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:
Last weekend we went to a conformation dog show. I took Trono and trained him a bit. He did great!!! I left his leash on because is not allowed to have dogs off leash.
That was great! No problems with distractions! What a good boy!
The list of tricks to work on is growing, especially since some of the tricks from previous lessons have not all been mastered by all 6 of my dogs yet, plus I am getting new tricks in the Advanced Tricks class that I want to work on as well so I have developed a new system :-).
I have written the name of each trick on a piece of paper, along with the verbal cue I want to use, and I’ve put all the little papers in an envelope. When it’s time to train I will pick a trick out of the envelope and work all 6 dogs. Some dogs will know it better than others but I’ll work at each dog’s level. Hopefully this will be a fun way of doing it and I’ll get to all the tricks on a fairly regular basis.
This will also prevent me from working more on my favorite ones and not enough on those I find more challenging.
Does anyone else use a system on what to work on? Do you try to get to each trick each day? Do you continue to revisit the old tricks?
Wow 6 dogs! Must keep you busy! I’ve been thinking I need some system like this as I’m the same and keep reverting back to my favourite tricks! The envelope is a good idea, I’d have 2 envelopes though and put them in the second one once you’ve drawn one out so you make sure your getting through all the tricks.
I’m thinking of doing a spreadsheet with all the tricks and marking off when I train one and also give it a rating of say 1-10 on how well we’re going or how far along we are, so I can see which ones I’m training most and which ones need more practice.
When I’m training using Buzz’s breaky and dinner then I’ll probably train about 3 different things in the one session, depending on what it is, sometimes it’s just one, sometimes more. But he is 3 and he could go all day, younger dogs would need it broken up a bit. I don’t try to get every trick every day, and I’m always thinking of other things I want to train so it’s not always the tricks on here in each session!
My system is that I made a table using Word that has rows for different tricks and columns for the version of the trick we’re doing that week.
For instance, progressing from backing up, to 2o/2o, to backing up to 2o/2o.
Next to each trick, I paste in a little grid graphic I made with 12 empty boxes (3x4). Every time I practice a particular trick during any training session, I check off a box. That way, I can see which tricks I’ve been avoiding, and which I’m practicing too much.
When Dash has mastered a trick, I cross off the entire graphic and focus on the other tricks. Conversely, if he hasn’t mastered it in 12 sessions, I know I’m training wrong and should change methods. (This hasn’t happened yet due to Silvia’s advice). Normally, he will master a trick in 4-7 practices.
OK—I will fess up here to say that I’ve had the best intentions with all these methods in the past but I never seem to stay with any system. With the envelope & cards? I would pick twice (or 3 times) if I didn’t feel like training the trick I picked first. 🙂 And the list? Well, it stopped worrying me that several tricks had no checks beside them. 🙂 So I’ve realized that what works for me is to do what feels right at the time based on how my dogs are working. If they are really ON, I might try a more difficult trick…if not, I stay with the simpler ones or the ones they really like and build duration. And if we don’t complete all the tricks…well, that’s ok with me because we’re having fun. And tricks that seemed impossible when I tried them only once will suddenly be easy for my dogs later on down the line even though we haven’t worked on them at all. So yes, I do keep going back to old tricks in the previous lessons because they are really new tricks for us. 🙂
Sounds like I have the same system as Kathy 🙂 Being organized is not my strongest point 🙂
Oh Kathy! It is so good to know that I am not the only one who can’t follow a system. I just do whatever my dogs and I are in the mood to do.
Idem as Robin, no plan, I just feel what tricks Garlic will like it at the moment ( wake up , noon and evening ) …
We are falling behind as I’ve been travelling for almost 3 weeks. This is how far we are with 2on2off, slamming a door, pivoting to leg and back up. I haven’t added any commands to any of the tricks yet, except from touch (slamming). Should I focus on other tricks? and yes, video is a great tool to reveal how awful I am to click at the right time 😉
Welcome back! 🙂 Cool slamming, slowly open the doors more&more! Nice position with heeling, but keep the target for now and work towards more fluency, a really speedy coming in the position without stopping in between or needing a hand signal. She needs to understand it’s the leg that she wants to follow before you can then fade the target. Work towards “glued to the leg” look rather as waiting for a hand signal and then coming to the leg. Backing up, try to make less dependant on your movement, try standing still and rewarding at the distance by tossing a toy -- might be easier if you sit down to start with. 2on2off, I would make a little easier for now so that she is successful on a first try in higher % -- see my reply to Verena. Happy training!
I didn’t do up to now but I decided yesterday that I need to repeat more, like ask for the frog each time and focus on the difficult tricks. But I don’t want to take the fun away, as Bisou is still easily frustrated. 2on2off seems like a mystery to her -- I feel there is no progress. When I walk her over a box and stop her in position throwing a treat, it works -- she holds position and I can reward and even walk a few steps away and go back to reward. But as soon as I make it a little more challenging like me going one step further she walks over the box. When I stop then, she realizes that I probably didn’t want that and steps back on the box -- backwards. I went back one step several times. Also if I add duration until the click, she gets very upset, starts singing and tries to cross paws in 2on2off position. If I wait until she calms down she really seems desperate, whining heartbreakingly, often sitting down and hanging head and tail low. Up to now, I cheered her up with her favorite tricks but I am not sure this is the right way as we are stuck on the same status for quite a few days now. Same with paw crossing -- she still doesn’t hold position and she changes from good crosses to uncrossing and bad crosses so quickly that it is really difficult to click. And the fewer clicks she gets the more she focusses on the food, staring at my hand with the food and the more whining I get.
She is a bit of an extreme -- very fast and good in some tricks and very slow in others. She loves heelwork, sitting up, backing up, slamming, she is ok with the frog and 4in and she seems stuck with 2on2off, pee-trick and paw crossing.
When I put her away and work with my other dog and then its her turn again, she is even more upset and not focussed. I don’t want her to loose her excitement for clicker training but also show her that its not about what she wants to do but finding out what I want from her.
Any suggestions welcome.
Yes, in her case, I wouldn’t advice switching to another dog as she obviously wants to work, she just doesn’t understand what you want and taking another dog will just make a frustration higher. It’s not her fault she doesn’t get it, you must be skipping one step somewhere, so try to break it down more. When she gets too hectic, you can try putting her in a down for setting her, as I explained in the case of La and Bi -- your puppy is closer to that as to walking away that Louise is dealing with.
For 2on2off for example, forget about the walking for now and instead sit by the object and have her find her position, reward several times in a position, drop some treats that she can’t reach and can only get them after the release (if she breaks it, just put a hand over the treats) to teach her the importance of keeping the position until the release -- then let her get it after the release and have her do 2on2off in the other direction. Try sitting on different places. Walking around only comes when she can find her position independently. Also, don’t make her wait too long, it’s pretty boring for puppies. For paw crossing, go for good crosses first and forget about the duration for now -- and then add it as explained in a conversation we had with Kathy and Mizza under Buzz’s videos. You can also video the problems and post it, it might give me another idea how to help her.
We received your DVDs last night and started to watch the new one about speed and conditioning. It was the 1st time I can ever remember Secret sitting on the sofa and actively watching television. She wants to come and play with Bu & Bi! We were so inspired that we went out twice today to run and play even though it was rainy and muddy. So forgive our grimey appearence in the video.
We’ve been “taking our show on the road” since the very beginning. So we’ve been practicing everything in many locations. Mainly we have been focusing on playing, having fun and relaxing in varied locations. But Secret usually wants to do tricks before she starts to play to get her in the right mood.
We need HELP on the crossing paws…I don’t think it is going well, she seems a little frantic about it. We’ve just started to work on the “sitting up” and it seems to be going well…what do you think? The pivotting is starting to get better…we are only working on the one side right now. I have not had a chance to watch the heeling DVD and I am sure that will be a big help. Secret already knows how to back up, but she has never done it onto a sofa cushion…so this is the first time she has tried it…my thought was that I could start to pile them up to work on a handstand? Is this a good idea or not?
Happy to hear Secret liked the DVD! 🙂 She sure looks enthusiastic about her tricks! I use tricks to put Bu in the right mode to play in new environments too, it works really great! She will play for the reward for a trick even when she won’t play just like that, if it’s not a reward 🙂
Did you try paw crossing next to the wall or another object so that she can’t keep moving? I would also only reward tries where she keeps the down position. Try touches in a down and for now reward even if she is not really crossing, but only when she keeps the down position. Sit up sure looks great, but at the beginning, you’re also rewarding when she is standing up. Only reward if her hind legs stay in sit position. Great backing up on that cushion, you can definitely try backing up on two next and then slowly work towards handstand. Keep working towards full circle when pivoting!
Last night I watched the first step for the heeling DVD and I think that maybe part of my problem is that I am too much “in the picture” for where we are. I am thinking that maybe if try to remove myself from the picture somewhat and use a lower target that I might be able to communicate to her that I want her to circle the target with her back legs moving. Do you think I should go back to that? I don’t think I ever did any pivoting like you demonstrate in the 1st step of the DVD. Or do you think that this would just confuse her?
We will work more tonight on our “sit up”, “paw cross” and back up onto cushions. Our work on slamming things is going extremely well. We’ve also started working on the “happy tricks” in the speed DVD just because they are so much fun.
Definitely worth trying! You have nothing to loose and it might indeed make more sense to her. And yes, we love our happy tricks too!
Hi Silvia,
Here are some videos of the exercises for Lesson 3. Thank you for your previous feedback on Lesson 2 it has been super helpful. I look forward to getting your feedback!
Video 1: Cavaletti
Video 2: Backup onto Perch
Video 3: Heel vs. Line Up (Counter Clockwise and Clockwise rotation on perch)
Thanks in advance!!!
Great job! Very nice cavaletti work and getting there with the handstand! As he is backing up on such a high object already, you can raise it some more and start rewarding in a position, by dropping treats on the floor between his front paws as low head will give him better, more vertical position that you will need for a handstand. Great pivoting too, left side is perfect and on the right side, he is still not that fluent and his rear end swings out sometimes, so try to practise that side some more. You can go to a lower target now though to then slowly fade it.
Hi Silvia and classmates 🙂
I’ve finally got some video of Edge!! We kind of got a little stuck with walking backwards and pivoting so we’ve been hard at work trying not to fall behind. This week he finally pivoted all the way around!! 😀 and we’ve managed to catch up a little on other tricks 🙂 We’re having trouble with crossing paws (as you’ll see on the video) he keeps tucking his other foot underneath him LOL!! It is an improvement though as before he kept rolling over each time he would bring his leg across!!
Silvia I also tried to do the heel position on the yellow thingy (very technical term!! LOL) but now he’s got pivoting he keeps trying to push past me to pivot around, rather than coming to my side?
Thanks Megan and Edge 🙂
Wow, Edge did some growing! His backing up and pivoting looks really great now! Very confident about that slamming too! Great job with backing up the object, he is so good at finding that small object behind him! For paw crossing, you could maybe try teaching the other paw touches too and then every next time, ask for another paw. That will keep both paws out as he only tucks the other one under after a while -- might take longer to get real crosses though, but worth trying. Try to post pivoting to your leg too, maybe I have a better idea then, but to me, it sounds like you just need to click& reward quicker, before he has an opportunity to pass you: click as soon as he is almost at your leg and have a treat ready so that you can reward immediately and maybe even click&reward several times again while he is still eating a previous treat so that he learns it’s something special about keeping that position. Let us know how it goes! We want to see more of cute little Edge!
Hi Silvia,
Ruby and her siblings will turn once and wait for a reward. If I do not reward, they will give me one more turn and stop. In other words, I cannot get more than one smooth turn. Even if I do not reward after the first turn and only after the second turn, they will always stop and wait to see if a reward is coming. How can I teach them to keep going? Same applies for backing up.
Thanks for your help.
Amelie
Try rewarding in unpredictable places and unpredictably frequently. AND make sure you only click when they’re still moving! If you saw the videos posted here, I was often commenting on that as more often as not, people clicked when the dogs were already static and that of course teaches them they should move&stop, move&stop. It’s very important you only click if they’re still moving + try to reward in movement (throwing a toy so much towards them they need to take an extra step back to get it with backing up and offering a treat at such an angle they need to do a step or two more to the side when pivoting).
Thanks, Silvia. I will have to try clicking with my hands behind my back because as soon as they see the slightest movement they stop. 🙂
Amelie
Just for a laugh: