Thursday, June 11, 2009
I've been working with Rook every night since class. I've noticed a definite change in him this week. He seems to really be looking forward to our training time. The biggest change I made this week was to not feed the dogs in the morning. Instead, I wait until evening, after we've done our training time. All of the dogs are very eager to practice. It's odd because most of the time all three dogs sit in a semi-circle in front of me. I give the command "down" and all three hit the dirt. Last night I was doing "shake" and Spook and Brodie would stick their paws out. I haven't worked with Rook much on shake but last night I asked him to shake and he immediately stuck his paw out. The more I worked with him the better he got at it. If he keeps going
Here is our homework for this week:
1.Attention---have your dog sit in front of you and look at your face. Once he is looking for 5-8 seconds, start saying “watch” as he is actually looking at you and click and treat. Keep adding time until he can do 10 seconds. Always click at the end of the time you have worked up to. Also play the Name Game. I haven't started this but Rook already does this.
2. Eyes on Me Game-have your dog sit at your side as you hold onto his collar, when he looks up at you, either click or say “yes” or “good” and give a treat from your mouth. Eventually you will teach your dog to catch food as you spit it to him. I gotta tell you it takes a while to get the taste of Biljack out of your mouth with this.
3. Play---is very important. Play with your dog everyday. Read the article on Helpful Articles and You Tubes on how to make a toy more motivating and start the program right away. Toy drive can take time to develop so you need to start today. We have no trouble playing...
4. Stand---keep working on this. Is your dog noticing the foot signal yet? You can put a word to this cue if your dog is noticing your hand or foot signal 80% of the time. When you start adding a word, say the word, then show the hand or foot signal ½ second later as a reminder. Soon, you will not have to use the hand signal and just be able to tell your dog to stand. No food in the hand this week as a lure. Be sure and reward after the click, though. Rook has the signal down and is responding 100% of the time to this.
5. Down-keep working on this. Remember to move your hand from the dog’s mouth to his chest or between his two front legs to get him to down. Remember to keep the hand cue consistent. Your other hand may need to press on the shoulders in a downward and backward motion. Make sure your hand is on the dog’s shoulder blades. Do not push in the middle of the back or the rear or on the neck. You probably can’t use your clicker on this since both hands are busy, so say “yes” or “good” when they down and give them the treat. Remember to hold them in position for 2-4 seconds, then say “ok” and let them up. Repeat. Don’t put a word to this cue just yet unless your dog is doing the down 80% of the time on the hand signal. If so, then you can add the word and remember to say it first, then offer the hand signal about ½ second later, click when they are down and give a treat. If dog sits first, say “oops” or “wrong” and start the exercise over. Rook has this down and is responding 90% of the time.
6. Hand Touch-This is where your dog touches your hand. Remember to keep your hand flat with no food in it. Make sure they are touching the back of your hand as well as your palm. Contest next week will be the dog that does the most hand touches in 15 seconds! This seems to be going well. He loses interest after about 3 tries though.
7. Sit---most dogs have a verbal sit before they come to P1, but if your dog doesn’t know how to sit, here’s how to teach it. Hold a treat on your dog’s nose and slowly take it backwards over his head. This will be your hand signal for sit. Don’t say sit just yet. When the dog sits, click and treat. Once they are doing it on the physical hand cue, then you will add the word, sit. If your dog knows the verbal cue on this---good for you!
Rook's sit is very reliable...outside of class.
8. Pup-Pup-Pup Game-this is where you have a training partner. Both people have lots of yummy treats and clickers. Dog is on the leash and the people are approximately 9-10 ft apart. One person is holding the dog and helping the dog to face the other person. Person without the puppy, calls “Pup-Pup-Pup” in a high-pitched happy voice and holds out their hand that has a treat in it. Puppy runs to that person. Then that person clicks and then feeds the treat and grabs the leash and turns the puppy around to face the other person. Now the other person calls out “Pup-Pup-pup” and offers a treat and the pup runs to them. Person clicks and treats when puppy gets to them. Repeat this about 4-5 times. You can even add a third or fourth person. And add distance as your dog gets better at the game. Great family fun! There is another way to play if you are by yourself with your dog. Go and hide in your house and have the clicker and lots of good treats. Call out “Pup-pup-pup” in a high-pitched happy voice. Your dog should be able to hear you and come running. When they find you, click and treat and give lots of love and pats. Do not call your dog’s name or “come” in case they do not come to you. You don’t want to sabotage those 2 words. This should go over fairly well.
9. Contest next week-we will see whose dog has the most nose touches to the hand in 15 seconds.
2. Eyes on Me Game-have your dog sit at your side as you hold onto his collar, when he looks up at you, either click or say “yes” or “good” and give a treat from your mouth. Eventually you will teach your dog to catch food as you spit it to him. I gotta tell you it takes a while to get the taste of Biljack out of your mouth with this.
3. Play---is very important. Play with your dog everyday. Read the article on Helpful Articles and You Tubes on how to make a toy more motivating and start the program right away. Toy drive can take time to develop so you need to start today. We have no trouble playing...
4. Stand---keep working on this. Is your dog noticing the foot signal yet? You can put a word to this cue if your dog is noticing your hand or foot signal 80% of the time. When you start adding a word, say the word, then show the hand or foot signal ½ second later as a reminder. Soon, you will not have to use the hand signal and just be able to tell your dog to stand. No food in the hand this week as a lure. Be sure and reward after the click, though. Rook has the signal down and is responding 100% of the time to this.
5. Down-keep working on this. Remember to move your hand from the dog’s mouth to his chest or between his two front legs to get him to down. Remember to keep the hand cue consistent. Your other hand may need to press on the shoulders in a downward and backward motion. Make sure your hand is on the dog’s shoulder blades. Do not push in the middle of the back or the rear or on the neck. You probably can’t use your clicker on this since both hands are busy, so say “yes” or “good” when they down and give them the treat. Remember to hold them in position for 2-4 seconds, then say “ok” and let them up. Repeat. Don’t put a word to this cue just yet unless your dog is doing the down 80% of the time on the hand signal. If so, then you can add the word and remember to say it first, then offer the hand signal about ½ second later, click when they are down and give a treat. If dog sits first, say “oops” or “wrong” and start the exercise over. Rook has this down and is responding 90% of the time.
6. Hand Touch-This is where your dog touches your hand. Remember to keep your hand flat with no food in it. Make sure they are touching the back of your hand as well as your palm. Contest next week will be the dog that does the most hand touches in 15 seconds! This seems to be going well. He loses interest after about 3 tries though.
7. Sit---most dogs have a verbal sit before they come to P1, but if your dog doesn’t know how to sit, here’s how to teach it. Hold a treat on your dog’s nose and slowly take it backwards over his head. This will be your hand signal for sit. Don’t say sit just yet. When the dog sits, click and treat. Once they are doing it on the physical hand cue, then you will add the word, sit. If your dog knows the verbal cue on this---good for you!
Rook's sit is very reliable...outside of class.
8. Pup-Pup-Pup Game-this is where you have a training partner. Both people have lots of yummy treats and clickers. Dog is on the leash and the people are approximately 9-10 ft apart. One person is holding the dog and helping the dog to face the other person. Person without the puppy, calls “Pup-Pup-Pup” in a high-pitched happy voice and holds out their hand that has a treat in it. Puppy runs to that person. Then that person clicks and then feeds the treat and grabs the leash and turns the puppy around to face the other person. Now the other person calls out “Pup-Pup-pup” and offers a treat and the pup runs to them. Person clicks and treats when puppy gets to them. Repeat this about 4-5 times. You can even add a third or fourth person. And add distance as your dog gets better at the game. Great family fun! There is another way to play if you are by yourself with your dog. Go and hide in your house and have the clicker and lots of good treats. Call out “Pup-pup-pup” in a high-pitched happy voice. Your dog should be able to hear you and come running. When they find you, click and treat and give lots of love and pats. Do not call your dog’s name or “come” in case they do not come to you. You don’t want to sabotage those 2 words. This should go over fairly well.
9. Contest next week-we will see whose dog has the most nose touches to the hand in 15 seconds.
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