HOMEWORK HIGHLIGHTS!

Wow. I am impressed! - Comments and highlights below!
THE LESSONS - Laying the Foundation *
You don't paint the walls before the roof is on. A house built on a shakey foundation will soon crumble.

The most important lessons the beginning students learn that they probably don't realize they are being taught:

1. Timing of verbal reward marker "yes"
2. Getting beyond luring
3. How to teach an exercise in small increments - building on success
4. Criterion shift - how to judge WHEN to raise criteria (when dog is confident and successful at the previous level)
5. Un-emotional no-reward marker - information rather than correction
6. Teaching dogs to think and connect with the handler
7. Moving to a true variable schedule of reward - not just reducing rewards and "getting rid of the food"
8. The difference between cues, markers and rewards and the importance of the release.

Later, in Prep and Finishing School, these learning theory concepts will be further explained. The students have already been doing them. When told what it was they were taught and why they have experienced the lessons in the way they have, they can grasp it - now it has a name.

Steps of training:
Acquire: Show the dog what it feels like (lure). Help him do it himself. Add the cue. Troubleshoot as needed.
Perfect: Eliminate the lure. Raise the criteria. Reward the best responses.
Generalize: Change the picture. Take it on the road.

The assignment. There are 8 lessons that our students are learning that they may not realize they are being taught. List them and explain/outline what exercises/games you personally use in your first week orientation to illustrate each of these concepts. If you are an assistant, not a full-charge instructor, describe techniques you have seen the instructors you assist use.

Your comments told me that this assignment achieved its goal - to challenge your brains, examine your strengths and weaknesses and jiggle you out of your comfort zone a little!

As Kim put it "I found that I understand all of this, but to actually spell it out is another thing. I also realized that I am in such a rut from where I first started. And I have found that I don't teach everything on week one that I should. I find that I am not going over numbers 5, 7, and 8."

This from Kathie W:
7. Moving to a true variable schedule of reward: This is one of the harder aspects to cope with (at least for me) :o( I find that I continue to reward too often so working with this with the class is a harder one for me. I can usually see when a student is continually feeding and no longer rewarding. (I have a harder time seeing it with myself), but getting the change is hard. I find that I think in the "Choose to Heel" put the food on a chair away from the training area setting. I like to have the students working outside where there are places to set the treats and work short distances from it, but find that it works better in the "Prep" class and beyond. I need help here! I guess I flunk this section. ;o( I can talk about the principal of delayed reward and variable as in not EVERY time the pup does something, they get a treat, but that it now has to be better and better to earn the treat, and variable like a slot machine in Las Vegas,,,, the pup keeps trying things and doing exercises that they know in hopes of the big pay off. I don't have Jake ready at that level yet to demonstrate and Ren is too feeble (although he'd love to come) HELP ME..

Teaching the Variable Schedule is a weakness for all of us - and, if anything, it's because the majority of our students are baby beginners and not committed "dog trainers", most of whom are only with us for 4 weeks. Diane made a great observation that it would be nice to know we had them for two sessions - Cathy suggested maybe we market a "basics package" with a reduced fee if they register for both Beginning & Prep at the same time. Great idea! This month we have FOUR over-full Prep classes and two fat Finishing School classes, so this month we are getting to have most of them for two sessions - but I would like to figure a way to add incentive to keep them rolling all year long!

As far as getting to a variable schedule in the beginning class - we probably get to a differential schedule with most of them and *some* students understand the variable concept on some exercises in the first 4 weeks, but really few are ready. Most will just get stingy and, of course, the result of stinginess is that the behavior weakens, not strengthens. The HARDEST part about the first four weeks is keeping them GENEROUS and moving them to use the food as a reward and not getting stuck using it as a lure - because then they will only "do it if they have food."

Step one to a variable schedule is getting the food out of the lure hand and step two is helping them recognize which behaviors need heavy reinforcement and which ones need a higher standard of response to be treatworthy. The biggie to watch for is: IS THE DOG WATCHING/LISTENING FOR THE INFORMATION? OR WORRYING ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE FOOD? Is he working to earn - or just following his nose and happening to arrive in position? Is the handler being particular about the quality of behavior or saying "okaay" as the dog yanks their arm out of the socket as it lunges through the doorway without being given permission?

I usually focus on raising the bar - they all have a long way to go. I will have them start doing patterns and feed only the "weak" behaviors to strengthen them or jackpot a great response or particularly wonderful performance. Same with leash work - starting with only a step or two, and then lengthening the time delay while watching for specific criteria. And Kathie was absolutely correct in saying that this level really happens in Prep & Finishing, not Puppy/Headstart.

If they are using differential reinforcement and raising criteria, two-fers & three-fers, they ARE moving to a variable schedule. If at the same time they start putting the food in dishes around the room while they work, they will truly be using a variable schedule. Kim suggests that her students "Keep little Dixie cups (out of dogs reach) of kibble or Cheerios or other dried treat in desk drawers, bathroom drawers, etc to have them handy for rewards." Fabulous!

Brilliant comments and wonderful wording from the first round:

Kathie W:

2. Getting beyond luring: The students are usually asking about the amounts of food they will need to cart around with them and wonder if it will be "forever"? This is where I talk about starting to delay or remove the lure completely. The lure is just a tool to start shaping the behavior that we desire. Some of the dogs may already know the words or signals for sit and down, some may even have a start of "heel". These owners wonder why we even bother with the lure "my dog already knows it". I let the students know that luring is the foundation, and helps the handler and pup to form a working relationship. It helps with trust and understanding for the dog and when he does well he will receive a reward.

"No Reward" means just that. They didn't do anything worthy of a treat. Sure, Bowzer sat ... but he didn't do it right away, he looked around as if to say, Hmmm ok nothing more exciting happening,,,, so ,,,,, I guess I will sit. I like to act surprised. And goofy. "what was that"?? I thought we were working??? Then try it again. It's no big deal and we just go on, maybe to a different exercise, (sometimes I will eat the treat -hope it's a hot dog *G* "Mmmm that was good" playing it up big to get the enthusiasm back) -then come back to the goofed one and try again. No yelling or screaming, no jerking the collar, just a big "OOPS" that wasn't what we were doing in a goofy voice and on we go.

Release is letting the dog know that they are finished, done, end of exercise and it's okay to relax or take a break. We are no longer working at this moment so it's like "at ease" in the military. [Love this:] There are many types of release from a temporary okay to relax for a moment until we start again, to a quit for the day release. We need to teach the dog when it is okay to relax and have a cue to do so. "At Ease soldier pup" means we will be right back and do more so stay close and be ready. "Dismissed - soldier pup" means you are excused for the day and we are done, go relax and be a dog again. [Soldier Pup ... is that adorable, or what? - Remember that being "dismissed" is what leaders do - great leadership example.]

Diane:

Sometimes one of the students' dogs that is there will demo this to a point at least where they can understand that it's the signal and verbal cue we're going for in the long run. I will explain that they won't be luring forever, this is a tool to teach the dog what the expectation is. Some line about "not wearing a meaty bone necklace forever" usually get a giggle at this point.

Sometimes students don't realize how important the release is. Unless the dog has a release word, to tell them the exercise is over, they will never know when it actually IS over and will end it themselves. This leads to frustration on the part of the student, and what they see as an error on the dog's part is actually a lack of proper instruction to tell the dog "you can end the down now" . Having a release word from the very beginning will make it much easier for the dog to build time on an exercise.

[Yes as a marker] I will usually use a demo dog for this part, and my goal is to say "yes" followed by "good sit" or whatever, explaining that you pair the correct word with the position the dog is in. At this point the discussion includes not saying the command over and over, and not assuming that the dog knows a particular command after one or two correct responses. It takes more repetition than that, and just how much repetition is dependant on the dog, and the clarity of the trainer.

Side note: I think it's Patricia McConnell who suggests that saying "good sit" during the lure process is confusing. Because it comes *after* the behavior so there is no connection for the dog as it is paired with the food delivery and so is disregarded, making it harder to train the relevance back in when we start to designate the word as a cue, pre-behavior. I've started "forbidding them" to give verbal cues the first week, even if the dog already knows them, to give the old sit-sit-sit habit a chance to fade and to help the dog really pay attention to the body language. This gets the handler to be quiet and focus on communicating with the dog silently. It helps them connect and get beyond *ordering* the dog to sit and into *helping" the dog to sit by being specific with the hand signal.

Then we start in "fresh" week 2 practicing the pattern of saying "sit" - then giving the handsignal - then marker "Yes" - then delivering the reward. This addresses the Cue>Marker>reward separation.

Naming the behavior "as" it happens is impossible when using a perfectly timed marker "yes" as they have to happen simultaneously. At the point where the dog is following the handsignal with zero latency, you can name the behavior "as" they are on the way to the position and then mark it ... but this is a tricky timing feat for a beginner. "Say it, do it (lure or handsignal), mark it" is easier for them first session - easier with the clicker later.

I particularly loved how Diane lays out Brenda Aloff's back-away and the progression into follow-food. BUT you have to wait for it cuz I'm including it in the 3rd topic for week two. *G*

6. Teaching dogs to think and connect with the handler. The handler needs to pay attention to the dog as much as the other way around. If the dog is trying to tell the handler something, he deserves a response: yes, no, wait, try it this way, let's go, do this instead, etc. Patience really pays off here, it's a case of a bit more time spent at first pays off in the long run. Give the dog a chance to think it through. [Love this:] The handler's facial expression helps the dog a lot, a smile of encouragement, or for success, a blank face for a "try again". And if the dog is trying, he deserves encouragement, and a chance to try something that may not be perfect, but a step in the right direction. If the dog offers a lean forward when what you want is a stand, cheer him on a bit, and jackpot the success when he lifts up into the stand. Then try it again. The verbal marker yes and eventually clicker training help the dog feel comfortable offering behaviors that won't be harshly corrected. If the dog trusts the handler to teach he will enjoy learning.

Cathy F:

How to teach an exercise in small increments – building on success: Breaking an exercise into small increments is what we do. Better to build on small successes and up the ante, than to give the students and the dog a task to perform that seems unattainable. A classic example is the Zen Leave-It. First we show a dog that knows how to do the behavior correctly as a finished product, then go back with a "raw dog" and show in teeny increments how to attain that goal. Most students are stunned and amazed at the demo, and don't believe that their dog is every going to be able to do that! I love watching the "looney-lab" people -- at first they think there is no way their dog will ever be able to leave a handful of goodies in front of their face alone. It's cool to watch them work the exercise and discover that it is very possible. This is probably one of the most effective examples we do of breaking down a behavior into small bits, and building on success.

5. Un-emotional no-reward marker – information rather than correction: Again, the importance of being quiet – give the dog only enough information to get the job done. The more students do this, the more value the words have to the dog. No no No NO NO NO NO soon means nothing to him ……… verbal diarrhea so to speak. A simple "eh eh" is usually so much more effective than "no no stop it quit it knock it off" blah blah blah. Another important key here is give the no reward marker as information, not emotion or anger. "Leave it" is information – wrong choice, look at me, don't even think about it, whatever. These words are given to the dog not in anger, but as information. The same with "eh eh" or "try again", whatever you have chosen your NRM to be. Most trainers I know use more than one NRM, however, when just starting out, it's advisable to choose only one at first.

6. Teaching dogs to think and connect with the handler: From the very first class we are teaching our students how to teach their dogs to think and connect with them. One of the first ways is teaching them the Name Game – their name actually means something, instead of just the beginning of endless verbal minutia flowing out of our faces. We've taught them that their name is important. They look at us. We have their "Attention!!" Cool. [Love this:] The lessons of connecting with the dog begin with attention – from both the dog to the handler, but also maybe more importantly from the handler to the dog. We begin watching them, their mannerisms, body language, and habits. We discover that when my dog does "this" it means he wants to do "this". We respond accordingly. Whether they act a particular way every time they get hungry, or want to be let out, or are tired, etc., we respond because the dog has "told" us what he wants or needs. That's the connection. Connection with a dog can be absolute music, especially during training. Connection with a dog is what creates the bond.

[And this is terrific!!:] Releasing the dog from sitting, lying down, watch, or whatever is important to let the dog know when he is done with that behavior. It is also important because it adds strength to your command. He's done this wonderful stay you've asked him for. He was rewarded from you. You have released him – instead of him excusing himself. I've seen so many students make the mistake of not releasing the dog from doing a behavior, and just letting him go whenever he decides he's done. This is a big mistake in terms of doing the actual behavior itself, but also you are paving the way for sabotaging a leadership role that many people have trouble acquiring in the first place. A healthy leadership role in your relationship with your dog is EVERYTHING.

Teri B

4. Criterion shift
We discuss how often to train each day and offer examples of how to work a few minutes of training into a busy schedule. We explain that when the dog is consistently performing the behavior on a single cue then it is time to raise the criteria such as by adding distance, new location, time, distractions,etc. Explain how to save the reward for the best performances in order to get the dog to try harder.

5.Un-emotional reward marker
for use when the behavior is not the one we want. Such as Oops, Uh Oh, Wrong. Avoid using the word NO as a training marker

[How many dogs think their name is "no" - or worse yet, think their NAME means "no" or "stop it" or "quit it?" Dana always makes it a point to note during the lure demo that at NO time does he say the word "no" - the dogs aren't wrong, they just aren't right - yet!]

Lisa

3. How to teach an exercise in small increments – building on success
Exercise: We do this when we teach leave-it and loose leash walking.(Loose leash walking is taught in the first week orientation – Leave it is later in the session) Leave-it…step one is to get the dog to leave the food alone in order to get some, step two is to increase the difficulty level and leave the hand open and get the dog to leave that, step three is to leave hand open and lure the dogs' eyes up to meet the handler's eyes, step four is to expect "leave-it" to mean "make eye contact" Loose leash walking…step one is to follow food, step two is to have dog walk at side using the "loose magnet", step three is "loose leash to the goal line"

4. Criterion shift – how to judge when to raise the criteria
Exercise: We teach this in the loose leash walking exercise described above. We also teach it when we have them morph the lure to a hand signal.

Kim

I love how Kim broke each into little clear outlines of each progression and the lessons each cover - she did this for each behavior. I'll be posting her leashwork example for our 3rd Topic.

Down
A. From the sit, with a treat in your fingers and close to the dogs nose, slowly lower the treat to the floor.
B. Keep the treat slightly covered so that the dog can sniff and lick it, but not get it.
C. As the dog folds into a down and the elbows hit the ground (with the tush also down-not teaching a bow…yet), "YES" and release the treat.
D. As with the sit, as the dog begins to understand what is being asked (goes in to the down quickly with the lure), begin to remove the lure.
E. Start with palming the treat, signal, "YES" release treat from signal hand.
F. Palm the treat, signal, "YES" release from a pocket.
G. Empty hand, signal, "YES" reward from a pocket.
H. Empty hand, signal, "YES", reward from somewhere else.
Teaches: 1, 2, 4

Stand
A. From the sit, with a treat in your fingers and close to the dogs nose, slowly (I repeat SLOWLY) "pull" the dog forward.
B. As soon as he lifts his tush and straightens the back legs, "YES" and release the cookie.
C. From the down, with a treat in your fingers and close to the dogs nose, slowly (SLOWLY!) raise your hand in a diagonal fashion.
D. As soon as he rises on all four, "YES" and release the cookie.
E. As with the sit and down, begin removing the lure as he understands what is being asked. (Please see above) Teaches: 1, 2, 4 ..

I can't wait to read your comments on the next section!