3/18/10: SESSION PLAN

Cathy and Rooster

Sandi and Lily

Jan, guest trainer

CHUTES and LADDERS

for Duration

DownStay

SitStay

Deliver the treat IN POSITION

The Click ends the behavior; it's the dogs choice

Zen

Know your criteria

L2 SIT

L2 DOWN

How to change the cue

Formula: New Cue + Old Cue + Behavior + C/T

Building trust and weaning off treats

With a dependable behavior (Sit or Down)

LEASH

Step 1: Collar Pressure

seated: left side, then right side, then forward, then back (careful to keep pressure light

and not activate the dogs Opposition Reflex

from seated the next step is done standing

re-teach with a bit of leash: first left side, then right side, etc

Use it: The Got Leash? Game

see videos

Step 2: Off leash

Step 3: On leash

QUESTION: How are you C/T this? Are you explaining something? Or are you bribing?

It's all in the timing of the click and the delivery of the treat.

Step 4: Single Focal Point (next Step in Leash: L2)

Life reward

Treat on the ground

Keep leash loose; allow to snif

The Look at That Game

Click for looking and behaving appropriately, deliver treat when re-orienting to trainer

See video example

ZEN

Re-teach from the beginning

(Whenever you change ANYTHING about a behavior make everything else easier!)

Sandi teach L1 Zen to Lily from scratch.

Put the hand with the treat RIGHT IN FRONT OF Lily's nose.

We want her to clearly understand her job.

Her job is to ignore the treat.

This is CONTRACT TRAINING. You give me what I want and THEN I'll give you what you want.

Cathy and Rooster:

L1 hand Zen with duration

L1 Zen: Before Moving On (Chair Zen)

flick treat off of the chair after clicking

L1 Zen: variation

Chair Zen but giving Rooster a treat from her other hand INSTEAD OF flicking the treat off of the chair (and all the reasons why)

Retrieve L2

Touching different objects

Do not let go of the object

Re-read Retrieve for the why-fors and reasons why

Important at this level that the dog is willing to touch ANYTHING

TWO-FERS

Use in Target

Use in Retrieve

Use in Watch

THE COME GAME

Using Chutes and Ladders to increase distance

Recognizing when the DOG understands the game

Being In the Game and knowing when to quit

Variations:

playing with multiple people

adding more people one more at a time (more Chutes and Ladders)

And, still in Level 1 Come (Before Moving On)

add a default Sit to the Come

add a collar touch to the Come

put the leash on and off to the Come

Make the investment NOW in this wonderful behavior.

.....and we never got to the stairs! Next time.

* * *

As you finish each behavior in every Level, take a few minutes to consider:

HOW you can use it

WHERE you can use it

WHO can get the behavior from your dog

WHAT you can change about it to make it more useful to you