Quote: polly simpson

Thankfully tomorrow is pay day.

Not only is each DVD hours of viewing, but you will find yourself going back over and over to certain "chapters."

I am not overselling. These DVDs are terrific.

OK now I'm depressed again. So tongue in cheek. I stopped tracking Ele because no matter how much food I put on the track she would barely slow down. She took corners at lightening speed and we always hoped that there were no holes where we trotted. I refused to force track her slower because she was so consistently on the track (even in a wind she was only 5 feet or so to the side) and always looked so very happy at the end and working in drive the entire way. So they said stop feeding her and only feed her on the track, she will slow down. Then I saw hurry up, turn around eat, hurry up turn around eat. A lot of frustration on her part and she started to look very dull. Decided that I just couldn't train Foot step tracking and that I was a bad trainer. Great news.... for SAR work you don't have to train FST so I started helping with the local group on tracking. Now I read that if you Track in Drive this is exactly the picture you are wanting to see. Sigh....

Connie I can't wait to get to the point where Ele is chomping at the bit when I ask her if she is ready to train. With my previous competition dog it was putting on my tennis shoes and he was pumped up. Right now she just looks at me like she is suppose to know what I'm saying but it just does not compute.

Congrats on your achievement with it. I hope one day to do the same.

I am hoping this will help with some of the issues I am having. Example. I worked with her twice today on markers and have deep bruised scratches down my left arm and fewer ones but they bled on my right arm. She really gets excited. Ok I'm going to go watch the video now, maybe it will help. She is a lot of dog, I wouldn't have it any other way and she is perfect but I have to find a happy balance between getting beat up while training and getting the training accomplished WITHOUT cranking on her. Did I tell you that when I say ok she really really gets excited?

 Quote: polly simpson

Right now she just looks at me like she is suppose to know what I'm saying but it just does not compute. ... I am hoping this will help with some of the issues I am having. Example. I worked with her twice today on markers and have deep bruised scratches down my left arm and fewer ones but they bled on my right arm. She really gets excited. ... Did I tell you that when I say ok she really really gets excited?

This is not exactly the same issue, but if you check out this clip, you will see a nice discussion of engagement "on" and "off."

Also, I encourage (urge) you to forego any kind of marker work until you fully understand charging the marker. No commands, no nothing. Not yet.

And last, I actually do work with one dog (just basic ob) who needs a fetch session before her training sessions. She can barely contain her enthusiasm for training unless we take the edge off just a bit.

Your girl, with whom you are seeing the beginnings of OCBs, may indeed need that Chuckit session a couple of times a day in addition to the marker work. Of course, training is brain workouts, but still, that frustrated physical energy that has no thorough release is almost like an electrical charge driving the dog nuts.

And finally, all this is JMO, and we have some extremely accomplished marker trainers here -- folks who leave me in the dust. They will see the thread and comment.

What is OCBs? Please

Obsessive compulsive behaviors (like self-mutilation, i.e. licking, or pacing, or constant barking .... )

.... behaviors that are often a sign of frustrated energy demanding release.

Thank you. WOW even this first video addresses many of the issues that I can correct. I'll let you know soon how we are doing. Today we go back to find games to stimulate her mind and we exercise. I will also work on her "mugging" my hands. She is a wonderful dog with every attribute that I've always dreamed of and even though we did not get done what should have been done there is TODAY and now I have more tools. Old dog trainers never die we just reincarnate as new techniques are born.

Polly

OK day 2 of charging the marker... She just sits in front position not moving (she really likes getting food for free) she looks up into my eyes as if we are practicing watch. NO commands given. I'm going to try moving directly after giving her the marker/food and see if we can get her to understand that she is free of commands. Good news she isn't jumping up on me today so running it out in the basement IS helping with her hectic energy. No bruises yet TODAY. Oh and with bringing the food from behind my back she is no longer mugging my hands. So progress.

Do you have a bait bag?

Did you choose a new word for your marker?

And GOOD that you are helping her to release frustrated energy!

I'm giggling here. Short sessions in the basement several times a day. She is happily panting on the floor beside me, no barking, no licking atm.

Yes I found my bait bag.

No didn't choose a new word I might have to do that but I really do not think I am going to see a beginner dog with Marker training because we have been using it all along just not as effectively as we could have been. I could be wrong though. Right now she is loving the free food because never in her life has she been given a piece of food without working for it. Even at meal time she has to either sit and wait until released or down for the meal. She is thinking free food is really really a great new task to learn. LOL Oh and I do mean that since she was 4 months old and came off the plane she has worked for EVERY treat. She was house broken when she came but even at first going potty on command was treat time.

Even now I am having her wait at the top of the stairs then allowing her to come to the middle turn sit and wait until I get to the bottom then releasing her. All of this she understands.

Just started working on the touch my hand game with the marker. This seems to be getting done what we are wanting to see. It is an entirely new game for her and one she is having to figure out and she is releasing when I give her marker word. On the right track I think now