Foundations Week 6
Polite Walking - Duration & Distractions
The trainer takes this dog to a new environment with similar distractions. Those are the same toys used in the previous video on increasing distractions while practicing polite walking. There is the same barking dog and car noise in the background. It is still a different place. The trainer patiently works on increasing how long the dog can walk nicely on the leash.
Leave It - Food on Floor
Many people believe their dog understands a 'Leave It' type of cue, but often the dog only knows it in the context of a treat or toy in the trainer's hand. To a dog the picture of a treat in a person's hand is very different from a treat on the floor. We help the dog generalize the cue in this exercise.
The method we use is an example of using a cue (Take It) as marker like the clicker. The trainer works to say the Take It cue when she would normally click to indicate the correct Leave It response. This is also an example of training two opposite cues together.
This video is an excellent example of carefully and slowly fading a hand as a signal to the dog. Watch how the trainer changes her treat hand from holding the treat the entire time to only a pointerin the dog's picture of the situation. Initially, her hand is always on the treat. With each repetition she gets the treat in her hand closer to the floor. Next she picks up the treat and places it in the dog's mouth. Finally, she allows the dog to get the treat himself, but she is still pointing at the treat. Even her pointing hand becomes less and less during the last repetitions. It will not be long before she can completely remove her hand from situation.
The first time she moves to a new location, she will start over from the beginning. She will find that she doesn't need to take every single step for the dog to understand 'Leave It' in the new place. With each new place she does the training, the cue will become more generalized for the dog.
The method we use is an example of using a cue (Take It) as marker like the clicker. The trainer works to say the Take It cue when she would normally click to indicate the correct Leave It response. This is also an example of training two opposite cues together.
This video is an excellent example of carefully and slowly fading a hand as a signal to the dog. Watch how the trainer changes her treat hand from holding the treat the entire time to only a pointerin the dog's picture of the situation. Initially, her hand is always on the treat. With each repetition she gets the treat in her hand closer to the floor. Next she picks up the treat and places it in the dog's mouth. Finally, she allows the dog to get the treat himself, but she is still pointing at the treat. Even her pointing hand becomes less and less during the last repetitions. It will not be long before she can completely remove her hand from situation.
The first time she moves to a new location, she will start over from the beginning. She will find that she doesn't need to take every single step for the dog to understand 'Leave It' in the new place. With each new place she does the training, the cue will become more generalized for the dog.
Down - Target Method
All of this video was shot on the same day, but look at how many breaks occur in the video. Every break was a short pause in the training. It gave the dog and trainer time to think and relax. Toward the end of the video you will see the trainer decide the dog might offer the full down without any target or indication from her. She waited for a few extra seconds without doing anything and, yes, she was right!
Down - Add Cue
This video demonstrates a slightly different method from what we teach at the meeting to add a verbal cue to the Down behavior. You may have success either way. The trainer does a nice job moving the verbal cue earlier and earlier in the down behavior. First, she says it just before the elbows hit the ground. Next, she says it when the elbows are starting toward the ground. She backs it up until she is saying the cue when the dog begins to tuck her hips. The last two repetitions she says the cue as the dog is returning from getting her last treat. Even though she is moving the verbal cue earlier and earlier in the behavior, she doesn't click until the dog is completely down.