a chair. I first leaned the plywood against the chair, did a few side legs, then removed the plywood and she very quickly made the association that we were still playing the same game of side legs.
I love that tug toy at the end--where did you find that? Looks like it could double for a very warm scarf in the winter! 🙂
Thanks, Kathy. I’ll give it a try and see what happens.
Well, it actually IS a scarf. I was shopping for my niece and found this faux fur elastic scarf. So I bought one for her AND one for Da Vinci :). It was in one of those inexpensive kids’ jewelry/ fashion stores in the mall.
Oh that’s funny! I’ll have to check out the scarf department for tug toys now 🙂
Forgot to mention that when I was going from plywood to chair for side legs--I did add the cue “side legs” & “2 legs” when Elsa was doing it well on the plywood. I’m not really sure if she understood the cue at first--it was more about her doing it on the plywood a couple of times, then in the same session having the plywood removed with me in the same position that helped her make the association that it was still the same trick. I’m doing the same thing fading the chair--in every session I start her on the chair first (with cue “side legs”), then move the chair & cue “side legs” like I showed on the video. Hope this helps.
Good luck!
Great job!!! He is too cute holding his noodle! 🙂 That’s a very good object to use for a hug yes -- good size, light and not slippery. Keep working with it, making it shorter. You can try fading the object for side legs, just as Kathy suggested. Heeling looks great too and figure 8 is going very well too, you can slowly start helping him less, stepping over him less&less so that he needs to turn more&more.
Thanks, Silvia. Will work on it. Yeah for water noodles!!! Pretty soon, I won’t be able to step over him anyway so I’ll have to stop helping him. I was wearing my “big shoes” for the video 😉
Hi everyone,
I had a rough start on teaching Zip to wave backwards because I was in a hurry and pushed on his face to try to get him to back. That just got him all bitey . But we slowed down and worked through it. Silvia, That is a great way to teach a dog to heal by using the block to teach him to turn!!!
At the end of the video Zip gets out of position so I wait for him to get back into position. Would this be something you would recommend? Or what would you do? Thank You.
John--WOW! Great heeling & backwards weaving! I love the way Zip is beginning to cue on you stepping back to do the backwards weave without a hand signal from you. Are you giving him a verbal cue? I can’t hear one on the video. Nice to see the progression on this trick--it’s been very helpful.
Thanks!
Kathy, You asked if I have a cue for back weaving. No I don’t say anything yet. I sometime say heal for healing but the hand on my hip is a bigger cue I think.
John
John, I’m glad you brought up the issue of your dog getting bitey. Leia gets like that too when she’s pumped up by the toy/tugging or when she’s frustrated. I usually don’t do anything about it unless she hurts me (in that case I tell her “ouch” and pause momentarily). I don’t want to dampen her enthusiasm but at the same time it’s not fun to get nipped. I will be very curious to see what Silvia has to say about this.
By the way, you and Zip look great, you really smoothed things out, nice job!
Mara
From my dogs, only Bi does that (that’s how we learned a snap trick! 🙂 ) and I don’t let her do it, she is very easily excited anyway. With dogs who are more like Bu who sometimes lack enthusiasm, I would probably do the same as you do: let her do it as long as it doesn’t hurt.
BRAVO John !
You and Zip look like a real and happy team now.
Céline
Very nice job, John! Can Sloppy do the figure 8?
Amy, Sloppy is going to his first agility meet this week in the novice pig division. Just kidding. I’m still working on a sit and stay so he can race Zip. I’m discovering that without the relationship activities like tugging, It’s not working too good. Sloppy is getting worse when I’m outside doing the same thing “sit stays” he is starting to sit slow and then go exploring. I’m not giving up. If I could teach something fun like tugging I know he would be doing a lot better.
John
Backward figure 8 sure looks great now! Heeling is very nice too. If they fall out of position, I immediately do something: if they get too much in front, I slow down, if they get too much behind I speed up, if they curl in too much I start turning into them, if they slip behind the back too much, I start turning away from them -- if they get in front when you stop, you can just wait or even do one step back. When they’re back to position, I mark it with “good”, but then let them try some more for a reward: otherwise they might learn that falling out of position is actually cool as all you need to do for your reward is to go back into the position then.
Many dogs get bitey or barky when frustrated. When I see they are getting in this mode, I immediately tell them to down and wait for them to calm down and meantime rethink on how to make an exercise clearer to them.
Hi Silvia, Thank You for the comments! I’m a little confused about what you said. “if they get too much in front, I slow down, if they get too much behind I speed up” That would make them even more out of position. Is that what you meant to say?
Thanks
John
Exactly. I put them even more out of the position to remind them they need to do something about it. If you just keep going, they will just keep going, thinking this is an acceptable position.
Hello Silvia,
Here is our 2nd video.
I really tried to improve our heeling position. We almost have no tiny kibbles left--> After then, no excuse !!! Apart of the head position, should I improve her reactivity to glue to the leg?
Waiting for any advices on any tricks!
Looking forward for lesson 6… but I’ll be on a business trip again (back on saturday) :_(
Thank you
Céline
Great job! Really cool side legs! Loved how high she is lifting those legs! 🙂 Looks like it’s time to fade the object, see the discussion with Kristin and Kathy. Cik&cap is really nice, I preferred a thinner object over a chair, though. She might be stopping because you’re fronting her: fronting the dog tells them to slow down. On a third try, you turn more to the side, so that she is coming to your left side, not front, makes it much better. When wrapping to the left, send with right hand and then recall with left hand, facing the direction opposite of the wall I see on the left -- and the other way around with wrapping to the right. Also, try to click the moment she is on a far side of an object, not only when she is coming back. Heeling looks really good now too! Actually, all tricks are really good already, it’s amazing how fast she learns! Great job!
Oh! Thank you so much Silvia I understood why she was stopping in the cik&cap. I’ll improve it.
General question while going for a walk in the country side:
We are just coming back from our sunday treck (by the way, 2 hrs is coming easy for her now!). With my old dog I was using to walk without doing anything else. And I’m sure, in my situation, you would have played something with my puppy??
Outside she is not really interested by branches, pinecones that I could through. What would you advise me? Should I bring toys with me?
Thank you,
Céline
Sure, take the toy and some treats and try to do many recalls, some playing around the trees for cik&cap, some stays with distractions when you meet other people and some interaction with objects when you find an object she could walk over, jump on or crawl through. Of course, leave her time to just run around and sniff too, but it’s good to have some rewards handy all the time, if a good training opportunity shows up in a form of distraction or a new object to interact with.
Who is still only feeding with right hand? 😉 I know it feels weird to feed with left hand for a right handed person but it really makes a difference.
A tip about falling kibble, I have the same problem and what I find this really helpful! : you have worked on ignoring food right? So you can start a session by putting one or a couple treats on the floor and work on ignoring. Then leave them on the floor and work on whatever you should be working on. Sometimes throw treats on the floor while working (at first far enough so he can’t get them even if he tried to) and feed him from your hand for ignoring. When he understand the treats on the floor are out of limits he stops searching for dropped treats. This will take some time and consestency but I think it is worth it. Especially cause sometimes in agility or obediance someone has dropped treats when wroking with his dog ad it is good for our dogs to know to ignore that…
I think Celine’s concern about dropping food is that when she wants to treat the dog, the kibble falls all over as they’re that small and then the dog needs to find them before you can continue… It’s annoying, I have the same problem, especially when rewarding from my clumsy left hand. To avoid the problem, I usually reward heeling with a toy -- MUCH easier to place your reward correctly: easy even with left hand! 🙂 Forgot to advise you that before as beginning stages are easier with food, but I think at the level Karmen is at, you can easily use a toy! Tiny kibble problem solved 🙂 Keep a toy in a hand the dog is at, behind her head, and reward from behind her and as high as possible.
Hi everyone,
Just checking in for Lesson 5. I now can sure see the advantage of being a video participant instead of auditor 🙂 We hope to do that in the next tricks class you are offering (I think August -- September?) We would like to join in if possible :-)) Well, Cosi and I are behind many of you, but that is OK, we are making progress, better on some of the tricks than others. Heeling and Side. She no longer needs the pivot markers at all. I can move around left , right, forward and back a few steps and all is OK. I will now try what John has done in his video and run a little to see if she reallyy understands Heel and Side at a distance 🙂 I am going to start figure 8 backwards today or tomorrow 🙂 She is actually very good at skateboard so far.. She will go 5-6 steps with two feet on, though I am luring her forward a little… Is this ok? Cik & Cap -- very good around a traffic cone in both directions. I have her by my side and the cone in front and say “Right” while gesturing half circle to the right, say “Left” and gesture opposite for left, but I am using my right hand for both directions. This is probably not good… She will go around the cone close (but slow) 2-3 times. I reward while she is on the far side of the cone coming back toward me. Should I gesture differently? She got this one right away and likes it. She is also good at spinning right and left ways. I use the same hand gesture, but say “Spin right” and Spin Left”. Is this OK? Side Legs -- we are only at backing up several steps -- but she will back up 2-3 steps in our basement without feat -- amazing! Should I now go to side legs? (hard to show what she is doing w/out a video).
Cosi will back up 15 feet now in a straight line and quickly -- I am so proud of this! Hugging -- she will hug a swimming noodle with both legs or one, but sometimes she is rough with her claws on it -- I am trying not to reward the rough grabs -- she gets a little frustrated at me when it is not what she thinks is right 🙂 Our word for full speed ahead is now”Run-run- run”. Cosi will put a toy or ball into a bowl, but she does not yet understand picking up a bowl and putting it into another bowl… we’re still working on this too. We are doing pretty OK with recalls, staying, two-on-two off w/distractions, slams, targeting with nose or paw, but haven’t done much with cavaletti lately. Silvia, would you advise getting some PVC pipe or buying some dog cavaletti for the future? We are in this for the long haul, we want to learn agility the right way, take your Foundations class, etc. in the future… Thanks for all your help so far -- the videos from others are also so visually helpful as we train -- Thanks all! 🙂
Cindy and Cosi
Next puppy class starts end of June and the one after, I’m not yet sure, probably September. For multi-circles we’re doing now for cik&cap, I don’t show with hands much at all… I click the moment they are at far side and reward a couple of steps further in the same direction you can see it in some videos of the participants. I would definitely recommend you change your verbal cues, though -- cik&cap is sooo different from what I call left&right and teach by spins in one and another direction that you definitely can’t use the same verbal… You really need two completely different words! With skateboard, try not to lure too much, you want her to think how to make that thing move. If she can lift hind foot on an object, then you’re ready for side legs, sure! Good to hear everything else is going well too! As for cavaletti, I don’t see any advantage of fancier version over improvized version… So I just go with an improvized one 🙂