Positive dog bloggers action day

As you will have seen before I have joined the agility blog action day, a few of us were looking for ways to popularise positive training methods as there are way too much punishment based information out there.
So we have decided to create the positive dog bloggers action day.
This is for anyone to join who uses force free modern scientific methods based mainly on positive reward based training.
No choke chains, e collars, prong collars or setting the dog up to fail and punishing them for it.

If you fit the criteria take a look for one of the upcoming action days and write a post for that - or write a post on one of the old topics with a link to the topic page and a comment with the link to your blog and if approved your link will be added.

Also try and visit the other blogs on here and comment and share their work

Friday 5th July - What is positive training to you?

Dog training 101 - reinforcements and punishments

I did something like this a little while ago but things drop off the bottom of blogger so I though I would update it.
For the next few weeks I am going to post some articles on basic dog training. The good news is dog training is actually dead easy, there is no special woo-woo to learn, no mystical energy you need and you dont have to have been raised by a pack of wolves in Mongolia to know how to train dogs.
Just a couple of really simple scientific facts to learn.

Dogs (and all other animals including us) learn by doing something and the consequences dictate whether they are more likely to do it again in the future.

If something bad happens they are less likely to do it again
If something good happens they are more likely to do it again

In dog training we call something that makes the behaviour less likely to happen in the future a PUNISHMENT

We call something that makes the behaviour more likely to happen in the future a REINFORCEMENT

Most people would consider the term 'punishment' to mean something harsh like hitting the dog, but it dosent have to be - look at the definition - it just means something that makes the dogs behaviour less likely to happen.
The dogs behaviour shows you if something is reinforcing or punishing, you may think a pat on the head is enough 'pay' for your dog to work for, it will be for some dogs, but if you are finding no increase in the behaviour you wanted then at that time for that dog in that situation the pat on the head just isnt reinforcing enough

Old Mill agility, Beginner homework week 1

Beginner classes started this week at Old Mill Agility. A great bunch of dogs (and owners) I think we are going to have some real speedy guys here :)
Week 1 homework is beginnings of circle/flat work
This starts out just as loose lead walking, rewarding your dog for walking nicely at either side of you and not pulling ahead. The challenge here is to try and not use the lead to pull the dog back to position or punish the dog (yuck) but to reward often enough so your dog enjoys staying in position.
Once they are doing this nicely then try it off lead (or you can start off lead if you are in a safe place) Then add walking in circles (easier outside circles (dog on the outside of the circle) ) figure 8's and then jogging and running with your dog.
I think this exercise is really important for an agility dog, it gets them used to focusing on you and where you are going, it is also great fun and you can practise at the park on walks without equipment - so its free

Although a bit cold the weather has been totally lovely for our first classes - and the brand new jumps look quite stunning

Agility training contest

First time I have done anything like this - so I am a little nervous and excited
Please be gentle with me
This compatition is to raise money for Phoenix Flyers Dog agility club (a non profit training club) and Dogs Trust.
And the prize is your choice of breed of a small simple felted dog as seen in my 'value' range in my shop

Entries are open to Club members, Beginners and worldwide and are £1 per dog
You can join at any time while the contest is open (Up till Midnight 31st July 2012)
Either enter in person or paypal pamduthie@hotmail.com leaving a message with the name of your dog

Submit your compleated entry at any time during the month - either as a video response to my video

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEu4rggisLM

 Or to be filmed at training :) or post a link to your video as a response to this blog post.

The compatition is agility flat/circle work exercises. There are lots of training tutorials for this on youtube - check out

 

You get points for each level and the dog with the most points by the end of the month wins

Level 1

Walking with dog on left                           1 point

Walking with dog on right                         1 point

Level 2

Walking anticlockwise - dog on outside    1 point

Walking clockwise - dog on outside         1 point

Walking anticlockwise - dog on inside      2 points

Walking anticlockwise - dog on inside      2 points

Level 3

Running with dog on left                          1 point

Running with dog on right                        1 point

Running Clockwise dog outside               2 points

Running anticlockwise Dog outside          2 points

Running clockwise dog inside                  3 points

Running anticlockwise dog inside             3 points

Level 4

Walking front cross LHS to RHS             3 points

Walking front cross RHS to LHS             3 points

Level 5

Running front cross LHS to RHS             4 points

Running front cross RHS to LHS             4 points

Total of 34 available points - and my decision is final :)

Good luck, I cant wait to see how everyone gets on

Retraining the contact

When I started agility with Ben it was just a fun class - and he very quickly learnt to jump off the contact equipment.
Going to classes we were taught a 4 on the floor contact - this means the dog runs to the end of the contact and lies down on the floor. It works really well, except that I didnt have my own equipment to practise at home so only having a go every now and again in class ment Ben never really 'got it'
I did build my own 'inside agility contacts' which in my tiny sitting room wasnt ideal - but actually worked quite nicely

But again as I didnt have access to real equipment very often I didnt really manage to transfer the skill from the inside small plank of wood to actual equipment - also of course the most he saw contact equipment was at a show where I had to keep running if he jumped a contact - so things were getting worse

But now I have access to a field and equipment when ever I want it - so I have decided to attempt to train these bloomin contacts - and - gulp - to also record it so everyone can see my mistakes!!

So the cunning plan!
From 'Control unleased' (if you dont have this book and own a dog you really should get it!!) I have already taught my pair to run to and lie down on a mat

So I figured this is a good start - thats all a 4 on the floor is!!

BUT a problem with the mat - and many people also have with 4 on the floor - is that the dogs curve back towards you - when we really want them facing forwards

So for the past few days I have been working on teaching them to go to the mat but keep facing in the direction they were going in by clicking early - way before they lie down and before they even turn back to me - then chucking the treat overhead so they are expecting a reward infront of them.
Then once they are anticipating this and facing forward more waiting with the click till they lie down again

I also did a brand new thing (for me) rewarding with the ball launcher too - this is new for the dogs too so they did really well realising what I wanted from them

LoLaBuLand Drumming challange

If you havent been over there already you should really check out http://www.lolabuland.com/ for some amazing agility and tricks training.

She is running a competition just now so we decided to try entering

For it I had to teach the dogs to drum and then post a video and the one with the most likes wins one of her amazing training videos

So please please please go over here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDlwh0NLPT8

and if you like it 'like' it for me :)

Mia quite likes this trick - it involves her stamping her feet and being rude!!

Ben - hmm well we are working on it - he is so polite :)

Dog training methods - 3. Targeting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EoYPBg7yhA

Targeting is where the dog learns to interact with an object. This can be a target stick like in the video. You can then use this object to lure the dog the same way you would with a piece of food.

Many trainers prefer this to luring as it is not bribing. To be honest if you follow the steps to fade out the food lure properly I do not see a difference in the learning of a dog who follows a lure or a target.

Where luring comes into its own is the fact you can have other parts of the dogs body interact with other targets. For example the paw cross is taught with a target the dog interacts with its paw with, then the dog learns to cross its paw and finally the target is faded out.

Because the dog is not forced into position with manipulation and it has to use its mind I find dogs are much happier and more attentive with this method. They learn faster.

Also sending a dog to its bed or on to a mat is an example of target training, the dog targets its whole body onto the mat.

This is the point where training methods get a little muddled up because in the video you can see the actual training the dog to touch the target is a capturing behaviour, and later for the shy dog it is using the luring method.

I doubt any trainer uses just one method, but a mixture of many.

What did your dog learn today??

I try and do a little with my dogs every day, sometimes just going over things they know quite well making it a bit better and sometimes working on a specific trick.

A training sesh is usualy about 5-10 min per dog and I tend to structure it like this

a couple of mins doing stuff they know quite well

a couple of mins working on a new trick

a couple of mins working on stuff they already know



We also have a great 'Do something' where I ask them to do something and every different trick they do gets a treat - like the lazy mans free shaping :D



Sometimes I get a bit lazy and we dont focus on anything new for a while, but then I have a wee nozy at some blogs or you tube and I get inspired to do something again.

The latest trick I found that I have been working on for a wee while came from here

So whats your latest trick??