Uta Bindels

[perfect partners]

Hi Megan & Perfect Partners,

I'm looking forward to meeting both of you at the seminar/s.

luvsablue

Look forward to meeting you too. Are you taking your dog both days? Unfortunately I won't meet Megan as I think she's going Saturday.

I'm observing both days, although I am taking the dog, she will be in her crate out on the verandah

luvsablue

I'd like to bring my dog too but don't have a crate - hard to find one large enough for a Newf to be comfortable in it. She would stay in a drop near me but I doubt they'd want you to have a dog with you if it wasn't taking part. Not that she objects to staying home.

What breed is your dog? Might help me to recognise you!

Do you know what building it is in? I haven't been to any seminars there before.

[megan_]

Day 1 was fabulous - I really enjoyed it and I finally understand that the method is far more than just a marker.

Perfect Partners - all the dogs are kept outside.

[Pippi]

Day 1 was fabulous - I really enjoyed it and I finally understand that the method is far more than just a marker.

Would you like to expand on that please......

[luvsablue]

Uta is a very good communicator and has a wealth of experience in many areas of dog training.

I didn't know anything except for what I'd read in books. But she explained in clear and simple terms classical and operant conditioning and how oc works with clicker training.

Then we went outside and she worked with the people who had brought their dogs.

She was able to demonstrate by handling some of the dogs herself, which she did very well. It can be tricky when someone else takes a dog but she made it look easy.

I met Megan on Saturday and I'm not sure who Perfect Partners was! I was so exhausted by then I forgot to ask around!!

Luvsablue

Beckie the Bluey

[perfect partners]

I thought the seminar was excellent too. Uta's training is very detailed but logical and easy to understand. It was interesting to watch how much more focused and motivated she could get the dogs just using simple techniques. I've typed up the notes I took yesterday and tried the focus exercise and the heeling by following the food hand with my Newfie when I got home last night and again today. Worked well - I must say that she would sell her soul for food though.

Luvsablue - I looked at the dogs outside in crates to see if I could identify you that way, but there were only a couple - I think most people left their dogs in their cars because it wasn't too hot. The owner of the Rottie was sitting next to me and I'm not sure what dog was in the crate around the side but I think it was taking part too. A lot of the people seemed to know each other and I didn't know anyone so wasn't sure where to start asking. I was sitting on the middle table, at the front, facing Uta. I was wearing black pants, aqua top and at various times during the day, a grey cardigan, olive green vest, navy coat. I'm average height, slim, fair hair (a bit shorter than shoulder length) - does any of that ring a bell? Is your dog a Blue Heeler, or another kind of 'blue'? Would have been good to meet you, but maybe next time. Have you tried any of the exercises with your dog/s yet? What exercises did Uta do with the dogs on Saturday?

[megan_]

Saturday was the intro course - so the actual exercises were very simple as most dogs had never experienced the clicker. We did classical conditioning and then touch targetting a spatula.

We then played a really great game - humans only. One person was the "dog", one was the handler. Dog goes out of the room. Uta picked a behaviour or item that the 'dog" had to do. The "dog" came in and no one was allowed to talk and the clocking started. It was really helped people hone their handling skills, and helped us "dogs" get the other perspective - one ill timed click can make it really hard for the dog to succeed.

Some of the key points I got out from it:

* conditioning isn't just done once. You have to do it in a variety of places, positions, when the dogs is looking at you, when the dog is looking away etc. She stressed the foundations were important - take your time and let the dog experiment etc.

* I didn't really get the "power" of shaping until I went to this seminar. I like the idea of the dog really thinking and offering up behaviour. I have done a bit of conditioning with my boy as well as a few simple exercises. As soon as the clicking stops he is already trying new behaviours: do I have to touch the bowl with my nose? My paw? My mouth?

* She doesn't use corrections at all when training this way. She has a "you're heading in the wrong direction" marker, but it is said in a neutral tone and no punishment is applied.

* Traditionally trained dogs might struggle at first - they are waiting for their owners to tell them what to do. They have been conditioned that going off on your own is "naughty". My boy does htis a bit - if he isn't getting success quick enough he sits and gives me perfect focus.

* Teaching targetting (either nose, paw, mouth) is easier than teaching behaviour and actions (eg lifting a leg), as the dog will naturally be curious about items.

* Once the dog is clicker savvy, you can use the clicker to get them in the right frame of mind "in real life". I'm going to try this with my fearful girl. Uta suggested clicking before she starts to exhibit fear to help "lift her spirits".

[luvsablue]

Hi perfect partners,

My head was spinning with all the information so no it doesn't ring a bell I'd be no good as a witness in a detective story.

We'll catch up at trials this year maybe are you doing any?

Beckie is a cattle dog, Sunday she was in the car Saturday crated, as it was too warm for cars.

luvsablue & Beckie the Bluey

[huski]

Sounds like you guys had a great weekend!

I would love to do a Uta seminar

[perfect partners]

Hi luvsablue. We're not ready for trials yet. May do some eventually, although I just enjoy training - lots of different things. We're doing a scent detection workshop in a couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to that. I guess I'd need to join a club to learn the finer points of competing. Do you do obedience or agility trials or both? I might go and have a look at some trials - what level are you and Becky at? Do you belong to a club?

I'd like to go to some of Lynda Orton-Hill's workshops too. Anyone else going to them?

Huski - If you can ever get to one of Uta's seminars, I'd recommend it. I've done a bit of clicker training with horses and dogs (and my cat) but she really made you think about what you are rewarding and how to motivate the dog.

[luvsablue]

Hi all you clicker trainers out there,

Help please.

I've conditioned my old girl to the clicker. It didn't take long so then I thought of what to do next.

I wanted to try getting her to stand and take one or two steps backward.

Fine, but she's running back off the stand now, hardly what I want in the ring in UDX. How do I tone it down to to a

nice calm one or two steps? I don't want to discourage this; it is great after 3 years of trying to show her how to do

a stand without coming forward.

The more I click and treat the faster and further she goes.

luvsablue & Beckie the Bluey

[perfect partners]

Hi all you clicker trainers out there,

Help please.

I've conditioned my old girl to the clicker. It didn't take long so then I thought of what to do next.

I wanted to try getting her to stand and take one or two steps backward.

Fine, but she's running back off the stand now, hardly what I want in the ring in UDX. How do I tone it down to to a

nice calm one or two steps? I don't want to discourage this; it is great after 3 years of trying to show her how to do

a stand without coming forward.

The more I click and treat the faster and further she goes.

luvsablue & Beckie the Bluey

I'd use the clicker to re-train stand and I'd start with a wall or other barrier behind her so she can't back up. Ask for stand and click as she comes up into stand, before she can move back. I might move backwards away from her so she comes forward a few steps to treat her for a couple of times but as you don't want her coming forward out of stand either, after a couple of repetitions then give her the treat where she is standing. Gradually ask for stand a little bit away from the wall, then gradually further and further. If she moves back as she stands then she doesn't get a click and treat. Just start again. Once she isn't anticipating the back up any more, I'd ask for the back up very gently and slowly and click as she starts to take the first step then again move back away from her to encourage her to come forward to start with. I'd only do a few repetitions and I'd mostly ask for stand and maybe one with one back up step and then when that is OK start to add another step sometimes - sometimes it would be stand only, sometimes one step back, sometimes more than one step back - depending on how she is responding. If they anticipate then I do the opposite. When I did some trick training with Luke Hura he emphasised that it was very important to add a stop command in every moving exercise - i.e. back up, crawl etc. That's what gives you control, especially in exercises like crawl where they are moving towards you - they just keep going until they get to the food!

Hope this makes sense and gives you some ideas. Let me know if it isn't clear.

[luvsablue]

Thanks perfect partners, I'll try out what you suggest and let you know how we go in a few days.

luvsablue