Miley's Road To Success (updated Page 1 Post 12)

[HugUrPup]

I've decided to journal Miley's progress.

Miley is a 3 and a half year old Cavalier who joined my family around 6 months ago.

Over the past few weeks it has become evident that she is not well trained when it comes to being walked on a lead.

When another person or dog is walking passed, she barks and lunges.

So after getting some tips from DOL members, I am trying to tarin her myself, in if that fails get a trainer out.. then get her into some classes.

Today I bought a check collar, (I had been using a harness), a clicker, training treats and a positive attitude.

First I took Miley out to the front yard to get used to the collar and the clicker. I walked around the garden bed and she quickly figured out, that pulling in another direction wasn't comfortable and staying next to me was the best idea.

The clicker, I would press it once and give her a treat as soon as she looked at me. Within minutes she connected the sound of the clicker to looking at me and recieving a treat.

We did that for a couple of minutes and then I decided to teach her to sit at the click. We walked around the garden bed a few times again, and this time when I pressed the clicker and she looked at me, I also said sit and waited for her to sit before giving her the treat.

It took 3 times and she had it down pat my Miley is a genius.

So after 2 more rounds of the garden bed we ventured out into the street. I walked up the path with her and she stayed by my side without pulling at all (a miracle in itself) and I pressed the clicker randomly and she would stop and sit instantly and look at me. I would give her a treat and praise and she would stay seated until I cued her to walk again

We then headed off to the bush walk we go on daily. I was hoping to come across someone else, but fr the first time in a month we were the only ones there.

When we got back to the street my neighbour got out of his car.. normally that prompts a lunge and a bark, but this time, I pressed the clicker and she sat and got a treat and stayed sitting while watching my neighbour walk to his from door. She just sat there and didn't move until I did she got a massive fuss from me and another treat for good measure.

In an hour, we are going for another walk but with Ollie as well. She likes to walk right next to Ollie and push against him etc, while pulling ahead from me on her lead, so this time I am going to teach her to stay next to me during the entire walk. There should be other people with their dogs walking at that time too, so that will be the next challenge.

I'll update after challenge 2

Edited April 14, 2010 by puggerup

[OSoSwift]

It is great she is going so well.

Just one thing to remember the click is a marker not a cue. So you click for the desired response, then treat. Rather than click for something to happen then treat.

Keep us updated with her progress.

[HugUrPup]

Yep.. click means sit and look at me.

Nothing exciting to report.. we went for a half hour walk and we didn't come across a single other person normally we walk past at least 4.

Anyhoo, we discovered that Ollie won't walk (yes stops dead in his tracks) unless Miley is beside him or in front of him. We chose in front so I could control the situation without distractions. I did click and treat twice on the walk, just to make sure she hadn't forgotten. She stayed beside me the entire time with no pulling on the lead at all

I need to test her to get an idea on if the she can remain controlled when there is another dog (besides Ollie) around.

Hopefully tomorrow we will have some luck.

[huski]

Yep.. click means sit and look at me.

Just to further clarify on what RnL has said, the click should mean 'you've done the right thing and a reward is coming'. So, I use markers when I've given my dogs a command and they've complied or when they exhibit a behaviour I want to see. I don't use the marker as a way to get attention or a way to tell them to do a command. If that makes sense??

[HugUrPup]

ahhhh... it means you are getting a reward? I get it now.

I did notice that as soon as I stopped walking she would stop and sit even without me using the clicker a couple of times.. and I gave her a treat, so perhaps I don't need the clicker at all anymore?

Edited April 10, 2010 by puggerup

[OSoSwift]

No you can still use the clicker, but now you have her attention.

The click can be used as a marker for anything, sitting, dropping, recalling, party tricks. You can click whe they lift a certain leg up to teach them to limp on command for example.

When she stops and looks click and treat to reinforce that she has done what you have wanted.

She sounds quite focussed and should be fun to train. Keep training and you will have more great things to show people down the track.

This is what clicker trained focus and heeling can be

Edited April 10, 2010 by Rommi n Lewis

[HugUrPup]

great photo

This is so exciting, I can't wait to teach them both cool tricks

[Prydenjoy]

This is my favorite bit

She just sat there and didn't move until I did she got a massive fuss from me and another treat for good measure.

Yes, remember - the click is a marker, not a cue.

Now that you've got the clicker I'd stick with using it, they are lots of fun and great for rainy days. If you want something to work from you can pick and choose what you like from here http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20dogs/%20dog1/levels.html

She's got good explainations on how to train each thing, once you've worked through it a bit and understand how it all works you'll be able to train anything you like from scratch. You may even become hooked

[HugUrPup]

Awesome Jeanne ;) thanks for the link, I've bookmarked it.

There's a storm on the way so no walk for today, but I'm going to try some other sorts of clicker training stuff.

Edited April 11, 2010 by puggerup

[Aidan]

Puggerup, I think you two are going to smoke it once you figure out the kinks. The clicker was originally called a "Bridging Stimulus" because it "bridges" the gap between Response and Reinforcer.

When they used to study rats in boxes in the old days they waited until the rat did something (Response), then they dropped food into a hopper (Reinforcer). They figured out that the sound of the hopper was actually pretty useful because it appeared to "mark" the response, "bridging" the gap between Response and Reinforcer so the rat could figure out why he was earning the food. Without it, you just got a lot of "rat standing near the hopper".

So it's a very powerful, useful, practical tool to have.

[Prydenjoy]

There's a storm on the way so no walk for today, but I'm going to try some other sorts of clicker training stuff.

Have fun! One thing you can also do is throw the food on the ground and say "get it" after you've clicked a behavior (gets the dog moving around a bit more, as well as keeping them on the ball because they keep having to "find" the food rather than you just stuffing it in its mouth). This works better with some "tricks" more than others, if you're after a specific position it's good to reward in position. I played this game with Mango's entire breakfast yesterday, getting her to come in and do a hand touch, clicking, saying "get it" (later I will teach her that if I don't say get it she is to leave the food) and tossing the food away. She got really fast, running back and forwards to do a hand touch, then to grab the food. Just a bit of fun, and a really easy "beginners" game to play (she's only a pup).

[HugUrPup]

Today went really well. We walked, and I randomly clicked and gave a treat..she kept her focus on me pretty much the entire walk.. just like dear Lewis up there ^.

We came across 2 dogs. The first looked like some poodle mix..actually reminded me of an old English sheep dog. I clicked and treated, then I said sit and I clicked and treated.

Then while she was sitting and looking at me I said stay Miley stay and she saw the dog as it passed and let out a little yelp but I quickly got her focus by saying her name again and she sat and I clicked and treated twice as the other dog passed and then she stayed focused on me the entire time.. no lunging, no barking.. just sitting and looking at me even though she knew the other dog was going past she then got so much praise I could have almost eaten her up with the patting and kissing and telling her how clever she is.. click treat another time and we started walking again

Then a big old lab came along and I told her to sit and stay and clicked and treated. She saw him out of the corner of her eye, but kept her focus on me as I was saying Miley stay.. wait stay...then I clicked and treated 3 times and ran out of treats

Not a single yelp or lunge. She stayed focused on me and then once the dog was passed, I praised and said come and we walked home.

Edited April 14, 2010 by puggerup

[Prydenjoy]

Your post has brought a big smile to my face, it's great to hear people talking about their dogs with pride and joy. I'm glad you are having fun with the clicker and it sounds like you have the makings of a good trainer, not afraid to hold back on giving a well earned reward, not pushing your dog past her threshold. Good on you, really

[HugUrPup]

Thanks Jeanne