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.
Just a real quick update on Chewy. He’s finally doing full circles on his own. I only got one direction on video this afternoon. Then, this evening he started doing a full circle in the opposite direction. I’m so excited.
Great! He looked like almost there already on a last video, so no surprises here! Very nice speed and fluency too, ready for the next step!
Just a quick note to Silvia and everyone -- Sigh 🙁 I’m going to be late posting my video for Lesson 2 as my husband has had another incident with kidney stones… we were at the ER all day yesterday and he said he is not up to taping Cosi and I today… We will meet Monday (hopefully) with the urologist to see what the next step will be … I know my daughter would be willing to tape us today, but she is in New Jersey this weekend attending a friend’s wedding -- We hope to get our video up early next week 🙂 Thanks for your patience! I’m really enjoying everyone else’s videos, it’s fun to meet everyone else, and you can learn so much from them to help your own efforts 🙂
So sorry to hear about your husband… I can definitely understand he doesn’t feel like taping dog tricks! Don’t worry about it, you can post it anytime you can tape them. You could also try setting a camera on a box, should work for more static tricks.
Hi, I’m looking forward to new tricks on Monday, even though there is no trick so far that we can manage completely, but that’s ok, we are having so much fun. We are learning so much every week both from working on the tricks and from watching your videos and reading the comments. Everything here is new to us :o)
Here is our video from today. I’ve included some exercises from last lesson.
I have a question. We are attending a dog show in late august and have attended some lessons to learn as much as we can. I’m having trouble with handling Mia. When we walk/run, so that the judge can see how well she moves, she bites my trouser legs and barks at me, people watching and the other dogs. People have given me advice on how to make her stop, but nothing has worked. Do any of you have any idea, what I can do to calm her, and not bite or bark?
Great job with the tricks! She is really starting to offer things on her own and is giving you more&more action. Very cute!
As for trotting… What if you try to just walk her on leash first and reward (by throwing a treat ahead of her) for looking ahead and trotting nicely, no barking? Or, you could teach her to touch a stick (you could also use an umbrella or something) with a nose and then to follow it and then first use it as a target as you move her around and then fade it. But yes, you definitely don’t want any biting and barking at dog show! A long off leash hike before it would definitely help some too!
Here is our week two video. I’m still having a challenge with Finn getting stuck when pivoting. Perhaps I’m doing too many reps? I’m assuming I should wait for the other direction until he’s at least doing two circles in the first direction? And getting Cross Paws with Echo is also a challenge. I’m having trouble getting any duration to her paw target, as you can see. Back is going well. 2o2o is going well, I think.
Great pivoting Echo!!! Getting there with Finn too, I think you could actually start the other direction too. Nice 2on2off too, you can slowly reduce rewards in a position and start rewarding for the release only. Try to also add even more speed going into the position and add distractions before the release (your movement, flying toys and treats etc.). For paw crosses, her body is curled in a wrong direction yes. Moving the other foot is not unusual, simply jackpot when she keeps it there and you’ll get there!
Thank you! I will work on these things.
Loved watching your video! Stacey
Thank you, Stacey!
Bummer. I posted my video on the main Class III page instead of here. Silvia, are you able to fix that or shall I repost in the correct place?
Thanks,
Rachel
Hy,
Its our lesson tow, it is not perfect yet and we just started learning sitting with tow paws up so… it needs some practice.
Great job again!!! Really cute paws crossing -- and with no target already! Loved how he just keeps spinning on a target too! For the back up, try rewarding with a toy, throwing it towards him, it makes it easier to add even more distance. Great 2on2off, but I would prefer somewhat lower object as he can go into the position faster if it’s lower. Getting there with the sit up, that’s actually a very good balance for such a young puppy! Add duration very gradually, he needs to build necessary muscle first to be able to hold it longer.
Thank you,Silvia and we shall continue with toy and lower object 🙂
Hi,
Penny is back and in good health again and we’re working on the lesson 2 tricks now. Just wanted to share what we have been doing when she had to rest + for rehabilitation. Well we’ve actually done a lot of ‘bed games’ (rolling on the bed, head to one side and a lot of other stuff not including the injured leg), but this is what we did in one of the recent sessions I’ve filmed.
Looking forward to getting started on the lesson 2 tricks… well and the lesson 3 ones, sigh… Guess we have a lot of homework to catch up on 😉
For now I’m just so happy that my girl is healthy and happy again 🙂
We are happy that Penny is back and very lovley trick video too
Thank you so much!! Loved Hackers video too, he and Penny look like siblings 😉
Very cool choice of bed tricks! 🙂 She sure looks all fit again! Very nice balance in that tiny little bowl! Loved the shaped paw crosses!
Yay, Penny! You fast recuperator, you! Good job.
And here’s some of what Penny loves the most: running, playing, swimming and chasing me. Well I actually just discovered a new game/toy that makes her go crazy today. Have to include it in my next video 😉
I originally made this video for a different cause, that’s why there’s some footage of me as well 😉 Normally we run/chase more, but I don’t want to stress her shoulder to much…
Beautiful video! Looking forward to see the new game too!
Hi Silvia and classmates,
Here is a compilation of Gemini working on her 4 in (from lesson 1) and a mix of play games. Unfortunately my work and monsoon season combined for not much outdoor time--so all games were what we do in our low stimulation training room. Carrie
Hey, that was a great handstand (at 0:09 and then another one later)!!! Nice 4in too 🙂 And very fast and enthusiastic when playing! I love this game, I think chasing games are very important!
I liked the handstands and was glad the camera was on for those. She’ll sometimes do them on the couch using the back of the couch to help her balance. Carrie
Hi Silvia, Here’s the montage of our lesson 2 work. We have some trouble with circling on the bowl, so I experimented with some different sizes and got some interesting results. She was so determined to get all 4 feet up on the object that I ended up with using some lure and body pressure. She had lots of fun with everything. I didn’t get to working the back up exercise, but will do so during this next period. Carrie
Yeap, pivoting can take a while, I was actually surprised that so many people came so far so fast! I think I would give her time and slowly shape it anyway during the break. Body pressure and luring is very hard to fade with this trick, that’s why. But you can help with placement of the reward, always rewarding with a head turned away. You can start off clicking for head turns and then go from there. The only problem is she is going for 4on… Something too small for that but not as tall as your first object would be great! Getting there with the sit up! Nice 2on2off! Amazing how fast she got that paw cross! I was already writing you need to move the target to the other side more gradually, but then she just did it! That was too cute! Great job!
Thanks Sylvia. I think I may use something like a small jelly jar for her object in the pivoting exercise. We’ll go slow during the break and shape it as you suggested.
Yeap, that might work for those tiny feet! 🙂 Have fun!