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Howdy! She is doing really well on all of these!
First up: clicker stays. She has come a really long way in a short time with developing a lovely stay! Yes to fading the clicker now: she is ready for the release forward or the throwback “get it” of the reward. You can use the clicker in difficult environments and short stays but in easier environments, you can fade it.
Also, you can add arousal (which is a distraction) by replacing the treats with a toy: release forward to the toy for tugging or throw back the toy for tugging.On the dual training – in the training session here, it might have been too difficult to have both of the other dogs there so stick with just one dog and be a bit more boring in what you do with the other dog 🙂 And then make sure she has a longer training session for herself to help make the waiting worthwhile – nothing high arousal yet (as it would be difficult to go back to waiting) so stick with more thoughtful things. And if her turn is the last turn, you can do a super high energy game like recalls or something.
About getting her to chill out – the dual training helps but have you started any of the coping skills stuff? Dual training is operant, she has to make a decision, and that is stimulating. But the coping skills stuff is all about lowering her heart rate. That includes having her on or near a bed/chair with a snuffle mat or bully stick or stuffed Kong while interesting things are happening. She can also be in a crate or xpen for this – but in short bursts so that she doesn’t finish the mat, for example, then bark or get stimulated. You can also use a Manner Minder in the crate (just duct tape it closed so she doesn’t open it up) and then you can pump in rewards form a distance when exciting things happen. Those rewards should be early and often, with relatively boring things happening out on the field.
And, in the moments where she might be overstimulated and is either done with the coping activity or isn’t interested in it, I suggest letting her chill out in the car or something where she can’t rehearse the stimulated behaviors (barking, I’m guessing :))On the 2nd video:
The sends to the target are looking really strong, so you can add in more of the countermotion games and moving away at this stage.Recalls with distractions – the distractions didn’t seem distracting at all LOL!! Good girlie! So here is a group challenge for y’all: Do side-by-side recalls (adding dogs running parallel to each other as a distraction) and then you can do flyball style recalls: one person holds *both* dogs (one very strong person) – both handlers run. The first level is that
One dog gets called then the next dog gets called a few steps later. If that goes well, both dogs get called simultaneously. Yeehaw!
Perching is also looking really good! You can work on completely fading your motion, so she goes all the way around it without you moving. Just a little help with maybe one little step to let her know which direction you want her to go (because she might only choose one direction if we let her choose it). And when you release from the perch, play some tug rather than toss a treat – this provides a nice mental balance to the game and also adds a bit of difficulty because it raises arousal – can she still use her hind end properly while in higher arousal? That is a great baseline for what will need to happen in agility jumping 🙂The leg bumps are easy for her, and you added the angles back around your hip which is good. So you can add a bit more speed into the collection of the bumps: using treats – toss a treat approx 10 or 15 feet away, tell her to get it. Then have her come straight back across your leg bumps and toss another treat 10 or 15 feet away. Do that back and forth a few times (and you can help her by tapping the ground) on a relatively straight line. If she has no difficulties, you can add angles around your hip by tossing the treat 10 feet away a bit behind you, so as you call her back over your legs she is approaching on an angle and has to figure out her striding.
Let me know if these suggestions make sense! Great job here!
TracyHi!
Ha! Definitely not cheating to have taken a class with Tina, I think it is great!!!
These are great tricks, and he really seems to enjoy them. Fabulous!!! Bring these tricks to lots of different places, to help get engagement in a variety of places. It is great to do tricks near the agility ring, for example, to help him ignore distractions.
Great job here!
TracyHi! This was a hard goat game! He did a good job trying to interact with it! My one tweak for this is to deliver the rewards more on the item to help him understand the value of getting on it – a lot of the cookies were thrown off of it, so the value was mainly off the xpen and not on it. Try to deliver several in a row while he was standing on it, then release and play tug. That can help build the value for getting on it 🙂
TracyHi! Based on your story about the recall in the field (or lack of :)) you can take him out on a leash and heavily reward in that environment, in a way where he can’t leave you for a distraction. He can then earn his freedom back over time with great recalls 🙂
On the video here:
Try some higher energy interactions with him during the transitions. The actual recalls were good but then you would lose him in between, like at 1:25 for example. Maintain your high energy interactions all the way back to the next transition or just hold his collar if you want to discuss.
About the connection – try to have the dog side arm back, trailing behind you, which will drop the shoulder back and open it up to him. As you were running forward, you had your arms at your side with bent elbows and shoulders forward, so he didn’t read the connection even though you were trying to look at him. The arm trailing back will help to open up your shoulder and open up connection. You were starting to get it at around 4:15, but you can trail your arm back even more rather than run with your elbows bent.
So I don’t think he was distracted, I think he just needed more connection. Let me know if that makes sense!
TracyHi again! The leg bumps are going well 🙂 to help get more speed and therefore more bouncing, try to toss the cookie further so he has to chase it. This can get more momentum going which will lead to him being able to bounce 🙂
TracyHi!
On the perch work:
A few ideas for you:
First, set a timer for a much shorter session, this one was 3.5 minutes which is really long for a body awareness session. Set the timer for 2 minutes at most then be done. The session fell apart a bit here after you got past 2 minutes.Second – all cookie rewards should be delivered on the perch, I think it was a bit confusing when you would toss treats away so he would sometimes step off possibly in anticipation of the treats being tossed. When you want him off the perch, use a release work and play tug.
Third – stay closer to the perch 🙂 you were far enough away that it was harder for him to know what you wanted.
I think he is doing well overall and these 3 things should help! Yes, move slowly but I don’t think his questions were about your speed 🙂
Tracyhi there! He is doing well on his foot targeting! The best reps where when you had a really clean transition, starting him at your side then sending clearly with the dog side arm and leg, like at :34.
When he was confused with the set up, 3 things were happening:
You were a little far from the target to send backwards to it, so he wasn’t sure. Also, you were not using the dog-side leg, so the feet were relatively together and it looked just like the set up position. Also, when you were sending forward, you were looking at the target so it broke connection a bit. So, try to use the dog-side leg, be a bit closer (when sending backwards) and look at him 🙂
Nice work!
TracyHi there! Hope you enjoyed the holidays!
Foot targeting:
She does like to look at you, so a couple of ideas:
Make a clean transition into that first rep by gently holding her collar, getting ready, then sending. You plopped the target down and so she’s not entirely sure when to start. Same thing for when you called her back and wanted to resend: line her up, then send.
On the one step sends- yes, you were too far 🙂 start closer and the other thing that will help is if you make more connection and not look at the target. It will feel weird to look at her as you step forward but it helps point your shoulder to where you want her, so she will send more easily.
Also on the sends, make the clean transition by holding her collar with her facing the target & looking at it so she knows exactly when to start and leave you for the target.On the recalls:
Great job with the fast transitions of the hand off!! And using different helpers too, it all helps her! She seemed much happier to be held. Yay!!!!
About getting to you then leaving… I think it is about the reinforcement. When you were chucking food, she didn’t leave you. When you presented the toy, she left to check other things out. So, in this situation, the toy is not high enough in value – so use a food reward 🙂 eventually you might be able get the toy involved again, but no rush – the goal is to make it super rewarding and the food will accomplish that.Perch work:
I like how happy she is to hop right on the perch and play this game!
You will owe me $10 every time you say uh oh to her! Break that habit 🙂
With the clicker, try to isolate hind end movement rather than getting off the perch (your release word can help her get off it). That will help get even better hind end, especially on the side that was more difficult. On the easy side, try to fade your movement a bit so your foot is reaching towards her but you aren’t stepping as much towards her. On the harder side, you can help her more but click and treat more often too, for every rear foot movement.Foot bumps:
She was a good girl here too! Because of her size, you can start to throw the treats further away from you, so she can hop more fully over your leg. Then after she gets the treat, you can tap on the outside of your other leg so she can hop back across both legs (then throw the cookie pretty far). This will add more speed and be super fun!Nice work here!
TracyHi!
He’s very clever! I think he is going there because of all the value – every time he gets there, you click and throw the reward back behind you. So, while it is fine that he lines up there, two thoughts:
– add motion away, moving forward, even if it is a tiny step.
– be sure to work both left and right sides, so he can line up on both sides. Also, you can cue him to sit so that he doesn’t offer backing up or only going to your left side.
Keep me posted!
TracyHi! Because toy train with so much reinforcement, AND you video sessions, AND your sessions are short… you are not going to break the dog 🙂 sometimes a session goes sideways but it is easy to catch and fix for the next session. And your sessions really don’t go sideways – some just aren’t as perfect as others LOL! Overall, he’s doing great!
TWoot woot! he is making his retriever ancestors proud 🙂 The retrieve is looking good and yes, he totally gave you the look of “what’s the big deal, I do this all the time” haha!!
Be sure to work both sides so that he turns both directions to chase you. And you can start with a bit of restraint by holding his collar while throwing the toy, letting go after the toy lands – it builds even more drive to it. You can also try the harder version which is to drop the toy next to you and let go and run away at the same time – it will be more tempting to just chase you and harder to do the retrieve, but I think he is ready for that.
Nice job on all of these!
TracyHe was so clever here! Good boy, check out him reaching for it with his back feet! Any hind end awareness game is a good game 🙂 I realized you can also do this on a balance disc if you have one: perch work exactly the same way, except now he has to balance his front feet on one of those discs – much harder and great for core strength!
T
hi!
He is indeed doing well here! You did take a little long to release him on the first go-round but I think it was mainly because you were trying to get him into the camera frame 🙂
Now onwards to the next step of fading your movement: rather than move your whole body, try just moving one of your legs – reach out with your toes towards his back toes and reward any movement. The goal is to get him to move around with his hind end without you having to move.
You can also add a jump bump for him to step over, I think he is ready for this. When adding the jump bump, continue to use your movement at first to help him move, so he get the hang of stepping over the bump. It is a great body awareness and strengthening thing to have him do this!
Good job!
TracyHi! I love the clicker sits too 🙂 And yes, totally tell him to get it (I am surprised your partners-in-crime didn’t remind you during the training session LOL!)
Start to add in more movement right away – the goal is that you are walking away almost immediately, rather than standing still. And walking away confidently, even if it is one step. When you were moving away, you were careful, so he wanted to come with you. So when he sits, start taking a confident step away but click & throw almost immediately.
You can also add praise between the sit and the click – he offers the sit, you praise and then click/toss. That can help bridge the gap as you add more movement too.
You can resubmit if you like, but it doesn’t have to be the same thing – you can post a video of the next steps of adding motion & duration.
nice work!Yay, he totally was fine with all of these. Nice! As with the mousepad shaping, have a handful of treats ready so there is no delay and you can get the rewards in really quickly. When you go to get one out of your pocket, he ends up looking at you – and we really don’t want the agility dogs looking up at us at all.
Because he is so confident with the different textures and movements, you can add sounds to these – get some bubble wrap to put under them, or put the wooden ones on a hard wood floor so there is some crashing and banging – that will all help prepare for the teeter 🙂
Nice work!
