 Simple focus question.
#272468 - 04/11/2010 08:15 AM |
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I like to pretend like I have a good grasp of dog training, but one thing I have never bothered training is focus, I would list off the reasons I never did it but well its a moot point.
Anyhow, my dog does OB/Bite-work/Detection with no problems (not competition level but still pretty good) but I am always wanting to improve him.
What I want to teach him is "Gury" (his name) being said = Look me in the eyes.
That being said off the top of my head I think that the best way to train this is to call out his name and when he looks me in the eye try and reward him with food (faster then a tug?), and constantly repeat this until he has it down to a good consistency.
Also, would this be a good time to introduce clicker training?
Michael.West
"Everything flows down leash"
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 Re: Simple focus question.
[Re: Michael West ]
#272471 - 04/11/2010 08:50 AM |
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You could use a clicker or other marker (i.e. voice) to mark each time he looks you in the eyes when you say his name. Another good way to get him to do this is each time he looks up at you when you say his name drop a treat to him out of your mouth. It's amazing how quickly they focus on you when treats are dispensed that way. And, yes, that could means a mouth full of liver treats, LOL (How well I remember, *bleh*!).
Edited by Elaine Haynes (04/11/2010 08:51 AM)
Edit reason: typos
"A dog wags his tail with his heart." Max Buxbaum
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Re: Simple focus question.
[Re: Elaine Haynes ]
#272472 - 04/11/2010 08:56 AM |
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Elaine,
Oh how fast we forget the basics lol. Yes I do remember now the mouth rewarded treats, I just haven't done it in so long that I forgot about it.
I think I another key thing is to work on focus by it self, i.e. not worry about playing with the tug at the same time until at least the dogs basics are learned.
The problem I was having is Gury has no problem focusing on the tug, but has the problem focusing on me if there is a reward somewhere, so if the reward is coming from my mouth that does seem the easiest option.
Thanks.
Michael.West
"Everything flows down leash"
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Re: Simple focus question.
[Re: Michael West ]
#272478 - 04/11/2010 09:24 AM |
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i've never had luck wiith spitting treats b/c i can't seem to spit very accurately, so when i'm training eye contact i just use "yes" to mark it, then hand-deliver the treat.
i remember with Brix i found it pretty difficult at first b/c he'd look for SUCH a split second that it was hard to mark, and i'd be marking the looking away instead of the focus.
but my timing got better, so it's not been so difficult since. plus, i've learned to only (with pups anyway) work on one behavior per training session; it seems to "set" it better.
then i add duration, then the distractions. i use food rewards for these beginning stages b/c a tug/toy gets (my dogs anyway) too drivey to think. FWIW
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Re: Simple focus question.
[Re: Michael West ]
#272480 - 04/11/2010 09:29 AM |
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Michael, I would pick another word other than his name, (like 'watch'), just for the reason that there are other times when you will call his name. Also, he already knows his name and has particular associations with it.
Marker training (clicker-type) is a great way to teach the focus. Are you using marker training now?
Do you need pointers on how to get started?
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Re: Simple focus question.
[Re: ann freier ]
#272490 - 04/11/2010 10:30 AM |
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work on one behavior per training session; it seems to "set" it better.
Absolutely and utterly agree.
Michael.West
"Everything flows down leash"
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Re: Simple focus question.
[Re: Lynne Barrows ]
#272491 - 04/11/2010 10:45 AM |
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Michael, I would pick another word other than his name, (like 'watch'), just for the reason that there are other times when you will call his name. Also, he already knows his name and has particular associations with it.
Marker training (clicker-type) is a great way to teach the focus. Are you using marker training now?
Do you need pointers on how to get started?
Lynne,
His name is normally associated with me trying to get his attention so I don't think getting him to focus with his name is a far stretch. Granted that's not to say I don't see your point, I guess I would have to rethink the word. Using watch would conflict with a different command that I use with bite-work so that would not work lol.
I want to say I know what marker training is but my verbiage may be different what it basically brakes down to as in saying "Yes" for doing the right thing and saying "No" for the wrong thing? I know that's the extremely broken down version.
Michael.West
"Everything flows down leash"
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Re: Simple focus question.
[Re: Michael West ]
#272494 - 04/11/2010 11:13 AM |
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Michael, I would pick another word other than his name, (like 'watch'), just for the reason that there are other times when you will call his name. Also, he already knows his name and has particular associations with it.
Marker training (clicker-type) is a great way to teach the focus. Are you using marker training now?
Do you need pointers on how to get started?
Lynne,
His name is normally associated with me trying to get his attention so I don't think getting him to focus with his name is a far stretch. Granted that's not to say I don't see your point, I guess I would have to rethink the word. Using watch would conflict with a different command that I use with bite-work so that would not work lol.
I want to say I know what marker training is but my verbiage may be different what it basically brakes down to as in saying "Yes" for doing the right thing and saying "No" for the wrong thing? I know that's the extremely broken down version.
Can I add my vote to a different word (not his name)? I use the dog's name a lot (particularly with multiple dogs), and only sometimes is it connected with the "look in my eyes" focus that "watch" or "look" or other command means. If his name comes to mean "look in my eyes," then I am going to lose a whole lot of other uses for it because I will be marking and rewarding for something I didn't have in mind but "told him" the word meant.
The mark can be yes, or other verbal marker that you conserve for this purpose (so not a word you tend already to say to him often), or a click. It means "Correct! Reward on the way!" It "snapshots" the second when the dog did the requested behavior and allows you to hand over the reward a second or two later without connecting the reward with the wrong (two seconds later) behavior.
Do you know about loading the marker?
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Re: Simple focus question.
[Re: Elaine Haynes ]
#272495 - 04/11/2010 11:21 AM |
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You could use a clicker or other marker (i.e. voice) to mark each time he looks you in the eyes when you say his name.
After loading the marker, and followed by the reward. 
I never give an empty marker because my marker means "Correct! Reward coming!"
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Re: Simple focus question.
[Re: Michael West ]
#272496 - 04/11/2010 11:27 AM |
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... The problem I was having is Gury has no problem focusing on the tug, but has the problem focusing on me if there is a reward somewhere
The reward is not displayed. I betcha you have something that could suffice as a bait bag for bits of food (a fast reward and easily hidden). Food is so simple and so fast and so easily carried invisibly and so quickly consumed without interrupting the flow of the session when you are first doing marker work that even with a dog whose favorite thing is a tug or other toy, I start with food.
JMO
Want to load your marker? All you do is give it (yes! or click) and then give the tiny bit of high-value food. That's it. When the dog hears the marker and looks expectantly for the reward, then you know that HE now knows "marker means reward is coming." The dog then wants to make that marker happen.
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