I tried to post this yesterday but it got messed up :( Now I'll write it all out again...
This weekend was BRAG's CPE trial and a Wild Weaver's AKC trial in Grove City. Saturday, Dexter went to the AKC trial with my mom in the morning - I was at the CPE trial and would come to the AKC trial in the afternoon. Dexter is still not very happy w/the BRAG building so I was interested to see how he would act at the ranch. Well - mom said he was a little nervous in the morning, so she just let him stay in his crate in the crating area to "take in" everything while in a secure place. She took him and Fada out at some point, and he was starting to get more comfortable and played with Fada and a toy outside. He was also chewing his toys in his crate, so obviously feeling pretty OK.
When I got there, he opened up even more. I took him into the arena where the rings were, and at first he was a little hesitant but quickly got over it (yay!). He played some with a BC puppy and an Italian greyhound. Later, after most people were gone (the excellent classes were over) I took him alongside the rings and was walking and running him back and forth, and doing sits and downs a little. He was completely comfortable. YESSSSS! I was very happy to see Dexter acting very much like a "normal dog" in a scary place.
Saturday evening, Dexter got to play outside in the snow at our house. I'm not sure if he ever saw snow at Carol's up in Michigan, but boy does he love it!!! He got the zoomies, and would lower his head while running and scoop up mouthfuls of snow. Too funny...
On Sunday he came to the CPE trial in the morning. He was great in the office, with lots of dogs and people, which was fantastic. I briefly brought him out to the training floor - which was still intimidating for him. I think I am just going to have to work with just him in the building, then him and another, quiet dog, and build it up until it has more dogs and people there.
We went to the AKC trial again in the afternoon, and he was great again. But exhausted! He was wiped out from the adventures earlier in the day and the day before I think. Overall, Dexter had a great weekend.
12.09.2008
12.03.2008
Dexter - yesterday's training sessions
Yesterday after I got home from work, Dexter and I had another short session. Ok... well I thought it was short, but as the video below shows it was almost 5 minutes. He kept his attention pretty well, but it was still too long. We worked on touching the target again, which he did pretty well. However, he is now defaulting to laying down. The night before, I had started to briefly work on the "down", but it was making him act very strangely. He would do it fine for a few repetitions, and then he'd back way up all of the sudden and not want to come close to me. I am not sure if he is unsure what he's supposed to be doing maybe? Maybe with no "prop" like the target dish he feels uncomfortable? Not sure.
In any case, while working on touch, he kept wanting to lay down while he did it. I was trying to only click for nose touches while he was standing.
After target touches, I was going to work on down again, but as soon as I remove the target, you can kind of see how he laid down a few feet away from me, didn't want to move. So I quickly decided to nix that idea and do a hand touch instead - he HAS to be close to me to touch my hand!! He picked up on the hand touch pretty quickly. I worked on hand touch again for a quick minute or two during dinner, and he also did well there. I will start working on the hand touch without my hand directly in front of his face (slightly above his head, etc, so he has to work for it)
Tonight I am teaching BRAG class, and am going to go down a little bit ahead of time to take him in one of the office rooms to work on his touch and feed him food. He is still intimidated by the building so I really want to work on getting him comfortable.
In any case, while working on touch, he kept wanting to lay down while he did it. I was trying to only click for nose touches while he was standing.
After target touches, I was going to work on down again, but as soon as I remove the target, you can kind of see how he laid down a few feet away from me, didn't want to move. So I quickly decided to nix that idea and do a hand touch instead - he HAS to be close to me to touch my hand!! He picked up on the hand touch pretty quickly. I worked on hand touch again for a quick minute or two during dinner, and he also did well there. I will start working on the hand touch without my hand directly in front of his face (slightly above his head, etc, so he has to work for it)
Tonight I am teaching BRAG class, and am going to go down a little bit ahead of time to take him in one of the office rooms to work on his touch and feed him food. He is still intimidated by the building so I really want to work on getting him comfortable.
12.02.2008
Breakthrough!
I got home last night and we had to leave pretty quickly for a hockey game, so I didn't get to work w/Dexter right after work. However, when we got home from the game, it was late (10pm) but the dogs still needed fed, so I took Dexter and his bowl of food into the office. Andy stayed out in the living room so that when Panic was done eating she would just hang out with him and not get upset (and barky!) since I was working w/Dexter. Also the TV was up pretty loud, so I'm not even sure she knew I was clicking.
I have been working with Dexter with the milk crate to teach him about clicker. However, he wasn't really getting it. I felt like he knew the clicker meant a treat was coming, and what he was doing is what caused it, but he wasn't really into it. I was working on it the other day and noticed it was throwing funny shadows, and thought it might be intimidating for him to walk in to. So, last night I had a change of plans, and got out a tupperware lid to work on "touch". I probably won't ever use a nose touch to a target (at least for agility) so I'm not too concerned about this behavior, but thought it would work well for getting him excited about shaping. It worked! First off - he was still very jazzed because we had just gotten home, and I had a whole BOWL of food which excited him. I think that may have helped. He got it SO quickly. He did the whole thing where you can see them pause and think about it. He stood there, with his head down and level with his spine, wrinkled his brow, and it was almost like I could see his thought process... "Hmmm I just got clicked... what was it for... oh this lid!!" and he'd stand up and go pounce on it with his nose. His tail just was wagging like crazy the entire session. After a minute I took him outside to potty again, then brought him back in. He started trying slight variations, which is GREAT! He was really seeing what exactly was getting the reward. He tried pawing it, mouthing it, pushing it with his nose, etc.
We also started to work on "down". He started out by doing the cutest thing. I was luring as well as clicking for the down, and with the treat in my hand, my hand on the ground by his feet, he would start to DIG like crazy at the carpet! I'd love to click for that, how cute would a Dig trick be?? However, I wanted the down, so we will work on "dig" later.
Things I am going to work on for now:
Nose touch
Down
Sit
Restrained Recalls
Tugging
I have been working with Dexter with the milk crate to teach him about clicker. However, he wasn't really getting it. I felt like he knew the clicker meant a treat was coming, and what he was doing is what caused it, but he wasn't really into it. I was working on it the other day and noticed it was throwing funny shadows, and thought it might be intimidating for him to walk in to. So, last night I had a change of plans, and got out a tupperware lid to work on "touch". I probably won't ever use a nose touch to a target (at least for agility) so I'm not too concerned about this behavior, but thought it would work well for getting him excited about shaping. It worked! First off - he was still very jazzed because we had just gotten home, and I had a whole BOWL of food which excited him. I think that may have helped. He got it SO quickly. He did the whole thing where you can see them pause and think about it. He stood there, with his head down and level with his spine, wrinkled his brow, and it was almost like I could see his thought process... "Hmmm I just got clicked... what was it for... oh this lid!!" and he'd stand up and go pounce on it with his nose. His tail just was wagging like crazy the entire session. After a minute I took him outside to potty again, then brought him back in. He started trying slight variations, which is GREAT! He was really seeing what exactly was getting the reward. He tried pawing it, mouthing it, pushing it with his nose, etc.
We also started to work on "down". He started out by doing the cutest thing. I was luring as well as clicking for the down, and with the treat in my hand, my hand on the ground by his feet, he would start to DIG like crazy at the carpet! I'd love to click for that, how cute would a Dig trick be?? However, I wanted the down, so we will work on "dig" later.
Things I am going to work on for now:
Nose touch
Down
Sit
Restrained Recalls
Tugging
11.27.2008
Dexter - Tunnel
Yesterday my mom, Andy, and I took Dexter and Fada to the BRAG building. Dexter did get to go to the BRAG building on Monday for Neat's class, however that was a bad decision since that class is probably the loudest, highest drive, barkiest class I could have taken him too. It was a little overwhelming. However in an empty building with Fada there, it was no problem! Lots to check out. He was *very* adventurous, even climbed a mountain of sandbags and walked across some wobbly broad jump boards (mini dog-walk or teeter?). We introduced the tunnel to him. We didn't want to shrink it too much, because as mom learned with Fada, for dogs that small, the ridges in the tunnel become obstacles themselves! He wsn't into taking treats down there, but very into getting pets, so we just did it for praise and play. Fada helped out by making it a game.
After the tunnel, we attempted to walk Dexter back and forth to get a shot of his gait. We kind of did - then Fada intervened!
And one last clip of them playing.
Dexter - Video Diary - 101 things to do with a box
I tried to do 101 things to do with a Box on Tuesday, but he was too distracted (as I mentioned in yesterday's post). We did it again yesterday when I got home from work. Fancy was outside, and Panic got put in a crate in the van. It went much better! My training session was too long - something I am often guilty of. Watch the video! Oh, and we had a lucky thing happen. Our cat is also clicker trained (somewhat), and I had the dogs put away but forgot about the cat. Well she heard the clicking and came running! Luckily she was on the other side of the crate, and lured him right in it! I should have jackpotted there. Learning experience I guess!
And Panic felt left out that she doesn't have a blog, and she is a Faux-Po after all so after we trained Dexter, we worked on shaping Panic to put four feet in a tupperware container. We got two pretty well! We'll work on that third or fourth foot today.
11.26.2008
First training post
Last night, I introduced Dexter to the clicker. I started out by charging the clicker - clicking when I said his name and he looked, and rewarding. That went well (boy do those treats have to be small though!). Then, decided to do "101 things with a box" - which was a milk crate on it's side. However then we started having distraction issues. I had shut Fancy and Panic in the bedroom so Dexter would be left alone during our training session. However, our house is a ranch, and he could easily hear them in there. Panic was crying and scratching at the door - upset that it was not *her* I was training. He kept going over to the gate which was blocking our living room from the hallway, and whining wanting to see what she was going on about. My 101 things to do with a box game quickly turned into me clicking for him coming back to me or staying with me. I'm not sure he knew what he was being rewarded for.
I think for future sessions I will have to have him around less distractions. I'm not sure what to do with the girls... Put them outside? It's cold! Maybe I can put them in crates in the van, or take Dexter over to my mom's basement... we'll have to figure it out!
I think for future sessions I will have to have him around less distractions. I'm not sure what to do with the girls... Put them outside? It's cold! Maybe I can put them in crates in the van, or take Dexter over to my mom's basement... we'll have to figure it out!
New blog!
Hello, myself and my mom (Lisa Baird) are creating this blog to chronicle the agility training and competing of our Podengos - Dexter and Fada. I will introduce myself and Dexter. We are hoping other Podengo owners will also contribute!
Dexter is a 4.5 month old PPPs (Portugese Podengo Pequeno Smooth), born 7/7/08. He just came to live with me and my husband, Andy, this past weekend. He is doing great so far! I am a clicker trainer, and have just begun to introduce the clicker to him.
I got my first dog in 1993, a Border Terrier named Peanut, and began training and showing her in both agility and conformation (Jr Showmanship). She was a difficult dog who did not have a lot of motivation, and sniffed a *lot*. Looking back on it, I am surprised I had the patience to get through the issues we faced, but it helped me to become a better trainer. My second dog, Fancy a Sheltie, I got in 1997. She was a big change from the Border Terrier! Fancy is a very fast and motivated dog, so she really helped me to become a better handler, and also helped me learn a lot about clicker training and shaping. My husband and I now have Fancy, and a mixed-breed who we got in 2006, named Panic. Panic is a fast, motivated, intelligent dog who has been a joy to train and run. We have had our issues (contacts and table in the agility ring!) but working with her has always been a lot of fun.
I am looking forward to the new challenges which Dexter will bring. I have never trained a dog as small as he is - even my Border Terrier was big for a BT, about 14". I have also never trained a hound before. I am hoping my training with the sniffy terrier will come in handy here!
I would like to start a video diary of Dexter's training, so look for some youtube posts coming up! We will likely start with tricks to teach him about learning and to build a relationship between him and me.
Dexter is a 4.5 month old PPPs (Portugese Podengo Pequeno Smooth), born 7/7/08. He just came to live with me and my husband, Andy, this past weekend. He is doing great so far! I am a clicker trainer, and have just begun to introduce the clicker to him.
I got my first dog in 1993, a Border Terrier named Peanut, and began training and showing her in both agility and conformation (Jr Showmanship). She was a difficult dog who did not have a lot of motivation, and sniffed a *lot*. Looking back on it, I am surprised I had the patience to get through the issues we faced, but it helped me to become a better trainer. My second dog, Fancy a Sheltie, I got in 1997. She was a big change from the Border Terrier! Fancy is a very fast and motivated dog, so she really helped me to become a better handler, and also helped me learn a lot about clicker training and shaping. My husband and I now have Fancy, and a mixed-breed who we got in 2006, named Panic. Panic is a fast, motivated, intelligent dog who has been a joy to train and run. We have had our issues (contacts and table in the agility ring!) but working with her has always been a lot of fun.
I am looking forward to the new challenges which Dexter will bring. I have never trained a dog as small as he is - even my Border Terrier was big for a BT, about 14". I have also never trained a hound before. I am hoping my training with the sniffy terrier will come in handy here!
I would like to start a video diary of Dexter's training, so look for some youtube posts coming up! We will likely start with tricks to teach him about learning and to build a relationship between him and me.
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