Training Talk Thread

[Ptolomy]

Cider is now working 7 metals and 5 woods mixed together - will give it a day or two before trying her on leathers.

I noticed this morning that she was even more confident going to the pack and making the correct decision. I will try and get it on video over the weekend.

Are you using the same scented article or are you doing a fresh scent on an aired article each time??

Same heavily scented articles (so I now have 1 wood and 1 metal which I use every day). I found this helps with the learning phase - and it has never been hard to introduce a fresh article once they know the game.

[ness]

Just did a scent session with Kenz - 8 unscented metals, 1 scented metal = no issues. There were even pretty heavy distractions for her with a neighbour walking up the road and then starting to mow the lawn next door. Pretty pleased with her. Gone for the moment is the I can't pick up my metal article stage - she is still struggling but she is perserving until the article is up and on the way back to me. I placed a few unscented woods in the pile (just in case she would try and take an easy option) and she still only bought back the correctly scented metal ;) . She was actually sniffing each article and when she got to the scented one picking it up without a doubt as to which one I wanted back.

Finished up with some gorgeous heelwork while the neighbour was mowing the lawn - pretty hard for her since both my two are die hard lawn mower chasers and secondly Kenz has issues with strange people being close and being spooked.

[bedazzledx2]

She was simply stunning!!!! If there was ever a dog to tempt me to switch to the red side its your Cider! She reminds me of my first Kelpie in her attitude (only Cider's much better trained ) You've done a fantastic job teaching her Ptolomy ;) ;)

Rubystar - will watch the video's tonight when I get home - thanks for posting them and Terranik - I still need to watch your last trial video - so thats also on tonights viewing.

Took the kids training at K9 last night and Bedazzelled did a bit of work with Cider Bear - WOW lovely to watch and amazing how a baby can adapt so quickly when a handler is neat and tidy. And Red really is bedazzled's colour - like the right coloured handbag to go with an outfit. Hmm think you should cancel your kelpie order and work Cider Bear for me

[Mas1981]

Just did a scent session with Kenz - 8 unscented metals, 1 scented metal = no issues. There were even pretty heavy distractions for her with a neighbour walking up the road and then starting to mow the lawn next door. Pretty pleased with her. Gone for the moment is the I can't pick up my metal article stage - she is still struggling but she is perserving until the article is up and on the way back to me. I placed a few unscented woods in the pile (just in case she would try and take an easy option) and she still only bought back the correctly scented metal ;) . She was actually sniffing each article and when she got to the scented one picking it up without a doubt as to which one I wanted back.

Finished up with some gorgeous heelwork while the neighbour was mowing the lawn - pretty hard for her since both my two are die hard lawn mower chasers and secondly Kenz has issues with strange people being close and being spooked.

I also have a lawn mower chaser ;) and mine tends to bark at them if I wont let him chase it lol!

One question, what is the article scented with, and if you cant touch the unscented objects how do you lay them out? I may be getting the wrong end of the stick, I have never seen any scent work done etc so I am totally clueless but it sounds like fun

[ness]

The scented article is scented with your scent. You can either place out the unscented articles using tongs or since I am to lazy to use tongs I will tip my box out and then use the article I am using as scented article to nudge the unscented articles ;) .

[Mas1981]

The scented article is scented with your scent. You can either place out the unscented articles using tongs or since I am to lazy to use tongs I will tip my box out and then use the article I am using as scented article to nudge the unscented articles ;) .

And do you always use metal or is it sometimes wood?? And in competitions is it wood or metal??

[ness]

In competition you have a pack of 12 unscented articles - 4 wood/4 metal/4 leather and then you scent 1 article (wood/leather/metal) and that gets placed in the pile and the dog sent to find it. You repeat the game 3 times so they have to find 1 of each article type. So if you select wood the first time then you either select leather or metal the second time and then whatever you haven't selected is your last article.

[Mas1981]

In competition you have a pack of 12 unscented articles - 4 wood/4 metal/4 leather and then you scent 1 article (wood/leather/metal) and that gets placed in the pile and the dog sent to find it. You repeat the game 3 times so they have to find 1 of each article type. So if you select wood the first time then you either select leather or metal the second time and then whatever you haven't selected is your last article.

Thanks for explaining, like I said before I am clueless, had never even heard of this before.

[RubyStar]

Candice, check out a couple of pages back, I posted links to videos of my girls doing a scent training session ;)

[Ptolomy]

Hi guys!

Hope you don't mind me jumping in this thread; I thought it'd be better than starting my own... please bear with my inexperience

I am trying to do some targeting with Archie, so here is our set up

Me:

impatient

uncoordinated

confused as to what I am supposed to be doing! ;)

Archie

livewire

hyperactive and OCD

uncoordinated too!

I have been using a clicker to do short sessions in the evening in the living room (away from distractions as much as possible); I use two different shaped lids for each paw and a target stick for the nose.

Archie has grasped the concept (I was actually surprised he'd be able to differentiate between 2 different shapes ;) ), however I am struggling to build duration. The instant he's done the touch (even if I haven't clicked yet), his foot goes back on the ground and he is staring intently at the hand the treat should be coming from.

When and how should I start using a cue? Haven't decided on words yet (so any suggestions are welcome ; I use 'paw' and 'shake' for the normal trick). Once the cue are introduced, should I only treat when the behaviour follows the cue, and ignore it if the behaviour is given upon presentation of the target before I give the cue?

Also, where do I go from there? I don't want him to get bored with the same repetition every night...

Can any body offer any suggestions????

Have you started waiting for mulitple repetitions before rewarding - so waiting for 2,3 or 4 paw touches before clicking and treating?

I tend to put a cue on early - one of my many bad habits! The way to introduce a cue - well to begin with, as the dog offers the behaviour you can say the cue and c/T. After you had rewarded a few of these - you can try saying the cue and see if the dog then offers the behavour.

Once the dog knows the behaviour, I only reward if I give the cue first - well all except them bringing me shoes, mats, toys and clothing and then I recognise that I have created monsters and will always reward whenever they bring me something - whoops.

[RubyStar]

Can any body offer any suggestions????

I don't often feel in the position to give much training advice because my own methods are very hap-hazard! I need to be taking advice from everyone else it seems ;) However, I can have a think tonight when I'm home as to how I would approach it. Might get in trouble if I sit and ponder training methods while at work! Would love a job where I get paid to do that, though!! ;)

[fbaudry]

Can any body offer any suggestions????

Have you started waiting for mulitple repetitions before rewarding - so waiting for 2,3 or 4 paw touches before clicking and treating?

I tend to put a cue on early - one of my many bad habits! The way to introduce a cue - well to begin with, as the dog offers the behaviour you can say the cue and c/T. After you had rewarded a few of these - you can try saying the cue and see if the dog then offers the behavour.

Once the dog knows the behaviour, I only reward if I give the cue first - well all except them bringing me shoes, mats, toys and clothing and then I recognise that I have created monsters and will always reward whenever they bring me something - whoops.

Thank you Ptolomy! ;)

You haven't created monsters, they're gorgeous I really admire NSDTR but think they might be a tad too smart for me

Now I need to find what to do next with targeting to make it a bit more interesting ;)

[Ptolomy]

have you tried teaching hand touches?

[Ptolomy]

You haven't created monsters, they're gorgeous I really admire NSDTR but think they might be a tad too smart for me ;)

I sent out an SOS to the guru a couple of days ago - saying things were going pearshaped in training - and I needed a lesson (it always happens just before I go away )

Anyway to cut a long story short - the guru suggested next time choosing a breed that wasn't so smart, or if I must stick with this breed to choose the dumb one in the litter - as smartness brings problems all of their own Great now she tells me ;)

[ness]

;) Ptolomy - well at least this time you didn't breeder her so you could always send her back to her breeder (just kidding ;) ).

[Ptolomy]

;) Ptolomy - well at least this time you didn't breeder her so you could always send her back to her breeder (just kidding ;) ).

The issues were with Moo - and I did breed him!!!!!!

[ness]

Ooops - er well you could send Moo to me - I'd take good care of him ;) and Kenz is rather partial to Toller boys ;) .

ETA. Rubs hands together in anticipation of a rather large Moo containing package arriving in the mail in the next 48 hours .

Edited March 26, 2010 by ness

[Mas1981]

Candice, check out a couple of pages back, I posted links to videos of my girls doing a scent training session

I saw your video but I am so clueless I needed to see how you scented the articles etc, would like to give it a go but we need to do it under guidance of someone who has trained it before, after all I dont want to be teaching the wrong thing Where did you get your articles Rubystar??

[ness]

MM - I taught Ness scent discrimination based on the dog scout website and Ptolomy's kindly well thought out emails. Let me see if I can find any of my trial videos that might give you an idea of what the exercise should look like when its finished.

Hmm here is an old clip of mine from a trial -

this one has a bit of what it shouldn't look like because Ness spits the article but it shows you how its set up and you can clearly see the steward/judge/dog/handler in the video -

Edited March 26, 2010 by ness

[RubyStar]

Candice, check out a couple of pages back, I posted links to videos of my girls doing a scent training session

I saw your video but I am so clueless I needed to see how you scented the articles etc, would like to give it a go but we need to do it under guidance of someone who has trained it before, after all I dont want to be teaching the wrong thing Where did you get your articles Rubystar??

If you come down on Monday, I'll do scent with Ruby and show you. Or you can go watch the pros do it down there too :p