Yesterday I introduced Aim For It from Agility Right From the Start. Europe didn't have clicker people telling them how to clicker train, so they came up with some different techniques. Their techniques aren't wrong. . . just different, and we can learn a lot from them.
So in Aim For It, you lead your dog to an object. Right now we're working on getting "on" the object. So when Zane's head is forward, I click and position the reward so he has to take a step or two toward the object. Then while his head is still facing forward, click and position the treat a couple of steps ahead. Keep going until he is on the object. (You can also do over, through, around, under, etc. Right now we're just doing on.) Then you "transport" them back to the starting position.
Yesterday we did this game with a cushion and a plastic brick. Breakthrough with the brick. . . he moved right for it and put both front feet on. Today we did it with a cardboard box. I'm trying to do it with as many different surfaces as I can. Again, he moved right for the cardboard box, so he is getting the idea.
We may have had a breakthrough with our downs also. Chris Bach of the Third Way has you take the dog under your leg so they fold back into the down, then you always work on down/maintain. Your finger pointing to the ground becomes the cue for this. Zane would go under my leg easily. He would maintain the down, even if I moved my leg, but he wouldn't do a down without the leg. To him, this was "go under the leg" not "down". He even voluntarily went under the leg without a cue. So tonight I had his floor cord on. I kept it short and maintained light pressure forward. I had food in one hand cued with the finger. It took him awhile, but he did finally fold back. Then we did it two more times and I gave him the rest of his dinner. The last one was fairly fast - he was getting the idea, so I wanted to end on success. This was a hard concept for him, and the first time he's really had to work through that kind of pressure.
Late this afternoon the clouds rolled in and it cooled off enough to work outside. I spent about an hour hacking our tumbleweed. About 4 times I called Zane, and he came running flat out every time. It was so cute! One time he had to struggle through a downed tumbleweed, but he succeeded and got to me. What a good boy!
Zane also got to go swimming. I have a client who has a 10mo German Shepherd with Pano. He's an active dog and needs lots of exercise, but his joints can't handle it right now. So to the pool we went. While he was taking a break midway through his session, the other trainer said, "Put Zane in." So the Shepherd's owner took him in, eased him into the water, and helped him swim to the ramp. I think we're going back this weekend!
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