As you did so good with your first homework, you're getting some more this time 🙂 I again marked the ones to focus on first. 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 for 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.
Last call for 
Great to see all these vids.
I’m following a Kay Laurence online course at the same time, and that course is for certification, so I’m putting that up as first priority.
Tomorrow and Monday I have the day off, so I will upload some videos of what we’ve done for lesson 1, and maybe we’ll get started on some lesson 2 stuff!
Busy, busy, busy… 😀
Hi Silvia, This week I am struggling as Agassi has decided everything in the environment is more exciting than I am(5 months).His recall has gone missing!! previously very very good. I have tried shaping a back and it isnt working and a down that used to exist doesnt work either. Shaping it when he doesnt go there is difficult. I have tried increasing my rate of reinforcement but food doesnt seem that interesting either and play is fine but the moment the toy goes away so does he. He is touching a small container lid with a paw in the sit position and while walkng around and he has started turning on the small bowl but only 3-4 steps.
Please help, I am very frustrated so I have put everything away for a couple of days. Is this a phase he is going through or have I made a massive mistake somewhere? Lyn
Did you try working in a very boring enviroment where he doesn’t have many other things to do? Like a bathroom? Also, try with more interesting treats and mixing in lots of toy rewards. Keep sessions very very short and intense. Outside, with distractions around, don’t even try to train new things, just do something very easy that he likes a lot (a paw or a nose touch maybe?) and spend lots of time playing. Keep him on a long leash to prevent him wandering off.
Thank you Silvia, I have already limited the excitement in his environment and not allowed him any free running until he decides its okay to come to me again so I will continue as suggested. I have given him a couple of days break as I was getting frustrated and i am sure that is not good nor conducive to learning at this time. Lyn
Yeap, a break is always better as getting frustrated! When you start again, start with something easy and fun to get back on the track!
Hi Everyone, I just wanted to take a second to post a funny event that happened in training today. Gemini and I were working on the moving around an object (upside down bowl). We are still beginning and clicking for any movement of the rear feet. At a moment of pause where I was waiting for her to do something, and I could feel her thinking, she decided the solution to the problem was to put all 4 feet on top of the bowl! What makes it really funny is that I’ve been struggling to get her to do all 4 feet in the bowl… The session proceeded to be a parade of dramatic paw touches (more like slams), 4 on the bowl, 2on/2off…the only things left out were a frog on the bowl and sitting up on the bowl:-) And yes, she is getting better at starting to do the actual movement around the bowl. I enjoyed watching her rifle through her behaviors. Carrie
I’d love to see a video!
I think that instead of shooting video for specific reasons only, I will let the camera roll for all my sessions…it would be fun to capture these zany times.
Up to now I also have lots of funny stuff on tape and I already decided to make a ‘making of clip’ at the end of all lessons.
Yeap, dog training is fun! 🙂 They make me laugh all the time with their ideas. And sometimes, I like their ideas better than mine, so yes, I have no problems changing a training plan 🙂 Bad trainer!
inca’s lessons so far. I haven’t done all the tricks as she finds doing several tricks in the two weeks too much. She is a slow learner lol! As well as touching the plate with the paw she was already learning to touch the hand with her nose, so i haven’t tried to get her to touch the hand with her paw as it is confusing for her. Stepping into the bowl has been slow, i felt we went backwards there from stepping into the box with all four paws. Inca is stepping onto the bowl with two paws well i feel, and now this week will try to concentrate on getting her to move her back end round.
I have cut most of the playing out of the video to shorten it.
For a paw touch, you could use a hand turned the other way, but it’s perfectly o.k. to do it with another target too, you can work on all other tricks using a paw target anyway. 4in would be easier with a bigger, lower box first. But no hurry with that trick, let’s focus on rear legs movements now.
Here is our video for this lesson. I feel we still need to do a lot of work on most things, and could use some advice now.
On our perch work, Chewy is pretty much only doing a full circle in one direction, although he does step right, then left, then right then left a lot, so I think I could shape him the other direction as well. I don’t think he really understands what I’m looking for yet. Should I get full understanding in one direction, before moving the other way, or work both directions now.
For the “sit up”, I’m having a hard time keeping his butt on the ground. He really wants to stand up. When he does stay seated, he tends to lean toward me, which is not going to help with the end result. He does better with the cross paw.
On the back up, I’m only getting a few steps.
He loves 2o/2o.
Finally, the puppy class I am currently taking wants us to teach our dogs a nose touch on the target. I think this is going to be confusing for Chewy,since I’ve already taught him a paw touch. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Wow, he is so quick! Too cute! Great job with all the tricks! He definitely knows it’s about moving hind feet for perch work, that’s a lot already. As you can get some full circles even though he is going in both directions, I would just try to go on from here, keeping both directions and trying to get more&more full circles. It’s sometimes hard to get the other direction again after you stop rewarding it and as you are getting that much movement already, I don’t think it’s necessary in a first place, so I would just keep working like that.
Great job with 2on2off, crossing paws, frog and 4in!!! Getting there with a back up, just try to be quicker with your throws, so that he is not coming back yet -- you could also throw somewhat further, so that he has to do additional step back to get it. Leaning on you is o.k. to start with for a sit up, but yes, he is putting quite some weight on you as you hold a hand so low. Try to hold it higher and somewhat more towards him, so that he shifts his weight back. Basically, his back needs to be completely vertical to eventually be able to hold the position on his own. Don’t ask for too much at this age, he still needs some time to develop the necessary strength and balance, but do try to go in that direction.
I teach my dogs both, nose and paw touch, but first put one on verbal cue and when starting with the other touch. At first try to make the target look as much different as possible (hand vs. an object or at least fist vs. open hand) -- and of course do it in different sessions at first… It might cause some confusion at first, but I’m sure you can work though it, considering how many tricks you mastered already 🙂 -- Nose touch is probably the easiest from those he knows already 🙂
Silvia, thanks so much! Your suggestions are so helpful!
Hello Silvia and everybody,
here comes our first video of the second lesson. Most things go fine, I had problems of course to make Revi turn around an object in her “not-favourite” direction, but placement of the reward must get this better and better I think. We are working on it.
For the sit up, I know I am luring a bit 🙂 it was difficult to keep her in sit as she also wants to stand up but also there we are progressing…
The 2o2o she likes very much and offers it anywhere !
The biggest problems I have with the crossing paws. She stands up so quickly that I don’t have the time to reward her in a lie down position. Do you have any suggestions how to progress with this ?
The backing up I didn’t start yet, will be for next week !
Tomorrow I will try to tape her favourite play. It’s just running and running with me.
I am looking forward to your comment !
bye,
Rebekka
Great job!!! Very nice, fast and fluent pivoting in one direction, getting there with the other direction. Now that she knows some of the sit up, I would try it with paw target again. I like high front feet in a sit up as it challenges their balance even more as low front feet that you get with luring. Very nice paw crossing too! Did you try to have treats ready in the other hand (offer the one with a clicker as a target and keep treats in the other one) -- that makes delivery of the reward faster and might keep her in down despite by now, she seems pretty much trained to get up immediately 🙂 -- But I think it will go away once she knows to hold the down better anyway, so I wouldn’t worry about it. Great job with 2on2off too, nice placement of the reward, good understanding of a stay until the release already! Really fun to watch!
Thanks Silvia ! Yes, hihi, you are right with the training of crossing paws and getting up immediately. I always rewarded that, so yes, she is pretty well trained to get up fast ! I will try as you told, curious what will happen… but we didn’t train a down (and holding it) yet so that will be also part of the reason.
And the sit up again with paw target, yes.
Her favourite game will come…
bye,
Rebekka
This is how far we have come :o)
Hm… Do I hear clicks and see no reward coming??? That way, clicks don’t mean anything anymore… AND, you’re clicking when she is static and not circling anymore anyway… You need to reward after every click!!! For a sit up, maybe try it on less slippery floor, make sure she sits straight and then put your hand somewhat higher and more towards her. Getting there with backing up and 2on2off! Just remember to reward in a position first and then use a release word before rewarding out of position!
And she is just too cute with that ball!!! Bi loves to do that too, but unfortunately, she kills every ball in 3min, so we can’t play that one… Wish she had Sheltie mouth!
Hi everybody,
I love to watch all of your videos for this lesson (and the latter), I really really like this online course even though I was a little skeptic in advance. It’s so useful and fun to really be able to see (and over and over if necessary) what and how everyone else is doing that or another trick. Or how they struggle with it and the suggestions and help the other students and Silvia give. What a cool and fun little community we have here 🙂
Ok enough with the praise. We might be a little behind for this lesson as crazy puppy Penny during one of her many BC flips (racing around green eyed and going faster than her balance allows) crashed into a wall and dislocated her shoulder last week. Poor little crazy thing. The vet ordered a lot of rest and to keep her calm. Not so easy with a maniac 4 1/2 months old BC, so that’s the main trick we’re working on now along with some others not using front legs 🙂
Hope to be back on track next week. Happy training to everybody!
Oh, BUMMER! Poor Penny. And Poor You. Every time I have a puppy patient that needs strict rest, I feel bad for puppy and owner because it’s so hard compared to an adult dog.
How wonderful that you know clicker techniques so can do lots of mind exercises even though she has to rest that shoulder. You might think about some of the activity toys too so that she has to work at something to get her food even when you’re not training. So hard to rest a BC body since their minds never stop.
Here’s to fast healing.
Best,
Rachel
Thank you so much 🙂 Good idea with the activity toys!!
And yup very fortunate that we’re into tricks training and ‘mind games’. Maybe I should post a video of our ‘Lying down and moving head/paws’ tricks 😉
Id love to see that!
Sooo sorry to hear about Penny… Will she be o.k. with just the rest? That’s very scary, did that happen outside or inside? Well, I’m sure she won’t have any trouble catching up with the tricks, so give her all the rest she needs and I sure hope she is back to normal soon, poor puppy!
And yes, those long-distance classes are really fun, by Foundations we’re all old friends already, even though coming from all around the world 🙂
when is the next foundations class??
If there is enough interest, we’ll open one when this class finishes -- like in October.
Thank you so much. She will be ok 🙂 Actually she already thinks she’s ok, but the vet said rest for a week, so I’m really struggling to keep her calm 😉 But, that’s good news. The day it happened (last friday) I was was so afraid the leg was broken as she was screaming and in so much pain + unable to walk. So scary!!!
It happened inside running full speed from one room to another (not encouraged by me, she was ‘playing’ by herself) and slipping on the floor, so from now on crazy BC running is only allowed outside 🙂
I just plan to call her and have her doing something else if she turns on the green eyes and maniac mode indoors in the future. Even though I really like that attitude, but hopefully I can get it indoors just without the running (and crashing).
Huh, scary. I know what you are talking about, my puppies run like this too, I’m always scared something happens, but well, we were lucky so far…
Ok, here are a few more videos. As far as the box, again I hope I am doing it correctly. I was rewarding when in the 2o2o, but then started just throwing the treat after the release.
Also, with the paws crossed, you will see I got one good one where he stayed in the position, otherwise likes to uncross as soon as he gets the treat or hears the click.
What a fast 2on2off! -- Sometimes too fast 🙂 so I would still be rewarding some in a position too. When you want him to leave, say your release word, throw a treat and click for leaving -- in that order. You don’t want him to leave the position when you click -- you want him leave the position on a specific word.
Here is the crossing paws.