I think we're ready for the next list!
1. see in what situations your dog gets really crazy and exited or runs as mad and name it - my "magic" word is "ajde, ajde" and you can really see how much speed they add when hearing it - in agility or when running in the fields. I got it by saying anytime they would be playing the BC games, chasing each other in full speed or go crazy and run in circles on a wet grass.
2. make the front feet target lower&lower and then smaller&smaller and then fade it completely, still circling away from the dog and have him follow your leg. Then, add movements to the side, forward and backward and reward your dog for being glued to the leg.
3. side version of 2on2off: try to get side legs (the two left or the two right legs) on an object. The easiest is to choose an object that is angled (I put a pillow/plank/drawer under the angle against the sofa or a wall), so that the dog can't climb on it with all 4 feet. Because of 2on2off, they will probably try hind feet on, but position yourself next to an object so that the dog is parallel to it and will probably first try just one hind foot (it helps if you have a pee trick down already!): reward a couple of times so that he keeps it there as opposed to try to put the other hind leg on too and then see if you can get front foot on too. You can tell them to paw touch your hand that you keep close to an object and eventually fade the hand to have both feet on an object. Jackpot if the dog puts both feet on at the same time (vs. first hind, then front). Do it with both sides right from the start, you want to build muscle and balance on both sides.
4. one object into another: shape the dog to pick up an object, then to carry it around, then to carry it in the direction of another object, then to let it go close to it and eventually to actually put it in another object. I usually start directly with two bowls of the same size, but to make it easier, you can also use a toy and a box or something similar. Do try it with a bowl too, though, they require more precision.
5. hug the pole/umbrella trick, first clicking for any paw touch, then for sliding to the side and then for going more&more around the object, the final goal is a firm hug with one or both front feet around the object - see 
6. stays with distractions: tell the dog to sit or down and continue with proofing the stay until the release word as we were practicing in 2on2off position already in the last lesson: have them stay in a position with you running passed them, throwing toys and treats, making different hand gestures etc. - then say "go" (sometimes standing still, sometimes while moving) and reward, preferably with a toy as you want a fast start out of the position on "go"
Hello, I´ve been very busy during these holidays and adittionally Trono has been lame in one foot. Thus I have not been able to practice as much as I´d like to.
Do you think that I should continue to practice with trono dispite his injury or should I let him rest for a few days?
Merry Christmas!!
I’m sorry to hear that Trono is lame. Do you know what the injury is? If he’s lame you probably don’t want him to use that leg. Great time to work on stays with distractions though :-). Or you could teach him a new trick, to limp on the leg that’s injured, so he’s not really using it. Hope he feels better soon.
Do you know why he is lame? You definitely don’t want to do tricks that would require putting weight on that leg (like side legs!), but you can certainly try stacking bowls or yes, as Louise suggests, limping on that leg! I hope he is better soon!
I’ve finally started Lesson 4. First sessions of one object into another, and side 2o2o went fairly well, with varying degrees of success in different dogs.
I have the most trouble getting Trumpet to pick up an object, which is weird because he knows how to pick up a dumbbell, but with a bowl he is constantly throwing his paws at it, even if I lift it off the ground. I’ve had to C/T for nose touches and am working from there. I wish I could just tie his feet up :-). Should I perhaps get him to drop a dumbbell into a box, then try a bowl again? It’s actually just a plastic crate dish that I’m using since my dogs hate touching metal.
And I’m having a bit of trouble with Hug the Pole. All I’m getting from ALL my dogs is pole scratching. How do you shape them to actually wrap their paw around the pole? I’ve tried leaning the pole at different angles to see if that would help, but it didn’t.
Yeap, you can definitely make it easier first and go for picking up a dumbbell or a toy! It’s very easy then to transfer it to other objects, despite with bowls in particular, they often find it hard to get that they can actually pick them up -- even when using plastic ones! If you want to try the metal objects too at one point, it’s again easier to start off with a spoon or something similar as with a bowl.
Try to video their scratching, just to see if you’re getting something jackpottable. When using a slippery enough pole (like a PVC tube), they will usually slide to the side some when scratching, so you can then select for that.
Trumpet’s Side 2o2o. He is much better with his left side than his right. My apologies for being dressed in my pjs 🙂
Great, some very nice tries when he is free-standing on just side legs already! Seems like this will be easy for him, great balance! Try to spend some more time on a weaker side and then angle the board some more and next you can already use a wall, he is doing great! The story behind this trick is actually a video of a whippet who had to have two legs amputated, but was able to live a normal life on two legs, the video showed him running, playing and all. The idea to try it with my dogs comes from that video.
That is interesting about the whippet on 2 legs. Were they both on the same side? Amazing how the body can compensate.
I think it was side legs yes and it sure was just amazing! Must still be on YouTube somewhere.
Both Trumpet and Tat with Hug the Pole. I noticed watching the videos that I seem to click every attempt. Maybe that’s the problem? I’m not sure if they’re better off in a sit or a stand so I tried both to show you what they do.
The snoring you hear while Tat is working, is Trumpet in a crate next to the camera, lol.
Our pole hugging looks very similar, except Papu also whines and tries to poke the pole with his nose… Would be great to know how to move forward from this.
Exactly, don’t click everything anymore, but select for tries that go more in a hugging direction. I would stop clicking for a paw on a pole (like 1:56 for example) and only reward a paw to the side (like 2:33) OR those tries when they actually miss a pole: that’s actually a great step towards a full hug. I think you just need to get more selective and you’ll get it soon. I would let them stand for now, I liked those tries better.
I have a question about lifting side legs. Papu is much better with left side so should I work mostly on the right for now and only raise the criteria when both sides are equally good (might take a while as he has to build the muscles)? Or should I raise the criteria already with the better side and keep the task easier with the other?
I would probably spend some more time on the weaker side (like 70 vs. 30%), but do some work on a better side too, raising the criteria.
Ok, thanks! 🙂
Merry Christmas fellow classmates! Secret got the most wonderful gift for Christmas. She received from her Dad a new dog scooter! And a harness for her and another for her sister Olive! So now we will be able to learn how to pull a scooter for exercise! I am so excited. Does anyone else do dog scootering?
I’ve never seen a dog scooter. How about a video? Would love to see it!
Heeling is going much better today! Actually now that I watched this I can see quite a few opportunities for jackpoting -- all of them I missed! I didn’t noticed Papu was so well off target while we were doing this… Still not perfect but this is way better than what we did before. 🙂
Great! Should be easy from now on! Once he is off the target, just keep circling as similarly to what you would do on a target as possible, with not too many changes of sides as that usually reminds them of a target, so that he can stay off and just follow the leg longer&longer.
Hi Silvia 2 videos before going on vacations 🙂 thanks for your good wishes your picture is beautiful 🙂 I hope you had a good christmas day.
first one some tricks with distractions, second one sit up, 2on 2off, 2 side legs and circling to my leg tricks. What is the next step with sit up and 2on 2off? How can I teac astro does 2on 2off with my legs? Astro is better doing 2 side legs with his rigth legs. Now with circling to my leg I´m using one book beside two and I´m begginig to change directions, how do you see us?
thanks
Great job with distractions! Impressive side legs: many of really nice simultaneous lifts! Work on the weaker side some more and with the better side, you can progress to the next step. Great progress with heeling position too! When he is on your right though, you reward with the head too much in: either turn more into him or, even better, change treats to your right hand to make it easier to reward high and straight also on your right side. But his understanding is sure much better now, time to try a thinner book next and then slowly fade it!
Very nice sit up, time to add some more duration: don’t reward for just going up and down anymore, but only when he holds it a bit. You can also try rewarding in a position, so that his front paws are still off the ground when you deliver the treat -- that usually makes adding duration much easier. For 2on2off, you can keep adding height. Try it on many different objects as that makes it easier to get it against your legs -- try also on somebody else’s legs. To try it on your legs, first try being in the same position (not facing the dog anymore) when trying it against another object and then remove the object and use your legs instead.
Enjoy your vacations!
To leg -- working on precision : I try to keep her stand-up, but sometime Garlic sits down on right side.
Pick up a bowl for the fun because Garlic don’t already master it …
Paw cross + play with funny duck ! ( Who can take the photo ? )
Wow, the paw crosses are just too adorable!!! Nice progression with heeling position too, it’s already very good on your left side and on your right, she is still sometimes too much ahead or not completely parallel. Don’t click every try anymore, but out of 10 moves, pick 8 that you reward and among those 8, 2 that you jackpot. If you reward everything the same, they can’t progress, so being selective and not rewarding some of the tries is important too. Getting there with the bowls too! And again, selectively click for the best tries and jackpot the very best ones! 🙂
Thanks Silvia ! At the begin of a new trick I remember to select good actions, but during the process with enthousiam, I forget this rule to be more selective !!! One more question : is it possible only reward trivial actions without click and C/R jackpot the best ones ??
Whenever I’m still working on improvements of that or another trick, I’m clicking everything that I reward, that is about 80% of the best tries. I mark the best ones additionally with a voice&jackpot. Once I have a final version of a trick, I don’t necessarily click at all anymore as they know already exactly what to do and will just simply reward, without a click.
This is Vera practicing her putting my shoe in a box trick, side legs, and holding my hula hoop. She can hold a bottle and a shoe in her arms pretty well (from a sitting position) so I thought we could try something bigger. She has been doing really well. She especially loves doing side legs, which, is unfortunate for my coffee table who is getting all scratched up.
Great job! She is too funny with the side legs on! Very nice simultaneous lifts, sounds like she also generalized it well if she is trying it on a coffee table too 🙂 so I think it’s time to switch to the wall, she sure seems to have a great balance! Great understanding of a shoe in a box too, just some more practice for precision needed. Very cute with that hula hoop, would love to see her holding a bottle and a shoe too!