I'm going to teach my students to blog so I figured I'd best start my self. So what was I going to blog about except, of course dog training. Since I decide that this year was going to be dedicated to teaching Thai some serious obedience I figured I'd journal my journey here.
Thai is my 3 year old australian shepherd that you can meet here . She tends to be very cute, and just a little bit independent :)
Today, we worked on some fronts and attention at the local pet store. She did well even in the tight spaces going between the aisles with dog bones on the shelf :)
At home I shaped her bop from the wall to the stanchion (sp?) using a clicker. Took Thai about 5 minutes to figure out what I wanted, mainly because her nose touch is so strong she just couldn't believe that I didn't want one. I'd click her for moving near the stancion but that just made her more convinced that I wanted a nose touch. Since she is very good at bopping the wall I finally picked up the stancion and held it against the wall. She then bopped it when she went up but she didn't get it when the stanchion was on the ground...she was still sure it was a nose touch I wanted. And I'm not very good at being patient and lowering the stanchion by inches. So then I turned it 90 degrees to the wall and held it up with my foot as it was against the wall on the other side. Treats in one hand, clicker int he other. I was sure I was going to drop something soon LOL But that position somehow caused her to hit it once clearly with her paw. Once she did the behavior Thai had it. She was hitting it with her paw so often it fell over several times. I figured that was okay since I'm sure she will have ring gates falling at some point so she better get used to the noise. And as long as she could make the food keep coming she didn't care. In fact, when we went to work on fronts she would run over and bop the stanchion when the fronts were too hard :)
We worked on holding her dumbbell and got to the point I could tap an end lightly. Then we did the "fun" stuff with the dumbbell and clicked quick grab and turns. The dreaded Metal article came out next, but even that is becoming more fun and she picked it up more quickly (although not as fast as her dumbbell). She was feeling comfortable enough with it we even worked a few short holds.
The fronts were fun and she only sat on my foot a few times as I had my leg out as a guide. We were working pretty hard angles...maybe 270's both ways. Se was better clockwise (which is her hard way) but was overrotating counter clockwise.
This has gotten kind of long...does that mean it is time to go do school work now so I know what I'm doing with my students tomorrow??? Dang...I just remembered we have a messed up schedule tomorrow too!!!! AHHH better get on it :)
Beth
About Me
- Beth
- I train my dogs for fun, teach middle school students for a living. I love behavior in all its many forms. I am not so good at journaling regularly, so this is an experiment I will try to keep going :)
5 comments:
Something else I do with Lulu to help her understand the hold is to put my hands on each side of the dumbell when she is holding and gently pull the dumbell. She is usually in a sit when I start this. As soon as she resists releasing the dumbell she is praised or rewarded. I can tell she is resisting if she wrinkles her forehead which shows she is using her jaw muscles to actively hold.
Thanks for the hint :) I can just see little Lu with her wrinkled forhead holding on for all she's worth :)
Do students in Ohio practice computer literacy? Here in NY we talk about how important it is to learn computer skills and then we erect a firewall that prevents any traffic to sites such as yours. No blogs. No email. No downloads. But of course cell phones are making up the difference. When we deny one technology another is there to fill the void. Nature abhors a vacuum.
Uh oh, I have to choose an identity.....more computer stuff to try and figure out...LOL.
I like the training blog! So much easier to define a training plan and trends when they are on paper! I thought Thai did very well last night, for a new place with distractions. Onward!
Belinda
I like Kelly's tip but with a standard poodle and topknot there is no forehead to view! I will try the gentle tug, though. Poodle is so polite that she tends to release immediately. I'll have to tug while using "hold" carefully. I do love it when you can see those forehead wrinkles. Maybe a shave's in order?
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