Much of this practice day was to work on MDSA videos and a couple of behaviors for a Skills Test entry, so there isn't much to show this time. However, by the time I got around to writing up this blog, I did a training session in our hotel room (barn hunt weekend) and so I recorded those, since they were related to what I'd been working on, and included them here.
"Back" video - Here I'm working just on the "back" part of the "away" and "back" combination.
This works better when I use a platform. Gimme's platform work has gotten sloppy. She runs to the platform and gets on when she sees it, but she doesn't stick within the boundaries of the platform. Of course it's my fault. I got two suggestions from the MDSA list. One person talked about someone who uses a "platform" with raised sides (like a box) and thinks these help to clarify the edges for the dog. I figure I could screw some 1x4" boards to the sides of my platform to create sides. Then someone else said they use two platforms, stacking one on top of the other. So the larger drop off makes the edges clearer. I'll try this first, since it doesn't require any changes to existing platforms.
"Away" session 1 video - The target stick should help shape this behavior, but I think we need a lot more duration for it to be effective. You can clearly see the lack of importance she places on the edges of the platforms. In watching this it looks like she thinks the behavior is "turn" or "spin" on the platform. I try tossing the treat as she faces away and it helps a little bit. J'Anna used an AlleyOop to teach this, but I don't want to spend $40 on something I may never use again. If I have to, I may try making one.
"Away" session 2 video - I added backing thru to a few of them, hoping she might make the connection to turn her rear more toward me, instead of 45°.
The following videos are recorded in my hotel room in Longview/Kelso. I thought I'd do some training in the motel room to doodle with some ideas I've had. I started with the pivot-in-a-bucket freeshaping behavior.
Pivot in a bucket video - Again this is a strange location, so we are covering some of the same stuff we've done before, but faster. Actually with a complicated behavior like this, it's not unusual for the sessions to overlap. Gimme gets a bit vocal when she is frustrated. It doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy freeshaping - she loves it - but she still gets a bit frustrated and naturally she has a lot to say. I try to use this to spur her to give me more. (I've always been bad about dropping treats - Gimme forgives me for it <g>) Clearly the hardest part of this is the moment when she has to turn her back to me to complete the pivot. It's just so unnatural. Thankfully she had worked through this with her regular pivot behavior, so it's coming a bit faster now. There is still a tendency to pivot her front feet right out of the bucket, but it's happening less and less. She gives me a really nice pivot at 2:37 and again at 3:40, keeping her feet in the bucket. She does an especially nice one at 4:13, so I end the session there.
Platform work video - This is the first time trying two stacked platforms. It's not an immediate solution, but I do see a little improvement because Gimme is more aware when she steps off. She is too confident for it to automatically create staying on the platform, but it does give her more clear information. I first tried positioning her, giving a wait cue and then trying to move around her to reward her. I also tried a bit of freeshaping, but Gimme is just certain all freeshaping means she should be doing-doing-doing, so she tends to fidgety, which is counter to what I'm trying to get. I saw a couple of cute things, but I could get them just as easily without the platform.
I had an idea that led to another idea. I did a little session with the target stick, shaping toward an extended touch (duration). Unfortunately when I thought I was recording, I wasn't. One of the ideas I've toyed with a couple times for the "away" and "back" was to use a target stick and a platform. I needed the extended touch and I needed to be more gradual in helping her understand to stay facing "away". The platform is there to provide some grounding.
Gradual target stick w/duration video - My initial training on this didn't get recorded either, so I did it a second time to share my idea. Fortunately Gimme is pretty much willing to do anything which equals treats for her esteemed self. She has never been one to just hold her nose on something, so I accept multiple touches. I am purposefully holding the stick high because I expect to get to the point where it's being held above and from behind her. It causes some prancing, but I think it'll sort out along the way. I think this idea shows promise.
It is so much fun to work with a thinking dog. Which is not to say I want to know all of Gimme's thoughts.
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