14 Months: Training - Day 32

It took a while, but Max figured out he has back feet.

My job as a trainer doesn't just include the focused training I do with Jack and Emma each day, but also the day to day living I do with them.  Both Jack and Emma have been taught what is acceptable chew toys and what is not by careful maintenance on my part.  Though I do leave my shoes and slippers out, I watch to see if they are being taken by one of the dogs.  If I find them with one I trade them for something more acceptable for them to chew on, such as a toy, treat or bone.  When Jack was first visiting my home he had no concept of what was okay to chew on and what wasn't, and had he been left at his home all day long he would have very quickly learned bad habits when left alone.

Jack tried to chew on my recliner, TV tray table and wheel chair in the first two days of being in my home.  With a gentle redirect on my part I showed him he had plenty of appropriate things he could chew on and thus prevented him from becoming the great furniture eater he could have been.  The same happened in the yard - Jack and Emma love to dig and both have had adventures in my raised beds.  Since they've had minor success in my raised beds, I have since been very diligent on redirecting them to remaining in my line of sight and will build for both of them a "dig" spot in my yard where they have my permission to dig for hidden items.  I will train this, since I don't want them returning to my raised beds, but do want them to enjoy an activity they wish to participate in.  One way is to take them to the spot they can dig and show them they have hidden goodies, such as stuffed Kongs and beef hooves and bones hidden within the sand or dirt I provide for them.  Another way is to be the keeper of that resource by having it covered unless it is dig time and then making a big deal out of letting them dig in that spot.

Jack has also learned how to live with cats, both here at my home and at his.  He's learned that my cat doesn't want his attention, though he was very gentle and just curious, and one of the cats at his home enjoys his attention.  Jack has learned not all cats are friends, but all cats are to be respected and not chased.

Between focused training sessions Jack is learning to relax and nap or play quietly at my feet when I am busy.  He's also learned that he can't rush the door, must sit for petting when company comes and what power chairs are about when they move about the house.  Today he even did his first walk next to my chair while on the wheelchair lead.

Though I may spend a part of my day focused on a specific behavior, I spend the rest enforcing those behaviors by having him earn life rewards with them.  Want the attention of a favored guest, sit.  Want to go outside, sit.  What I ask of him is within his abilities and extends his lessons.  Jack has become a fabulous indoor dog who can now hold his bladder and not pee in my home, doesn't chew on furniture or non-toy items and is polite with guests.  Jack is learning a lot more in my home than just what I list in his lessons and he's doing a fantastic job of it.

Today's Lessons:

Sit

Jack is working on Level 2: Step 1 Sit.  In this step Jack is asked to sit while I walk five feet away from him and return.  Jack is able to do this, but tends to slide into a Flat after a few seconds.  I am working on Jack remaining in the position before advancing at this point.

Today I asked Jack to sit while was seated in my recliner and began to build duration in his sit.  Jack can remain in a seated position for about 5 to 6 seconds before sliding into a Flat and relaxing.  Whenever he slid into a Flat I stopped the training and went about my own business.

My friend Robin called and we discussed this.  Her dog, Jonathon, did the same thing around Jack's age and she too found it hard to build duration on a Sit when he kept sliding into a Flat.  Her solution was to teach duration using Brace instead.

I believe, after working through Jack's breakfast and having him slide repeatedly into a Flat, that I will begin working on duration while Jack is working on Brace.  This means that for now I will not be working on Flat with Jack until I have a solid 15 second duration with Brace and Sit.  This may take up to a week or more before Jack is able to return to training Flat.

Observations

Jack is one of those dogs that is willing to lay down beside you and wait until you are ready to do something.  This makes him especially easy to teach Relax too, but very difficult to teach duration in position too.  At least, when it's time for him to go to work with Ronda, he'll be willing to settle at her side and sleep the day out and enjoy it as much as he would moving along with her.

Jack is very smart and I have found that if I show him two or three times what I am asking for he gets the idea.  He's now seen Emma and Max walk beside the power chair and as such, when I clipped the lead to him and worked on walking with my power chair he fell right into position and worked nicely with it.  Next week I hope to have given them enough millage in the house that they can begin work on the ramp and then out on the street in front of the house.  I will work on both of them turning with and walking with the power chair where their feet are safe and they are comfortable going at faster and faster paces.

I also need to spend the remainder of this week teaching Jack he has a rear end.  I am afraid he'll knock Dieter off of the ramp and hurt him because he's unaware of his back end.  I will work on back end games this week to build up to his turning properly with the chair and paying attention to his butt when turning.

Level 1

	Zen	Target	Come	Sit	Down
Step	Completed	Completed	2	Completed	Completed

Level 2

	Zen	Come	Sit	Down	Target
Step	3	0	1	1	1
	Focus	Lazy Leash	Go To Mat	Crate	Distance
Step	1	1	1	2	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