Quote: aaron myracle

... I'm hedging my bets on subtlety being easier to fade out.
Ultimately, if it works, it's because the dog already *is* dependent on the physical cue.

 Quote: bob scott

... After a few Ye, ye, ye, start slowing them down and saying them calmer. Break up how you use you bridge. He's starting to anticipate it as a release instead of a bridge. .... My GSD Trooper is super excitable. Using anything for a bridge, other then a calm, quiet, sloooow "Gooood" and he'll pop up and start boogying around the yard. He's to handler sensitive for me to do any more then stay calm and start over.

ALL GOOD! I'm wishing I had posted sooner about this.

We spent three very short sessions on this already today (it's only 8:25 a.m. here now) when he was walked out and full of breakfast, and it's already much much better. Funny, I think it was Aaron earlier and then Bob, about the body and facial language: Yup, he totally stares at my face and sees the "ye" form; making it quieter and less close together didn't confuse him at all. On the last one, I didn't let my mouth make the "y" face for just a second longer and he still watched and didn't start to bounce up, and we made it with only about three quiet "ye" sounds for about a 20-second down. (Believe me, this was maybe a 75% improvement!)

So funny, how people not even here can read the situation.

Also funny how having this step-by-step plan rather than "Why did I do this? How can I fix this?" running through my mind improves training sessions! LOL




"When I’m having problems getting the behavior to reward, I always go back to free-shaping. It’s fun, non-frustrating and treats drop from the sky when they least expect it."

I understand this, but I do have this and actually one other dog who can get anxious and over-excited over free-shaping. One is great and reacts like it's manna from heaven, but this one will actually huff and shake his head in frustration or anxiety (as if he perceives a need to offer his repertoire because rewards appeared). Whatever it is, it stresses him a little. That will be his next little adventure -- tiny free-shaping sessions when he is calm and quiet.

I think, actually, that I'm probably not so great at free-shaping.





ETA Thanks, folks!!!

Edited by Connie Sutherland (01/17/2011 10:35 AM)
Edit reason: eta

 Quote: connie sutherland

.... We spent three very short sessions on this already today (it's only 8:25 a.m. here now) when he was walked out and full of breakfast, and it's already much much better.

It's almost embarrassing how much progress we made with several more tiny (one-minute) sessions today!

Here is the funny part: He obviously sussed out that something requiring his undivided attention was happening, because he completely focuses on my face now while "down," with nary a sneaky look to see if there might be rewards around. So I see that this mixup was all me, no bad on Leo (well, I knew that), and fixing it actually improved something very basic in his focus.

We will continue with the tiny sessions, and it won't take long -- we are down to no-sound IBs (just the formation of the mouth) and only one or two per 20-second down. More duration is going to be a cinch.



This dog when he first came could not even down outdoors, or even lie down to be petted or rubbed indoors -- too vulnerable a position for his anxiety.

Well, he and I say HA! HA! to such foolishness now! We are MARKER-TRAINED!

Great news to hear Connie, and this thread will help all of us.

 Quote: barbara schuler

Great news to hear Connie, and this thread will help all of us.

I betcha "all of us" did not accidentally create an IB by giving half of a TB and then changing their minds. LOL!!!!!!


But yes, I agree. Any training thread, and particularly one with idiosyncrasies in it .... What are we (and our dogs) but a moving pile of idiosyncrasies?

Plus I now saw my way clear out of this little annoyance I had created, and could not on my own.