Thursday, March 28, 2013

7 Months: Training - Day 68

Emma after I brushed her.
There is something incredibly fluid about a young dog's personality at this age.  Emma is bold and confident one moment and frightened and bluffing the next.  She's happy and racing with pure joy of breathing one moment and skulking and hiding the next.  It's like watching an ADHD Manic Depressive in fast forward.

Today Josh, a friend of Walter's, arrived to help with yard work.  He's been helping me for a couple of years and makes getting the yard wound up for Spring and Summer so much easier.  He helps by lugging dirt where I need it, moving gravel and even uprooting gardens as needed so we can raise them and clear them out.  He's even going to lift the cement before my garage so we can finish making my new front lawn!

He arrived wearing a full beard and glasses and a hat and gloves - all very scary for Emma who was a moment before having me laugh to the point of tears as wee worked on a trick, but the moment she saw Josh she went into a rapid fire barking fit - the one that says, "This is freaking me out, what do I do?"

I called her to me and gave her a higher value treat than her kibble and sent her off to check Josh again.  In short order she was okay with Josh in the house, but once I took her outside while Josh was working in the yard she started the "Danger, Will Robison" barking.  I again began working her with high value treats - asking her to look at him and then back to me.  She quickly recovered and would off and on bark at him, but not with the same alarm she had.

By the end of Josh helping us around the yard she had completely forgotten about him.  His gloved hands and baseball cap were not scary any longer and she would race by him while playing without a second glance.  Part of that was because, while Josh was on his hands and knees I asked for Level 1 behaviors and rewarded each promptly.  Though distracted and worried at first, she was soon offering them for reward as we worked around the house in the yard - both in and out of sight of Josh.

Remember, I had mentioned there was more to socialization than just meeting people.  Emma is not used to seeing someone that doesn't look like other people in her daily life.  She's not used to hats on new men or small children outside of her family.  Though she doesn't have to meet them, she does have to be able to see them and not fall into a barking fit.  This must happen with anything new she's not sure about - socialization means teaching her how to deal with the new and unexpected and to look to and depend on the person on the other end of the leash to protect her and give her guidance.  Today she learned that she could come to me and I would keep her safe from Josh until she was able to decide he was not going to hurt her.

Today Emma learned how to look at something and look back to me to tell if that something was dangerous.

Today's Lessons:

Tricks


Though Emma passed Tricks learning to shake hands, she was in a mood today and didn't want to take food at first.  I started to play with her and started to get her to roll over for food.  She was so excited about this new game she was almost throwing herself on the floor to perform the roll and would wiggle and squiggle and lick me to death.  She enjoyed the lesson very much, which was out goal.  It brought Emma into the game.

It's the moody teen thing and she's got it in spades.  She will train great for one session and on the next one act like I am trying to poison her by feeding her kibble.  Getting her to play and In The Game with me is vital to training her and if it means I drop all plans for focusing on anything else, then so be it.  So today, we work on being In The Game.

Observations


I am exhausted.  I have been spending energy like mad working with all of the dogs, making appointments and doing paperwork and ramping up the yard for Spring.  I spent a part of this morning planting new seeds in my garden - getting my potatoes, spinach, radishes, carrots, beats, corn, peas, pumpkins and beans started.  That seemed to do it for me, I was tired and needed rest when I came in.  I had trained the dogs while outside and planted seeds.

This means I need to slow down a while until I recharge.  The last time I spent too much of my time on my feet and didn't slow down I spent two days training from my bed.  I simply can't do that with 5 dogs now.  So, things will be slower with Emma and Jack and hopefully it'll let them think on and really cement what they have learned so far.


Level 1
Zen Target Come Sit Down
Step Completed Completed Completed Completed Completed

Level 2
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 5 2 4 3 Completed
Focus Lazy Leash Go To Mat Crate Distance
Step 2 2 2 1 1
Jump Relax Handling Tricks Communication
Step 1 1 1 Completed 1

Level 3
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 3 0 0 0 1
Focus Lazy Leash Go To Mat Crate Distance
Step 0 0 0 0 0
Jump Relax Handling Retrieve Communication
Step 0 0 0 2 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


Wednesday, March 27, 2013

7 Months: Training - Day 67

Emma is so pretty when she's just groomed.
I groomed Emma today.  Her coat is long and tangles easily and with her long chin fur and beard she gets a lot of sticky gunk in it.  I always tell people she has two different looks - the freshly groomed where she looks very pretty and 2.5 seconds later the ruffian look where she looks like she's never been groomed in her life.  It's not as bad as it had been when she was younger - her tail no longer has these tiny spikes of fur shooting off at odd angles, but instead is growing in a nice plum which will be impressive when she's finished growing.  Her body coat is changing from the silky fur of puppyhood to a coarser coat of the adult dog, and with it the curls are relaxing and she's developing a wave in her body fur, but she still looks like a ruffian 2.5 seconds after I groom her.

She accepts grooming well enough, but truly doesn't enjoy it.  I bought a small rake comb for the dogs (except the Dachshunds) and use it to take the look fur out of their coats and detangle the two in curly suits.

Jack enjoys grooming for the most part and I am hoping to get him relaxed and run the rake through his body coat and detangle it.  I am also hoping that as Emma watches me groom Jack each week she'll see that grooming can be an enjoyable event in her life.

Jack has had a positive effect on Emma already.  He's calmer and quieter than her and displays this by laying quietly at my feet when I work.  Emma, seeing this, has fallen into his routine of engaging for training and then settling nearby when I am busy doing something else.  She's still young, 6 months younger than Jack, so she can't settle in one spot as long as he, so she does occasionally get up and wander the house checking on things - but the busy behaviors before of attention getting and trouble making has diminished much faster than I expected since Jack's arrival.

Overall Jack and Emma are sharing lessons.  Emma has increased Jack's curiousity and play, while Jack has added a sense of calm and focus that Emma needed.  It's a very beneficial relationship.

Today's Lessons:

Retrieve


Emma is working on Level 3: Step 2 Retrieve.  In this step Emma is asked to hold an object in her mouth while I hold it with her.  I have returned to the pencil for the time being to train this step.  She is willing and eager to take the pencil in her mouth, but spits it out as soon as she does.

I had a similar problem with Max and remember the hours, weeks and months I struggled with a solution.  It was his tongue that he used to shove the object out of his mouth and eject it before I could even tell him Yes for holding it.  In the end I cupped his face with my hands and held the pencil so that it was against the curve of hand between my forefinger and thumb.  As much as Max tried to eject the pencil he couldn't and once he stopped struggling I told him Yes and gave him a treat.

I have started that with Emma, but a step further back.  She was concerned by how my hand was held so I just let her touch and then take the pencil while my hands were in position to cup her face.  Once she was comfortable with this I would every 5th or 8th time take her face into my hands and hold her there while smiling at her.  She quickly stopped trying to eject the pencil and her grip and spit slowed down on the next set of takes without holding.

We are only up to 1 second, but for a dog who just had a major breakthrough on taking an item into her mouth, I am very pleased with this progress.  We'll continue working until she'd confident and comfortable with holding objects in her mouth and then slowly change how I am holding my hand until she and I are sharing the job of holding the pencil together.

This will not be a quick process - since we want a very solid and reliable retrieve and hold - so I want to take my time building her understanding and ability to tolerate holding things until told to release.  Her job will require holding until cued to release on a regular basis - since her handler has limited hand control.

Observations


I must thank the powers that convinced me to get my IPad.  By the end of each day the last thing I want is to sit at a computer and write up two blog posts so I can deploy them to the net.  My IPad allows me to update and write the blog posts as the day happens without leaving the dogs unattended and has resolved many problems with management with Emma.  It also keeps the report on each training session more accurate when I can quickly update throughout the day.

It also allows me to do my other paperwork during the day.  I have emails to answer and calendars to update and other business that would have me in the office for over half the day if I wasn't carrying it around with me all day long.

But most of all, it allows me to put my feet up when my legs light on fire and my joints feel like knives have been put into them and my muscles crap so badly I can't take another step - which has been happening more and more lately.

I have been so busy pushing myself when training Emma and Jack and Max that I am on my feet too much and walking unsupported to much and I am hurting for it.  Today I hit a wall of pain and exhaustion which brought today's training to an end.  Emma got to relax and play with Jack and her toys and did fine.

I am hoping my rest today will let me tackle tomorrow without failing by mid-day like I did today.  I just have to be glad that Emma has learned to relax and occupy herself without needing my constant input or constantly finding trouble.

I do need to repair some holes that are developing in her behavior.  With Jack not having a good wait at the door, Emma has begun door rushing again and I need to fix that.  She's also lost some of her Zen and Recall and I need to brush them up.  I have a boy coming to work on my yard tomorrow, so I will take the dogs out and recall and reward randomly while I direct him on his work.  I will also work on her Level 1 behaviors while he's working - a perfect distraction!

Level 1
Zen Target Come Sit Down
Step Completed Completed Completed Completed Completed

Level 2
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 5 2 4 3 Completed
Focus Lazy Leash Go To Mat Crate Distance
Step 2 2 2 1 1
Jump Relax Handling Tricks Communication
Step 1 1 1 Completed 1

Level 3
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 3 0 0 0 1
Focus Lazy Leash Go To Mat Crate Distance
Step 0 0 0 0 0
Jump Relax Handling Retrieve Communication
Step 0 0 0 2 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


Tuesday, March 26, 2013

7 Months: Training - Day 66

Emma waits for the click while Attitude
waits for the dropped kibble.
Emma is learning that new things and loud sounds are not scary.  Her constitution is stronger than when five months old and her recovery faster.  Today when working with her she knocked a small flashlight out of my hand and it crashed to her feet and made a huge sound - she bolted, but returned and played the touch game with it; at first she was a bit leery of the item that crashed to the floor, but as she received her rewards she quickly warmed to playing with it.  I started to drop it from short distances and giving her kibble and then higher and higher distances until it made the same scary sound and she didn't flinch this time.  We ended out session with the flashlight there, but she is clearly able to recover from frights so much better than ever before.

She's doing so well in her crate too.  She enters without complaint and sleeps through until I let her out.  She doesn't whine often, and when she does it's because she can see me, but she quickly stops and waits to be released.  She also doesn't bolt out the door when I open the crate, but waits for her cue to exit.

This means Emma has passed Level 2: Step 1 Crate at my home with a wire and cloth crate.  She needs to pass Level 2: Step 1 Crate at her owner's home with her plastic crate.

She's calmer with Jack and though they play together, she's no longer jerking his ears or snapping in his face.  She's charged him a couple of times when she's had a bone or chew and I've removed the chew and put her in the bathroom for a minute before releasing her to tell her that is not okay.  This is stopping the behavior, but I will have to continue to watch that behavior to ensure it doesn't stay with her.

She does need to go back to being tethered when outside unless strictly supervised.  She's dug up my artichoke and asparagus this Spring.  Both times she's done this is my fault for not watching her closely, but she does love to dig.  I have found Iris bulbs and root balls she's dug up and know now I need to protect my tender raised beds from raiding Labradoodles and invading German Shepherd, Poodle and Doodle feet!

She's learning fast and amazing me every turn.  Now that we turned her around about eating her kibble she's working hard for her meals and making great progress.  I love training!

Today's Lessons:

Sit


Emma is working on Level 2: Step 4 Sit.  As I have stated before, Level 2: Step 3 Sit deals with Duration while Step 4 works on movement.  I switch between the two to keep Emma in the game and willing to work on the more boring duration portions.  Today Emma was able to do a 50 second sit at 10 feet!  Congrats, Little Girl!

Part of Step 4 asks that I walk in circles around Emma while she remains seated and doesn't change her position to orient on me.  I can do that now when she is off leash in both the living room and kitchen, I am about to take that lesson into the bedroom and office where space is tighter.  I can also do walk around her in the front yard.  I am doing all of this off leash at this time and will reteach the behavior while on leash to ensure she understands what I am asking.

Emma will continue to work Level 2: Step 3 & 4 both here and at home.  All of her owners, including B, need to be able to circle her while she remains in a sit.  Start slow and reward heavily as you get each point on the compass by walking away and around her - if she breaks you went too fast and need to make a smaller and finer movement to go around her until she can allow everyone to walk circles around her.

She will have a harder time with B going around her in his wheelchair, but needs to learn to allow it.  Start with a wide open space and do the circles away from her at a 5 foot distance and work closer as she improves on the skill.  Reward heavily when doing this.

Retrieve


Emma is working on Level 3: Step 2 Retrieve.  Yes folks, today Emma passed Level 3: Step 1 Retrieve with flying colors.  Once we got past taking a pencil in her mouth she had little problem with a spoon and flashlight.  I am pleased to see metal on her teeth doesn't bother her and she's making purposeful movements to open her mouth wide and reach out and put her mouth over and then grip onto the object held in my hands.

The next step is building duration.  I started a bit of that today and got up to 1 second duration with Emma holding the pencil in her mouth while I held it with her.  She is not ready to take and hold something, but is ready to begin duration work on a pencil, spoon and another object.

I would like her owners to reteach Level 3: Step 1 Retrieve  to Emma in their home.  If she doesn't take the item right away tell her yes for every nose touch, lip touch and touch of teeth on the item.  If she licks it, say Yes and reward her.  Don't work for more than 10 repeats on this behavior for any one training session - but do work three 10 treat sessions with a 30 second to 1 minute break in between to help her understand that she can take things from her owners also.

Special Training Assignment


Soon Emma will be able to help B with some of his needs.  By now she should be able to do a Sit, Down, Touch and Recall when B is using his speech machine to cue her.  He should be flicking treats to her or using a drop tube to land them at her feet (Check the attached YouTube video for ideas on how to build something like that for B to use on his chair or bed).  It is time for B to start a game with her called "Find".

The goal of the Find game is to train Emma to find people by name - in our case the names she'll learn are Mom, Dad, Sis and Help.  Chose a person to start teaching Emma to find - let's assume the first one is Mom.

Mom will stand close to Emma and B.  B cue "Mom, Find" and Mom will make a noise to turn Emma's head and give her a treat.  When Emma is turning her head as soon as she hears the cue have Mom move 1 foot away and cue Emma to "Mom, Find" and when Emma looks to Mom, Mom will get excited and give Emma a treat when Emma runs to her.  Keep adding Distance as Emma starts to run to Mom each time she's cued.  Over time Mom should be able to "hide" around a corner, but just enough Emma can find her.  When Emma does, throw a party and give her love and treats for running to Mom when she's almost out of sight.  When she's able to find Mom around the corner when she can't see her start adding distance again, until Emma learns to look around the house for that person by name.  Each time she "Mom, Find" have a big party and play and love on her and give her a reward (a special one only used for the Find Game).

Repeat this with Dad, Sis and then have her find Help by using random people like B's caregivers or visiting family.  The cues will be:


  • Mom, Find
  • Dad, Find
  • Sis, Find
  • Help, Find


In time this will morph into a huge service dog skill for Emma.  When she is older we'll teach her to carry a bumper she wears on her collar to the person she's been sent to find to tell them that B needs them.  We want this cue to be a happy cue for her, so making it a game of hide and seek right now will be fun for her and help her learn to search the house.  Don't go too fast and don't hide to hard at first, but build up to longer and longer finds in different locations in relation to B until she can search and find someone when cued.

Observations


Emma is progressing nicely now that we are past her last fear stage.  She's still worried about things coming at her, like my wheelchair or feet, but she's quickly recovering and dealing with new things without much problems - but she is a soft dog who can easily shutdown if pushed too hard and I caution pushing her beyond her ability to take treats when working her right now.  As she grows old that soft personality will benefit her, but right now it means she can easily be broken if too much is thrown at her too fast.  In the dog world, slow if fast, as we've seen with her sudden break through in Retrieve and Sit recently.

I took those lessons at her pace and she burst through with amazing progress.  I am not ready to subject her to Walmart, Costco or other high traffic places yet because she doesn't have the ability to process or deal with them for prolong periods of time.
I also need to add more socialization under her belt.  Socialization is not just meeting and greeting people, but seeing, smelling and touching new things.  With the warmer weather I can take her to explore and step on trolleys at Home Depot and playground equipment to improve her understanding of the world.  I want to take her to the local parks to see people on bicycles (something she hasn't seen) and skateboards (again, unknown) and lots of children to improve her ability to process the world.  She needs to see different clothes, colors and shapes of people and hear busses and other traffic noises.

Going into a store is only part of Public Access Training.  A huge part is exploring a wide world and not being frightened or reactive to it.  This Spring comes at a perfect time and allows us to explore that world and learn more about it safely.


Level 1
Zen Target Come Sit Down
Step Completed Completed Completed Completed Completed

Level 2
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 5 2 4 3 Completed
Focus Lazy Leash Go To Mat Crate Distance
Step 2 2 2 1 1
Jump Relax Handling Tricks Communication
Step 1 1 1 Completed 1

Level 3
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 3 0 0 0 1
Focus Lazy Leash Go To Mat Crate Distance
Step 0 0 0 0 0
Jump Relax Handling Retrieve Communication
Step 0 0 0 2 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


7 Months: Training - Day 65

Emma is worried about things in her
environment still and needs a lot
of reassurance to feel safe and accept
new things.
This weekend Emma went on a field trip with her owners to Payless Shoes, Walmart and Costco - all in a single day.  I was told by her owner on Saturday, the day they went on the field trip, that Emma had an accident in Payless Shoes and urinated on the floor.  This was not Emma's fault, since at 7 months of age she should be offered the chance to urinate every 1 to 2 hours during the day and every time she is removed from the car before she's taken into a store.  Emma has the bladder capacity of a toddler and much the same ability to communicate - she cannot tell her owners clearly that her bladder is full or that she needs to defecate at this time - nor does she have the ability to hold it for hours on end like an adult dog.

I was aware of them taking her to Payless Shoes because they had called me during the weekend, but I was unaware of her going to Walmart or Costco.  I must give warning of asking too much of Emma too soon.  Walmart on a normal weekday is busy and crowded, on the weekends it is a madhouse.  Costco is also!  That is an awful lot to ask of a puppy who's barely been exposed to large crowds!

Emma should have at least one field trip per week, be it with me or her owners, but no more than 3 at this time and no more than one location in a single day.  She is not ready to go for extended shopping trips nor is she ready to be in a store for more than 15 to 30 minutes at the utmost maximum.  And at no point should the person taking her be in a position that they have errands they must complete and have their attention split between Emma and what they are doing at the store.

If Emma is going to a new store for Public Access Training the person taking her should be going ONLY to train Emma, not shop or deal with another person or even get any items.  Emma is the only thing that matters.  There is more to Public Access Training than walking through a store and letting her walk nice on a lead.  She needs to ignore all the items on the self, perform her basics of Sit, Down, Stay and Loose Leash Walking while not touching or bothering other people in the store.  She needs to practice her basics (Level 1 behaviors) in new locations and with a focused training session with a high value reward and high rate of reward for good behavior.

The person taking her needs to pay attention to ensure she's not nervous or frightened, be able to help her deal with new sights and smells and recognize when it's time to leave.  If she's having a bad day they need to be able to just turn around and walk away without worrying about the errand or item they were after.  They need to be able to keep a keen eye on Emma and ensure she's not learning unwanted behaviors while working in public.

Emma is still working on Duration at this point with her Sit and Down.  She doesn't have the ability to do a long down/stay or sit/stay when waiting at a check out counter or for the person to look for and find what they want off of a shelf.  She needs them to pay attention to her need to go outside and not their need to make a purchase.

In this stage of Emma's Public Access Training she needs to be the sole focus, on short trips so she doesn't burn out or become unstable in public locations and training when she's in a new type of location.  If this cannot happen on a trip, leave her home.

There are many stories by experienced service dog trainers of dogs Emma's age who carried a pilfered rabbit fur around the store because the person thought the dog was able to do more than it could and they didn't pay close enough attention to the dog.  Of a dog breaking loose to cavort in a fountain in a shopping mall because the person had allowed their attention to split and of the dog finding other such trouble.

Emma is not ready for restaurants, movie theaters or real shopping trips.  She is early in her Public Access Training and needs a trainer, not a handler at this point when she's going to new places.  Most of all, she is not ready for large crowds on a regular basis and could easily become frightened of crowds if something happens when the person taking her is not paying attention - and that fright could easily become life long and wash her out for public work if we don't take it slow and careful with her and introduce her at her level of ability and maturity.

When I took her to Home Depot to "shop" I fully expected to have to leave without what I went for.  Instead, because I paid attention to her body language, rewarded her heavily and stayed 99% focused on her, she did extremely well.  It took me 10 times longer to achieve my goal (get some seeds for the garden and grass seed) because less than 1% of my attention was on my shopping, 99% on Emma and the remaining on what was happening around us.  Emma had spots she was frightened by items on the shelves, large cargo carts and loud sounds - but because I was watching and working with her, I was able to help her recover and find those noises to be okay by heavily rewarding her for behaviors she knew well.  But had she been unable and not ready for that trip, which was her longest to date with me, I would have left my cart and left without my purchases.  Emma was my goal, not the items I did eventually buy.

Please, unless Emma is the goal for the trip to a store on the weekends, do not take her at this time.  She needs as much watching on her Public Access Trips as a 2 year old does in a toy store!

Today's Lessons:

Focus


Emma is working on Level 2: Step 3 Focus.  In this step Emma is asked to maintain eye contact for 6 seconds.  Today Emma was having problems with Focus so stepped back and worked on clicking for eye contact and worked up to clicking for 1 to 3 seconds of eye contact.  Emma is finding this hard and is offering nose nudges and other behaviors when trying out eye contact.  I will continue to work on this step until she is solid with it.

Sit


Emma is working on Level 2: Step 4 Sit.  In this step Emma is asked to allow me to circle her and walk around her while she remains in a sit and does not change her position while I go around her.  I am also adding in Level 2: Step 3 Sit while working this.  Emma cannot handle repeated long periods between clicks and treats just yet, so I am working these two steps alternating between them.

Today I worked with Emma in the kitchen facing the living room.  I change direction and location she sits in to help her generalize the idea.  I worked walking away and back a few times and then built up duration slowly.  After I got up to 15 seconds, counting in my head, I did some walk to her and around her and then back to my original location and back before clicking.  After doing this a few times (Emma is, technically working Duration during this whole time, though she's getting a satisfying level of reward during the exercise) I set the timer on the microwave for 45 seconds and walked 10 feet away from her while it counted.  Emma did a perfect 45 second sit at 10 feet.

I will continue this exercise while adding duration by 5 seconds at a time on each long sit/stay.

Retrieve


Emma is working on Level 3: Step 1 Retrieve.  In this step Emma is asked to take into her mouth a pencil, spoon and another object in her mouth.  I have been working with a pencil since we started this part of her training and had to step back to Level 2 Target with her targeting the pencil with her nose and build up in very tiny slices of her licking, pressing her lips and then finally her teeth against the pencil.  It appeared we'd be stuck on the pencil for a long time - though I was feeling her teeth more often than not by the end of last week, I was seeing no signs of her opening her mouth to take the pencil into her mouth.

I had stopped for a short time to think though the slices between feeling her teeth and getting her to open her mouth even a tiny bit to get her to take the pencil in her mouth and decided what I needed to do was build up a tiny amount of frustration.  I did this by asking for two or three touches with her teeth before telling her yes and giving her a kibble.  Even so, it appeared to be slow progress.  Appeared.

Today I offered the pencil and Emma popped her mouth over and took it into her mouth without hesitation.  She did this consistently!  Sometimes she would poke her nose or touch it with her foot, but would end by taking the pencil in her mouth!  What an amazing thing Latent Learning is.  Emma spent the weekend thinking over the lessons for the week and decided that what I really wanted was her to take the pencil into her mouth and offered that behavior herself!

Part of it is that Emma watched Max work the 2nd and 3rd steps in the same behavior and saw him repeatedly taking the pencil without hesitation all week long when working him.  It added a piece to the picture she didn't have before.  Jack, who is naturally curious, was also trying to steal the pencil and would take it in his mouth.  Amazing girl to get a better picture by watching them and then modeling it while working out I was asking for the same behavior when working her slowly to be more comfortable with touching and exploring the pencil.

She currently has no duration on the behavior, but that is okay - it won't take long for her to have duration.  Emma has taken the first step toward her primary service dog skill set.

Observations


Now that the excitement of Jack being in the house is over, Emma is refocusing her efforts on training and leaping ahead.  She's up to 45 seconds of sit/stay and taking pencils into her mouth on cue and even offering behaviors of extended downs and Go To Mat when waiting her turn for training.

She's also testing her boundaries and seeing if she really does have a choice in the behaviors we've taught her. She knows sit and down in her sleep, but now acts like she's forgotten.  She knows she's not allowed to rush the door, but now rushes like a banshee when she can.  She also knows how to recall across my yard, but chooses not too.  It is the teenage "I don't wanna" stage and I knew it would happen.  She's seven months old and she's exerting her independence by choosing when and where she'll follow a cue.  We'll get through it with patience and refresh and remind training of behaviors she already knows.

One way to do this is to take her to new locations and retrain known Level 1 behaviors.  To expand her training area from my home to my yard and the street before us.  To add one or two new items to work on to stimulate her mind and bring her into the game and to continue adding to her socialization by introducing her to new items, sights and smells.

This will be an interesting period with Emma, since it's the one most pet parents laminate their once trained puppy is "being stubborn" or "dominate" or "spiteful" when in truth her mind and body are growing so fast at this point that she's stretching her wings -  no spite, just a teenage dog being herself.

Level 1
Zen Target Come Sit Down
Step Completed Completed Completed Completed Completed

Level 2
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 5 2 4 3 Completed
Focus Lazy Leash Go To Mat Crate Distance
Step 2 2 2 1 1
Jump Relax Handling Tricks Communication
Step 1 1 1 Completed 1

Level 3
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 3 0 0 0 1
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



Friday, March 22, 2013

6 Months, 4 Weeks: Training - Day 64


Little trooper is making great progress.
Yesterday after I transferred Jack to Ronda I put Emma up in the crate so Max and I could get needed supplies for the house.  One of those supplies was a new chew for Emma and the other a nail clipper for the dogs.  I did the Dachshund's nails last night and Max, Emma and Jack's today.  With the long fur on Emma's little paws, I accidently misjudged where I was clipping and clipped a nail too short.  It was like the Great Blood Letting in my house all of a sudden!

Emma was racing about the house, ecstatic I had finished her nails while leaving blood footprints everywhere.  It looked like I had murdered someone in my living room.  I caught her up and put Quick Stop on it, but she licked it off and added to the murder scene by leaving a trail of bloody footprints throughout my house.  To say the least, it took me a bit of time to get her nail to stop bleeding and her to stop licking it and restarting the Blood Letting.

The wonderful thing out of all of this is that Emma didn't hold the incident against me.  She happily joined our training when the time came - even though I had to first vacuum and then steam mop the living room before someone came by and reported me for murder.

Emma is advancing so nicely on her training and her confidence is growing in spades.  I am truly enjoying watching her move out of the bratty teenage stage into the bouncy and happy teenage stage.

Today's Lessons:

Focus


Emma is working on Level 2: Step 3 Focus.  In this step Emma is asked to hold eye contact for 6 seconds.  Emma is still working from Step 1 to Step 3, but she's holding 2 second eye contact 40% of the time when working with distractions, which is wonderful.  I can now get up to 4 seconds of eye contact before I need to ladder back down and restart the count.  Emma is progressing nicely on her eye contact and I believe it is time to start getting eye contact to ensure she's listening before asking for a cue or a behavior the family wants.

I would also recommend rewarding any eye contact she offers with praise, affection or food.

Sit


Emma is working on Level 2: Step 3 Sit.  In this step Emma is asked to sit for 1 minute before the click while the handler stands 10 feet away.  I know I have mentioned that Emma is on Level 2: Step 4 Sit and she is - but she is still working Level 2: Step 3 Sit until she can do one minute without breaking her sit.  Step 4 asks that Emma allow someone to walk in a circle around her and if you remember, I had started that behavior from the very beginning - Emma now can and does allow me to walk around her, but not over here.  She becomes fearful and moves out of the way when I lift my leg to go over here and I am working on that part of moving around Emma while she remains in a sit or a down.

Why is it important for Emma to allow me to step over here (which is something I can't personally do with both feet, but can with one)?  It may be important that one day in her job she stay in a down or sit while someone steps over her - and if she can't do it she could cause that person to fall.

I know it may happen, and most likely will happen, because it happens to Max all the time.  At one point Max attended court with me while a family member was on trial.  He was in a down between the front wall of the audience section and a bench and an expert for the court wanted to get past us and to the far inside of the bench seating so he could be closer to my family member, who was sitting at the defense table.  In order to do this without disrupting the court, Max had to allow this person to step over him from tail to head without standing or moving when the man did it.  Max didn't move each time this happened multiple times over the course of four days.

Emma may need to stay in a down when someone steps over here in a restaurant or a movie theater and therefore I must teach her this vital skill.  She is working on that part of Step 4 right now while still working on Duration in Step 3 - I just alternate walking around or over her and having her sit for long boring seconds waiting for her click to keep her involved in the game.

Emma is up to a solid 30 seconds of sitting and waiting for a click.  I am ten feet away and she's able to wait for my return without breaking her sit for 2 to 3 30 second time periods.  I will build up the remainder of the minute in five second increments.

Observations


Emma and Jack have settled into a routine of play, sleep and training without disrupting the household now.  Every dog in the house is on the same schedule now; each napping at the same time and each up and willing to train around the same time.  With Jack's gentle nature and not dive bombing the Dachshunds Emma has learned to be gentler with them also.

The relationship between Jack and Emma has been mutually beneficial.  Jack is modeling some of Emma's learning - he's seen her give Max space when working and offer behaviors I reward and he's learning from that.  Emma is modeling Jack, who is respectful of other dogs and gentle with small dogs.  I am so glad the two are working together on the same lessons and gaining the benefits of their friendship.





Level 1
Zen Target Come Sit Down
Step Completed Completed Completed Completed Completed

Level 2
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 5 2 4 3 Completed
Focus Lazy Leash Go To Mat Crate Distance
Step 2 2 2 1 1
Jump Relax Handling Tricks Communication
Step 1 1 1 Completed 1

Level 3
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 3 0 0 0 1
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


Thursday, March 21, 2013

6 Months, 4 Weeks: Training - Day 63


Emma after I groomed her today.
Emma is growing so fast.  Yesterday I got a solid 30 seconds of Sit while 10 feet away and up to 45 seconds once while I was 10 feet away.  She is offering extended sits more often and is more focused overall.  What a great advancement in Emma's maturity.

Yesterday was a warm enough I opened the front door for a while as I ran laundry and the combination of the dryer and exterior heat warmed my house to 86 degrees.  In order to avoid the furance turning on when I wasn't paying attention to the heat of the house, I turned off my heat at the thermostat.  What I didn't do was turn it back on before bed.  This morning the dogs and I woke to a home which was 54 degree and brisk as all get out.

I turned on the heating blanket and actually saw both Dieter and Attitude migrate to the heat.  Emma was chilled too, though not badly, and glad to see me awake.  I got her and the dogs out quickly and turned on the heat.  In short order the house was a warm 72 degrees and the dogs were comfortable again.

I again left Emma out of her crate when I showered this morning and found she had curled on the warm blanket to wait my return.  She is doing very well with these short periods of being left unsupervised.

Today has been a full and fun day and I am truly enjoying watching her grow into a smart and self contained dog.

Today's Lessons:

Zen


Emma is working on Level 3: Step 3 Zen.  Today we didn't focus on where she is in Zen, but a review of previous Zen lessons in a group setting.  Jack, like Emma, needs to learn Zen and how to allow me to work with one dog while not interupting.  I had this problem before when Emma joined us and one of my many tools of teaching space and respect for other dogs who are training was to do Group Zen.

This type of Zen reviews Level 1: Step 1 Zen and then Level 2: Step 1 Zen and advances to Zen with treats on feet and by feet and Zen with dropping treats.  I do with with 2 or more dogs to improve their ability to handle my treating each dog in turn and waiting to receive a treat without stealing one.  Emma recognized the game and calmly settled in without an issue.  It was a great review and should truly help her remember some of her earlier Zen lessons as a refresher.

Down


Emma is working on Level 2: Step 3 Down.  In this step Emma is asked to stay in a down for 1 minute.  I am currently working Duration without Distance on this behavior and then will slowly add Distance with Duration.  Emma was able to remain in a down for up to 30 seconds before the click, though she became fidgety at 20 seconds on a regular basis.  When she was uncertain what I wanted she offered a Sit with Duration.  Very cleaver.

Emma will continue to work on this step until she's comfortable with it.

Observations


Emma is truly enjoying the warmer weather.  When allowed outside she goes into a race around the house and explores all the new smells in the yard.  At times when I call her she'll look at me and run to my and then veer off to play more.  She's truly enjoying the ability to play longer in the yard and just doesn't want it to end.

In the house she enjoys having a playmate that plays like she does and gets into lots of bitey face games with Jack.  Tonight I bought her a new chew toy and she gladly settled to chew it for a bit and then threw it about and got one of Max's long stuffies and tossed it about and shook it.

Even though she is maturing, she is still a young dog who needs a lot of play time to expend her energy.  She'a a funny girl who loves cuddles and running and just goofing off.

Hopefully tomorrow we'll get further on Retrieve and Sit and maybe get a bit of work in on Lazy Leash.  I am tired and sore after a full week of working the dogs and generally peter out by Friday.  I am hoping the warmer weather will give me a bit more energy to deal with the dogs before the weekend comes.


Level 1
Zen Target Come Sit Down
Step Completed Completed Completed Completed Completed

Level 2
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 5 2 4 3 Completed
Focus Lazy Leash Go To Mat Crate Distance
Step 2 2 2 1 1
Jump Relax Handling Tricks Communication
Step 1 1 1 Completed 1

Level 3
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 3 0 0 0 1
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


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

6 Months, 4 Weeks: Training - Day 62

Emma is progressing on her sit cue!
With Jack arriving between 7:30 AM and 8 AM I am now setting my alarm nightly to ensure I am up in time to meet his owner and take him before she goes to work.  Emma heard the alarm this morning, heard me hit the snooze and then stumble back into my bed.  I was not ready for the overall effect yesterday's all day long music fest and the following excitement with dealing with my neighbors would have on me.  I felt drained and exhausted and sick.

At 6:45 AM my system told me how much yesterday's stress affected me and Emma, now watching me from the crate, softly whined at me while I took care of myself.  In the end, I gave up on anymore rest and let her out.  She was quiet when I went to let her out and she waited for release, then happily bound to the door where I found that today was going to be a cloudy and wet day.

In truth, I am glad for the rain.  I normally hate it, but I am reseeding my yard and spent yesterday laying seed in the new play yard in front of my trailer and wanted the rain to nurture it.  I had hoped today to lay the new seed in my decimated front yard, but with the downpour we were met with at the front door, I suspected that wouldn't happen.

Our morning started well.  Emma happily joined training and played a bit with Jack and then the world for her seemed to implode.  Where she and Jack enjoy laying on each other and playing bitey face and she can do pretty much anything with him, Jack and Max do not share that type of relationship.  Max decided to test Jack's boundaries and pressed his chin on Jack's shoulders and Jack gave a full blown "knock that off" reaction.  Emma was next to Jack when this happened and it seemed to have frightened her a bit.

I was able to train with Jack, who shrugged off the argument he and Max had, but Emma was too stressed by it to take food again.  She'll recover, but she clearly won't take food when stressed and I need to help her deal with stress better to help her deal with her future job.


I had listed a set of Tasks Jack was being trained to do for Ronda and thought I would list the tasks Emma is being trained for her handler:

RETRIEVE BASED TASKS


  • Bring portable phone to any room in house
  • Bring in groceries - up to ten canvas bags
  • Unload suitable grocery items from canvas sacks
  • Fetch a beverage from a refrigerator or cupboard
  • Fetch food bowl(s)
  • Pick up dropped items like coins, keys etc., in any location
  • Bring clothes, shoes, or slippers laid out to assist with dressing
  • Unload towels, other items from dryer
  • Retrieve purse from hall, desk, dresser or back of van
  • Assist to tidy house or yard - pickup, carry, deposit designated items
  • Fetch basket with medication and/or beverage from cupboard
  • Seek & find teamwork - direct the dog with hand signals, vocal cues to: retrieve an unfamiliar object out of partner's reach, locate TV remote control, select one of several VCR tapes atop TV cabinet, other surfaces
  • Remove VCR tape from machine after eject button pushed
  • Use target stick to retrieve an indicated item off shelves in stores retrieve one pair of shoes from a dozen in closet
  • Use laser pointer to target an item to be retrieved
  • Drag Cane from its customary location to another room
  • Pick up and return cane if falls off back of wheelchair
  • Pickup or fetch Canadian crutches from customary location
  • Drag walker back to partner
  • Fetch wheelchair when out of reach


CARRYING BASED TASKS (non retrieval)


  • Move bucket from one location to another, indoors & outdoors
  • Lug a basket of items around the house
  • Transport items downstairs or upstairs to a specific location
  • Carry item(s) from the partner to a care-giver or family member in another room
  • Send the dog to obtain food or other item from a care-giver and return with it.
  • Dog carries a prearranged object to care-giver as a signal help is needed
  • Carry items following a partner using a walker, other mobility aids
  • Pay for purchases at high counters
  • Transfer merchandise in bag from a clerk to a wheelchair user's lap
  • Carry mail or newspaper into the house


DEPOSIT BASED TASKS



  • Put trash, junk mail into a wastebasket or garbage can
  • Deposit empty soda pop can or plastic bottle into recycling bin
  • Assist partner to load clothing into top loading washing machine
  • Dirty food bowl [dog's] - put into kitchen sink
  • Put silverware, non breakable dishes, plastic glasses in sink
  • Deliver items to "closet" [use a floor marker to indicate drop location]
  • Deposit dog toys into designated container
  • Put prescription bag, mail, other items on counter top


TUG BASED TASKS


  • Open cupboard doors with attached strap
  • Open drawers via strap
  • Open refrigerator door with a strap or suction cup device
  • Open interior doors via a strap with device to turn knob
  • Answer doorbell and open front door with strap attached to lever handle
  • Open or close sliding glass door with a strap or other tug devices
  • Shut restroom door that opens outward via a leash tied to doorknob
  • Close stall door that opens outward in restroom by delivering end of the leash to partner
  • Shut interior home, office doors that open outward
  • Shut motel room exterior door that opens inward
  • Assist to remove shoes, slippers, sandals
  • Tug socks off without biting down on foot
  • Remove slacks, sweater, coat
  • Drag heavy coat, other items to closet
  • Drag laundry basket through house with a strap
  • Drag bedding to the washing machine
  • Wrestle duffle bag or other objects from the van into the house
  • Pull a drapery cord to open or close drapes
  • Assist to close motel room drapes by tugging on edge near bottom of drape, backing up
  • Operate rope device that lifts blanket and sheet or re-covers disabled person when he or she becomes too hot or cold.
  • Alternatively, take edge of a blanket and move backwards, tugging to remove it or assist someone to pull the blanket up to their chin if cold


NOSE NUDGE BASED TASKS


  • Cupboard door or drawers - nudge shut
  • Dryer door - hard nudge
  • Stove drawer - push it shut
  • Dishwasher door - put muzzle under open door, flip to shut
  • Refrigerator & freezer door - close with nudge
  • Call 911 on K-9 rescue phone - push the button
  • Operate button or push plate on electric commercial doors
  • Turn on light switches
  • Push floor pedal device to turn on lamp
  • Turn on metal based lamps with touch-lamp device installed - nudge base
  • Assist wheelchair user to regain sitting position if slumped over
  • Help put paralyzed arm back onto the armrest of wheelchair
  • Return paralyzed foot to the foot board of a wheelchair if it is dislodged


PAWING BASED TASKS (some dogs prefer it to nose nudge)


  • Cupboard door - shut it with one paw
  • Dryer door - shut it with one paw
  • Refrigerator & freezer door - one forepaw or both
  • Call 911 on K-9 rescue phone - hit button with one paw
  • Operate light switch on wall - jump up, paw the switch
  • Depress floor pedal device to turn on appliance(s) or lamp
  • Jump up to paw elevator button [steady dog if he tries it on slippery tile floor]
  • Operate push plate on electric commercial doors
  • Close heavy front door, other doors - jump up, use both forepaws


BRACING BASED TASKS (no harness)


  • Position self and brace to help partner catch balance after partner rises from a couch or other seats in a home or public setting
  • Prevent fall by bracing on command if the partner needs help recovering balance.
  • Steady partner getting in or out of the bathtub
  • Assist partner to turn over in bed; have appropriate backup plan
  • Pull up partner with a strap [tug of war style] from floor to feet on command, then brace till partner catches balance


HARNESS BASED TASKS - Mobility Assistance


  • (Only appropriate for large sturdy adult dogs with sound joints, proper training)
  • Assist moving wheelchair on flat [partner holds onto harness pull strap] avoiding obstacles
  • Work cooperatively with partner to get the wheelchair up a curb cut or mild incline; handler does as much of the work as possible, never asking the dog to attempt an incline unaided
  • Haul open heavy door, holding it ajar using six foot lead attached to back of harness, other end of lead attached to door handle or to a suction cup device on a glass door
  • Tow ambulatory partner up inclines [harness with rigid handle or pull strap may be used]
  • Brace on command to prevent ambulatory partner from stumbling [rigid handle]
  • Help ambulatory partner to climb stairs, pulling then bracing on each step [rigid handle or harness with pull strap may be used to assist partner to mount a step or catch balance]
  • Pull partner out of aisle seat on plane, then brace until partner catches balance [harness with a rigid handle and a pull strap, or pull strap only]
  • Brace, counter balance work too, assisting ambulatory partner to walk; the partner pushes down on the rigid handle as if it were a cane, after giving warning command, when needed
  • Help ambulatory partner to walk short distance, brace between each step [rigid handle]
  • Transport textbooks, business supplies or other items up to 50 lbs in a wagon or collapsible cart, weight limit depends on dog's size, physical fitness, type of cart, kind of terrain
  • Backpacking - customary weight limit is 15% of the dog's total body weight;10% if a dog performing another task, such as wheelchair pulling in addition to backpacking; total weight includes harness (average 3 - 4 lbs.). Load must be evenly distributed to prevent chafing.


OTHER KINDS OF ASSISTANCE IN CRISIS


  • Bark for help on command
  • Find the care-giver on command, lead back to location of disabled partner
  • Put forepaws in lap of wheelchair user, hold that upright position so wheelchair user can access medication or cell phone or other items in the backpack
  • Wake up partner if smoke alarm goes off, assist to nearest exit


MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TASKS (Sample)


  • Operate push button device to call 911, an ambulance service or another person to help in a crisis; let emergency personnel into home and lead to partner's location


Today's Lessons:

Sit


Emma is working on Level 2: Step 4 Sit.  I tested Emma today and she was able to do a 30 second sit.  I set the timer on the microwave for 30 seconds and Emma sat calm and focused while we waited for the timer to count down.  This is a huge improvement for her and I am very proud.  Later today we'll begin working on the next step formally.


The next step in Level 2 Sit asks that Emma sit and wait for the click while I am 10 feet away from her.  I will continue to work Sit in total in new locations and on new surfaces and build up her ability to sit and wait for me wherever I ask while we continue to work forward in the home.

I was on the phone when I started working on this next step.  Instead of adding Duration and Distance together I am starting with Distance and will slowly add Duration again.  While I talked on the phone I started pacing around her and Max, who was sitting next to her, and then slowly started walking up to 15 feet away from her and returning while she remained seated.  She did very well with this and we managed to get in almost 5 minutes of training while I walked at different angle of the compass away from her.  I will continue to build up her Distance for a couple of days and then start adding Duration one second at a time until we reach 1 minute.

I worked with Emma a third and fourth time today on Level 2: Step 4 Sit.  On our third lesson she had already sat against my recliner while I was 15 feet away from her.  I clicked and treated her and then did several rapid fire walking away and returning to treat her.  Once we established that, I started adding duration.  I got her up to 30 seconds while I was over 10 feet away from her.

On the fourth lesson I removed duration, but added distance and distractions.  I wandered about up to 20 feet away from her and would knock on the walls, open and shut cupboards and make noises such as chicken clucks and whistles.  Emma did a broke her sit off and on, but I just lured her back to where I had asked her to sit and continued the lesson.  She did a great job with this part of the lesson.

Retrieve


Emma is working on Level 3: Step 1 Retrieve.  In this step Emma is asked to open her mouth and put a pencil into it.  At this point she is still licking the pencil or nudging the pencil most of the time.  I will have to problem solve this to progress with this part of her lesson to get her taking the item into her mouth.


Observations


Emma recovered from the fright she had this morning and was able to train again without loosing a step.  I like the fact her maturity is allowing her to move forward at a fast pace finally and enjoy the sudden calm way she approaches duration exercises.

I try to add action exercises into her routine to keep it from being a boring repeat of waiting for the click.  In the next week I would like to work on her light switch and retrieve tasks more so we can begin building up her service dog tasks while she continues to gain her basic skills.

Hopefully by this fall she'll be taking her Canine Good Citizen test and be able to pass it.  That is our current goal and she's starting to show signs she's ready to begin serious training for that goal.

I am very excited with Emma's training and enjoy watching her mature and grow into a fine young dog. Level 1
Zen Target Come Sit Down
Step Completed Completed Completed Completed Completed

Level 2
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 5 2 4 3 Completed
Focus Lazy Leash Go To Mat Crate Distance
Step 2 2 2 1 1
Jump Relax Handling Tricks Communication
Step 1 1 1 Completed 1

Level 3
Zen Come Sit Down Target
Step 3 0 0 0 1
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