So today I dropped my husky off at the vets for surgery on her torn collateral ligament, and I was feeling a bit down.

So I decided to do some training with Sarge. I've been a bit slack lately - since we got him he's learned to heel, sit, down (still working on it) and give eye contact (not on command). Which is pretty crappy given he's been with me for 3 months!

So, I dusted off the old clicker and got some cheese. This morning we worked more on giving eye contact, and laying down around distractions (kids playing basketball on street). I've been doing some reading on shaping, and have watched the Leerburg DVD on marker training, so decided to give it a go. I don't know why, but I thought Sarge would be too dumb to figure out the concept of shaping.

So I went and got a bowl and put it on the ground (my make shift touch pad) and just waited. He then proceeded to offer me behaviour... this nearly brought a tear to my eye! I'd assumed that because I've mainly done luring, he wouldn't do this - I was wrong. He downed, sat back up, downed again, all while staring into my eyes.

Sure enough, he looked down at the bowl and I marked. After literally 2 minutes, he'd caught on. Initially he tried to lie down on bowl, then started to chew it. I took this video around that point - I'll mention that it's very hard to hold a phone, treats and a clicker all while using them correctly!

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

After he started to chew the bowl, I swapped it for a tug toy. He then proceeded to poke and prod it with his foot, not chew it like I'd hoped. It's all a bit of a work in progress, but this has really motivated me (and Sargy boy) to do some more training

Oh I also meant to ask - should I have swapped the bowl for the tug? And I pointed my foot at the bowl to get him to look down a few times, was that a good idea or am I conditioning him to respond to my physical cues?

It is so nice when you see the light turn on for them.

For me....after he realized that he's get a treat when he looked at it...he then started to touch it...that's when I would have switched to marking when he touched it(even if by accident) instead of when he just looked at it. Because ultimately that is what you want him to do.

But that's just my way of doing it. Others may say to stick with him just looking at it until he deliberately touches it. But since my dogs have been marker trained since pups & really understand the concept, I would progress faster to my end goal.

For a dog & or owner new to marker training... I would stick to the treats...until he really understands what you want. Then you can switch to a ball or tug. With most dogs at least with mine....they get too spun up with a ball or tug. So when I teach something new, depending on what it is (for some I go straight to a toy), I stay with food until the behavior is pretty good. Also because I often teach new behaviors in my house. Especially for someone or a dog new to marker work, staying with food is easier to work with.

I would not que him with your body.

Don't know what you mean by switching the bowl for a tug. Are you trying to teach him touch pads? Or to play tug? I thought that you meant using the tug as a reward for touching the bowl. I'm confused.

Your touch pad is way too small. Even a dinner plate would work better. You can also use a towel folded into a square. Make everything extremely obvious and then start decreasing the size, if you want a touch pad that's super small like the bowl.

Unless you use that tug toy as a reward then he's just confused and hoping to get marked and rewarded for his contact with it.
I also agree with the size of the touch pad. I believe that's the larger issue for now.
In the beginning it should be large enough for both feet to easily be on it. If not that's more confusion so the dog is going to do whatever, poke, prod, touch with foot in order to get the mark and reward.

I train touch pads more like ME does it here...

http://leerburg.com/flix/player.php/126/Training_the_Touch_Pad_with_Michael_Ellis

I don't teach the dog to look at the pad. I lure him onto the pad and into the behaviors I want. In the video, ME explains that the dog feels the difference when he stands on the pad, which is why he uses an elevated pad. You also don't want something that is going to slide as the dog moves on the pad.

I save shaping for when the dog has a decent understanding of the behavior. First, I just want him to know what to do (such as, touch the pad).

IMHO, you should be luring the beginner into behaviors and marking, rather than waiting for him to offer them and marking. JMO.

Here's Michael Ellis on free-shaping and luring:

http://leerburg.com/flix/videodesc.php?id=130

I agree with the size of the touch pad, not switching to a tug (?), and sticking with food for now. All JMO!

 Quote: Jackie Abikhair

Oh I also meant to ask - should I have swapped the bowl for the tug? And I pointed my foot at the bowl to get him to look down a few times, was that a good idea or am I conditioning him to respond to my physical cues?

No and no, IMO. Like others, I want a touch pad to be a touch pad, and it gradually diminishes in side.

But good on you for getting back into marker work! Your dog is happy, too. :-)

I thought that she was trying to 'free shape' him to the touch pads. Not luring him. That's why I didn't automatically suggest luring. Maybe I misunderstood.

After 7 inches of wet snow last night & shoveling....I needed to go & have more coffee this am when I posted.