Videos of Mouse and Basil

I've developed a liking for making videos, and what better subjects than my own puppies.  Enjoy!

Mouse and Basil play with jumps and retrieves



Mouse and Basil play in the snow, Feb. 4, 2011

More dog training goals for Mouse and Basil - Private lesson notes from August 2009

Mouse and Basil had another private lesson on August 29th with Judy Ramsey.  We sure do have quite a bit of homework to do.  Here's my notes from our lesson. 

 For Basil:

1. Handler Error: I haven't been giving her very clear signals as when to when we are working, and when we aren't. I need to give obvious signals as to when she needs to be on task and when it is okay to chill.
2. Basil hesitates before jumping up and tends to swing out to the left when heeling instead of staying very close to my leg.  To fix this, I will heel to the right.  Either by pivoting or by veering to the right or by spiraling to the right, Basil will be challenged to keep right next to my leg.  I will do this at very short intervals, and release her to treats on the front of my calves.  That will teach her to wrap around close to my left leg. 
3. Right and Left Pivots.  I'll pivot to the right or left and release her immediately.  The goal is to teach her to not hesitate and to reinforce the heel position.  Teaching her to move to move with my left leg when I say heel (instead of just going forward) should reinforce that heel is a position, not a movement. 
4. Step right when I heel will also reinforce the heel position.  It should not matter if I step right, left, back, front, or pivot, Basil should stay glued to my left leg.
5. Shaping heeling - I haven't done this before as I started with other methods of heeling with Basil.  To shape it, I'll take a couple of steps and treat her. Take more steps and treat. More steps and treat. This is rewarding her for being by my side, but not necessarily teaching her the exact position. 
6. Building drive on starts - Starts are essentially the start of each exercise.  In competitive obedience, each exercise starts with the dog in heel position and the judge asking "Are you ready?"  At that point, my dog should be up (focused and attentive).  I start training for this by putting my dog in start position, then doing something fun.  I can play with a toy. Throw her a treat. Jump around. It needs to be something that makes my dog go "WHOA! What was that?" Over time, start position should be associated with something fun and interesting.  Start position = good things to come.

For Mouse:

1. Mouse also needs motivation on the line up.  This is a fairly common issue.  Many dogs can lose focus when sitting at the start up.  By pairing line ups with something fun, the dog will start to anticipate fun stuff during line ups, thus keeping the focus.
2. Alternate exercise with drive games - doing this increases endurance for motivation and speed.  By alternating adding a drive game after exercises instead of treating, this will build more endurance for focus, energy, and the expectation of working even after an exercise is completed. 
3. Teaching Mouse to motivate himself - This is a fast paced, pre-planned training method.  It is a mixture of changing positions mixed with exercise.  I should give Mouse a command, treat fast, then throw a toy, then give the come command, treat, throw toy, give command, push and play, throw toy.  This is should teach him endurance, as well, as focus to switch quickly from one activity to another. 
4. I need to do the same thing with sits to achieve faster sits. I should give the command to sit, fast treat, I change positions but not move far, sit command, fast treat, change positions, sit command, fast treat, change positions, sit command, etc......
5. Mouse needs more work on right turns. There are two different methods: the 270 turn and treating right out of the right turn.  We started 270 degree right turns after the last private lessons, but they are exceptionally difficult for any dog.  Dogs will have a tendency to lag, and the goal is to keep the dog right on your left leg or hip, depending on the size of the dog.  I'll start with the right turn, and treat Mouse upwards and almost across the front of my body as I'm turning.  As I turn, I'll shift my eyes, shoulders, upperbody, before turning.  Mouse is picking up on these cues when I turn slowly, but he isn't quite doing it quickly yet.  After he has mastered the right turn, we're going to move to 270 degree turns.  Using the same basic concept, I'll treat Mouse immediately out of the 270 degree turn, keep trucking it, 270 turn, and keep heeling, 270 turn, etc....

How to find a dog trainer.

I’ve been asked many times to recommend a trainer. While I have opinions about training methods, I feel that it is best for people to find a trainer that suits them best. With that in mind, here’s a list of guidelines and criteria I use when looking for a trainer. I also use the word handler and trainer interchangeably. Almost all trainers handle their own dogs in dog sports (except in conformation). The person handling the dog is usually the one that also trains their dog. More often than not, those handlers also have trainers. At a dog sports trial, I look for handlers and dogs that consistently perform well. I ask them where they train, and more often than not, those great handlers have the same trainer. I hang out at training facilities and watch how the trainers interact with their students (both dogs and humans) . If a trainer yells or looses his/her temper with students, I avoid. The first rule of dog training is that if you are angry or upset, stop training and cool off first. Dogs and people will pick up that you are upset. That’s going to send mixed signals to the dogs and confuse them. I also look at the trainer’s personality and interaction with the dogs. Is the trainer a leader (all mental, not physical)? Physical force is not needed to be a leader. Confidence is needed. Do the dogs find the trainer fun and interesting without the use of food? Does the trainer motivate the dog and the owners? I watch the trainer’s body language. You’ll notice that successful trainers walk confidently with their heads up high and their dogs following their lead. Unsuccessful trainers seem slumped, draggy, and seem to be pleading with the dogs to pay attention. Most if not all training methods are available online or in books. Finding the knowledge is easy. Many programs certify trainers as having said knowledge. Finding someone with the personality, temperament, and experience to be a good trainer is an entirely different story. I talk at length with trainers about their methods and their experience. If a trainer cannot fully understand the different concepts of training methods, I avoid. If a trainer doesn’t understand the difference between classical conditioning and operant conditioning, I avoid. Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are the basis of dog training. Both concepts are taught in Introductory Psychology classes. I avoid trainers that only have “one” method. These trainers tend to not be as successful as trainers who have more than one skill in their tool box. These trainers often get stuck in a rut when the only method they advocate does not work with all dogs. Having been trained in research, I’m well aware that there is no such thing as one method or theory that will solve all dog training problems. Sorry, just isn’t true. Different dogs need different methods. I watch trainers and their own dogs in public. If their own dogs are well-behaved in public, that’s a good sign. If their own dogs are NOT well-behaved in public, avoid. Being in public is key. Having a dog that is trained at a facility, but not in other locations shows me that the trainer does not know how to proof their dogs. If I ever hear the words, “But Fido is soooo good at home,” I run away fast. I ask the trainer about the function of each step in training. Each step has a function. Each word, each treat, each command, and every single praise has a function. If a trainer replies with, “That’s just the way I do it,“ I avoid. The trainer might know what to do, but if he/she cannot understand why, he or she cannot understand or offer advice on complicated issues. These types of trainers might be able to offer a quick fix for small problems, but not create a strong foundation for training. I avoid facilities that offer training without the owner. Most dog training is training the owner. Sometimes that is the more difficult part. Most of the time, behavioral problems are owner problems, not dog problems. In my opinion, there is no point in training a dog when the people having to live with the dog cannot implement the training. I look for trainers that are interested in developing a relationship with my dogs and myself. Dog training is a lifetime commitment, not an 8 week commitment. I want a trainer who understands and cares about the well-being of my dogs and doesn’t just treat me like a customer. A good trainer should want to make you a better dog owner for the lifetime of your dog, not just for the duration of the class or consultation. I also look for trainers that keep improving and keep learning. I avoid trainers with that know-it-all attitude. Every dog is different, and new training methods are being developed every day. A good trainer should be open to new ideas and trying new methods if an old method doesn’t work. You wouldn’t buy a cell phone that is 10 years old because there are probably better ones on the market. You wouldn’t only train with methods that were developed in the 1940’s now would you? I may use old methods in my training, but I also use new ones when appropriate. When I train, I look for trainers who also show in canine sports including obedience, rally, agility, or etc…While many people say that they just want their pets to have manners, good manners are built on a strong foundation and a strong relationship between dog and owner. Trainers that show are constantly being tested as they must show off their training skills. They must not only have a dog that behaves in at home, but also in public and with many distractions. The dogs much truly understand the concept of particular commands, and they are also proofed so that they can perform regardless of their environment. They must also perform many of the exercises off –leash on a single command. That type of performance can only be achieved if there is a strong handler/dog bond. Many trainers can teach a dog to sit and down on command in a controlled environment, but not many can train and handle a dog in a canine sport. However, not all trainers need to show in canine sports to necessarily be a good trainer. Not all trainers that show in canine sports are good trainers. Regardless of what you are looking to accomplish with your dog, I urge you to look for someone that has the knowledge, experience, skills, and personality that fits what you and your dog. Happy Training!

Dog Training Goals for Mouse and Basil

I had my first private lesson with Judy Ramsey @ Dogwood Dog Training in Houston today. We've been going to competitive classes with Judy and Debbie, but now my schedule only permits private lessons now. Boy are we glad to be back with Dogwood.

A few things for my kiddos to work on:
Basil: needs to be taught precise heel position. Many dogs guess at where heel position is, but we're going to teach Basil exactly where it is. When in a sit position, her neck should be lined up to my left pant seam. The exercises to do this follow:

1. With Basil in sitting position, say "sit", I step right and say "close", and Basil should follow ending up in perfect heel position.
2. With Basil in sitting position, I will say "heel" and move my left foot forward and to the right. My foot should land to the right of my right foot. Basil should move with my left foot and end of in heel position next to my left foot. The purpose of this exercise is to teach her to follow my foot, and not just move forward. This will teach her to heel close, instead of out wide. Heeling wide is a common small dog habit.
3. With Basil in sitting position, I will say "heel", and step forward with my left foot. She should follow my left foot. After she has mastered a single step, then we'll move onto two, three, and four steps. This is to teach her where heel position is whether or not my left foot is moving.
4. Right Pivots: With Basil in sitting position, I will say "heel", and step clockwise (to the right) with my left leg. She should move to the right with my left leg. This will teach her to hug close and tight to my left even when I am moving right. If I keep repeating this pattern, I will eventually make a hexagon shape with my foot pattern.


Additionally, I'll use rulers or pvc to keep her from heeling wide. With the rules or pvc to the left of both of us, it will encourage her to keep from going wide and sticking close to me as we move. Dogs will naturally stay further away from random things on the floor, unless they are attracted to them of course. To do the right pivots with pipe, I can place pipe in a hexagon shape and work my dog inside the hexagon. Over time, the dog will continue to stay close to me even if we are far away from the rulers or pvc. Then we can fade out the rulers or pvc. I also need to be really low key with Basil as she is easily excitable. I used to let her bounce around, but now there will be no more bouncing. No bouncing in the show ring!

Mouse: Need to build drive and motivation for heeling. From now on, we will not heel from a sitting position. We'll do 80% from standing, and 20% from a sitting position. We will also never heel "Slow". We will always heel fast and reward Mouse in the forging position. The final goal is to get him to heel at least 100 ft at a fast without lagging. Also, I will start incorporating 270 degree right turns into the heel pattern with "get-its" immediately out of the turn. Then a very short heel (15 feet) then another 270 degree right turn. Over time, I should start doing variable rewards after the turn. More jackpot rewards for Mouse.

May 7th Training

With less than 10 days to our obedience match, I took the kids out to Central Market Westgate's Parking lot for some work. While it was hot and humid, Basil was always on the ball. Mouse was my concern as it appears that he had forgotten the "get" command (jump to get a treat from my right hand). The "get" command is the foundation for all of the exercises, and how he forgot it overnight is beyond me. After several days of slowly reteaching it, he's finally catching on, again. Now I need to work on his motivation, some fun games, the recall, and the right finish. Whew. I'm supposed to be writing the basics of teaching a retrieve now, but that will come in the next post. Training my dogs can be mentally draining.