"Never be afraid to back up to a point where your dog DOES understand.
You started this explanation with the Come Game in Level 1 so you KNOW she can do this.....
if you explain it right."
Steps 1 - 5
(All three dogs have already been trained the recall to a whistle, Step 5)
Rooster
The Come Game again.
Step 2.
We quickly saw how Rooster's default "pick up the dropped leash" distracted him from the business at hand. When Cathy removed the long line, Rooster focused on the behavior.
Jan is feeding AND interacting with Roo at this point. Step 3. This is a comfortable distance.
Now his default Sit kicks back in. We are all so grateful for that default Sit.
Cathy has added the cue back in.
Nad
Recall from someone petting. Cathy is feeding Nad and then petting him when during my recall.
I started adding collar touches. Lynn as noticed that I was pausing between calling his name and saying 'come'. I was probably waiting to get his attention to make sure he would come before I gave the cue without even realizing it.
When Nad didn't respond to the 'come' cue, I went back to 'pup, pup'.
When Nad came I treated and then hooked the leash on. I went ahead and walked in a circle instead of just putting it on and off (lumping, huh?). Then went to just putting the leash on and off.
This was the first time I called him facing backwards.. He did great!
Step 2: Comeafter
The second time I called him with me facing backwards he got a little distracted so I took a step backwards after he decided to come to me so that I would treat him for coming with me and sitting instead of wondering and eventually coming to me. However I still wanted to treat him. Then he came to me without being called; I ignored him and Cathy ‘pup, pupped’ him again so then I could call him. This time he came closer, sniffed the ground and when I didn’t feed him right away he ran back to Cathy to see if he could get something from her. When she ignored him, I ‘pup, pupped’ him and he came again (thanks, Lynn).
Lily
Lots of challenges for Lily today. No interaction with Lynn. Working with Jan and Cathy only, who took turns being the handler and being the "other person". Re-teaching this Level going through all Steps.
The Come Game
(adding the default Sit)
Step 2
This has never happened before - someone petting Lily during The Come Game.
Lily has to learn to keep 4 on the floor even when her threshold increases.
Her head bumps Jan's mouth.
Step 3
Cathy and Jan had a great discussion about Lily's threshold in the previous exercise and decide to ratchet down their enthusiasm by dropping the "pupper, pupper" and high voices and using a quiet "Lily, Come" instead. This led into a second good discussion about the need (or lack of need) for an "emergency" recall cue, about cue delivery in general and about our overall criteria and expectations for the "Come" cue. This Flip is a great example of how the dog reflects the demeanor of the trainer.
We continue to focus on the behavior, not the distance.
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