Therapy Walk & Seminar Recap

Today we were able to use a training area and Gimme was thrilled to run free, stretch her legs and sniff and snoop.  We walked 3 miles and at the end Gimme didn't want to get in the car.  That's the first time she has done that since she was very little.  This is our first off leash walk in 10 days, so I think she was pondering whether these delightful episodes might indeed come to an end, which had never occurred to her before.  I plan to take her out again after the ORT on Sunday.

The painting and yard makeover crew put in another full day today.  The transformation from day-to-day is really astonishing.  I know I said the useable area in my yard would grow by 30 percent, but I wasn't thinking clearly.  I think its more likely to double.  Its kind of exciting...

I've been planning for quite awhile to give you a recap of the exercises we did in the Debbie Decker seminar.  She does a lot more luring than I do.  She was a good presenter and a lot of fun.  She thought Gimme was charming and talented and brilliant and gorgeous - so what's not to like.

Our first morning session was to teach the dogs to nod their head and to paw at their head. 

• Nodding was created by standing in front of the dog and simply tapping the ground between you and the dog with your foot.  The dog looks down and then you click and toss the treat down by your foot.  After they look up, you repeat.  The dogs quickly learn to anticipate and you can add a cue then.  Some dogs didn't look down and in that case, you bent your knee and tapped behind you - which worked for them.  Gimme got this faster than I mastered the mechanics of it.  Your cue word could be something you use in a sentence asking them a question - just make sure the question is asked in a way that requires a "yes" answer. 
• Paw at head was created by taping a piece of paper to the dog's forehead, then click/treat when they use their paws to try and get it off.  A couple of dogs just ignored it, so I came up with the idea of using a clicker wrist bungee around the nose and that worked to get them started.  Gimme did well at this and ate her tape/paper in lieu of a treat the third time when it stuck to her paw.  Possible cues are "shy", "nose", "cry", or "salute".

The second morning session was all focused on paw behaviors.  We were to work on paw to hand, high five, high ten, paw on either foot, and then paw lifts.  Most of these Gimme already has and most are close to being on verbal cue. 

• She will shake hands with which ever hand I present and will put her paw on whichever foot I present on cue "paw".  I've even taught her that she is supposed to use her paw that is closest to the hand or foot that is presented - i.e. no crossing over.  I say she is Ambipawstrous.
• For her high-ten we use Gimme's "pretty".  Its on cue (sort of), though we are still working on duration.  I think its a core strength issue. 
• As you know, we have been working on "high" (R) and "five" (L) for quite awhile, so we were able to show that off.
• The way we taught the paw lifts ("right" and "left") was a variation of the paw to foot.  Debbie suggested exaggerating the knee bend before bringing your foot out for the paw to foot touch and they'll quickly lift the foot in anticipation.  She thought Gimme was so smart that I could skip exaggerating and just give the paw lift cue, which is to simply bend your knee, bringing your heel up and keeping your toe on the ground.  Sure enough, she was right, Gimme was THAT smart and just did it each time.  So now I have to attach a verbal.

The first afternoon session was to teach a behavior chain - a pivot from standing front to back through your legs and then come into standing position on either side.  Which leg you move to make room for them to get under, cues the side the dog ends in.

• With the dog standing in front position (our "center") she lures them to do a 180 degree turn ("about").  Then you use the food lure to pressure/push the dog to move backward into "under".  From there the treat moves to whichever side you want the dog to end in ("hip" [L] or "thigh" [R]).  Naturally you build this chain the usual way and then put a cue on the whole chain.  
• Gimme is in the process of learning these parts.  I have been using a target stick to teach "about" and didn't have one available, so I put her in a stand stay, moved behind her and worked the end pieces of the chain.  She was doing well.  
• Options for the ending are: 
• end standing in heel or off-side
• stay behind you
• paws on your fanny
• dog stays behind you, handler pivots 180 degrees and repeat behavior
• dog from behind you repeats behavior - 180 degree about, backing through legs to end up in standing front.

The second afternoon session was backward weaves.

• Her way of teaching this is to use a lure to turn the dog's head away from the handler, which makes the rear swing toward you, while handler simultaneously steps back on the leg furthest from the dog, push with the lure to get them to back through and repeat in the other direction.
• This didn't really work for Gimme.  In hindsight, her brain was likely used up.  We worked on her staying in heel position while I pivot left.
• Now that I've thought of it, I wouldn't teach it that way anyway.  Gimme already knows to to stay in "heel" if I pivot toward her (she will do it but is less proficient on the other "side").  So all I'd have to do is get that on a verbal cue.  I think I could use the wire guide sets to make this go really quickly.

The third afternoon session was playing with a lot of props - mostly large children's toys.  I waited until the session was almost over to bring Gimme in because there were just so many dogs on the floor.  When I did bring her in I had a small tub upside down and used it to do her forehand pivot.  She was very distracted and had a hard time focusing - which I knew meant her brain was used up.  So I got her to do it one time, rewarded heavily with peanut butter and then back to the car she went, partying all the way.

Debbie also explained to us the process for how she teaches a dog to get in a suitcase.  While I think heelwork to music is beautiful, its not my style (though I don't rule it out).  I like the skit type routines better for me.  I am so intrigued with the suitcase trick that I've already half-choreographed an entire routine around one song that features that trick. Now to get to work and teach all the behaviors I need.