The Smart Dog U Blog

Gun Dog Training (MD/VA)

If you're interested in learning more about gun dog/field dog work, have I got the seminar for you! A LOCAL trainer is offering an entire weekend seminar where you can work with your dog to learn the in's and out's of what gun dog and field work is all about.

I'll be there with Tango, my yellow Labrador. We're not hunters, but that's the cool thing about field work: you don't have to actually go out and hunt stuff! I'm always looking for new, fun stuff to do with my dogs (especially Tango) and I'm so excited to be able to do this with him.

This seminar is geared specifically for beginners! We don't know the first thing about field work. But we're willing to learn and have fun.

Here are some details and Reston Dog Training's website with more information. Come join us!

The beginner gun dog weekends are designed to get you and your dog off to a great start.  Here's what you will get:

Day One:
An overview of positive gundog training
Clicker training basics
Foundation training: sit, stay, heel, recall
Scent games
The clicker retrieve

Day Two:
Into the field: adding distance and distractions
Introduction to field training equipment
The Beginner Retriever, Spaniel or Versatile Gundog Test

And in Addition:|
Free continental breakfast and box lunch on day one
Canine social hour
Free autographed copy of Positive Gun Dogs: Clicker Training for Sporting Breeds, the first book on positive gun dog training published in the United States.

Couch Silliness

On such a nasty, cold, rainy day (at least it's that way here is Maryland), I thought I'd post another silly Talos video. More grumbling on the couch. Whoever gets this boy as their service dog needs to be able to find such silliness funny. If they don't they won't have fun with this dog!

Habits Form Quickly

Talos doesn't like going outside in the rain. He bangs on the door with his paw, I open the door and he turns tail and runs away from the door. Five minutes later we go through the same routine.

I'm a busy girl, I've got better things to do than play doorman to a wimpy dog who won't go outside.

I come up with a plan. I'm going to outsmart this big baby. I put his collar and leash on. He commences wiggling and prancing. "I'm going somewhere!" (I can read his mind.) I put the coat on him, hoping to buy myself a few seconds to get him all the way out the door before he puts the brakes on.

I take him to the front door.He's never been out that door, ever. Even more exciting, he says! I open the door, rush out as if there's something exciting out there, and of course he follows me. Once I have him outside, he realizes it's raining. Thank goodness I put the coat on him, he notices the rain, but isn't traumatized.

He's so interested, though, in the front yard that it takes him awhile to remember he has to go. Finally he gets it and does his business. Back inside we go, all content and relieved.

After his lunch, he goes to the front door and whacks his paw. I guess he's decided that the front door is the rainy day door, while the back door is the regular, any day door.

Habits form quickly. Make sure you're fostering the good habits, not the bad ones. It's so much easier to create the habit you want. It's hard to get rid of a habit you don't like...

The Difference the Click Makes (Video)

Yesterday I posted a video of the spur-of-the-moment training session in which I tried to start teaching Talos the meaning of "wait." Today, I taped another session, this time with the clicker and with a plan! My criteria was pretty simple: I'd click for anything that wasn't moving toward the bowl. If he moved toward the bowl, I simply pulled the bowl up so he couldn't reinforce himself. [Note: Still no verbal cue yet - I don't have the behavior 100% polished. Cues are added after you get the behavior...]

What a difference the clicker (and a trainng plan) makes! Watch how much easier it was for Talos to "get it." The beauty and simplicity of clicker training never fails to delight me.

 

 

Teaching "Wait" (Video)

I was giving the dogs their dinner the other night when I realized Talos didn't have any idea how to wait his turn. Easy enough to teach, wait, so today I decided to teach him wait using his lunch. If I'd have planned this session (like a good trainer should), I would have had my clicker handy, I would have created a short training plan, and I would have reinforced the tiny correct steps.

What did I do instead?

Everything that I shouldn't do. I winged it. I didn't use a clicker. And I lumped behaviors together. In short, I made a mess of the session, but around 53 seconds in, I salvage it and actually pull it off.

Not one to show you just the good stuff, I thought it would be interesting to show you how not to do something. In the end it all works out, but it would have gone faster if I'd done it the right way.

Watch how Talos gets a tad frustrated. He goes through several behaviors he thinks I might be looking for. He backs away once or twice, clearly confused. Finally, I wise up and start to incrementally reinforce the appropriate behaviors (backing away from the dish, waiting just one second, two seconds, etc.).

I haven't added the cue yet "Wait," because we're nowhere near ready for that. I'll add the cue once I'm ready to bet $50 that Talos wont' go for the food bowl until I release him. Once I have the behavior I want, then (and only then) will I start to call it something.

It won't take many sessions for Talos to master the Wait - especially if his trainer gets her act together!

 

Nail Trims - Part Two (Video)

I'm still working with Talos, getting him comfortable with my handling his feet. If he's not comfortable with me touching his feet, I'll never be able to trim his nails. It's a pretty simple process, getting a dog used to being handled. Here's the first step I posted earlier this week where I simply introduced touching Talos' feet for clicks and treats.

Here's the second step: