Mentoring Session: 7/29/10

5 Flips and not a single one ever got turned on. But what a day of training we have had! It is deserving of documentation nonetheless.

Car Zen. Getting the dogs attention. Walking across the bridge in one direction and then back the other on Lazy Leashes. Using the cracks in the sidewalk to Chutes and Ladders between C/T.

Our goal for the morning: to walk on Lazy Leashes and do Level 1 behaviors on mats under threshold between the sidewalk and the entrance to the Dog Park. The dogs were all HUGELY successful. L1 behaviors at the fence to the Dog Park. Reward? Sniffing visiting dogs between the fence itself.

MILESTONE for Webster. His first trip inside a dog park. Karen learned the patience of waiting for Webster to find her and check in. Karen learned the value of cheese....and the value of not calling Webster unless she was positive that he would respond to her cue. She waited him out and then, when he checked in, she made it worth his while. Next time, Rooster may have a similar dog park MILESTONE! We're all learning to work where our dogs are.

Lily recalled to her whistle and spent time LL in the dog park and then, leash off to run and play.

Lunch on the patio of the Food Court at No Island. OOS for well over 3-minutes. Resting quietly under tables while trainers ate. LL onto and leaving the base.

Training in the unfenced dog run at Coronado Cays. Lily and Nad were let off leash and recalled several times. Rooster and Webster remained leashed. There was a soccer camp going on. L1 and L2 work of the trainer's choice at their own personal concrete trash container and bench. Lynn and Lily practiced outdoor seizure response work on the grass near Nad working and with Nad running off leash.

Then on to the small fenced dog run at the Navy Marina where Webster got some COME practice.

Coaching was again discussed. Car Zen criteria was discussed. Car entry and exit was discussed as part of the car "safety" package.....and, again, criteria. Talked about sniffing and attention and the ability of our dogs to work on grass and still have trainer awareness. We exchanged dogs.

Jan and Cathy discussed the coaching agenda sheets at the very beginning of our session and then I forgot to lead the discussion back to the coaching topic over lunch, so we will need to pick that thread up again after Karen joined us. How easily we get distracted when participating in a camp or in a game and forget our criteria.

Karen, Cathy and Jan. Please contribute to this "written" Flip of today's session. There were so many things of value that we all learned and witnessed. A great day. Thanks, all.

Freedom Dogs Baseball

FD Baseball

....and so, it all began with a ball, 2 mits, and Richard

ZEN: Believe it or not, that is what is occurring here. Nadador, Webster, Logan, and Tommy are put on a DOWN with all of this excitement going on in front of them. Rooster is experiencing ZEN with runners stepping over him and around him.

Ferry Landing Market Place

Look at those loose leashes!

Webster and Rooster demonstrate Pigeon Zen

Karen and Webster - Ambassadors for Freedom Dogs

Rooster takes it all in stride.

Jan and Lily show a real life application of LEASH: L2 (Trainer stands in one spot with the dog on a loose leash. The dog keeps the lead loose for 60 seconds with one distraction. Trainer may NOT talk to the dog. This Level is about testing Loose Leash as a default behavior.)

We ended this session sitting on the grass, dogs (and trainers) relaxed and content to let the pigeons, dogs and people pass us by.

LEASH: Level 2: Step 4

"Click and Lick"

Jan and Lynn have exchanged dogs and are working Step 4. Cathy and Karen have exchanged dogs and are working on "Sniffing Zen". Briann is working Miller on Lazy Leash and getting him In the Game. Miller is no longer interested in treats.

The smells in the grass trump even the higher value treats for Rooster. Although his leash isn't loose, he continues moving with Karen as she makes their way down to the sidewalk. At this point, Rooster is even more interested in the grass than he is in passing dogs.

Jan and Lynn continue working Step 4 while Karen and Cathy have beautiful loose leashes passing on the sidewalk, using very few C/T.

No one reacted to the passing dogs. We exchanged dogs once again. Briann has ended Miller's session.

Much lower level of C/T was necessary at this point. A sure sign of progress!

LAT: Look at That

Look at That is to acknowledge and reward for looking at the distraction without reacting. Click the moment the dog looks. Rooster is beginning to understand the concept. In this Flip, notice that his intensity is much lower and he recovers almost instantaneously.

This was not the only dog who was walked through our training area. If you listen to the clicking carefully, you will be able to tell that the training went on uninterrupted. Lily was off leash. Working at this location adjacent to the Dog Park with all of its morning traffic, and the coaching sessions at Oceanside Harbor, and the new class location at Mission Animal Hospital are all contributing beautifully to the dogs abilities to handle distractions.

The Flip below can also be found on SIT STAY from this mentoring session. But watch it carefully when Karen changes her criteria from SIT STAY to Look at That. Where is the passing dog? Where is Webster's attention? What is Karen C/Ting for?

Let me explain that again Webster. We quickly change the Criteria to Look At That when a dog walks by.

DISTANCE: Level 2

In a light hearted moment, Cathy cues Rooster to "Go 'Round" the cone.

STAND STAY: Level 2

Jan uses Chutes and Ladder to build Duration to Nadador's STAND. In Level 2, the dog must stand for 10 seconds, no Distance is added at this level.

We all decided to re-teach STAND to our dogs by shaping a backwards movement. We will see how everyone is coming at our next mentoring session in two weeks.

Webster and I are improving on our STAND. I'm not bending over with food in my hand to elicit a Stand. I still need the hand signal with the verbal cue. We interrupted our Stand Stay with Look at That as a dog walked by.

SIT STAY: Level 2

When we began working on SIT STAY, it quickly became obvious why the first "stay" behavior to be taught is the DOWN STAY. Adding Distance to the SIT was like teaching a new behavior.

Once again, Briann wisely chose to work where Miller could succeed in this environment and she continued working on Duration.

Cathy changed Rooster's location, closer to the large wall. Here Rooster found it easier to respond to the training. Good trainer decision!

Jan uses Chutes and Ladders to add Distance to Nad's Sit Stay. And she varies her direction in the process.

Let me explain that again Webster. We quickly change the Criteria to Look At That when a dog walks by.

DOWN STAY: Level 2

Each dog is working at its own level. Briann has Miller working on Duration with his Down. Cathy is seeking Rooster's working threshold. Karen and Webster begin using Chutes and Ladders to build Distance. Off to the right of the camera, Jan and Lynn are also building Distance with Chutes and Ladders, clicking while the trainer is away from her dog; returning to the dog to deliver the treat.

There were several dogs passing us, on their way to the Dog Park. Most were able to maintain their focus on the job at hand. When Rooster reacts to the two dogs, Cathy moved further away until Rooster could return her focus. Cathy did not reward this behavior.

In the middle of this exercise, Lily began interpreting my use of the words "OK" as a release cue. I never use "OK" when training, so I decided to change my criteria and extinguish this unusual and unacceptable behavior by repeating "OK" and C/T when she remained in position. After about 15 reps it appeared to disappear.

Karen reminded us of a basic tenent of training. We were all appreciative! ;*D

SESSION PLAN: 7/1/10

Cathy/Rooster

Jan/Nadador

Briann/Miller

Karen/Webster

Lynn/Lily

LOCATION: Return to the area surrounding the BP Dog Park

GENERAL CRITERIA:

· Be sure your dog is in the game before beginning session or behavior

· Keep the dog below threshold while increasing distractions

· Loose leash first and foremost

· Be aware where you dog is and adjust criteria accordingly

PLAN:

In the circular area at the top of the hill (on concrete), work on L2 behaviors building Distance:

Down Stay/Sit Stay

And building Duration on the Stand Stay (Stand Stay does not require Distance in L2)

CRITERIA: Chutes and Ladders; begin again when dog makes mistake

Look at That

CRITERIA: To overcome reactivity to any stimuli, click for looking and not reacting.

On the grassy areas and sidewalks adjacent to the Dog Park utilize Step 4 of LEASH: L2.

Introduce "Click and Lick", using a baby food jar size plastic container of pb, pb/cream cheese or canned dog food.

Exchange dogs and continue work Step 4 with the same criteria.

Work with noticeably shorter leashes.

REPORT:

As before, in the vicinity of the Dog Park, there is a steady stream of dogs arriving and departing from every direction. Without exception, the dogs lack of reactivity was noticeably improved and, when reactivity did occur, the recovery was almost instantaneous.

CGC WORK:

As planned, all teams except for Briann and Miller traveled to Coronado after the session ended at 1030. We walked from the parking lot onto North Island NAS with our dogs, where the dogs were tethered to the outside picnic tables and the trainers took turns leaving their dogs and went into the Food Court to purchase lunch, use the restrooms, etc. All dogs were left alone on tie downs for over the requisite 3-minute "Supervised Separation" (Test #10 of the CGC).

Lily was the only dog needing trainer assistance. This was on the second of 2 separations.

Because of the no photography on base restriction, we did not Flip this session.

POST MENTORING SESSION:

After leaving the base, we all moved to the Ferry Landing Marketplace (site of Camp Coronado, July 17th) where we exposed the dogs to the many Distractions found there: pigeons, children playing, bikes, pedi-bikes, strollers, etc. We traded dogs here also.

* * *

Everyone seems plagued by the need to bend forward and cueing the STAND with a hand lure. So we decided that we all will re-teach STAND by shaping it.....capturing a Stand, clicking for any backward movement.