14 Month Old Puppy Who Learned To Learn.......

[Agility Dogs]

I am just LOVING training my 14 month old BC puppy at the moment.

I fumbled through training my older two dogs with a mixture of corrections (to varying degrees and using various techniques), manual positioning, luring and finally a little bit of shaping. They are now both fantastic at what they do and I'm very proud.

BUT my puppy is a revelation. I think it is because she learned to learn from day one with me (and I suspect a little at her Breeder's as well - she was a 'problem solver' according to her breeder).

Now when we are learning new things she is immediately switched on and offers behaviours as soon as she realises it is a new game. What amazes me is that with the other two I find they are working to achieve the reward - primary and almost only motivation.

With Wikki she seems to be working to solve the problem and is then wrapped to receive the reward at the end of the process. (Reward rate with Wikki has also been much higher than it was with the other two in the early stages.)

She still has a long way to go before she is a reliable agility dog, but the trip is so much more enjoyable this time around. Not that it wasn't with the other two, but I'm marvelling at how the little dog learns and how the different approach i've adopted has made such a difference.

I'm already excited about my next pup - just to see if I can improve on this journey! (I know every pup will be different and the challenges will be different, but for me the discovery of their learning styles is enthralling.)

Has anyone else sat back and looked at the way their training has changed or am I just weird?

FTR - I'm not talking about behavioural modification, I'm not comparing positive to correction based training, I'm talking about YOUR ability to get the most out of your dogs and how it has changed over time and why.

[**Super_Dogs**]

I love it

I am just starting this journey. My puppy is now 5 months old. She is my first puppy since I entered the world of agility. My dog previous I trained in obedience for 12 months and then switched to agility. The way I am training my puppy is VERY different to how I have trained my previous dogs and I am getting so much more from her.

She offers behaviours and quickly works out what I want. I am excited about continuing my training with her!!

[Tassie]

I don't think you're weird, AD ;) . It is so much fun training the way we do now. I started off more than 20 years ago with the older style training, which was OK cos I didn't know anything else. But the horizons certainly have broadened since - and the idea of the pup as an active learner and as you say, problem solver - and the whole training process as a game - is so very much more enjoyable.

As you say, this is about training for performance disciplines - essentially tricks when it comes right down to it. I think it makes us much more critical observers of what we are doing, and makes us careful about breaking stuff down, and maintaining criteria.

And of course, I have to say - it helps when the raw material comes in the sort of packages we have. ;) (For those who don't know, AD's pup is from a repeat mating of my Rory's parents :D .

[Jumabaar]

Thats great!! I think my latest is similar. I bred her my self and had learnt soooo much from raising pups from my last litter.

She really gets the marker already and is so focused. Capturing behaviours has never been so easy with my past dogs, simply because they lacked those to elements. She is not amazing at offering new behaviours, but because she will repeat behaviours after one treat it doesnt seem to matter much. So the initial movement is a little difficult but once she has that we are off. I have decided to use targeting with her because of that and it is really working for her.

You are right about being excited to train- having a dog that gets things easily means that I am not as exhausted after a training session but energised! I have to remember she is only 18weeks and stop because she is such a trooper!

[Agility Dogs]

And of course, I have to say - it helps when the raw material comes in the sort of packages we have. ;) (For those who don't know, AD's pup is from a repeat mating of my Rory's parents :D .

On that note HRW is on her back from our Vet after her checkup. She is 'Wiry and Flexible - perfect'. Oh and dead cute into the bargain. (Sorry to hijack my own thread, but it was for good reason!) :cool:

[Tassie]

HRW - wiry and flexible - lovely. My vet's comment on Rory when he checked him out before ET - he'll have no problems doing the 20 km LOL.

[Cosmolo]

I think my OH and I get better with every puppy we raise- and i would love to raise more and more puppies. I'd like to think we get smarter, more creative, more flexible and this helps the puppy to develop in a wonderful way. Certain skills we have become better at training and the results can be seen in our dogs i think. I know for many people the first 18 months of a dogs life is the hardest time but i LOVE it!