SIX LESSON SUPPORTIVE MATERIALS
First, Calming Signals continued:
It’s now time to think about how we can use these calming signals to communicate with our dogs. Also, we can be our dog’s best advocate if we see she’s using calming signals without any response.
Here’s a quick video to show how we can use calming signals when we reunite with our dogs. If your dog is showing any anxiety about being separated from you, being calm and signaling “all’s okay” with body language could help reduce the anxiety. You can start by simple exercises such as going into a room in your house, closing the door, and then re-entering within a minute or so.
What you’d like to see is a dog who basically says, “oh, you’re back – nice to see you” – and then promptly falls asleep again!
In this video, you’ll see a dog who takes around 5 minutes to relax after a 1 minute separation! (ie: so, it’s time for more practice)
For the second task, keep an eye on how your dog is communicating when around other dogs and people (especially children!). Do you see any calming signals which are not respected (or even noticed)? If so, step in and help your dog say, “not right now please.”
Second, Progressing with the Recall using the Attention Cue:
When you see your dog start to understand the Attention Cue (or, the “Name Game” from Lesson 2) is a cue to look at you, try these variations.
- Prepare 10-15 treats (out of your dog’s view) and just have them hidden nearby or in a pocket.
- When your dog is in the vicinity and relatively un-distracted, say the Attention Cue.
- If your dog starts to look up, click and treat. You’ll just reward attempts in the beginning.
- Ask for a touch or other known behavior, click/treat, and give your “session’s over” cue (a quick play or “all done!”).
- If your dog doesn’t react, stay quiet and wait for a less distracting moment.
- Keep your treats handy and try this throughout the day / week.
- Note at what level of distraction the Attention Cue works – and vary this (up and down).
- When it feels your dog is really getting it, pair the Attention Cue with a known cue such as “sit” or “touch.“
- Finally, and ONLY when you feel your dog just loves to hear the Attention Cue, say the Attention Cue just before your Sacred Recall Cue. **ONLY do this in places you know your dog will respond to the recall!**
Here’s a video which shows how to add the Attention Cue to the “look at me” behavior – and for a reminder, feel welcome to look at the first video for an example of pairing the Attention Cue with the Sacred Recall Cue (in that case, a whistle).
Third, Settle on the Mat Part II
In last week’s lesson, you worked on the first part of “Settle on a Mat.” This means you helped your dog realize the act of going and standing on the mat would yield lots of rewards! You practiced marking 4 feet on the mat and tossing the treats off the mat in order to reset your dog. When your dog returned, you marked and again rewarded away from the mat.
This week, we’ll start building the behavior to stay on the mat. If your dog is now very interested in going to the mat, you’ll now mark this behavior with your clicker, and feed the dog on the mat (so the dog will not leave the mat to receive the reward). Here’s the sequence:
- Place the mat on the floor.
- When the dog gets on the mat, click/reward on the mat (hand feed the dog or place the treat on the mat).
- Wait one second, then click, reward on the mat.
- Wait two seconds, click, reward on the mat.
- Wait one second, click, reward on the mat.
- Wait three seconds, click, toss the treat so the dog leaves the mat.
You’ll start developing a “hang out on the mat” behavior. Do this slowly – remember the work you did in Lesson 4? Here’s the link: http://learning.animalconnectiontraining.com/courses/private-lesson-supportive-materials/57/ It’s the same with the “Settle on the Mat.” You want to build duration slowly — then add distraction as we’ve discussed in the earlier lesson where we were starting to shape the lie down stay behavior.