14 Months: Training - Day 33

Max uses Target to turn off a light.

Jack has started his training to become a mobility support dog.  At 14 months his joints can now handle mild pressure on them as we teach him how to brace and support Ronda when she looses her balance.  In time, around 16 to 18 months of age we'll begin to teach him how to help her stand from the floor and a chair when that task is needed.  We are taking it slow with Jack on these tasks so we don't injure his joints while training him - the last thing we'd ever want to do when training a service dog.

Jack is also working head long into a task Ronda needs sooner than later.  I have watched her struggle to pick up things that have fallen to the floor and even ask Max, who has full retrieve skills, to help her when he's nearby.  Like me, Ronda has only so many bends in her day and by the end of work she's in such pain and so stiff she simply can't do the tiny things that need to be done around the house - like pick up the dog food dishes or items on the floor that have been placed their by her other dogs or cats.  In the yard she needs help with hoses and tools that she's using and are below her waist.  With Jack helping her pain levels will be lowered and her ability to do more, for both home and work, will increase.

So, I am working on Jack learning the precursors to Retrieve and Brace.  Brace is a Stand with a Stay and his body in alignment so he isn't off balance or at risk of injury for himself or his handler.  I am working on duration skills with him currently to build that concept and help him understand what "Brace" truly means in his world.

Retrieve is a form of targeting where he locates and then picks up and hands an object to his handler.  To start this Jack needs solid Level 1 and Level 2 Target before he can become comfortable with and work on Level 3 Retrieve.  Jack has good Level 1 Target skills, now it's time to teach him he can target objects as well as feet and hands.

Today's Lessons:

Target

Jack is working on Level 2: Step 1 Target.  In this step Jack is asked to touch a wooden object with his nose.  I used both a wooden spatula and a pencil.  Jack passed this step.

Jack is working on Level 2: Step 2 Target.  In this step Jack is asked to touch a plastic object with his nose.  I used a plastic scraper.  Jack passed this step.

Jack is working on Level 2: Step 3 Target.  In this step Jack is asked to touch a metal object with his nose.  I used a ladle.  Jack passed this step.

Jack is working on Level 2: Step 4 Target.  Jack is asked to touch a sticky note on a wall with his nose.  I at first put the post it note in my palm and clicked for targeting it there.  I then moved it to the wheel of my power chair and clicked for targeting it there.  When I placed it on the wall it made Jack worried and stressed, so I went back to the post it note in my palm and worked to touching the note when my hand rested on the wall and then slowly put the note on the wall.  Jack is not comfortable with this step yet and we'll continue to work it.

Jack made amazing progress with Target today!

Observatoins

When I was working Target with Jack today and he became stressed about the post it note on the wall I had to remove several factors to make the lesson possible for him.  I was sitting next to the wall with my power chair, so I moved the chair and then later parked the chair and got out of it to train Jack on just the post it note and not worry about the power chair in the equation just yet.  He would run and pull into himself and even hide behind me when he became stressed, but was able to work through the stress and return to make efforts at what I was asking of him.  I am uncertain why the wall threw him so badly, but I believe by the time he was laying by it and reaching out to touch the post it note, he was relaxing and able to think again.

When Jack becomes stressed like this he needs a lot of reassurance that whatever frightened him isn't going to eat him.  He trusts that I and Ronda will protect him most of the time and therefore is willing to come and try the new thing out, even if he's frightened, if we ask him too.  The key to this is giving him loads of success using Level 1 Behaviors once he's returned to face the fright that sent him away.  I did this today with using Level 1 Target to build back up to Level 2 Target.

Jack is able to do this job, he just needs more confidence builders to help him cope better with stress as he matures.  I don't see any reason to worry about Jack's progress at this time.

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	4
	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