O.k., I'm publishing lesson 3 already now as we're then going for a 2-week-catch-up-break. I like those breaks as they take some pressure off and I can always see a huge progress after the break! It's a great timing right now as it gives you time to really master that pivoting before going to lesson 3. Focus on getting really independent, fast and fluent circling in both directions. Lesson 3 can wait, we'll start with it after the break and you'll have 2 weeks for it then, so no hurry with that one. You can also revisit recalls, playing and spend some time on socialization. We'll be discussing this lesson only after 25th November, with no video commenting in between, I only posted it now so that you can see what is the plan and you can start working some in that direction. But no videos and questions during the break please, otherwise there is no point in the break 🙂
1. take your dog to a city center, a store that allows dogs (pet store?) and on a train station. Do some easy tricks and tape your tricks in a new environment this time.
2. position yourself next to a high target and now only click for circling all the way to your leg (don't click for steps in between) - name it with heel for one side and something else for the other and have a dog follow your leg when you move in a circle around the target away from the dog - then tell him to come to the other side and have him follow the other leg. Use different targets, try it on a very low one too.
A word of warning: when you position yourself next to the target, you need to stay at it's side, NOT behind it (so at 3 or 9 o'clock, not 6!), meaning that you need to move from one side to another every time you ask the dog to come to the other side. If you stand behind the target, you're practising wrong position as the dog is too much in front. The dog's paws should be were your heels are, his shoulder at your knee and his rear end completely straight - parallel to you.
3. build your own cavaletti and walk the dog over it - you can use the drawers or boxes of appropriate size and height, put them in a row and walk the dog through, just as you can see on 
4. try the other version of 2on2off: instead of having them go on an object and off, stop in a position and wait, let's try stepping back into 2on2off this time. Position your dog close to a low object behind his back (maybe just a folded blanket or a low pillow first!), cue him "back" and reward for stepping on an object or trying to. Slowly, you can have a dog step on higher&higher objects - this is beginning of a handstand, but with young puppies, don't overdo the height. Instead, you can have them back up stairs or cavaletti for example, to challenge them some more without making it too physically demanding. You need to build balance and strength slowly enough for the dog to never be sore after. You can also teach them a "pee" trick: click when they heave one leg, searching the object - before they find it and name it, it's a fun one.
5. put your paw target on a drawer or doors or simply shape the paw touch to a drawers/doors and then select for stronger&stronger touches/pushes. The goal is to have the dog slam the doors or a drawer with power, to teach them that they control the movement under their feet and the sound and that it's FUN - my favourite trick for a great see-saw!
6. don't forget on recalls and playing!!! Also, slowly add duration to a sit up, teach crossing paws with the other paw and fade the target and check if the puppy will stay in 2on2off position until "go" even with distractions (toys and food flying around) - we'll need that for next lesson!
See you back in class on 26th November!
2on2off progression into handstand:
Nice door slamming, you can fade the target now. Nice cavaletti too, you can work them in trot now.
When working on pivoting, don’t have her switch from one to another leg all the time, but also have her follow your leg some. Also, insist on more exact position, she is often not close enough and not completely parallel (rear end is swinging out).Try rewarding with head vertically up, not turned into you. Also, when you do switch from one leg to another, have her do a whole circle to your other leg, don’t let her pass in front of you.
Startet training with the lext lesson this evening, Tess was ill for a whole week and couldn’t have any treats, she also was very slow and not in her hum…, so no training during that time…. Were still behind ond the pivoting, but slaming the door is fun! This was the fist session. Longer than I normaly would train, but wanted to show you how Tess develops in a trainingsession. She is a diesel at start, and once she gets it, she loves to do it. We;ll keep on training and posting more videos now…;-)
That’s some serious slamming! 🙂 Great job!
I am still having a problem with back for Tag. I need some suggestions. Tag will either sit or jump back once then sit. I am not sure what I am doing wrong but I cannot seem to get her to walk back. Help please
Are you standing up? And how are you rewarding? Sitting down often happens because of a head up, so it normally helps if you sit on the floor and reward by tossing treats low, on the ground between her front paws. Also, try to think of a situation where she backs up on her own -- maybe through the door when you carry her dinner? Try to mark and reward whenever you see it. You can also try playing tug and have her winning it, so backing up as she is pulling on a toy. You can mark that too while she is backing up, pulling on her toy.
You can also try sitting on a chair with her in front of you. Toss a cookie under the chair and she should back out from under the chair after getting the cookie. Click and treat the backing up. It didn’t work for me as Sammy just went all the way through the chair and came back round to the front. 🙂
Still mastering the technology here. I HOPE I will be uploading a video of Pippa’s recall as a test. I’m really proud of how fast she comes running!
Great! Pippa is sure fast!
Oops! The little white dog is my senior agility dog -- Rufus bichon. Pippa is the little black puppy that is coming in from the distance! 🙂
One more trial upload. Here we are trying to add the cue AND a little more distance to Pippa’s back up. Probably a bit too much to ask for in a new place. But I think we’re ready to try the Class 3 back up into contact position, don’t you?
Sure, looks ready to try backing up an object!
Here’s where we ran into trouble. Somehow, in trying to present Pippa’s reward away from me I ended up creating a cue with my arm. Now, she won’t/can’t go all the way around unless my hand is out there. It’s not luring — there is no treat in my hand — she just thinks that she has to have the signal in order to go around. Suggestions?
Thanks.
Hm, yeah, I would still call that luring, even if there is no food in the hand… I would let her think some more and just shape for more&more steps, you’re getting enough movement to just shape a whole circle from there.
For task #1 (new environment), Dash will be performing on stage in front of 400 disabled people in Istanbul on Dec. 11th. The municipal theater invited five former “Turkey’s Got Talent” semi-finalists, including my and my Border Collie.
I decided to bring both my BC AND Dash (9 mos. Papillon). Dash will be doing some of the tricks he learned from this class, including 4-in, pivots, back up to 2o/2o, and sit-up. I hope he remembers how to do everything on stage, because we’ve only practiced in a couple of new places so far.
We’re going to warn the audience that Dash is young and this is his first time on stage, and hopefully the cuteness of a Pap puppy will overcome any problems doing the tricks. 🙂
Good luck!
Wow, sounds like fun! I’m sure Dash will do great!!! Getting public with well trained dogs in a country like Turkey is definitely very important!
Cool Sharon! Looking forward to seeing that.
Yesterday, we started with “slamming the door” : Garlic was very shy and she softly caress it !
To day, she likes slamming the door as every girl do !!!
What a progress! She definitely doesn’t look shy about it anymore! 🙂 Great job!