13 Months: Training - Day 20

Jack is In The Game!  He's giving prompt sits when asked
even if I have a camera in my  hands!

Jack is currently upside down in the middle of my living room while chewing on a hoof.  It is not the most dignified position I've seen him in, but it shows he's 100% comfortable in my house.  Another sign is his increased efforts to get Emma to play, his bounce through my yard and his ability to let me be in one area of the house while he's in another and not worry that he can't see me.  He's also chewing and playing with toys more and more.

Today Jack was almost throwing himself to the floor for treats while we practiced down.  His Sit is zippy and fluent and his ability to recognize I am training another dog and "tune out" while I do has improved.  He's "working" the system now.  He's IN THE GAME.  Jack is doing everything he can to earn his rewards and he's thinking of what he knows and can offer that has in the past paid and gotten him a reward from me.  Jack is learning at a pace that amazes me.

Today I was able to get fluent and quick sits out of him whenever I said Sit, be it in front of the door or when I was holding a camera, and is now starting to give the same quick and fluent Flats we've wanted from him. Jack has learned that Sit and Flat pay and is working with me to get his breakfast.

I love it when a dog figures out he can join my silly games and earn what he wants most.  If he sits quickly at the door he gets to go out that much sooner.  If he sits and waits while I work with another dog, he can earn random kibble for good behavior.  If he gives me a Flat he gets rewards and soon he'll realize that Brace earns rewards also.

Jack is well on his way!

Today's Lessons:

Zen

Jack is working Level 2: Step 1 Zen.  Today we reviewed Level 1 Zen again.  A weekend passed between our last lesson and this one and I want to ensure that Jack remembers and gives Level 1 Zen behavior before jumping ahead.  Working too fast will only result in a weak or faulty Zen in the end, so I review and refresh Level 1 Zen weekly with Jack.

Jack was back to touching and licking my hand when we started, but started to move to only touching my hand.  I stayed at Level 1: Step 1 Zen for two sessions and build up to Level 1: Step 2 Zen on the third session.  Jack quickly caught on again and was offering a solid Level 1: Step 1 Zen by the time we had worked through half of his breakfast.

Flat

Jack is working on Level 1: Step 2 Flat.  In this step Jack is asked to give me a Flat when I give him a hand cue only.  Jack is now doing so 80% of the time I cue him.  Today I backed up and just captured Flats as Jack offered them.  Last week he would do a Flat, but not jump up to repeat the behavior.  This meant he wasn't fully ready to engage me in training this behavior.  This week Jack is jumping up and offering a second and third one in rapid succession.  This means Jack is ready and willing to work on this behavior because it has value to him now.  Jack is participating in his training.

I was working Emma for lunch and Jack was throwing Flats at me.  I am so happy to see this.  Jack is ready to start progressing on this behavior.

Crate

Jack is working on Level 2: Step 1 Crate.  In this step Jack is asked to enter his crate without being lured.  Jack is still overcoming his dislike of the crate and therefore I'm working on training his other behaviors around his crate as well as increasing the value of the crate.

Today, when working on Flat, Jack reached out and touched the crate to get payment.  I placed the last of Jack's breakfast (1/8th cup) in his crate for him to eat after finishing his lessons with Flat.

I am also leaving the crate open and allowing him to explore and check his crate to see what may be hidden inside it.  Just now Jack went to the open crate and entered it without hesitation.  Though he will do this when I am not near, it does not mean he's passed this step yet.  Jack will continue to do things in and around the crate to improve his overall opinion of the crate.

I left Jack's crate open all day and would reward him with praise, affection or food whenever he chose to enter it and explore.  Jack explored the crate off and on all day long.  For his final meal with me I put half of it in the opening of the crate for him to eat.  He not only ate the food, but actually entered the crate and stood inside it to eat.  This is a positive sign that he's learning his crate is a good place to be.

Observations

For the first time today I am seeing a completely relaxed and happy Jack at my home.  He's playing with toys and rolling on his back and exposing his belly on a regular basis.  He's not glued to me and he's playing with Emma whenever he can get her engaged.  He is settled into his routine and comfortable with it.

Jack is also ready to play the games I offer and is starting to think his way around my home.  He's offering quick and purposeful sits for going outside and offering other behaviors to get me to engage with him.

I am so glad to see a happy and relaxed Jack in my home.


Level 1

	Zen	Target	Come	Sit	Down
Step	Completed	2	2	3	2

Level 2

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

13 Months: Training - Day 19

Jack at Haute Paws Grooming.

Emma had a grooming appointment first thing Friday morning, so I fed her and Jack their breakfasts in their bowls.  I placed Jack's bowl beside his crate so he'd have to almost touch it to eat his food and Emma's food just inside the crate so she'd have to put her head into it to eat her food.  This was to help her and Jack feel more comfortable with the crate itself.

Jack at first paced and wandered about the house with clear signs he wanted to eat, but the closeness of the bowl to the crate bothered him.  He just didn't want to be that close to that item in fear I would stuff him into it and shut the door.  I accepted that it would take him a moment to override that feeling and decide to eat; in a few minutes Jack went to his bowl and ate.  It was after that he wasn't as worried about the crate in the kitchen.

I, unfortunately, did have to crate him again so I could run Emma to her appointment.  He wasn't happy with this and I hoped it wouldn't put him back too far regarding approaching the crate for his mid-day meal.

Jack before grooming at Haute Paws Grooming.

Today's Lessons:

Crate

Jack is working on Level 2: Step 1 Crate.  In this step Jack is asked to enter his crate without luring him into it.  Jack is not there.  I can get him to enter without protest by leading him in with his collar, but that is not what this step asks for.  I decided to work a bit on shaping to get him to enter the crate, but he wasn't fully getting the idea and wouldn't really make an effort to go into the crate, so I went to a form of luring also.

With the shaping I got Jack to look at and touch the crate door, opening and gate with his nose, but he wouldn't put his head into the crate and would lay beside it and not get up.  I worked him four times this way, but never got to the point of his exploring the inside of the crate.  To aid in this, I started to toss treats into the crate and reward him when he turned to come back out and then let him come out of the crate.  In short order he was going into the crate, as long as a treat was tossed in.

Why did I give up on the shaping?  At once point he jumped up and ran away from the crate and sat with clear signs that the crate was causing him stress.  I stopped after getting him to come to me and do some Level 1 Behaviors (Sit and Target) near the crate, but decided I needed to turn the crate into something far more furn that it has been since we started.

To do this, I went online and found Crate Games by Susan Garrett on YouTube.  I started some of those games with him and will continue them.  I ended our luring session by placing the last of his lunch in the back of his crate and walking off.  He entered the crate to eat it, though he left his right hind foot outside of the crate, and was relaxed when he exited the crate.  I will continue this type of feeding and play with the crate to improve his outlook about it.

Observations

Jack is progressing nicely with his training.  This weekend he'll be groomed and Ronda will learn more about how to manage his coat.  Between his play with Emma and his play at Ronda's house his ears have become horribly matted, even though both Ronda and I try to brush them out daily.  We are hoping with the grooming to remove those mats and clean up his face so he doesn't have gooey tears in his eyes all the time.

I'll post his pictures of before and after his grooming - it was a huge difference and I have to thank Haute Paws Grooming for how amazing Jack looks.

Level 1

	Zen	Target	Come	Sit	Down
Step	Completed	2	2	3	2

Level 2

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

13 Months: Training - Day 18

Jack gets so excited when Ronda returns to pick him up.

Jack is getting the idea!  I am so happy to see him working the system to get his kibble each day.  Today we worked on Target and Jack stayed involved for the entire lesson.  This is a huge step forward for Jack, since it means he's discovering that he's the one making me give me the treats!

I am so pleased with his progress!  It may seem to take a long time to get to the point where the dog picks up and joins the game, but once they do the world is theirs.  That moment they join the game and start to work the game the dog is thinking and working out problems to get the rewards they want.  A thinking dog is a learning dog.

Jack is becoming a thinking dog.  He's still a bit shy about trying new things still, but I am starting to see him turn the gears and try something new occassionally when what he's doing doesn't work.  He's joining me in the games I play and because of that he's finding new things he can try to get me to click him.  It won't be long before he's fully engaged in the training and I'll have a learning animal on me.

Max, who's been at this whole thing longer, is a thinking dog who tries different things because something might work to get me to click.  If you watch the attached video of Max learning to focus on a certain part of the rope to open the fridge, you'll see him thinking and puzzling out what I want to get the click.  Soon Jack will be there and working on problem solving with me and gaining stronger and improved skills because of it.

Today's Lessons:

Target

Jack is working on  Level 1: Step 3 Target.  In  this step Jack is asked to take three steps to touch my hand.  Today I tested him on Steps 1 & 2 and he passed with flying colors.  I then started moving my hand further and further away from his nose and asking for a touch.  Jack did extremely well.  He was able to move up to 5 steps to touch my hand, though he's not doing so all the time yet.  I will continue to work this step until Jack is solid on it.

Crate

Jack is working on Level 2: Step 1 Crate.  Since Jack is having issues with being crated when I leave I have decided to train him properly to a crate.  He is okay in a crate if he can see me, but not if I am out of his line of sight.  Today I wanted to see where he was on Crate as a behavior.  He will not willingly enter the crate himself unless I guide him in with his collar.  He won't balk going in once at the door, but will run and try to avoid being near the crate if he thinks I am about to crate him.  This shows he's not comfortable with the crate in general.

I started with clicking for looking at, touching or interacting with the crate today.  Jack began to purposely touch the crate with his nose, but would not put his head into the crate to see if it will gain a reward.  At this time I will look for some crate games for both Emma and Jack and work them both two or three times a week on crate behavior.  I would like to keep Jack's crate at my house for a while so I can work on crate behavior with his crate.

Observations

Jack is starting to consider my home a second home.  He can handle my being away from him in the house and sometimes in the yard.  By nature Jack is a Velcro dog and thus stays either directly at my side or pressing against me whenever possible.  Getting him to venture away and play in the yard, chew on a toy or even find a spot to go to the bathroom is a challenge, but with consistent patience and reassurance that he's safe here, he's finally moving away from my direct side and playing or laying in his own space.  It is good to see.

He and Max are still working out their communication.  Today they were playing Tug-O-Dog and when Max let go of the rope he charged Jack and started a bit of a "get outta my space" argument with him.  Jack stood his ground and told Max he was rude and it ended quickly enough.  I will have to watch these two and ensure they don't develop bad feelings toward each other.

Later, when Max and Jack tried Tug-O-Dog with each other again it was Jack that started the argument - so it's not just one or the other that get into a bit of a "back off" posturing in my home, but both.  I do want to mention this happens rarely and two events today is very unusual, but I think part of it was a bit of stress.

Josh came over again today and would occasionally come into the house without knocking - this seemed to upset all of the dogs.  My son Wayne, who was also visiting, was a new addition to Jack's day and with all of that excitement and the sound of Josh breaking up concrete outside, I think it setup for all of the dogs to be a bit more stressed than normal.

On top of that, Wayne watched Jack, Emma, Attitude and Dieter while Max and I ran Josh home after he finished his work for the day.  It was right after that we went out to play in the yard and I had to two arguments between the big boys.  After the arguments they both came into the house and curled up in their corners and are now asleep - so clearly it wasn't a serious  breach, just a disagreement of play.

Hopefully, in the next two to three weeks they'll have that all sorted out and be as comfortable with each other as Max and Emma are now.

Level 1

	Zen	Target	Come	Sit	Down
Step	Completed	2	2	3	2

Level 2

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

13 Months: Training - Day 17

Jack was not happy with me when I
returned from my errands.

Is it Friday yet?  This week has been long and tiring and I am ending each day feeling wrung out.  Today I had to take Dieter back to the vet for a recheck on his anal gland, which we discovered was abscessed over the weekend.  I also have Max's anal glands emptied, since he cannot do that himself with how they are placed and finally had two back to back evaluations of dogs for new clients.  By the time I returned at just after 4 PM I was worn to the ground, but saw a perfect opportunity for training Emma down the street and took her out.

To say the least, I got all of Jack's training done early today.  He still howls like he's being murdered in the crate when I leave him, but the alternative is him either destroying my home or urinating and defecating in it when I am gone.  The crate is his and my safest option for when I do have to leave him behind.

I'll start the process of training him to be okay when I step out of his line of sight in the crate and build up time; but until then, my neighbors will be sung to by a Poodle in my home.

Today's Lessons:

Zen

Jack is working on Level 2: Step 1 Zen.  In this step Jack is asked to ignore a treat left exposed on the ground.  Today I added Fish Sauce to his kibble to bring up his interest in training, so I worked through Level 1: Steps 1-3 Zen.  Each time we review Level 1 Zen Jack becomes stronger and stronger on his Zen behavior.  He has learned to ignore the bowl of treats set beside me, which is Level 1: Step 4 Zen and he's becoming an old hat at the entire Level 1 Zen concept.  With the stronger smelling treats Jack clearly got the idea that to get what he wanted, the treat, he had to wait for me to offer it to him.

We worked up to Level 2: Step 1 Zen and began Level 2: Step 2 Zen, which is his waiting up to 30 seconds before I click.  We got up to 5 seconds today.  I'll continue to review Level 1 Zen and work Level 2 Zen with Jack until he can easily do all of the steps cold.

Target

Jack is working on Level 1: Step 2 Target.  In this step Jack is asked to reach high and low to touch my hand with his nose.  For the first time I am getting solid nose touches when Jack reaches out and he's doing both high and low with a bit more purpose. His low is stronger than his high.  I am also asking for to the left and to the right of him to touch my hand.

Today I began introducing Level 1: Step 3 Target by holding my hand further and further from his nose so he had to finally take a step to touch it.  He is doing very well with this lesson.  I will continue to work on Jack's Target skills.

Sit

Jack is working on Level 1: Step 3 Sit Comeafters.  Today I worked Jack in the living room while I was standing and turned slightly away from him.  Jack has become stronger at Sit, but needs to start applying Sit to more parts of his life.  I am asking him for Sits at the front door and to greet people.  I have begun to ask for Sits before setting his bowl before him and before putting his leash on him.

I will continue to work the Sit Comeafters with Jack.

Observations

Yesterday when I removed Jack from the crate he was clearly stressed.  Today, though still stressed, his stress levels were less.  He still goes into the crate without argument and will remain quiet in the crate when I am in sight, but howls the moment I shut the door and leave.

After a day without bedding in his crate I gave him bedding today when crating him and he didn't rip or tear it up.  Though he has chews in his crate, he's not using them at this time.  Tomorrow I'll start crate work with Jack.

Level 1

	Zen	Target	Come	Sit	Down
Step	Completed	2	2	3	2

Level 2

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

13 Months: Training - Day 16

The dynamic duo - they both claim I falsely
imprisoned them today!  Snots.

So, today was an off day for me and a great day for Jack.  I have two appointments today, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and thus had to crate Jack.  Ronda brought his crate over so he and Emma could both be crated when I left and at 9:20 AM I put Jack into his crate with some chews and in view of the living room so he could see Attitude and Dieter.  Emma was placed in the crate in the master bathroom with a couple of chews to occupy her.

Both Jack and Emma can sit in their crates for up to 3 minutes before having a total breakdown and screaming for a lawyer.  It was Emma who started protesting she was framed and that she wanted to her phone call - a moment after I shut the door I heard Jack make the same claims.  I hate leaving them like that, but it is necessary until they can both be given freedom to relax in the house without us home.

When I returned both were quiet, though I could see Jack had moved his crate in during his protests and Emma had found the hole in the bed in her crate and destuffed it while I was gone.  I cleaned up their crates and relined Emma's with a new blanket.  I am leaving Jack without bedding for the second outing - he's shredding his bedding and thus lost permission to have any for right now.

I didn't train this morning.  I had too much to do to get ready to head out of the house, so I fed Jack and Emma their breakfast as a meal in their bowls.  They ate well and were satisfied with full tummies when I left.

On my return I trained both Emma and Jack.  They were more than ready to train and I had a great set of sessions with both of them!  What an amazing level of progress Jack made since yesterday - he simply amazes me.  He's finished his food for here for the day, but tomorrow I look forward to a longer training session before my afternoon appointments.  I believe Jack is getting the idea of what is paying and not paying and is offering the behaviors I want more and more!  I am very pleased with this.

Today's Lessons:

Puppy Push Ups

I have been trying to teach Jack Puppy Push Ups since he arrived.  What are Puppy Push Ups?  It is rotating the dog between a Sit, Flat and Brace (Sit, Down, Stand) in different orders to teach him that he can do a Flat from a Sit and a Flat from a Brace; a Sit from a Flat and a Sit from a Brace and a Brace from a Flat and a Brace from a Sit.  The three allow me to teach him the different cues faster and to proof them with stimulus control by ensuing he's doing the cue he's told instead of the cue he thinks might come next and getting into a chain of behaviors.

Jack has been hard to lure or get to participate in Puppy Push Ups and I was frustrated that a great training tool as outside our grasp currently.  Today he was offering Brace, Flat and Sit in rapid fire succession to get me to click and treat him.  I am still doing some luring, but as he comes into the position I am telling him what it's called and switching between hand and verbal cues as we play the game.  Jack did a great first and second round of Puppy Push Ups before he grew tired of them and stopped playing the game.  Now that I know his limit, I will keep the game just below that number and keep him wanting more!

Sit

Jack is working on Level 1: Step 3 Sit Comeafters.  Jack is to learn to offer sits when I am in different positions to him.  Since I am building up his overall understanding of Sit, I have taken him to many new locations this week to practice.  The front yard, the office and kitchen and ramp and even out in the street to work on his sits.  I ask for sits to go outside and sits to get his leash on and sits to get affection.  I ask for sits a lot and reward them with either food, affection or life rewards.

Today I asked for a sit and showed him he could stay seated in one direction while I walked around him.  At first he would break his sit and try to turn toward me, but with his height I was able to keep his head following me instead of his body and soon I was walking circles around Jack.  This is currently off leash and only in my kitchen, but it is a huge breakthrough for Jack and I am very proud of him.

Observatoins

Jack has separation anxiety.  He's a soft natured boy who needs to know what is happening around him and where his people are to totally feel secure right now.  My leaving today with him in a known crate (his crate from home) has helped a bit with his Velcro mode - he went and laid by the front door while I worked Emma today, which is new.  What he does have though is a fear that I won't return if I leave him.

To help with this I leave him in the house off and on when I go to the mailbox or check outside.  I shut a door between him and I and do something in a room without him and I crate him when I leave with Max for an errand he can't attend and return and make no big deal out of my return when I release him from the crate.  I will start some crate work to help him stay calm in it when he can't see me for short periods of time and build up until he's fully crate trained, but for right now, I am giving him a whole picture that his world will not end if I am not in sight.

This week will be hard for him, because I don't have a lot of time to crate train him, but I will work with him while I am here to help him understand my leaving his sight is not the end of his world.

Level 1

	Zen	Target	Come	Sit	Down
Step	Completed	2	2	3	2

Level 2

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

13 Months: Training - Day 15

This morning was a blessing in disguise for me.  Emma, who normally arrives about 15 to 20 minutes after Jack does in the morning, didn't arrive until almost 11:30 AM.  This gave me a chance to do some work on the computer and get things ready for the end of the week, train Jack on Zen in two new locations in the house and then crate him and take Max for his bath so he was ready for the appointments I have this week.

When I returned Jack has clearly had issues in his crate while I was away.  He's dug at the bedding and torn some of it and he was a bit stressed.  Tomorrow I'll have to crate him twice and Wednesday once so I can make appointments.  I think I may need to provide him with more than a single chew or item in the crate to occupy him to help him with his issues while being crated for the times I am away.

Since Emma wasn't due at my home until, as I was told, 10:30 AM and it was 10: 00 AM when I got back, I took Jack outside to work on Down and Sit and Lazy Leash.  I walked him up and down the street while I worked him.  He was distracted by the new location and the smells and sounds and sights.  A man on a bicycle passed us and I was pleased to see Jack only jumped a little, but didn't bark or chase after it when it went by.  He had been looking away when the bicycle passed and jumped when he heard it, but recovered well.

I walked him through what I call "the tunnel of dogs" and saw he wasn't ready for it.  The "tunnel of dogs" is a set of houses where dogs are on both sides and they bark and jump against the fence as we pass.  Max can do this section, but Jack is not ready yet in our training.  I will work him slowly closer and closer to the tunnel until he can go into and out of and then finally through without issue.

Jack will be training both in and out of the house this week and working his Level 1 behaviors until they are fluent in both locations.

Today's Lessons:

Zen

Jack is working on Level 2: Step 1 Zen in the house and Level 1: Step 1 Zen outside.  Today I refreshed Jack's memory on Level 1 Zen and began working Level 2: Step 1 Zen while seated in the living room. Jack did very well and was able to build up duration while working toward Level 2: Step 2 Zen.

I then did his second and third session in the office for the first time.  I was again in a seated position.  I had to remind Jack again of Level 1 Zen and work up to Level 2: Step 1 Zen.  I did not work duration while working Level 2: Step 1 Zen in the office.  Jack is still needs work on this step of Zen.

Sit

Jack is working on Level 1: Step 3 Sit.  Today I stepped back and worked on Level 1 Sit from the beginning while outside.  I lured or cued Jack into a sit while working in the street before my home.  Jack was highly distracted and needs higher value rewards when working outside.  I will train him in the street again on Sit this afternoon to finish his meals for the day and add something to his kibble to improve his focus.  Jack is learning Sit is the action, not the location or position of the person at this time.

In our second session of Sit I worked on Jack offering sits while I was occupied on the phone.  As Jack offered sits I would reward him and then cue Flat or Brace (Down and Stand) to get him engaged in the game.  I added some smoked oyster juice to his kibble, which added to his desire to work for his food. Jack was offering Sits 50% more than other positions while I was working with him this way.  As Jack begins to offer Sit more often I will cue it while he's giving the behavior (hand cue, verbal cue) and teach Jack that my hand cue is means for him to do that behavior.  This should add to Jack's fluency.

On our third session I took Jack outside and worked up and down the ramp asking for sits.  At first I just rewarded when he offered and then as he was offering them I would give the hand cue and reward and then started giving the hand cue and rewarding the sits.  Jack became quick and responsive as we worked this way.

On our fourth mini session Jack offered sits while I worked with Emma and I gave him a treat each time he offered it.  Jack is now offering Sits as a tool in his toolbox consistently.  Note the attached video showing Jack offering Sit as a tool in his toolbox.

Flat

Jack is working on Level 1: Step 2 Down.  Jack offers Flats often, but doesn't readily recognize the hand cue.  Today I retaught Flat to Jack while outside in the street.  Jack is continuing to practice and work on Flat while in new locations and I am in new positions.  Jack is starting to see Flat as a tool in his tool box.

In our second session I worked with Jack on Brace and Sit (Stand and Sit) while I talked on the phone. Since I had spiked his kibble with oyster juice Jack was motivated to work for his kibble.  He offered Flat 30% more than he offered Brace while working with him this way.  When he's offering Flat as a tool in his toolbox I will start giving him the hand cue and verbal cue to tell him that when I make that motion I want the behavior he's giving me.

On our third session I worked Jack on the ramp and lured him into a Flat and rewarded him, then worked to where I cued a Flat and then gave the reward.  Jack is starting to become fluent in Flat, but needs more work on discovering Flat as a tool in his toolbox.

Lazy Leash

Jack is working on Level 2: Step 1 Lazy Leash.  Jack is very good at walking on a loose leash, but is not fully aware of the pressure on his collar.  Today I worked with Jack in the street and rewarded anytime he removed pressure from his collar.  I will begin to teach Jack about pressure on his collar tomorrow.

Observations

I have to be careful I don't rush Jack.  As an older dog I am trying to "hurry" him up through is training, which will leave him with shoddy training if I don't slow myself down.  Jack is clearly struggling with some of his behaviors and the cues attached to them.  Instead of trying to drive the idea into his head with a hammer, I am going to ease it in with a feather instead.  Jack is offering behaviors to get my attention and the rewards he knows I have, therefore I will slow down and give him a chance to offer the behaviors and rewards heavily until he's almost throwing them at me and then tell him again what they are called.

Jack is In The Game, but he's not sure what all the game is.  He's trying hard to figure out what I am asking of him, but he's not put all the pieces together.  When he does I'll be in trouble, because I can see Jack turn into a training monster - but better that than a dog who's tuned out.

I will continue to work Level 1 behaviors until Jack is fluent in them.

Level 1

	Zen	Target	Come	Sit	Down
Step	Completed	2	2	3	2

Level 2

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

13 Months: Training - Day 14

"Sit for kibble? I can do that!"

Last week ended with me so exhausted I didn't even get my normal blog posts completed by the time Jack and Emma were transferred to their owners.  Friday was the end of Jack's second week of training and he's come a long way in his training since that first day.  Though not fluent in any behaviors, Jack is picking up and learning how to be part of a family and living in a home.

He's gone to several field trips now and enjoys wearing his vest when Ronda puts it on.  He's learning to focus on and pay attention to the person on the other end of the leash when walking and has learned some basic skills to make life with humans easier.

He's also learned that when I or Ronda leave him he won't die.  He has separation anxiety and it is bordering on mild to moderate at this time.  I told Ronda I would start 300 pecks with him and work him up to my leaving the door and his remaining calm.  To help him with this, I need to crate him if I am going to leave for any length of time.  He's not happy in his crate, but not nearly as panicked as he is left in the open house.  This will be a slow and careful process to explain to him that our leaving doesn't end his world.

Ronda and I left him in the open house for about 15 minutes on Saturday and when we returned he was on the edge of full panic.  He was panting heavily and drooling.  This means he needs small blocks of explanation when possible and security when not. Crating him will help with the security - my working 300 pecks with him will help with explaining he can be separate and not have to worry.

Today's Lessons:

Zen

Jack is working on Level 2: Step 1 Zen.  In this step Jack is to leave a treat exposed on the floor alone. I started with Level 1 Zen and gave him full refresher course before starting this step.  Jack did well and quickly remembered Level 1 Zen.  I then started by putting a treat on the floor and letting him see it.  When he looked at it and then away I would click and then slide the treat to him.

Jack will need continued refresher courses on Zen and worked up to exposed treat on the floor Zen until he's fluent in Level 1 and start of Level 2 Zen.  I am doing this both standing and sitting and I am doing it in different rooms in the house.  Next week I will start with Level 1 Zen and retrain it outside.

Observations

Jack is becoming comfortable with training and his new routine.  His center of gravity is still off kilter, so he's not fully settled into everything that has happened to him so far.  It's been only 3 weeks since Jack was placed in his new home and 2 weeks since he started full time training.  It takes a dog about 30 days to settle into a new home and Jack is close to that point now, but all the way there.

Next week I'll split his training between in the house and outside and build his understanding and confidence by giving him differing levels of distraction and new locations to practice his known skills.

Level 1

	Zen	Target	Come	Sit	Down
Step	Completed	2	2	3	2

Level 2

	Zen	Come	Sit	Down	Target
Step	1	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