As you did so good with your first homework, you're getting some more this time 🙂 No worries if you don't manage to do everything in 2 weeks, you can always come back to those tricks. Post wherever you end up, we learn the most through problems, so you want to post those too! 🙂
1. experiment with different toys and ways to play with your dog. Tape his favourite game to give some new ideas to other participants (and me!!!)
2. instead of a plate, find something a little higher this time to give them a better feeling of where to keep their front legs, click first for front feet on an object (should be easy, you want the same thing as on a plate) and then observe hind legs and click for ANY movement (even just a weight shift) and then shape from there to more&more steps around the object. I first click both directions and once I get a quarter of a circle, start clicking one direction only and reward with a head away from me in order to get a full circle. The final goal is full circle in both directions, with you static (don't help the dog to circle with your movement!) - I think those that have my heeling video can already do that exercise, though 🙂
3. take the plate and hold it in different positions to see if the dog understands it's the same thing even when you hold it higher, under angle, to his left/right etc. Try when he is standing, sitting and lying down. If you didn't name touching an object with a paw, it's time to do it now! Also, try to change objects for this exercise, sometimes also use a hand as a paw target. Once he can do all that, you're ready for next two tricks we will get out of the paw touch:
- crossing paws: tell the puppy to down (or shape it if he doesn't know it yet), then hold the plate (or, you can use another, smaller and more convenient object, like a plastic lid or a piece of paper) close to left paw and only reward touching it with left paw. Then hold it closer and closer to right paw, still only reward left paw touches, then hold it on right paw and eventually on the other side, jackpoting the touches of left paw on a right paw now in order to eventually get rid of a target.
- sit up: tell the puppy to sit (or shape it if he doesn't know it yet), then put the plate (or just use the hand if he will recognize that as a target) low enough first that he can reach it with a paw, but then every next time, hold it a little higher - not that high that he would stand up, but high enough that the other leg leaves the ground a little bit too. Jackpot.
4. observe your puppy and try to find situations when he would back up - it usually happens when they're moving out of your way - or sometimes when you're working on ignoring the food in the hand. You can try to sit down on the floor with treats in your hand and click first step back with hind foot. Don't wait for more than one as they usually sit down then. Click&reward the first one and reward by throwing a treat towards the dog. Rewarding at distance will help you add more&more steps and more&more distance from you. At one point, switch to rewarding with a toy, it's easier to throw.
5. 2on2off - find an object big enough for the dog to go on with all 4 feet easily - maybe just put your first 4in object upside down? - Click for 2-3 legs on and then don't click the fourth one, you don't want any duration standing there! Only click again when the dog is leaving the object, try to catch him with 2 front feet on the ground and deliver the treat while he is still in this position. You want them go on an object and off immediately, stopping with front feet on the ground. Click&reward several times for a position, then say "go"/"o.k."/"free"/whatever your release word will be and throw a treat away so that he needs to leave the position to get it. Do this enough times that the dog starts to expect the thrown treat after "go", so that then you don't need to throw it in advance, but only after he leaves the position on "go". Do not help with body language that you want him to leave after "go" - if he doesn't know it yet, go back to throwing a treat and progress more slowly.
Another note: I'll be able to answer your questions this coming week with no problem, but then the week after I have seminars here, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep up. If not, we'll just add another week to this class.
So sorry, my you tube video disappeared again. Ignore previous video.
Hope this is right.
Stuck on pivots!!
We’ve been working on this for 2 weeks on and off and have encountered some problems:
1. getting more than 1 or 2 steps is impossible -- if i wait to click she gets bored and walks off 🙁
2. she thinks the pivot box is for balancing 4 paws on, cute but not what i want now!!
3. sometimes she refuses to work on pivots, but will work on anything else
There must be something about me or the pivot. I’ve switched objects a few times and she seems to like it with “new” objects. hmm. Maybe I am poisoning my objects unknowingly. Also seems I am clicking a bit slow?
Any comments and help will be wonderful, as I know this is an important part of the heeling trick!! Thanks!!
I had the exact same problem with Maia. I would get only a few steps in either direction -- she would be like a windshield wiper infront of me. What seemed to do the trick for me was I put my hand above her head -- BUT I did NOT lure -- I just kept it there. She all of a sudden started to spin around it counterclockwise. After a few sessions of this, I faded the hand and now have both hands behind my back and she still spins counterclockwise. I tried without the hand to make her spin clockwise, with no luck. I put the hand out over her head, and there she goes, spinning clockwise if I wait her out (she tries counterclockwise first). So my goal over the next few sessions is to fade the hand out like I did for her spinning counterclockwise. I know that it is ‘cheating’ a bit by having my had over her head, but I promise, I do not lure her with it in a circle. I figure if she learns to spin, then I will just fade the hand cue.
Yes, the hand over their head is definitely cheating, but yes, it’s still better as getting a frustrated dog! 🙂
Haha! I tried it but alas it does not work for us 🙁 she just stares at me and smiles..
Yeap, she does looks somewhat frustrated and in conflict with this exercise… But then, it looks like she understands it’s about stepping around it, so I’m surprised you can’t slowly add more&more steps… Maybe you can try to have her come to the target from your side, maybe that will make her circle more, even if just for coming to front position again? In general, I would toss a treat away more often, I think that can give you more action and might also make it more fun for her.
Got it! I will toss to the side more so I can get more movement and build up momentum 🙂 Hope I’ll have some progress to post soon! Thank you
Cheryl,
I feel your pain. Silvia gave us this suggestion and it really helped us to get more motion. I tossed a treat to my side and back behind me so the dogs came in from my side and rotated into front position. It took a few days for us, but the are understanding better now.
We didn’t have much time for exercises so I put few exercises first.
#2 We have dvd about heeling. Now we practice right position without a plate. Before I got your dvd I was training Azja heeling on my left side only 🙁 Now I have a problem with right side. She prefers left. I will send video with right side later.
#3 She can sit up for 2 seconds. We have learned this by shapeing.
2on2of was quite easy. I think she does it right.
I have a problem with back up. When she stands in front of me she does a circle or some other tricks (and heeling) I can’t catch just back up her feet. I have to practice this in some narrow place. I will send the video next time! And I haven’t used a clicker now because in the room where we trained there was my older dog who is afraid of clicker.
Don’t forget on a release word when you toss a treat for her to leave the 2on2off position! Also, try to sit down now that she understands the position so that you don’t cue her to stop with your front and reward by dropping a treat at her feet, so that she doesn’t look up at you too much. When rewarding heel position, reward from left hand if she is at your left leg. She curls her head in too much and that throws her out of a perfect position. Reward in perfect position, from the same hand and with vertical head, not a curled-in head. Nice sit up and getting there with paw crosses, maybe a lower target would make it easier. To get backwards steps, it’s probably easier if you sit on the floor, then her options of which tricks to offer are more limited and she also won’t have the head too much up and that both helps for getting first steps back. Hope that helps!
Fun 2 weeks!
Things I learned this week -- 1 don’t try to train if you are very tired, it doesn’t work. I felt frustrated, Tibby could tell and she wasn’t impressed. Went to bed early and the next day we had awesome progress and FUN!
2 Don’t push Tibby too fast. We haven’t finished the tricks, but we have made a lot of progress. We are still only going counterclockwise on perch and right paw over left for crossed paws.
Yeap, those are very important lessons! It’s really no hurry to finish the tricks, you can always do that later. The important part is creating the right attitude and the bond.
Hi everybody,
Here is our 1st video for lesson 2.
1. I’ll send you later our water game (she tries to catch the water trown by the hose).
2. She often gets confused with the 2on2off exercice.
3. Crossing paws: Agata’s video’ll certainly help me
4. Sit up: when I delay the click to make her last the position, she gets lost
6. How can I improve the understanding of the exercice?
Thank you
Celine
Celine,I think we should click when dog’s head is away from us. I think Silvia will answer this soon. Here is our video with circles. Azja is very tired now so she doesn’t work right 🙁 But I always reward her when she looks in the same direction as I do.
Wow, Carmen did some growing! Her perch work is great, very nice independent circles in both directions, GREAT job!!! Nice paw touches too, getting there with paw crosses! With sit up duration, just add it so gradually that she doesn’t get frustrated. It’s physically hard exercise, they need to develop muscle and balance to be able to hold it, so just go slowly with it. To add more distance to backing up, start throwing treats for her at her front paws. Why do you think she doesn’t understand 2on2off well? It looks good to me, but do start to vary your position now so that she doesn’t cue from your position. Also, for now I would still reward in a position too, with a treat at her front feet, so that she doesn’t focus on you too much.
I reposted my video on YouTube since even though I set as public on facebook, appears can’t be viewed… This is just couple of things with lots of dogs in video
I am having little trouble getting Dynamo (Border Collie) to go in circle without me moving too. I am sure its about treat placement??
Not sure if I can get him into a smaller box/bowl yet. He is growing and while very balanced, still not really balanced. He’s 4 months old.
Off to work more stuff…. I guess a real POSITIVE thing is that they (Dynamo and Ta-Da!) are doing things with distractions.
This was 1 week ago… Here the pivot bowl is really small. I kinda of borrowed a water bowl since I didn’t have anything. Video is not great since I used tripod and didn’t get it set up well
In pivot prop on this, the stool fell over if Dynamo got too forward. In someways, yes bad, In others, he was really really having to work balance… I’ll go back to smaller prop going forward.
Here are links without the v in case it didn’t work like last time
I think the major problem is that you tend to help them a lot (like with 2on2off and 4in with Ta-Da) -- and then it’s hard to get them moving on their own, they tend to just stand there and wait for directions. Still, you are getting some nice movement with Dynamo, just keep rewarding with his head turned away from you and maybe toss a treat for him away so that he needs to then come back, that often gives you more action and movement that you can click. He has no problems with 4in in a bigger box, but of course, that little bowl was too optimistic, you need to make it smaller much more gradually, but it’s definitely time to start with something smaller. As long as he can still sit in, his balance is not really challenged much, that’s why.
Ah, you nailed me. I’ve been around long time and shaping is hard for me; I tend to end up luring. Luring works but as you said, they sometimes wait for you (maybe why all my dogs are so handler focused). So thanks much for input. I worked Ta-Da!’s 2O2O more today and waiting for her to offer and it progressed. Ta-Da! learning style is kinda like you mention too. She sits there and just waits and eventually she gets it. And then speeds up. Different type of learner than Dynamo. He throws himself. She waits.
Yeah, I’ll sometimes cheat later in the process, but really try to do shaping only with puppies as it makes them think about their legs more, teaches them the right attitude and it helps you avoid that “just wait for help” attitude.So I would definitely take the time and shape those tricks, it’s much easier now as after they get too dependent on help.
So how abou that extra week? Will we be having one? I know I could use one, since my cam is still in Egyt and will return with my mum this monday…
No problem, just make a video whenever you can and post it here. I’ll still post new assignment tomorrow as everybody seems to be pretty far with the tricks already -- I think you’re ready for some new challenges!
Hi Everyone,
Here is our Lesson 2 2nd video:
#1 Perch, is going pretty well but no full circles yet. I can get him so that he has his back to me but he is still not quite to the point where he will do the full circle. Any suggestions?
#2 Backing up, he backs up and then I click then he comes in and gets his treat. Should I be trying to reward quicker and in position?
#3 2on2off, this is going well I am thinking now less c/n/t in position and work more on the release from the 2on2off position?
#4 Paw cross, going well with his dominant paw. He seems to be crossing some but his legs are so short not sure if they are actually going to stay crossed?
#5 Foot stand, I had talked to Silvia when she did a seminar in Minnesota, USA and she said this trick was pretty easy because the dog just had to be able to stand on a unsteady object. Wylie is very good at this since he is little but as you can see from our video getting him up there is a bit of a challenge. This is our 2nd session trying this. Usually my husband rewards but since he was running the video I also had to do the c/n/t.
Any suggestions welcome! Sara and Wylie
Very nice! Loved the bonus trick! 🙂 He doesn’t seem to have a problem being there at all, but yes, that’s probably too high for him to jump up from the floor… You can go to a lower stool, but he might always need something. Perch work actually looks pretty good already, can he do it in both directions? I would work some more on it to get more fluency and speed, but looks like you got really far already. For backing up, I prefer to throw a treat to them, between front legs, as it’s easier to add distance that way -- that’s your next step! 2on2off is going well too, so yes, lower the frequency of rewarding in a position and work on leaving on release word only. Also, vary your position so that he can’t cue from it. Paw crosses are going well too, I think he will be able to hold it.
Great pivots!
Sorry about the quality of the video, it got compressed and is very bad. Perch work coming along, but crossing paws is the biggest challenge. I too encountered Monty wanting to circle or offer other behaviors when asking for back up. I found sitting down helped and then for good measure I worked on “scootch” from a down. Such good back end exercise!
Perch work is sure going GREAT! What a great speed and coordination! Very impressive for a puppy! Very good understanding of 2on2off too, but hey, don’t forget on release word together with tossing a treat! I see you came really far with the back up too already, slowly add more&more distance now. Backing up in down is too cute too! The same for sit up: going really well, add duration slowly. For paws crossing, hold a target lower, so that he has bigger chances of touching the other paw and you can then jackpot that and then slowly fade the target once he gets the idea. Great job so far, what a cool pup!