Continuing Ed - Topic One - week one orientation, basic behaviors
Do you have a copy of the folder and handbook? Pick one up and have it handy!

Building Behaviors on a Firm Foundation - one brick at a time.

There are specific exercises and homework assignments that are taught in a specific order for specific reasons. We lay foundations that unfold in the weeks to come and in future classes to come. We lay out the exercises in tiny pieces and then combine them within a single training session or as a weekly goal, and build on these foundation skills in future classes.

We teach our students how to break behaviors into small bits, how to back chain, how to set the dog up to succeed and build on small successes. We also teach our students to make rewards a meaningful part of communication. Not just ‘good sit - cookie' or practicing by rote. The student understands that he is an active part of the give-and-take of the learning process, understanding WHY and how the dog is interpreting the information and the trainer's role and responsibility in facilitating the dog's learning.

I thought it might be helpful to lay out each exercise so it was easy to see the progression and short and long term goals of each - to put on paper the reason certain things are presented on certain weeks in a certain way. As a way to share our strengths and keep our instructing abilities at the top of our game, we will have assignments each week.

As a dedicated Ruffian, I know you will ALL make it a priority to take advantage of this opportunity. *S*
Much as we'd like to, we can't all get away to attend every conference and seminar in order to keep up our continuing education. I hope this venue will fill the gaps and give our Ruffians an opportunity to share what they've learned at seminars (and while studying for our CPDT tests) with the rest of the group so we can all benefit.

We'll start with the basic beginning class lessons, and as the weeks go by, will talk about equipment and classroom management and dealing with the human end of the leash. We'll also discuss canine behavior and learning theory. We will start in "written form" with online/email discussion - which is great because you can save it for posterity and reference. We will also schedule Sunday afternoons later this spring so we can do some hands-on sessions together with our dogs - maybe with shelter dogs.

Please note in your responses all exercises/concepts that you'd like covered in the hands-on sessions AND be ready to volunteer to present specific topics to the group.

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.

Week one orientation (demo)

Acquire: (reward every response -continuous reinforcement schedule)
- From a lure to a cue:

Key points: encourage silent training - no verbal cues yet, no chattering, just lure and mark.

Get them to concentrate on hand signals and verbal marker "yes". Keeps handler from parroting "sit-sit-sit" or assuming the dog understands a cue they've previously taught in a possibly less positive way or a cue taught ineffectively that the dog doesn't really know. Prevents learned irrelevance. (Dog hears verbal diarrhea and tunes it out - makes teaching verbal cues next to impossible later.) Verbal marker "yes" is given AS the dog assumes the position - they can't label the behavior while marking it. (See hand out in folder "Silence is Golden")

Note: While they aren't supposed to bring dogs week one, I am thrilled when one or two forget, as we use these dogs as the demo. While showing the end product with our own trained dogs is very important, it is SO much more valuable to take an untrained dog and have the students watch the dog learn, see the patience it requires and the stages of learning as they will see them unfold at home with their own untrained dog. This way they don't go home with unrealistic expectations that it's going to be easy or fast. They are also able to see how it's going to look and feel to manage a dog in the classroom setting. It is perfect if there are two who forget, so if one dog is too shy or overwhelmed to work with a stranger, you have a second choice. If anyone forgets and brings a dog, do not ask them to leave their dog in their car. (Dog could eat the car, annoy neighbors w/barking, etc.) And try not to make them feel "bad" because they didn't read their instructions - they probably already feel like a glaring fool.

Lure sit > down > stand - mark with verbal marker "yes!" Dog learns that three distinct physical positions are "treat-worthy" and begins to offer them readily. This teaches the dog muscle memorization. MOST important: teaches handler proper timing of the verbal marker "yes!" - AS dog assumes position, BEFORE food is delivered. (See blue handout in folder.)

Lure random patterns: sit > down > sit > stand > down > stand - teaches dog to use different muscles to assume any position from another. Dogs learn transitions from one position to another. Handler learns to randomize the rewards for a varied sequence: introduces a variable schedule of reward. Handler learns to avoid patterns and anticipation (dog going automatically into the down from a sit because the dog has learned that it comes next.) Handler is introduced to the concept of the jackpot and learns to deliver rewards where they are needed most to help the dog learn.

Morph lure into hand signal (hold food under thumb on flat palm) - dog is still following the smell of the lure, but now it looks like a signal > dog can't lick at food while moving from position to position and begins to watch hand > transitions from lure to signal > handler has more practice marking precise behavior with verbal marker "yes!"

Why "yes" and not "good dog"? it is precise, novel to the dog, is specifically a behavior marker, not just a social vocalization often given for free > makes a natural transition to clicker training. (I also note to beginning students that if they have already started with the clicker, they are welcome to use it in class.)

Use hand signals to lure random patterns - stop feeding the lure > no longer give food lure that is hidden in signal hand - dog receives REWARD from OTHER hand or from remote location > when dog is following the signal readily, eliminate food from signal hand = clean visual hand signal > no food on person. Separate food from picture EARLY so dog doesn't assume food is part of signal and handler doesn't get in the habit of having food in their hand all the time. Dog learns to discriminate between cues. Handler learns to give clear and consistent signals.

Key points to behavior marker ("yes" or click) and food delivery: Keep body still while saying "yes" or clicking (keep clicker hand from twitching) and THEN deliver food. If there is motion before or during marker, dog will attend to the motion of the incoming food and miss the information of the marker.

Mark the behavior and feed for position. Say "yes" or click AS the dog assumes the position and then deliver the food in position. The point of food delivery will ALSO reinforce the behavior.

Bring food to the dog so they will remain in position (under dog's nose on down, not above, so he doesn't pop up and get marked for a down and fed for a sit. Cup the food in your palm and deliver just under the dog's chin (like feeding grain to a pony) when rewarding the stand to keep dog's weight on it's forequarters to keep it from sitting as it gets the food.) Encourage students to have enough food in their hand to smoothly reward a sequence of behaviors so they don't have to stop and reload - fishing in a bag only gives the dog's mind time to wander. If he's sniffing and not paying attention when the reward is delivered, the dog misses the whole work-to-earn connection.

Leash work progression:
week one -

Opportunity heeling - demo walk through the house and reward the dog for "showing up" near your leg, feed in target position. Use the name game, call, walk a few steps reward dog for following. No leash necessary - keeps the handler from tightening the leash. Walk around the house with a handful of treats or dog's dinner bowl and reward for walking with you and looking at you.

Perfect: (reward only the best responses - differential reinforcement schedule)

Remove food from signal hand - lure is now completely gone, dog is working on a clean hand signal. Reward excellence with jackpots. Withhold reward for responses that are not up to par. Challenge the dog to problem solve, keep them thinking, keep training fun and not boring. Move to two-fers & three-fers.

Note to your students: "If you have to go back a step and use the lure to get a behavior, do not feed the dog the lure - give him another chance to do it without the lure and then give TWO rewards for doing it himself!"

IMPORTANT: This keeps the student from falling into the trap of rewarding a slow (uncertain) response by re-offering the lure. Dog might learn: no food in hand, if confused-wait, food (the previously learned signal) appears, respond. Now it looks like the dog "won't do it unless I have food" which isn't really true - handler has created this pattern and the dog is simply performing the behavior that gets rewarded - he's not undermining the system, he's NOT refusing til he sees the food, he's NOT being stubborn, he's NOT "blowing the handler off" - he's doing what he's been taught.

Add duration - holding the position a little longer:
Pause between completion of cued behavior and reward. Increase length of pause. Multiple rewards for same position on unpredictable delivery schedule. Build on success. Know your dog's threshold. Some dogs will need a rapid rate of reinforcement to keep them on task, others will build a much longer delay sooner. It depends on the dog. Deliver treats TO the dog so it doesn't lean out of position to take the treat. When the dog is holding position to the count of five, you can start labeling it "stay".

Release:
Your dog needs to know when he's "done" - use a release cue, break dog out of position and ignore. Contrast: all good things happen while dog is in the position, all good things end when the dog is released.

Generalize: (maintenance phase - reward unexpectedly & generously for excellence - variable schedule)
Change position relative to dog (sitting, standing, kneeling, front, side, etc.) Change location - different rooms, inside, outside, away from home. Add distractions - lower criteria temporarily when you raise distraction level - build on success. Challenge the dog - keep him working harder/longer for bigger jackpots.

* YOUR 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.

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