We are currently working hard to improve this years camps(yes, there will be two!), but we are also having a lot of fun training our dogs.
A few weeks ago Kristen, Megan and I started the Go Click Challenge as a way to challenge ourselves to train new skills. Every Sunday we post a new challenge and encourage people to train throughout the week and then send us videos, photos or comments about their progress. Past challenges have included a kick-back stand, 4 feet in a box, play dead and teaching the dog to put its nose into a muzzle. So go find your clicker, your dog and some treats and start training for this weeks challenge!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Solving Your Training Problems
What? A second post this month? It is true!
When you're having a problem with training...look at these pieces:
1) What is your rate of reinforcement. How many times/minute are you click/treating. The higher this number per minute, the better. An exception would be behaviors that take a long time (...retrieve) or duration behaviors (stays or heeling).
2) What is the placement of reinforcer? Where exactly are you putting your reinforcer? If you have a stay exercise, you almost always want to feed the dog in position, with his chin tucked a little. If you are doing heeling with a slow dog, toss the treat ahead. If you are heeling with an excited dog, feed at nose level, right along your leg. If you are doing fronts...feed right where your dog's head should be: Straight and close to you.
3) Think about how you present the reinforcer. Do you move your hand to his mouth? Do you have him move to get it? Do you toss the reinforcer?
Rate of reinforcement, placement of reinforcer, presentation of reinforcer. There will be a test on these at camp! (...well.. maybe not...)
Kristen.
When you're having a problem with training...look at these pieces:
1) What is your rate of reinforcement. How many times/minute are you click/treating. The higher this number per minute, the better. An exception would be behaviors that take a long time (...retrieve) or duration behaviors (stays or heeling).
2) What is the placement of reinforcer? Where exactly are you putting your reinforcer? If you have a stay exercise, you almost always want to feed the dog in position, with his chin tucked a little. If you are doing heeling with a slow dog, toss the treat ahead. If you are heeling with an excited dog, feed at nose level, right along your leg. If you are doing fronts...feed right where your dog's head should be: Straight and close to you.
3) Think about how you present the reinforcer. Do you move your hand to his mouth? Do you have him move to get it? Do you toss the reinforcer?
Rate of reinforcement, placement of reinforcer, presentation of reinforcer. There will be a test on these at camp! (...well.. maybe not...)
Kristen.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Preparations
We hope to see our campers at the teen conference next month! We'll be there with new activities and information to share.
Start thinking of activities you might like to see at camp. We're slowly reworking our application process and figuring out ways to help you have the best experience as possible.
Thanks to a grant from Ohio 4-H, we will be offering two "Connected Learning in Canines and Kids" (CLICK!) workshops in Ohio this year. These will be one day events...and more information to come as we prepare for our official announcement on this program.
Start thinking of activities you might like to see at camp. We're slowly reworking our application process and figuring out ways to help you have the best experience as possible.
Thanks to a grant from Ohio 4-H, we will be offering two "Connected Learning in Canines and Kids" (CLICK!) workshops in Ohio this year. These will be one day events...and more information to come as we prepare for our official announcement on this program.
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