Rally run through

Yesterday Lance went to a rally obedience run through at one of the local clubs in the cities. Lance had never been there before so I thought it would be perfect to treat it like a "real show" and even brought cheese for treats and his canned food for afterward. It was a really long course, with 2 serpentines and 2 spirals. I did it all off leash and while he was a little distracted I was able to call him back to me really easily. His sits were very crooked in the beginning but improved as we continued.

I decided to do another run with him, partly since they didn't have any change for my money :) The second time through Lance was almost perfect! Obviously he got better since he just had some practice and wasn't as distracted by everything. But I'm also hoping he improved in hopes of getting the major reward after leaving the ring!

I am a positive trainer so I don't train with force. My consequences are mainly negative punishment (removal of rewards, time outs) and then a simple verbal "ah ah" is all I've ever needed to follow through with on very important matters (don't bolt through an open gate, leave what dropped, etc). So in the ring where I can't reward, I still want my dog to know that he can still earn reinforcement. I am hoping that by October when we will hopefully enter our first open opedience trial Lance will have had enough experience with getting amazing treats (canned cat food!) after leaving the ring.

Here's a Lancey Pants looking out the window at grandmas :)

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A big boy collar!

Wow, 3 posts in one day! You guys are so lucky :) I just wanted to share some pictures I took today of the dogs. Vito's new collar came in the mail today and he looks so handsome! Up until today he has been wearing the same collar he had on at 8weeks of age that the breeder had him in. Isn't that sad! My little midget toller! In his defense it started out as small as it could be and by the end it is (almost) as big as it can be. But I was waiting to order him a new collar until I knew what size he would need fully grown. It turns out he just needs a small, same as Lance :( But at least now his collar is 1in wide unstead of 1/4in wide, ah all grown up!

But now the dogs have matching Hawaiian collars, Vito has red and Lance has blue! Collars are from Carols Charming Puppy Palace and are incredibly cheap and cute :) It just makes me want a girl dog so I wouldn't have to look for the more "masculine" collars. Anyway, I tried to take some pictures of the dog's today in their new collars. Unforunately you can't see even see the collars with all of their fur!

But I did manage to get this one :)

Oh Lance!
And just for fun, here's the kitty!
Ok, I just wanted to show everyone how much fur I've gotten off of Luke in two days. When petting him it doesn't really seem like he's shedding, but the furminator is getting fistfulls of fur off of our 9lb cat!

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Targeting fun!

The past couple of days I've been doing a lot of targeting work with my dogs. It has also caused me to reflect on how useful targeting is and I thought I would devote a post solely to targeting.

For the non dog trainer readers, targeting is simply teaching the dog to touch his nose or paw to something. In puppy classes, I start out with the dog nose to owner's hand targeting. Stuff to do with hand targeting:

1. Keep your dog's attention on YOU and not everything else in the world. Similar to just asking for a "watch me" but hand targeting is generally easier when they're insanely distracted as it allows the dog to look at what they want but still focus on you for a second.

2. A replacement for luring. When teaching new behaviors, you can skip luring your dog with a treat, and just use targeting to get your dog to spin, turn, swing to heel, etc. You could also teach your dog to heel with hand targeting although I don't use that method myself.

3. Hand signal for come. If a dog knows to touch his nose to your hand, you can easily call your dog to come far away by just putting out your hand. I find it extremely helpful for owners as it gets them to actively train a recall instead of just shouting come over and over and expecting their novice dog to do it.

4. Fears. Since Vito was in a fear period recently (I think he's over it?), I've gotten to use this one a lot! Once you can get your dog closer to what they're apprehensive about, you can ask for hand touches close the object. Then a hand touch while your hand is touching the scary thing. Finally you can ask the dog to touch the object themselves without your hand there.

A lot of the hand targeting stuff can also be used with a target stick. Just teach your dog to follow a stick, or a wooden spoon, whatever and you have a nice extension of your hand. Some people teach many tricks this way, including heeling, backwards heeling, retrieving specific items, and really any trick you could teach through luring. I haven't personally done any training with target sticks but there are even some on the market now with clickers in the handle!

But most of my target training in the past couple days have been with a target lid. Basically I grab a top to an empty butter container and teach my dog to touch their nose to the lid. This is a bit harder, but still very easy for dogs to learn. Instead of asking for a nose touch, some train a paw touch instead. In Vito's 11wk video I show him using a paw touch since that's what my very pawwy dog first offered. At first I didn't care, but I later changed my mind and only rewarded nose touches.

Things to do with object targeting:

1. Place. While I personally free shape the place cue (run over, lie down, and do an automatic stay on a mat), I teach most others to do it via targeting. Just put your target lid on the dog bed so when the dog targets he is on the bed. Then you can either just start clicking when the dog is on the bed before he touches the target and then take away the target completely, or make the lid smaller and smaller so the dog is running over to his bed without even seeing the target.

2. Utility go backs. I haven't fully decided on what method I'm going to use to teach my dog's the go out (run straight out away from me, and then turn and sit on cue) but targeting is one of them that I've been doing. (The other method is Sue Ailsby's "punch it" where Lance runs and jumps on a wall.) Either way, it's easy to teach your dog to run farther and farther to the target. With Lance I've already been randomly having him turn and sit before reaching the target sometimes, and other times just rewarding him going all the way and then sitting.

3. Directionals. In obedience dogs have to do a directed retrieve where you tell them what glove to pick up based on the direction you are facing. Since I don't always want to practice the full chain, I've been breaking it down this week and just asking Lance and Vito to run to the correct target I'm pointing them towards. The hard part about this exercise anyway isn't the retrieve but having your dog actually go the correct glove.

4. Agility contacts. There are a billion ways to teach your dog to hit the yellow on the contact obstacles and many of them start out with having the dog target a lid on the floor immediately after the obstacle. I haven't fully decided what I want my criteria to be on the teeter, but as of now I'm putting the target on the teeter and rewarding the dogs for driving to the end.

Since I'm doing running contacts on the aframe and dogwalk, I just move the target several feet from the obstacle. This allows me to have my dogs driving forward with focus ahead, not worrying about my position. (Don't ask about the weird striped board!)


5. Anytime you want your dog focused forward. I've used targeting to get my dogs over a small sequence of jumps when they're first learning. I've also used it after the weave poles with Lance (he won't work for a thrown toy and thrown treats get lost in the grass!).

6. Teaching tricks. If your dog has a foot target to lid then this is an easy way to teach them to cross thier paws. Simply have them lie down and paw target, then slowly move the target closer and closer to their other foot so they have to cross over to touch it! Since my dogs don't have a paw target to a lid I taught them to "pose" and "cross paws" through paw targeting my hand (aka "shake").

But this week I also wanted to work on Lance's "reverse" where he is several feet away from me facing me, then on cue turns away from me and backs up to me. He is really good at backing up towards me, but now that we have more distance he is starting to cheat and sideways hop to me until he gets closer and finally completes his back turn. Since I haven't offically taught him to do a 180 turn I can't really blame him :P So this week I've been putting a target lid right behind him and rewarding him when he did a nice turn away from me and to the target. Then I started to chain the two behaviors and already am seeing great improvements in his "reverse!"

So there is my tribute to targeting!!!

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Separation Anxiety Treatment Log Wk7

Week 7! Skip to the summary...

Day 43: Started with the big bully for 60sec, 180. Big bully2 for 30sec. Big bully for 11.25min-N (ate for 8min), 20sec, 60, 30, 10min-N (ate for 1.5min, resumed eating at 5min for 45sec).

Good and bad. The bad is that the longest he remained actually eating was 8min. Unfortunately when I came back in on that 11.25min trial it looked like he had just finished chewing so I wasn't aware that he hadn't been for the last 3minutes. This led me to do another long trial which he obviously didn't do. The good is that I was able to do a 3min departure on only the second leave. I am also happy that although he wasn't eating his bones and was doing a little panting (I think do the the heat), he remained calm for a very long time. Especially on the last trial he was basically lying down for 9minutes without doing anything! I am also happy that he resumed eating on that trial, if only for a little bit.

Day 44: Started with big bully for 90sec, 30, bigbully2 for 150, big bully for 5.5min, bigbully2 for 90, stuffed ear for 30, big bully2 for 20, 7.5min, 45, 12min.

Yay! Longest trial was 12min and he chewed bones the entire time :)

Day 45: 30sec, 105, 20, 180, 30, 5min-N (ate for only 2min), 20, 30-N, 60, 7.5min-N (ate for 2min). I then put Lance inside with Vito and gave both a bully stick for 11.25min (wasn't eating at beginning, then started to eat), 3.75min-N (didn't eat at all).

He wasn't interested in his bones much at all. I thought would try and see how well he would do with Lance in the room. In the past it hasn't made a difference, but we haven't done it in several months since Vito was a baby. I was impressed that he started eating and ate for a long time on the first trial with Lance, but on the second one he didn't eat at all and his body language was about the same as being alone. I wouldn't quite classify his body language as bad, he's lying down, but he is a little anxious at times with doing some panting. Longest trial was 11.25min but longest time eating was 2.5min.

Day 46: 90, 180, 30, 30, 60, 6.5min (chewed up till the last 10sec), 30-N, 60-N. Got out tricky treat ball for 75sec, 9min (played for 7.5min)

Ok I guess. Once again if he's done eating before I come back he won't touch a bone for the rest of the session. Longest trial was 9min with tricky treat but he wasn't eating for all of it.

Day 47: 60sec, 150, 30, 5min, 20, 150-N, 10, 50-N (kitty knocked over baby gate at 45sec), 10-N, 10min-N.

Again not really into his bones. The dumb cat knocked over the baby gate and startled him, but he already had a no before that trial. I still did a 10min trial just to see how he would do and he remained on his bed the entire time.

Day 48: 40sec-N (bully). Switched to stuffed pigs ear for remainder of time 20sec, 60, 10, 195, 30, 5.5min, 30, 10, 15min.

Yay!!! We did a 15min trial where he ate his bone the entire time!

Day 49: 105sec, 20, 5.5min, 30, 10, 15min-N (ate for 7.75min), 10-N, 30-N, 30-N, 10-N, 60-N.

Not into his bones. Longest trial was 15min but he only ate for 7.75min.

Week 7 Summary: Well I was able to do a 15min trial with Vito eating a bone the entire time!!! But overall the week kinda sucked. He wasn't wanting is bones at all and with the weather being hot it is hard to tell if Vito's panting is due to the heat or anxiety (we have air so it's not that hot inside). I still did at least a 10min trial everyday even if I knew he wasn't going to be eating. But on the positive side we still jumped from 10 to 15minutes departures which isn't too bad in a week.

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Corgi MN day!

Today was a scheduled Corgi Minnesota get together! A couple times a summer fellow corgi lovers meet up at dog parks around the twin cities to let the corgis play. Usually our group can be quite annoying as corgis just love to chase other dogs, especially dogs chasing after balls. But today not many corgis were able to make it, the weather being downcast didn't help. I think there were six corgis by the end.

But not to be deterred, the small group zoomed after the ball!

Luckily for the group, a little retriever was brought along to help bring the balls back!
Oh Lance!

Even when he didn't make it there first, Vito just waited patiently until the ball was inevitably dropped along the way.
The corgis could generally outsprint little Vito but he knew that he could carry the ball to someone's hand shortly
Soon the gang was pooped so Adam decided to try a little agility obstacles with the dogs. Tunnel!
Table?
Lance's turn! Umm...Lance?
I guess he just needed a little help
Pooped puppies

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Another agility update

Lance is really the perfect dog :) At agility Thursday the instructor was reminding us all to pay attention to where our feet are pointed. There had been quite a few screw ups where the handlers meant to tell the dog to go one way, but since their body was twisted dogs naturally went to where the owners feet were telling them- good dogs!

When it was Lance's turn to go, he illustrated this so perfectly it was ridiculous. As soon as I had Lance in a "wait" at the start line and went out a little bit, his head turned toward me, looked at my face, down to my shoes, faced ahead, back to my shoes, and then looked ahead again. He was very seriously calculating the line of travel we were going to be taking!

I'm sure that he's probably done it before, but today it couldn't have been more exaggerated as his head swiveled between looking ahead and at my shoes.

Now with Vito's class on Friday he was a little naughty. Twice he blew me off to run to the instructors. They were the ones treating him at the bottom of the a-frame since he is speed demon, and apparently Vito wanted more. Vito also pulled another stunt later in the class. When setting him up for a small sequence, Vito completely blew off his "wait" and headed straight for the a-frame. To make it even worse, as I called his name Vito paused for a half second, thought about it, and then continued his way to the a-frame where he vaulted over it! Naughty puppy!

I am really going to have to work hard with Vito when it comes to handling. All of the contact obstacles are magnets to him. Vito absolutely looses his mind at the slightest prospect of getting to fly over one. I was so happy that I got Vito into the tunnel right next to the A-frame at the start of the sequence, only to have Vito zoom out and immediately curl back around to hit the a-frame on his way out. *sigh* At least he is extremely responsive right now to any handling on low jumps.

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Separation Anxiety Treatment Log Wk6

It has been 6 weeks of this crap. Skip to the summary at the end if you desire...

Day 36: Worked for 23min with a stuffed pigs ear. We did 30sec, 60, 20, 180, 70, 8min, 60, 5min.

Yay! We did an 8 min trial today!!! He also at the bone the entire time, and I was able to leave for 1 min on only the second departure!

Day 37: Worked for a whopping 40min with a new steer stick, and tricky treat ball mainly. Started with the stuffed ear for 45sec, he chose the bully stick for 30-N. I got out a new steer stick for 120, 10, 8.75min-N (he ate for 7min, stood up, and then sat back down to wait), 10sec-N. Stuffed ear for 20sec, 60-N (ate for 45sec). Got out TT ball with kibble and treats for 3min, 7.25min-N (it apparently fell down the stairs after 3.5min, he was under the kitchen table for the remainder), 60sec, 4min.

This was an interesting session. I was bummed that he wasn't wanting the bully stick or the stuffed pigs ear, but apparently he was ok with a steer stick (go figure). I don't know if I jumped time to high or if he just wasn't into it, but he didn't make it the 8.75min trial. At least he was content for 7 min of it! What really bums me though is that even though he isn't majorly stressed and is quiet when he's not eating his bone by the end of the trial, he is obviously too stressed to even chew a bone for any amount of time on the next trials. Unfortunately, I had left the basement door open a crack for the cat on the TT ball trial and it rolled down the stairs. The stairs are steep, and Vito knows he's not allowed in the basement anyway, so he hid underneath the table for the rest of the trial. I don't know if he "hid" because he thought I would be upset, or if he was really more anxious than the other sessions. He was quiet during that time, but it seems like a shut down behavior that Vito is good at doing at the slightest hint of tension in my demeanor.

Day 37, session 2: Worked for 20 min with a new stuffed pigs ear. Started 10-N (with pb rawhide chip), 20, 60, 5 (with steer stick), 210, 30, 8.5min, 200.

Great session. Longest time was 8.5min and he ate the bone every time but the first.

Day 38: Worked for 20min the the stuffed pigs ear from yesterday. Started with 45, 120, 20, 4.5min, 60. 9.25min (also with a dried sweet potato for the first 4min), 30-N, 10, 30, 180-N, 5-N.

Good session. Got up to 9.25min!!! I think he was thirsty on the last few as I forgot to bring in the water and he drank a lot when finished.

Day 39: Worked with a variety of stuff. Started with a new stuffed pigs ear for 60sec. Used a steer stick for 15, 105, 20, 4min-N (only ate for 10sec). Back to stuffed ear for 10-N, 10-N. Back to steer for 10, pb chip for 10-N, steer for 10sec. Got out tricky treat ball for 120sec, 8.5min-N (played for 6.5min, then kinda showed interest off and on for the remaining).

Not the greatest. Vito wasn't interested in his bones much at all. The tricky treat ball was ok, but it was a bit wet inside since I had to clean it out and the kibble/treats got a bit wet. This may be why he was more reluctant to play with it after 6.5min, maybe not...

Day 40: Started with a new big bully stick for 60sec, 45-N, 20, 60, 5-N. A new stuffed ear for 15-N. Back to big bully for 10, 20-N. A small steer stick for 10, 20, 60, 90, 180, 20. All bones for 5min-N, 30-N, 5.5min-N.

Again he really wasn't interested in his bones. I was really excited too about the prospect of a new big bully but if anything he preferred the smaller and used steer stick. At least he remained on his dog bed and seemed fine on the 5min departures.

Day 41: Started with the big bully stick for 30sec, the steer stick for 45sec, stuffed ear for 60sec-N, big bully for 20-N, steer for 60sec, 135-N. All bones for 4min-N (ate for 30sec), 8.5min tricky treat ball (played for 8min).

And once again didn't care about the bones. AFter the 135-N, and 4min-N trial he was panting when I came in. That worries me. On the 8.5min trial with the tricky treat ball, the ball crashed into the recycling and made a large noise at 8mins. I think this scared him as he went immediately to his bed, stared at it for awhile, and then just waited till I came back.

Day 41, session2: Started with the steer stick for 15sec, 30, 60, 15, 120, 10. I got out a new big bully stick (not quite as big as gigantic bully stick used earlier) and did 60sec, 4.5min, 45, 8.75min, 30.

Good session. Apparently he's like Goldilocks and thinks the big bully stick is too big, but a slightly smaller one is perfect. So I will now refer to the bone used today as bigbully2. Longest time done today was 8.75min.

Day 42: Started with big bully stick for 60sec, switched to big bully2 for 60sec, 20, 3.75min, 90, 10.5min, 60, 10, 8.25min.

Yay! Longest trial was 10.5min and he ate his bone the entire time. The last trial I had planned on doing another 10min departure but I saw my upstairs neighbors coming home and that usually gets Vito to stop eating. So I decided to end it right before they came up their stairs.

Week 6 Summary:
Well clearly this is going to take longer than I had originally thought. Most dogs are completely cured of SA in 6-8wks (at least that's what the books say!) but I think it'll be at least another 3 weeks for Vito. And since we basically started in week 3 of the program, we suck. Maybe I'm just too conservative on departures, I don't know. But either way we finally conquered the 10 min milestone today!!! I'm at least hoping that the first 10 minutes are the hardest to get and now we can hopefully work up to 20-30 minute departures quickly. In other positive news, we are also able to start out with a 60sec departure right away and quickly build.

May Lance's good fortune smile upon us

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Kitties, plastic bags, and baby gates, oh my!

I'm fairly certain that little Vito has been going through a fear period the last 2 weeks. He is 7.5 months old now and is suddenly a lot more skittish about changes in his environment.

The funniest example, to me anyway, occurred a couple evenings ago. We had just put the ferrets away and were taking down the baby gate to let the dogs outside when suddenly all the fur on Vito's back when straight up and he started his high pitch shrill barking. I think I heard a couple of growls in there too as Vito refused to move into the kitchen. At first we had no clue what was going on, and I was just about ready to believe that someone could be in the house, when we saw IT. The cat, the same cat Vito has been living with and even wrestling with for the past 5 months, was sitting on the small cat tree. It was utterly terrifying! Adam had to actually go up to Luke and pet him before Vito would even consider setting a foot in the kitchen.

Other scary things have been plastic shopping bags with a few items falling off the couch, a toaster oven that fell, baby gates he has bumped into (thankfully these ones didn't fall), certain people (especially the ones reaching towards him), and I'm sure some more examples I can't think of. Each time I make sure to work with his fear and get him ok with the scary objects. I start out just giving him treats for being in the same area, and then quickly shape Vito into doing a nose touch on the object. Once he is fine with a quick touch, I then try and move the object while rewarding Vito for not freaking out. I just hope this fear period is over soon!

Now a potentially deadly combination, kitty and a plastic bag!!!

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