13 Months: Training - Day 13

Jack, the master at relaxing.

I am taking it slow today with both Emma and Jack.  I am disabled myself and have limited energy to deal with my daily life - let alone a herd of dog.  Max has been having issues with the changes in our routine and has become a bit out of control, which means I need to give him a bit more training in areas he's become sloppy and with the addition of Spring I find my daily energy varies with the storm fronts coming and going.

I am one of those people who can tell you two or three days prior that a major weather change is coming - it's not perfect, but for the most part if a cold front is coming I am feeling it deep in my bones.  Spring brings huge weather fronts with big storms and pressure systems scudding through our area.  With the training I have been doing I have been doing a lot more unsupported walking and standing and I am feeling it as well.

All this means is, I am exhausted.  I don't have the drive I did when I was healthy and I can't keep going day after day with only a single nights rest to restore my energy reserves.  I have dipped deeply into them and feel the result - I need to slow down and take a few days to restore myself.

This means Jack and Emma will only work for some of their meals instead of all of them and I'll just play it by ear the rest of the time.  Jack seems to be okay with this.  He seems a bit aware of it also.  When I started to go off balance outside while working with them, he stopped his exploring and came to me.  Interesting development in our relationship - I hope he has the same intuition with Ronda as they spend more time together.

Overall, Jack is my easier one to work with.  He's not overly excitable and enjoys working for short periods of time. He is a bit in the way all the time, but we are getting there.  The only problem is getting a solid repeat on his down right now, but we'll find a solution.  Jack's training will not suffer for my slowing down - it may actually help.  He needs time to process everything we've been teaching him and I think this slower rate will let him do that.

Today's Lessons:

Zen

Jack is working on Level 2: Step 1 Zen.  Yes, Jack finished Level 1 Zen in my home, but this does not mean he'll have to continue training it elsewhere.  Ronda is teaching him Zen at her home and we'll start taking it on the road and teaching it in new and different locations to really build up his understanding - but overall, Jack has completed Level 1 Zen.

Level 2: Step 1 Zen asks that Jack not take a treat on the floor.  He is doing very well with this step, so I added a new difficulty to it and started dropping the treats on the floor.  Jack did very well with that also and even let me put a couple on his foot.  This added difficulty is being retaught to all of the dogs and introduced to Jack.

Why?  Every time one of the dogs hears a treat hit the floor they are moving it and taking it - even if it is right between the other dog's feet.  I have a rule of Other Dog Treat Zen in my house and need to retrain everyone that when I am working with one dog the rest are to leave the food alone - no matter how tempting it is laying alone in the middle of the floor.  The only exception to this is if the treat lands directly between their feet - then they are allowed to have it.

Jack has never learned this and thus I am starting by teaching him the sound of a treat hitting my floor is not the cue to jump up and steal it.  Therefore, I drop the treats from higher and higher levels and reward for looking to me and not taking it.  Jack will work on this level for a while.

I would like Ronda to continue to work Level 1 Zen from Step 1 to Step 4 for the next week and really cement in his mind what that lesson is.

Visitation

I have a young man who comes and helps around the house each year.  This week was his first time arriving and I had him working in the yard covering the grass seed with fresh soil so it would root and grow.  While Josh, my helper, was working on his hands and knees in my yard and moving the wheel barrow about I had the dogs outside with me.  I cued Jack and Emma randomly to do a Sit and Down in the front and backyard with and without Josh in sight.  Jack at first was uncertain about laying on the gravel in the driveway, but soon got the idea and was offering sits for the treats in my pockets.

Jack was not concerned by Josh's full beard, glasses and baseball cap.  He didn't mind Josh's gloved hands and odd body movement (Josh is Special Needs and a good friend of my son Walter) nor did he worry about the wheel barrow with the squeaky wheel or the shovel when Josh dug out the gate and reset it so it would fully close.

Jack is very comfortable with strange people and new things and handles the stress without problems.

Field Trip

Jack went on a field trip with Ronda last night.  She has a regular appointment for a massage and took Jack with her.  She reported Jack was very comfortable with entering the new location and settling at the side of the table while Ronda was worked on.  He didn't interfere or become protective of her while she was being massaged.

Ronda let him explore a bit after the massage, with permission, and then took him to Petsmart.  She knew he was tired after a long day and that two trips in a single day was pushing it, but needed supplies.  Since Jack has been to Petsmart twice before he was very comfortable going there and did very well.

She reported that Jack was good on the leash, though a bit nosey in Petsmart.  He had no negative reactions to people, other dogs or items in the store and was very polite at the checkout.

We'll start Store Shelf Zen with Jack, Max and Emma at Petsmart next week.

Observations

Jack needs to work on his basic skills outside as much as inside and on leash as much as off leash.  He needs to continue to work Level 1 behaviors in as many different and new environments as possible to fully cement them in his mind and keep them interesting.

With the good weather I would like to take Jack and Emma out together to work on walking along new surfaces in parks and walkways and see if we can't get them practicing their Level 1 behaviors in as many new spots we can find.


Level 1

	Zen	Target	Come	Sit	Down
Step	Completed	2	2	3	2

Level 2

	Zen	Come	Sit	Down	Target
Step	0	0	0	0	0
	Focus	Lazy Leash	Go To Mat	Crate	Distance
Step	0	0	0	0	0
	Jump	Relax	Handling	Tricks	Communication
Step	0	0	1	0	0

Level 3

	Zen	Come	Sit	Down	Target
Step	0	0	0	0	0
	Focus	Lazy Leash	Go To Mat	Crate	Distance
Step	0	0	0	0	0
	Jump	Relax	Handling	Retrieve	Communication
Step	0	0	0	1	0

Level 4

	Zen	Come	Retrieve	Target	Relax
Step	0	0	0	0	0
	Focus	Lazy Leash	Go To Mat	Crate	Distance
Step	0	0	0	0	0
	Handling	Communication
Step	0	0