Tricks and Training

Picklepaige

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Okay, we've done 3 sessions so far with putting her front paws on a book, and it's going well! The first session was just getting her to notice the book, so clicking whenever she looked at it. The second session was clicking anytime she interacted with it. We just had the third session (which I filmed so I'll put it up,) and the first few clicks were a continuation from the last session (touching it in anyway) then out of NOWHERE she starts to consistently put her paw on it, so the criteria was upped to that.

At the end, she put both paws on it. The session lasted about two minutes longer than that, but that's when I stopped filming. She never did put both paws on it again, so I just ended on a good note and clicked for one paw.

Any critiques? I am really new at this, so help is appreciated :)

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-mbw5zJco9Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

SaraB

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Any critiques? I am really new at this, so help is appreciated :)
I'm glad to see she's offering things trying to figure it out! That's the first step with shaping a dog, having them figure out that they have to initiate the behavior. So that's awesome! The more things you shape, the quicker and quicker she will be to offer different things.

One thing I would change is where you offer the reward. With any kind of perch work I always give the reward where I want their head to be while they are perched. If you are consistently offering the reward to one side, they will gravitate to that side. If you are consistently offering the reward where they may have to step on the perch to reach it, they will be much more inclined to step on it in the future. Reward placement is one of the key components of shaping that a lot of people miss.
 

Picklepaige

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Okay, so should I give the reward in the middle? I get a bit confused, because I see some videos of people training what I'm doing, and they'll throw the treat. I always thought that meant the dog should step away from the perch before getting the treat.

What you're saying makes a lot of sense, though. Thanks!
 

Taqroy

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Taqroy, all those look fabulous!! What I love the most is your use of reward placement, you have killer technique! Murphy is too stinkin cute, you can go ahead and send him to me anytime.
:eek: Thank you! That technique is the result of many shaping sessions gone horribly awry by my terrible placement LOL. Murphy just slays me. He's so motivated and it's impossible for me to be mad at him so working with him is just pure fun.
 

Taqroy

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Okay, so should I give the reward in the middle? I get a bit confused, because I see some videos of people training what I'm doing, and they'll throw the treat. I always thought that meant the dog should step away from the perch before getting the treat.

What you're saying makes a lot of sense, though. Thanks!
For perch work I try to reward above the object I want them on. Once they're actually putting both paws on I'll reward while they're on it and then rapid fire click/treat several times while they're still on it. Then I'll throw one off to reset the game.
 

SaraB

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For perch work I try to reward above the object I want them on. Once they're actually putting both paws on I'll reward while they're on it and then rapid fire click/treat several times while they're still on it. Then I'll throw one off to reset the game.
This.. if you watch the perch video Taqroy just posted it shows a good use of reward placement. Above the object, several rewards once the dog is on it and then toss a treat to reset the dog.

ETA: Of course she's asking the dog it get all 4 paws on the perch, but the idea is the same for 2 paws. :)
 

Sekah

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Any critiques? I am really new at this, so help is appreciated :)
I would want to see faster, more energized repetitions. If you can, I would use bite sized soft treats that the dog can eat quickly and then move on. It's a more economical use of time, especially when you're working with a dog who doesn't have much endurance for training.

Reward in place. As mentioned above, the placement of reward goes a long way to communicating to the dog what you want (and what behaviour it is exactly which is paying out via treats). If your pup holds a paw on the book for more than a second I would jackpot and reward with a string of small rewards as long as that paw stays in place. After 3-10 rewards (depending on the size of the jackpot) just release and/or lure the dog off and start over again.

Some purists would disagree, but I find some dogs do better when you're cheerleading them a bit. Feel free to chat in a happy upbeat voice while working with your dog. It helps keep them engaged and interested in the work.

Good luck! And good work thus far. I looooooove perch work.
 

PWCorgi

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Kimma is so adorable!! And so much talking :p

Her enthusiasm is awesome! Why would I walk over there when I can BOUND?!
 

PWCorgi

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I'm going back and watching the whole shaping of the hold sequence. The first session is hilarious, she's like a little shark. So freaking fast!

I want a Finkie now :p
 

AdrianneIsabel

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The progress of Backups weaves, admittedly not my best training session at 6am:
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6UFtHUQut2U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

We started using a MM lately with his miraculous new food drive. It's working nicely. For him our issue was turning on 4 as you see towards the beginning but we're working through it, I'm finding it's only if I'm on that side but seeing him process is pretty reassuring. Also I want two MMs so we can go both directions and not need him to turn back to retrieve his reward, any donators in the crowd?

Video 2, working on not shooting off, coming in, turning, blah blah blah, again, I was tired and he was himself... Don't you want a Lemur too?
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wkmeqMYlImU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
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FG167

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Love the shaped retreive :D

Backup's weaves are looking good - cute skirt!

Limit's session last night. He's a fine balance between sticking to the "rules" of what I want him to learn and losing him to his temper. So, I reward in places that are even remotely what I'm looking for even though he's bright enough to "get" what I really want. His temper, well you'll see. He gets pissed towardst he end and yells at his box LOL

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5Vtg6brLhlM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

Finkie_Mom

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Hahahaha I'm glad you guys like Kimma! Most people do until they spend a decent amount of time with her. Then she barks at them and they want to get away quickly :lol-sign:

Backup is getting those weaves!!!!! He's looking nice! I would gladly take a Lemur :)

OMG Limit is too cute. Seriously.

Here's a quick picture from during our walk:


Handstand on a tree!!!!! She's weird. I don't ask questions anymore.
 

Sekah

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We started using a MM lately with his miraculous new food drive. It's working nicely. For him our issue was turning on 4 as you see towards the beginning but we're working through it, I'm finding it's only if I'm on that side but seeing him process is pretty reassuring. Also I want two MMs so we can go both directions and not need him to turn back to retrieve his reward, any donators in the crowd?
Maybe I missed it - why do you have the MM placed at the start of the weaves? You can see that his drive to get through the poles is much nicer when it's placed in front of him. Are you working on proofing them? If so, it's a bit early for that.
 

AdrianneIsabel

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Purely because I started in that direction and we were weaving back and forth. Also his big problem is turning with impatience and for him lacking drive is never an issue, I needed him to know his job was all the way through before the reward. Not conventional, I know, and normally I wouldn't consider it but it seemed to be helping him understand his job and turning early gets him nothing. Today's session didn't see any turning at all until he'd completed 6.

I've been wrong with him before but hopefully it stays this way.
 

Brattina88

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I have been having so much fun with my two just working on a couple of random things :D One of the BEST things I have been working on is from a kikopup video... How to clicker train more than one dog, teaching patience. Having the one dog settle while working with the other. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfRrBH_beX8&feature=relmfu
I jumped on this! Because Maddie has always really struggled with this, and I have to pretty much crate her every single time I work with Bailey (or any other dog). The first session was hard, but the very next day it was like something clicked and they both got it no problem. WOW is training so much easier now!!!! :D

I am still working on Bailey jumping up, or into my arms. She'll do it consistantly now everytime I am sitting in a chair or on a couch, but anything higher like a bar stool she hesitates, she'll put her paws up, but she won't even try to jump. So I keep working in it!

I'm also teaching her roll over, since its one that everyone loves to have me show them how Maddie does it, and I keep getting asked if Bailey can do it yet :rofl1: She can be very "ehh personal space" or even hand shy, but much to my surprise she is really catching on to this quick :D

My confession.... I've been watching a TON of kikopup videos :p lol and I'd love to teach any of these "Double Dog tricks" to my two!

Quick random question.... if Bailey is not in a "settle" command like for training... she comes every single time I call Maddie. (For example when I call Maddie to me to give her her medicine, or when I call her over to groom) Is there a way I could teach Bailey not to come to Maddie's name? I never reward her for it, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for some games to play to get her used to hearing it and not bombarding me? ;)
 

SaraB

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I've been struggling with Classic lately hence the lack of training videos for him. Most of it is my impatience after getting spoiled working with the Z Girls but part of it is his intolerance to be wrong. I have done a lot of tweaking of our training sessions including how quickly I increase criteria, how long training sessions are and what I use for rewards. I think I may have finally found a good working groove for us that allows for shaping to take place without him quitting or fly-biting on me. We've been doing dinner time training sessions for the last week or so and I really, really excited about his results.

The first thing we've been working on is retraining his heel position because I wasn't completely happy with our last attempt. My criteria is that his shoulder is touching my leg and I realize this creates an exaggeration of his placement including his rear curling behind me, but I would rather have an exaggeration at this point in his training than a sloppiness. The criteria of a shoulder touch is necessary for him because it gives him something else to focus on other than his paw on the target. We have been struggling to remove the target for a long time, started with an over turned bowl then went to a disc and then a piece of paper. Right now we are on a tiny scrap piece of paper and are able to move away from it here and there. He can maintain the my criteria as long as we go back to the target every now and then but can't maintain it for too long away from it. This is a huge improvement from the first couple of sessions where he would go straight to fly-biting if we moved away from the target.

Anyways, here's the latest video!
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HU631oPCo64?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

SaraB

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Aaaand some puppy heeling. She's a little forward in this video, I blame that on the raw meat reward, LOL. Either way, I'm happy with her progress and we are going to start adding more linear heeling in there soon.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/U6_Q8q1ztWA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

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