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
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