OH Tuesday Coaching Session, June 22

Criteria

• Keep the dog below threshold while increasing distractions
• Loose leashes first and foremost
• Be aware of where your dog's threshold and training level are and adjust accordingly
• Begin adding Duration and/or Distance when appropriate in any of the below activities.

June 22 Activities

• Have the dogs' full attention before allowing them to exit the car using L1,2 behaviors including Watch L2, Zen L1, 2 Target, Sit, Down
• OTR anywhere within the parking area: difficulty and distractions based on the individual dogs' thresholds: L1,2; Zen, Target, Sit, Down, the Come Game, Watch.
• To help prepare for Thursday's class at Mission Animal Hospital including LL steps 1and 2, floor Zen, Rally - Left about Turn, Where Can Your Dog Rest?
• Group Sit/Down
• Group Walk w/o clicker or treats

The first video is of Rooster learning Left About Turn at home before taking it to OH

The second video is taking what we practiced at home in the kitchen, OTR at OH. We also have been practicing this move on walks and training outside around Hemet.

The last video is the Come Game but the stakes have changed for Rooster. I am holding the camera and not playing the game, ( you will notice him glancing in my direction occasionally) Karen and Beth are working with Rooster, there are more distractions, people walking by, a barking dog in the background, treats from "Ground" Zen still on the asphalt, and Rooster remains in the game even managing a default sit.

These videos are a small example of what we did today. We spent a lot of time with all the dogs working together including walking side by side, passing, weaving in and out around sitting dogs and the same with the dogs downed next to each other. This was done with all the normal OH morning distractions including trash trucks, cars, dogs, birds, people and children in all sizes.

Every dog has made huge gains in the ability to maintain below threshold with lowered reactivity.

The coaching sessions at OH are paying off for both the trainers and their dogs.

After Mentoring at BP Dog Park or Levels by/in the Pool June 17

Criteria

Rooster needs to have pool manners. All labs swim, but self control with Levels at/in the Pool? That is our Summer challenge.

• Watch and be In the Game in a high emotion location ... the pool
• Exhibit Pool Zen
• Enter the pool on cue
• Level 1, 2, behaviors by and in the water
• Water doodle (our version of LL swimming)

If you notice, Rooster is dry, that means he just entered the pool area. In the past he entered in a frenzy and our goal is to enter calmly and get in the water where I choose on cue. Our version of doodling is him following me to the other end of the pool without a lure.

I lied, Rooster is dry in this shot, but again this was level 1 by the pool, Get In, my decision, and our version of water doodling.

An amazing thing, I was concentrating on Rooster's manners before throwing the toy in the pool so I never realized until too late that he was giving me the Come Game by leaving the toy with me and immediately swimming out to get it again. So the Game (criteria) must change.

My criteria here was for a little Zen and I got more than I thought I was getting...the result is the dog is smarter than the trainer.... how is this for generalizing?

Still using the original criteria because I wanted Rooster to jump in the water after the toy.

Eventually I want to be able to cue him to jump in so I don't want to loose the behavior.

A criteria change

So now I changed the criteria to the Come Game, not expecting him to get out of the water, Sit, or Down. I didn't get the instant turn and swim out again as I did before but Rooster may be getting tired. We will try again tomorrow. Perhaps I won't throw the toy so far initially either making the behavior easier. I just love all this BMO stuff.........and Rooster does too

ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END.....

Unfortunately the fun must end because my other life is calling.

Rooster knows exactly how to use a beach towel. He always helps out before going inside.

Tomorrow is another day .... :o)

Oceanside Harbor Coaching June 15

The Criteria

Maintain and/or Increase Balance and Self Control

• maintain below threshold in an area of multiple distractions
• maintain below threshold in potentially reactive situations
• provide the opportunity for the dog/trainer team to experience in a planned way, distractive and reactive situations.
• provide the vehicle (L1, L2, behaviors ) which support the dog in maintaining or regaining threshold including: Watch, Zen, sit, down, target, Come Game
• Loose leashes first and foremost
• Be aware of where your dog is and adjust accordingly

Today we addressed the above Criteria by practicing the following :

To help the dogs get focussed in the car before exiting we will do L1 behaviors and include Watch

Rise and Shine Rooster..... Watch is something we spend a lot of time with and Rooster does not leave the car until I have his attention. Today he was amazing and at OH no less. When he is above threshold he will not give me his eyes. All the clicking on the video seems confusing but Jan and Nad were right next to us. The dogs seem to be able to tell the difference.

Target, another in car behavior and again Rooster is in the game.

Rooster is in the game so we added duration and distance to Zen.

Rooster earned his ticket to exit the car! After the prerequisite doodling

we moved on to LL step 1 and step 2. and other behaviors to help prepare for Thursday June 24, class.

LL Step 1 collar pressure...There is room for improvement here, not Rooster's but mine. Next time I will be better organized with the treats.

LL step 2, Dog keeps the leash loose while the dog stands in one spot for 5 seconds, then walks 5 steps forward and turns around. Rooster remains in the game. Rooster has a default sit so I need to encourage him to stand for five seconds. We have been working on standing for duration at home and will continue.

It seems to me that Rally is organized doodling so we added a bit of organization to our doodling by accepting the Flip Challenge 3.... Rally behavior Left About Turn

Even with the distractions in the area, a glance back and Rooster remained focussed. For him this is an accomplishment especially as there was a child included.

We Practiced for Flip Challenge 2: Where Can Your Dog Rest? It seemed like the perfect opportunity as we were there and so were the distractions. Also, Jan was there for encouragement. We have not worked this close to the Jolly Roger before but stayed out in the parking lot. Working at BP has provided the courage to forge ahead.

This was right at the front door of the Jolly Roger. It is the entire unedited video. Rooster was aware of what was happening around him but remained below threshold even with two men working near-by. He calmed even more as the time progressed. This was a first for Rooster and hopefully it will be the beginning of steady improvement. In the future as we continue practicing this behavior, I will hopefully not have to c/t quite as much.

The Bonus..... Rooster had such a good day I promised him a swim when we got home and then I couldn't leave well enough alone and had to toss in POOL ZEN... BMO

I have been shaping Rooster to get in the pool where I choose rather than just jumping in for a tossed toy. We also practice L1 in the pool, our version of BMO. (would that be dog-quacize ?) The Pool Zen is a challenge because the treat tends to float away.

THE END... ROOSTER HAD A LONG, GOOD, DAY TRAINING AND IS DONE.

OH Tuesday Coaching Group June 8

The Criteria

Maintain and/or Increase Balance and Self Control

• maintain below threshold in an area of multiple distractions
• maintain below threshold in potentially reactive situations
• provide the opportunity for the dog/trainer team to experience in a planned way, distractive and reactive situations.
• provide the vehicle (L1, L2, behaviors ) which support the dog in maintaining or regaining threshold including: Watch, Zen, sit, down, target, Come Game

This was a good session with lots of learning going on. Today only Karen/Webster and Rooster/Cathy were at OH. Both dogs arrived excited and over threshold as noted by snapping up treats or ignoring them.

After practicing, watch, car Zen, puppy push-ups, both dogs relaxed and joined the game.

1. They were able to LL walk around the area separately, pass each other, and walk next to each other w/ appropriate manners.
2. They were either able to rise above distractions or quickly recover from them by support and reinforcement of L1 behaviors.
3. Rooster's Come Game is greatly improved especially after leaving the berry covered ground for a cleaner area.
4. He is becoming comfortable working between two people as opposed to with just one as at home.

Come Game w/ Distractions; Sit and Down w/ Distractions and Duration

THE CRITERIA:

• Play the Come Game w/ default sit, in different areas
• remain below threshold and in the game as distractions change

THE CRITERIA:

• L1, Sit and Down
• L2, Come
• Remain below threshold / in the game in different locations with different distractions
• Work off leash

Oceanside Harbor June 1

Working with L1 behaviors in the Jolly Roger Parking lot

Our criteria for the Harbor included:

• working below threshold with the numerous distractions including people, dogs, birds, harbor sounds, and smells
• practice L1 skills including BMO
• linking behaviors
• giving the dogs the opportunity to work L1 behaviors with a different trainer