Beckett's Journey - 12-16 Weeks Old
Learning Through Play and REINFORCEMENT
I was introduced to operant conditioning as a way of training with Myst. I have learned so much training Myst, often through my mistakes as I learned how to make training fun, to reinforce correctly and at the right time, and to let Myst learn about PATIENCE in her learning and our training. I have learned so much from all the online classes with Susan Garrett. I often repeat an online class to see how beautifully she trains her dogs. I am currently taking and enjoying her current PUPPY PEAKS where she has her monthly work with her new puppy Momentun. Susan has changed her training and her approaches as each of her new dogs teaches her something new. I think one of the most important thing I have learned is that each dog is different and the approach or way we try to reach them varies and changes with each dog.
Some of my work this month will also be from Silvia Trkman. Her Puppy Diary was invaluable when I first started working with Beckett. Both Silvia and Susan showed me that these very young puppies are truly clean slates and know nothing. It is us to our shaping that we design each behavior to the level of perfection we are seeking. Yes, luring for me was and is something I do to help Beckett understand the behavior I am looking for. This is quite evident in my work last month on the pivot/perch work and the frog position. Now Beckett offers these behaviors without a lure. I am not as skilled as Silvia and Susan but with each new trick or behavior I find a connection with Beckett and a better way to help him understand and be reinforced for his correct choices.
This month we are working on...
VIDEO 1: REINFORCEMENT ZONE: Creating Value for Being at My Side. I have always put my puppies on a harness for our walks so they would not pull on a collar and damage their trachea. I never took the time to teach "loose leash walking at my side." I deceided to prioritize this with Beckett and work every day on reinforcing being at my side. In Puppy Peaks Susan Garrett shows a great way to teach the puppy who knows nothing about being at our side to find value there - helping them be correct in the REINFORCEMENT ZONE.
VIDEO 2: LOOSE LEASH WALKING: In one training session Beckectt quickly learned to stop on the plank, sit and look up for his reinforcement treat. We did this a few times and he quickly understood that when he is at my side on a leash and not pulling ahead, looks up that he gets rewarded -- he had no concept of this an hour ago. Most people hand feed this reward but my treats are very small and I really liked how kikopup taught loose leash walking by dropping the treat a little behind your side. A great game to start looking up at me. Kikopup teaches to deliver the treat at your heel and keep walking. Since this is new to me I learned from watching my video that my treat delivery was too far forward and what I am rewarding is to be ahead of me. This will change for my next session.
VIDEO 3: LOOSE LEASH WALKING DAY 2: I wanted to quickly progress from the food on the ground to rewarding at my side from my hand. Today I started with the reinforcement zone game; did a few drop the treats for loose leash walking inside and since Beckett's focus was good and he was at my side, I decided to go outside and see how we would do with loose leash feed from my hand close to my side.
VIDEO 4: PERCH WORK PROGRESSION: We have been working on perch work pivots for a few weeks. I guess I am not sure why it is important for the puppy to do a complete circle on his own around the perch - I don't see any time I would ever use this, so I am OK with moving onto him following my finger around and the rewarding when the circle is complete. I ultimately use the pivot in obedience on a small balance disc to teach tight turns and pivots.
VIDEO 5: BECKETT MEETS THE SLACKLINE: I decided to get a slackline for Myst since she loves to balance and get on objects..But Beckett also just hopped up. He is so fun to watch with his great confidence, focus on me and enjoying whatever I ask him to do. Fun for more body awareness and tricks.
VIDEO 6: REINFORCEMENT ZONE AND LOOSE LEASH WALKING PROGRESS: The reinforcement zone is the starting place for most of the work we do in obedience. Points are gained and lost on the dogs correct position. Teaching this position early helps to perfect it for when we do formal obedience training. It also is a good starting place for our walks and a place where there is lots of REINFORCEMENT. This is how I taught Myst her great trail work always checking on me and coming every time when called. I am progressing the loose leash walking and allowing Beckett to explore as we go as long as he does not pull on the leash or go very far ahead of me. If he does, I just do a turn or run backward or perhaps say if he is exploring, "this way." Lots of high value reinforcement.
VIDEO 7: BECKETT'S FOUNDATION FUN IN THE SUN: Taking our training fun outside where there are more distractions and just great to be outdoors. Using a fun game for teaching the dumbbell retrieve. Beckett has been amazing in that every time he has picked up the DB by the bell and NOT by the bar -- I never showed him. It taught me a year to teach Kaffee to carry the DB; Myst still, after hours of work and positive reinforcement, picks up the DB by the bell costing us points when we show. I am doing a lot of reinforcement and not luring on the paw pods since most puppies and dogs don't like the feeling of the paw pods and choose to avoid them. I love them for proprioception -- especially when we can get them to find the rear pods. Beckett's ladder work is progressing nicely. All off leash work. Great recalls so I feel comfortable in our non-fenced yard with this very focused puppy.
VIDEO 8: BECKETT VISITS HIS FAVORITE DOGGIE GYM: He is now 13 weeks old and loves working on the discs. I thought he was too young for the PEANUT but he jumped right up on it from the donut. Just letting him play on the slackline and do whatever he wants to do with his legs and the two lines. He still does not have enough rear end awareness to put his back legs up.
Some of my work this month will also be from Silvia Trkman. Her Puppy Diary was invaluable when I first started working with Beckett. Both Silvia and Susan showed me that these very young puppies are truly clean slates and know nothing. It is us to our shaping that we design each behavior to the level of perfection we are seeking. Yes, luring for me was and is something I do to help Beckett understand the behavior I am looking for. This is quite evident in my work last month on the pivot/perch work and the frog position. Now Beckett offers these behaviors without a lure. I am not as skilled as Silvia and Susan but with each new trick or behavior I find a connection with Beckett and a better way to help him understand and be reinforced for his correct choices.
This month we are working on...
- SOCIALIZATION: Socialization continues to be a challenge since Beckett just had his 2nd puppy shot and should not be going out and about yet. However I find ways to help him continue to meet other people and go places by carrying him and putting down a blanket in places that seem to be fairly safe like our obedience fun match at our small club and to watch Kaffee and Myst herd at their lessons. We also have been fortunate to have had a lot of family visitors to our home this past month (picture above is of human sister, Laurie) This has been a perfect month to continue with Beckett's enjoyment of meeting and greeting others.
- RECALLS: We do many recalls all day in the house always rewarding with a treat (dehydrated organic chicken pieces). We sometimes play the HIDE AND SEEK recaller game. I realize this will be very very important for when we start hiking off leash on trails.
- FOCUS > FOCUS > FOCUS: I always had trouble with Myst focusing on me and looking at me during her heel work. Beckett seems to have wonderful focus and looks me in the eye often. I want to keep this very important gift so today I started doing some focus reinforcement. I have Beckett sit in front of me while I sit on the floor and I CLICK > TREAT (CT) every time he looks up at me. Also started using a little dog bed to teach him to settle on. When he is on it, he looks up at me for his release word --- great opportunity to CT for FOCUS.
- LOOSE LEASH WALKING: At the top of my list is "LOOSE LEASH WALKING". I have never taught my dogs this since I never knew how or took the time to learn. Beckett is going to work on this every day.
- REINFORCEMENT ZONE: Susan Garrett introduced me when Myst was a puppy to the "reinforcement zone". Since Kaffee always had trouble returning to heel position and being straight in his obedience work, I really appreciated learning to teach a puppy where that position was. All performance work (obedience, herding, agility) begin initially at our side. In obedience it is a starting point for all of the exercises and is judged and scored for correct position. I taught Myst the RZ and now every time she gets a treat reward she must be in RZ. Susan has a new way to teach RZ to her new puppy, Momentum. We started working on this and it is BRILLIANT --- VIDEO TO FOLLOW.
- IT'S YER CHOICE GAME: We started doing this a few weeks ago and do a little with each training session. We started with a closed hand with treats; next an open hand with treats and then treats on the floor in front of the puppy. Beckett picked this up quickly and is learning to apply it in our training. The nose work class that I took with the excellent Stacy Barnett through Fenzi Online uses "It's Your Choice" to begin the introduction of recognizing scent.
- CRATE GAMES: LOVE MY CRATE... Beckett does go happily and willingly into his crate at night from another room and also into his x-pen during the day. He is always reinforced for going in so he associates his x-pen and crate with something positive. He also is fine riding in his crate in the car. Every time he comes out of his crate or pen he must sit and wait for his release word, "BREAK."
- PIVOT/PERCH WORK: I like the way Silvia Trkman teaches the pivot using her hand to initially lure the dog around the bowl away from her. I had to lure for about a week and now Beckett knows that he can do a complete circle on the perch. He does not do a complete circle on his own but offers this with treats going around more each time.
- SIT AT THE DOOR before you go out. No boulting or going out without permission. This also means no jumping from the car.. SAFTETY
- HAND TARGET
- SHAPING GAMES: tricks
- RETRIEVE: I am playing with the metal and leather dumbbell and throw it for Beckett. From the beginning he picked it up by the bar unlike Myst who always picked it up by the bell and continues to choose this when she is over excited. He does not have the idea of brining anything back to me but we are just having fun playing get or chase your DB. I tried Susan's retrieve game "Cookies in the Corner" but he defaults to wanting to get his treat and not pick up the object or DB.
- COLLAR GRAB GAME
- BALANCE DISCS > BODY AWARENESS PLAY: I introduced Beckett to balance discs through play during his first week with me. He loved climbing on the discs and just offered to climb up on even taller and more challenging ones requiring more balance like the Peanut and Fitbone (see video from Puppy 8-12 weeks. We only do balance discs every other or every 3rd day so not to do too much with his young body.
- SKATEBOARD: Introduced the skate board indoors on a rug. He loved it. We have had several sessions on it - he is fearless and hops up with all feet and will even put 2 feet up and 2 off while I move the board slightly.
- PUPPY STRETCHES; Started teaching the excellent frog position last month. He now will jump into this position on a low mat when I say "FROGGIE". I also catch him sleeping in this position with his hind legs out behind him. GREAT STRETCH.
- LOTS OF TUGGING: Use tugging to play; before, during (balance breaks) and after training fun. Just taught him the word "RELEASE" of the tug. Game we play is TUG > SIT> : TUG > FROGGIE: TUG > DOWN
- LADDER WORK > Body awareness
- IN A BOX: We started with a box he could easily get in and now after a few weeks reducing the size of the box.
- EXERCISE that fits the puppy: Several days a week we go on a short 5 minute walk around our property. Since we do not have a fenced grass yard there is no place for free running. When Beckett is immunized we have a lovely fenced grassy area where I train my dogs. We have also done a little trotting over 2 poles on the ground an a ladder. Chasing ball and toys in our training room and doggie gym. One puppy play date last month with a tiny amount of free play.
- NOSE WORK Introduction: introducing the BIRCH scent and nose work
- SIT PRETTY: He learned easily by sitting up with his paws on our arm. Now he is not having to use our arm at times
- PAW TARGET TRICK:
VIDEO 1: REINFORCEMENT ZONE: Creating Value for Being at My Side. I have always put my puppies on a harness for our walks so they would not pull on a collar and damage their trachea. I never took the time to teach "loose leash walking at my side." I deceided to prioritize this with Beckett and work every day on reinforcing being at my side. In Puppy Peaks Susan Garrett shows a great way to teach the puppy who knows nothing about being at our side to find value there - helping them be correct in the REINFORCEMENT ZONE.
VIDEO 2: LOOSE LEASH WALKING: In one training session Beckectt quickly learned to stop on the plank, sit and look up for his reinforcement treat. We did this a few times and he quickly understood that when he is at my side on a leash and not pulling ahead, looks up that he gets rewarded -- he had no concept of this an hour ago. Most people hand feed this reward but my treats are very small and I really liked how kikopup taught loose leash walking by dropping the treat a little behind your side. A great game to start looking up at me. Kikopup teaches to deliver the treat at your heel and keep walking. Since this is new to me I learned from watching my video that my treat delivery was too far forward and what I am rewarding is to be ahead of me. This will change for my next session.
VIDEO 3: LOOSE LEASH WALKING DAY 2: I wanted to quickly progress from the food on the ground to rewarding at my side from my hand. Today I started with the reinforcement zone game; did a few drop the treats for loose leash walking inside and since Beckett's focus was good and he was at my side, I decided to go outside and see how we would do with loose leash feed from my hand close to my side.
VIDEO 4: PERCH WORK PROGRESSION: We have been working on perch work pivots for a few weeks. I guess I am not sure why it is important for the puppy to do a complete circle on his own around the perch - I don't see any time I would ever use this, so I am OK with moving onto him following my finger around and the rewarding when the circle is complete. I ultimately use the pivot in obedience on a small balance disc to teach tight turns and pivots.
VIDEO 5: BECKETT MEETS THE SLACKLINE: I decided to get a slackline for Myst since she loves to balance and get on objects..But Beckett also just hopped up. He is so fun to watch with his great confidence, focus on me and enjoying whatever I ask him to do. Fun for more body awareness and tricks.
VIDEO 6: REINFORCEMENT ZONE AND LOOSE LEASH WALKING PROGRESS: The reinforcement zone is the starting place for most of the work we do in obedience. Points are gained and lost on the dogs correct position. Teaching this position early helps to perfect it for when we do formal obedience training. It also is a good starting place for our walks and a place where there is lots of REINFORCEMENT. This is how I taught Myst her great trail work always checking on me and coming every time when called. I am progressing the loose leash walking and allowing Beckett to explore as we go as long as he does not pull on the leash or go very far ahead of me. If he does, I just do a turn or run backward or perhaps say if he is exploring, "this way." Lots of high value reinforcement.
VIDEO 7: BECKETT'S FOUNDATION FUN IN THE SUN: Taking our training fun outside where there are more distractions and just great to be outdoors. Using a fun game for teaching the dumbbell retrieve. Beckett has been amazing in that every time he has picked up the DB by the bell and NOT by the bar -- I never showed him. It taught me a year to teach Kaffee to carry the DB; Myst still, after hours of work and positive reinforcement, picks up the DB by the bell costing us points when we show. I am doing a lot of reinforcement and not luring on the paw pods since most puppies and dogs don't like the feeling of the paw pods and choose to avoid them. I love them for proprioception -- especially when we can get them to find the rear pods. Beckett's ladder work is progressing nicely. All off leash work. Great recalls so I feel comfortable in our non-fenced yard with this very focused puppy.
VIDEO 8: BECKETT VISITS HIS FAVORITE DOGGIE GYM: He is now 13 weeks old and loves working on the discs. I thought he was too young for the PEANUT but he jumped right up on it from the donut. Just letting him play on the slackline and do whatever he wants to do with his legs and the two lines. He still does not have enough rear end awareness to put his back legs up.
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