And here comes your last list!
1. add duration and distractions to heeling – try it in different environments, reward a lot there, but apart from that, start adding more duration: reward every couple of steps with a small reward first, then do a really long distance and big jackpot for it – then a couple of steps for a small reward and a really long distance for a great reward again – vary it a lot for them to be able to see the pattern that the longer there is no reward, the better!
2. pick up the object to hug it – if the dog can already hold an object independently, put it on the floor and see if he can solve the problem and pick it up with a muzzle to get a hold of it with a paw
3. get a ball for kids, hold it with your feet so that it doesn’t move too much at first and click for front legs on – then release your feet a little bit so that it starts to move and the dog needs to balance on it. Now click for little steps on the ball, the final goal is the dog walking ahead with hind feet on the ground and front feet rolling the ball. Great for balance and coordination and for getting used to objects moving under the feet.
4. “sit up” to “stand up” and back and “down” to “sit up” and back – great for strength in the back, especially important for those who will be doing agility. Down to a sit up and back should go easy, use a hand signal together with your verbal cues. First, reward even if the dog goes into a sit for a second, but then try to get rid of it and go for direct transitions from one position to another. Sit up to a stand up is easy too, you can use a lure for that one. Going back to sit up (without falling in sit first) is hard, so offer your hand as a support so that the dog can lean on it and then click for any knee bending until actually going into sit up. This is conditioning exercise, so you can help some more with lures if necessary. As always, don’t do so many repetitions that the dog would be sore after, you need to build muscle and balance gradually.
5. another great warming up exercise to stretch the dog before the run: spins to left&right and figure 8 forward. I teach it with a nose touch, putting a hand for a nose touch on the right spot (somewhere at the dog’s hip) to get a spin, then getting more&more spins in the same direction in a row, fading the hand and putting it on verbal cue left &right – very useful to have those directionals also on a course! I also do figure 8 forward with a nose touch, putting a hand so that the dog comes between the legs, rewarding at the side and then again the other direction. Fade the hand then into a hand signal and then completely, using just a verbal cue. I simply use cik&cap as the dog is wrapping an object again - my leg.
And yes, sure, that nose targeting is almost as luring and if you wanted, you can also shape it instead. I will sometimes lure as sometimes, it is the easiest way to the goal. I never lure at the very beginning stages as I want a puppy to understand the concept of shaping first because many things simply can’t be taught by luring, so at one point, you need a dog who will offer behaviors. If you always help with easy tricks and then count on simply going to shaping when needed, you’ll get in trouble. But I don’t have a problem with going the other way around: first only shape, but later on do some luring or targeting when teaching something as easy as figure 8, spins or sit up to stand up.
6. limping: click for one paw in the air (front or rear, whatever you prefer), add a little bit duration and then start clicking for any movements or weight shift of other 3 legs. Shape towards a real step and slowly add more&more to get limping on front/rear foot.
You again have 2 weeks to work on those exercises and post videos to comment and suggestions for improvements. Then, I will open a new, "graduation page" and this will be your very last assignment: making a video of everything you learned in this class – without training sessions as such, but finished version of tricks, some breakthrough moments, some playing, city walking and everything else you did with your dog for this class (using what you already taped or taping some more). Those videos will be your graduation work, you will get a “LoLaBuLand puppy class graduate” certificate and as a gift, a download link to a training video of your choice (see the training videos website to choose one). Auditors are more than welcome to post graduation videos too!
And then that's it for this class, but I hope to see many of you also in Foundations, starting 27th February! If you want to continue with tricks too, you're also welcome to join Advanced Tricks. Advanced Tricks have open registration, meaning that you can register and post whenever you want, no time limitations. It would be cool if a group from October Puppy Class joins too! And the third option you have is to join Running Contacts class that started today. Next RC class will probably only start in September - or MAYBE May.
A funny story that happened to us in obedience class last night. It was our first class in about 5 weeks and before class started I was working on the pee trick near the wall. Later on in the class we were working on our stays. During the sit stay my dog got up. When I walked towards him to replace him he started jacking his leg up in the pee trick. It had everyone laughing. I guess he was trying to tell me what he thought about a long sit/stay. Shaped dogs crack me up.
On that note I discovered another little fallout to all our shaping. One of the exercises we were working on in class was attention. All the dog had to do was sit in front of us and hold eye contact. My puppy could not sit still for a second. She was constantly trying to offer me behaviours. She just didn’t get “don’t move”. Anyone else with this problem? I’m guessing I need to add the trick “be still like a statue” to our repertoire :-).
Yeap, just shape it! 🙂 Reward for a brisk eye contact, before she has time for anything else -- and then slowly name it and add duration. But that one is definitely easier with not too creative dogs! 🙂
I think the forward fig. 8 is Zephyr’s favorite trick! 🙂 Here’s our video. I’m having a difficult time fading my hands from in front to behind my back with the heeling so have been trying it with the fig. 8. He doesn’t seem to mind at all. Any suggestions on getting Zephyr not so focused on my hands when heeling? If I put them behind my back he follows them & gets out of position. I think I waited too long to change the position of my hands. 🙂 Probably should have started when he was on the pivot… 🙁
Thanks.
Great!!! To get his eyes off of your hands, you can again play the food/toy ignoring game, with food and toys in your hands, waving around and clicking&rewarding for ignoring them and keeping an eye contact. You can first try it with him in front of you and mild distractions (not moving hands around just yet), then add more movement and next try it with him at your side. Let me know how it goes!
Hi louise,
i’m having the same problem!!! Today I was practicing the stay, but as soon as he sits, he starts doing many different behaviors!!! It was very funny, but at the same time very frustating….
I have to tell you what Byrdie just did. Today I’ve been working on the “rolling the ball” trick with him with a kickball. Well, just now I was standing at the foot of the bed folding laundry, and he came over and started play fighting with his big egg-shaped inflatable exercise ball, which was standing in the corner. He likes to get in fights with it where he pokes it with his nose, it bounces off the wall and “attacks” him, and he yips and growls and attacks it back. He was about to knock a bunch of stuff over, so I put it on the floor for him, and he quickly got it stuck in the corner over by my nightstand.
Usually when this happens he’ll keep attacking it, hoping to knock it loose, but if it won’t budge, he’ll give up. This time--he put his front feet up on it, and walked backward all the way across the room rolling it backward with him! I thought maybe it was a one off, but he attacked it back across the room, got it stuck, then once again put his feet up on it and rolled it backward all the way across the room, and attacked it back to the nightstand. 🙂
What a smart boy! Sounds like you’ve got that trick down! 🙂
Hi Silvia,
I have really enjoyed this class very much -- thank you!! Looking forward to doing my graduation video to show off what Sammy has learned 🙂
I’m not really sure what to do next and would like your advice. Sammy will be 8 months on Monday (16th). Is he old enough for Foundations, or should I do Advanced Tricks first? I’m in no hurry and really want to keep his training age appropriate. Of course I still have plenty of work to do on the tricks…
Thanks
Dawn
I had the same question! 🙂 Pippa will be 7 months on Monday, and she seems to be a slow maturer. I’m thinking audit Foundations and take RC in May (she’ll be 11 months at that point) . I am a firm believer in NOT doing a lot of jumping or weaving until growth plates close, so we are in no hurry. Then we’ll have all summer to work on Foundations and “baby handling”. At some point I’ll have to let my baby grow up -- but puppyhood is so short. I don’t want to miss a single moment!
Well, I think doing A LOT of jumping and weaving is never a good idea, but I also think some running and playing with Foundation stuff is actually great for agility puppies. I actually start pretty early with a wrap&go game (sending to a jump stanchion with no bar) and other games from lesson 1 of Foundations. It’s true I don’t do it too often and avoid too many repetitions, but I think it’s actually really good for them. I never had an injury with my dogs and La is setting best times at World level at 10 years, so I guess some playing with agility doesn’t hurt them. I never checked their grow plates, I’m just not interested. I think going slowly and gradually is MUCH better as not doing anything, then seeing an x-ray and start with serious training with a completely unprepared dog. I’m not at all interested in x-ray pictures. I’m interested in how coordinated, muscled, fit and balanced the dog in front of me is. I don’t even ask about their age: not interested. Before they get to jump some, I want to see them in a control of their bodies. And keeping them still won’t teach them that.
Looking forward to meet Sammy! Sounds like a perfect age to start Foundations! We’ll be working with bars on the ground and wide open channel for quite a while anyway, so nothing to worry about.
Excellent!! Foundations it is then and as participant -- will have to get organised with videos! 🙂
And it sounds like I’ll be able to carry on perfecting the tricks in between some of the foundation work.
Thank you.
🙂
Great, see you in Foundations then! 🙂
And I just have to share! I am on the computer, checking out the latest videos when Pippa comes charging in and starts offering every behavior she knows! Hey! There was a clicker going! 🙂
Yay for Pippa!!! 🙂
Hehehe, same here, when I enjoy other peoples videos, my dogs come and move their head to one side -- then to the other -- thinking if there might be some trainingstreats coming 🙂
I’m a bit ‘of’ track at the time. Is ist possible to post the gratuation video later on? Or is it a limited time open? I had to do some steps back and start over again with the earlier lessons….
Nope, no time limit for graduation videos! 🙂
pffff, I’m glad to….. How does it work with the “log in” will it be open for a long time too? So I can look back at some videos and tips at some time??
Yes. It all stays online, just that comments are closed.
We are so far behind that it isn’t funny! Changing dogs in the middle, holidays, work, etc. Lots of excuses. Anyhow, here a video of Tessa doing what we’ve been working on. Problems include only going one way when twirling on the cookie tin and not being very forceful on vertical touches to shut doors. We’re working with going around the jump pole in class so I used that instead of a cone. Tessa gets really confused when she starts going one way then she has to go the other way on the other end of the jump.
Great to see Tessa again! She is too funny trying to do several things at the same time! Very cute sit up! Great pivoting in one direction too, you can maybe put yourself in the picture next, name it and fade the target for that direction, and then bring the target back and only click for the other direction on a target and continue to work the other side without the target. For cik&cap, the problem is that your jump has such a high connecting pole… I think I would first try it on an object where she doesn’t have to jump, so that you can really focus on tightness, bending her back around the object and other important details that you can’t work on on such a high jump.
She also seems a little bit unsure about the movement or noise of the drawer, so you need to go very slowly with it, to not scare her more. Try to put a cloth in between so that it doesn’t make too much sound and open it just a bit so that it doesn’t make too much movement. Add difficulty VERY gradually, when she is perfectly happy with step 1. She seems a little unsure about that object for 4in too -- she seems to have no problems with balance standing in it, but doesn’t like to step in, so take it easy to get her happy about it gradually. Try not to push her when things get scary as that affects her trust in you -- but just give her time and reward everything she offers on her own, without any pressure. Dogs can feel the pressure really well and it can create a conflict and affect your relationship, that’s why it’s so important to give them time and let them find out the world is not scary on their own terms.
Hi Silvia! Snarf and I have been busy taking care of my other dog who’s been sick, so we haven’t had much time to practice.
If you remember, he was kind of afraid to go near the box, so we kind of struggled for a while and then I just quit trying when Polly got sick.
Yesterday I managed to get him to stand with all four feet in a big box though, so it was a HUGE breakthrough for us! With Polly (my other dog) it was easy, but for us it proved a major challenge.
Now I want to keep trying the other tricks, but unfortunately the course is already over! I’d also like to repeat this class, since it’s so brilliant and I’d love to really take the time to go through all the exercises with the added motivation and feedback from taking your class. How do I go about it if we want to register as repeaters? Thanks for everything so far and hope to see you again soon!
Hi Erica! I was wondering what up with you guys! So sorry to hear about Polly, that sure sounds serious… Is she o.k. now? And yes, sure, you can register as a repeater for the next class, choosing the third, half-price option once I get the registration out this Sunday. Looking forward to see more of Snarf!!!
Thanks Silvia! Yes, Polly is much better now, but not fit for any exercises for a while. Otherwise I would have loved to participate with both Polly and Snarf this time! She loves to do the exercises you give us.
I will register as soon as I get my salary! 🙂
So cool she is so much better! I guess you can start with things like paw crossing and similar then, just to make her happy and to help her to a speedy full recovery!