This week we had a second Skyped mentoring session planned with Robin and Jonathan in Cheyenne. But, as is often the case, the best laid plans didn't work out and Robin called in that Jonathan needed to go to the vet because of an ear infection.
THEN......I had battery problems with my car. So the Skype session that evolved was with Karen, Cathy and Jan at MAH and I Skyped from home.
But what a productive session it was! Hopefully some of it was caught on Flip.
We began the session reviewing TARGET: L1 which has grown to include an extended nose touch to the hand which we use in many different ways. The evolved behavior is STATION and cued either with the extended palm (handsignal) or the verbal cue Place. Right now we have a solid 5 second duration.
Using STATION to position dogs for other positional behaviors, SIT, DOWN and STAND. We also use this in combination with COME to a front SIT and then to move the dog with a Back Cross into Heel or Side position. Another thing that we are doing with STATION is "blocking" (as suggested by the Psychiatric Service Dog Society).
With a solid STATION, we continued work on RIGHT SIDE L7: to transpose into the BACK CROSS (cued Change). Robin and Jonathan helped us with this last week. This week's Skype session had us working the BACK CROSS off leash: first stationary, then moving a single step between Changes, and then, finally, a walking moving change of position. When working off leash we cue the dog EITHER with the hand signal OR the verbal cue.
We practiced the luring, clicking, treating motions and rhythm without dogs first - Jan leading.
Then we leashed the dogs. And, because we had changed something about the behavior (the leash) we retaught the behavior from the very beginning. All the steps. When leashed, the cue to perform the back cross becomes the leash itself. We discussed this. We want the back cross to become default. It is the DOGS job to remain with us. AND, t0 Change only when cued.
Lots of good training here. Lots of step by step work. Criteria.
NOTE: On our vested public outings, we have seen a definite need for a behavior to move the dog from one side to the other (RIGHT SIDE: L7 using the Swing Finish). Because the dogs are still learning LEFT SIDE/RIGHT SIDE L4 the usable behavior isn't taught until L5. So we adapted RIGHT SIDE L7 to the Back Cross and this is what we are teaching.)
Next we moved to the Swing Finish - LEFT SIDE/RIGHT SIDE: L4. We began by reviewing all the steps in LEFT SIDE L3 - step by step. Beginning with practicing the pivot in both directions. Cathy read from Steps and all took turns practicing solo. Everyone had been working on L4 and the dogs were anticipating the next steps~ As we have heard Sue say so often to Stitch, "Stay with the class!" But the review and the practice from scratch showed a few holes and really was worth the time spent. There is a video of it as written in Steps on it's own page (Left Side L3).
Then we reviewed Before Moving On in L3 and discovered things that we had NOT been doing. So back to clicking for contact anywhere and everywhere....making eye contact WORTH IT.
Also
LEFT SIDE/RIGHT SIDE L4: This is a chained behavior with several parts. One part involves a stick or a pole and the dog and pivoting. But another equally important part of the chain involves teaching the dog the correct footprint position. Sue describes it in great detail in L4 and tells us precisely how to build the "picture".
Last week we had worked on the pivoting, the stick, the clicking of the butt motion. This week we focused on SD footprint position. And the first baby step is for the TRAINER to position herself correctly beside the dog....using a wall or a chair or bench for help. Treat delivery is important, too. Deliver with the hand on the dog's side.
Working on both sides. "Home Base" is on the left; "Summer Cottage" on the right.
Lots to think about. Lots to review. Lots to train.
At this point, I left the session and the group continued with their training plan - STANDSTAY L3. But this time Cathy had requested that we practice it with someone else standing with the dog and the dog's owner approaching, passing and examining.
As usual, the ladies will debrief over lunch.
There were a lot of variations done on STANDSTAY L3 with using Cathy as the person coming up (as Rooster gets very excited to see her), building up to using two people coming up excitedly.
Touch was re-taught from the beginning as it is such an major part of Public Access work.
Change-L7 Right Side-Cathy & Rooster
Here is what the dogs deal with at MAH
It had actually quieted down quite a bit from earlier
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