Training Tip and image ..
first of month – challenge instead of topic
goal is 4 skill topics per week
Links you will want.Focus Fun A-Z Welcome PageFocus Fun A-Z Weekly LinksFacebook Group LinkQuestions? Ask DebbyQ
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PROOFING
Your Task for this Week
BEFORE PROGRESSING, REVIEW YOUR CHECK LIST.
Questions? Ask DebbyQ
The final step in “Ring-A-Ling” is sequencing skills and or exercises. This training also starts to increase the duration or time your dog will work without reward. This means your dog is staying engaged without extra cues, visible or advertised rewards.
This training is geared toward getting ready to show and NOT for everyday skill training! A good trainer NEVER sequences the same pattern or combination of skills on a daily basis.
What you need
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Have a plan before you get your dog out.
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Final Step – adding more skills building on success.
- Have your dog on leash and walk toward and into the “opening” or ring. Focus should be automatic, and maintained without any visible or advertised rewards, or excessive verbal cues.
- Use your positive or negative markers as needed while training.
- IF your dog will not stay focus at any time, review Week 1-3 before proceeding. It is important to rehearse the focus habit you want later when showing.
Going into the ring,
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- Practice leash on/off if taking your leash off or
- Engage with your dog, using transitions, to your starting point and Line-Up.
- Randomly surprise your dog with a game or reward and leave the ring to restart the training process.
NOTE: there should be no extra movement or cuing from you on the Line-Up. Step into your line-up position and expect your dog to be focused and sitting.
When in the ring,
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- Use your positive and negative markers as needed to communicate with your dog. This will start to rehearse what you will do when you are showing.
- Randomly break and play or interact with your dog, leave the ring and restart the practice again. In other word, do not complete the sequence, instead reward your dog for effort.
When training a sequence of the skills/exercise/drill,
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- Break into a fun game to reward your dog’s effort or focus, leave the ring staying engaged with your dog and repeat the process.
- Once the planned sequence is complete, transition your dog to the gate, use the leash on/off skill if your dog’s leash is off.
- Anytime you leave the ring, maintain focus with your dog.
Once you are finished, transition your dog to a crate, and analyze how the training went and any changes for the next session.
NOTE: Resist the urge to leave the ring and feed treats to your dog. This is rewarding him for leaving the ring!
Obedience Example: A recall. I work with my dog into the ring, maintaining focus and line-up. I will leave my dog as long as he remains focused and active. Depending on my dog’s level of training, I will break into a Ready Set Go Game (RSG) while walking away, or if my dog remains focused, I will turn and praise. During the training session and if my dog’s focus remains good, I will add in a recall and a front with my dog. Caution: DO NOT always finish from a front. Break and play, or reward and release, at least 50% of the time when leaving or calling your dog.
Agility Example: Set up 4 jumps. I work with my dog into the ring, maintaining focus and line-up before the first obstacle. As long as my dog remains focused, and active, I will leave and start walking towards and or past the first jump. On the way, I will either throw a toy back to my dog, or turn and release him to take the first obstacle. While training, I will add more obstacles only as my dog gains confidence and remains focused. As a general guideline, I will add games randomly while doing this training to maintain or build more desire.
PROBLEMS?
- Your dog keeps looking at the gate opening and not at you. Reward your dog further away from the opening. If you were going to 5′ feet from the opening, start to play with your dog ant 10′ feet. Continue to do so until your dog is excited to approach the opening.
- When starting to go through the gate, your dog starts to worry. Take time to reward more when you are approaching the opening. Do not rush the process or try to go through the opening before your dog is ready.
- During sequencing your dog loses focus. Break up and randomly reward all portions of a sequence. This will keep the training fun.
Sly is first and the exercise I have picked to train is a Recall. We work on entering and lining up for an exercise. He bumps into the ring gate and is rewarded. Leash on and we train leaving the ring. Next, Sly and I work on going into the ring and knocking down the ring gate. Hahaha. Kidding, but I LOVED that the gate falling did not bother Sly at all. During this session, I liked Sly’s effort and attention going into the ring and the leash on/off skill. He stays in an “active” state while I walked away from him too. All this is great habit building for showing later.
Riker is next. In the first repetition, marker 3.29, Riker lost focus on me. I pushed him and laughed, then we restarted the process. We will not continue training a sequence if there is an error. When Riker gives effort and focus, I release and reward with a thumb touch. Riker is just starting this concept.
My goal when training sequencing is to rehearse all the “habits” I would like my dog to have when we show. Focus, active stays, and engagement are all number 1 on my list.
Your Task for this Week
BEFORE PROGRESSING, REVIEW YOUR CHECK LIST.
Questions? Ask DebbyQ