Yoshi Training Diary - March 2005
By Ellen Clary
(reverse date order)
Feedback is welcome: 
Fri Mar 25
I've been distracted with Cali being under the weather so having spent
as much time training him. I've left his dragon down on the floor
since Cali hasn't been inclined to destroy it (though she gave it a
good work over on Mon.), he's been carrying it around with him
some which is terribly cute, and I woke up this morning to find it with
him on the bed.
Mon Mar 21
[lunch] Squeaky toy session with both dogs. Cali started to
sulk because I wouldn't let go of the toy so she could go rip it
apart. In a huff, she went over to her bed and pouted. Now
I try not to read too much human emotion into dog actions but it seemed
very much a sulk. I finally gave in and tossed her the dragon toy
which, after a significant pause, she cheerfully started to work
on. Yoshi in the meantime was merrily squeaking away on his.
Enrolled him in Beginner 2 obedience at Oakland Dog Training Club which starts Tues. April 12 at 8pm.
Working dinner using the clicker. He was great! The break
seems to have done him good, plus he's had some more time to
mature. Being hungry certainly doesn't hurt either. It was
raining, so we just worked inside on a rug he likes (the lack of
outdoor distractions was a help too). Worked with the target disc
and started to add the word "foot" to it when he stepped on the disc
(and then a click/treat). He's getting it though he still noses
it too. I keep wondering if I should just go with the nose touch,
but I can totally see him accidentally doing a somersault while trying
to do a nose touch at speed.
Then put the disc away and did hand "touch" (use the nose) and shoe
"touch." No problem. He's really loving the clicker - it
builds its own excitement. Then worked on sit, down, stay, left,
right (he remembers!), close, side, and some front.
Contact thoughts. I am tending towards teaching three different
contact behaviors for each of the contact obstacles and I hope it isn't
confusing. The dog walk is 2 on / 2 off, the A frame is running
with a foot contact on a target at the end (when all four paws are on
the ground), and the teeter is 4 on. Hmmmm.
Sun Mar 20
Tried a click/treat working breakfast today, and he was enthusiastic - probably because he was hungry.
Did the table (sit and down), teeter, contact trainer. Worked
some on standing on the CD clear discs that make such great targets (they come with bulk CD-Rs). I incorrectly was using
the word "touch" which is his nose touch the hand command. I hadn't
woken up enough to understand why he was touching it with his nose
first (good dog). I have to decide what to call the foot
touch. Originally I used Target, but that's another T-word and it
sounds a lot like Table. But now that I think about it it really
doesn't sound that similar. If anything having the work "get" in
there will be more confusing. "Paw" means give me your paw, so not that.
Maybe "foot." So to used Mo's N-O (new-old) way of changing a
signal name it would be "target-foot" and fade the "target" part of
it (see the Agility in Motion DVDs). Or maybe I'll just drop the word for a little while and then
add in "foot."
[later]
disc with "foot" seems to work fine.
Sat Mar 19
Did a walk with clicking and treating for attention and sitting at
corners. He did well though still barked at a passing dog.
I think he'll get the idea that it's a better payoff to pay attention to
me that to obsess on other dogs.
I'm pulling up our kitchen floor and he likes to chew on pieces of it which is not a good thing.
Later he barfed his dinner and I have no idea if it was too many cheerios on the walk or the floor remnants or something else.
Mar 14-18
[mostly just coasting here]
Sun Mar 13
He's getting better about being around my feet when I have shoes
on. About a week ago I started clicking and treating him when he
would touch my shoe with his nose (with me wearing them). Today we
worked up to my taking short steps near him and also encouraging him to
come up into heel position. Oh and I may not have mentioned that
he'll work for cheerios.
His weight had gone up to 22 pounds and I was having trouble feeling
his ribs so I've cut his food back to 1/2 cup 2x day. He's down
to 21 pounds and most likely should be just over 20 pounds.
Sat Mar 12
Not sure exactly what's telling me this but he's showing the occasional
glimmer of maturity. Maybe slightly less skittish, not quite as
intent on the squirrels, very interested in toys, a little more
willing to engage Terri or I, still quite barky but seems more easy to
call off.
[this might have been Friday]
Unless I screw up and play
videos of Kristine's cardi Rugby howling
("singing" - http://www.cardigan-corgi.org). It was late and I
just wanted to check it out and had the volume set really low.
Not low enough. Yoshi (in the next room) went into pull the fire
alarm barking and it took several minutes to settle him down. The
next day NPR did a segment on Music for Dogs. The song about the
squeaky toy had Mr Y. pacing all around the place, but the real fun was
the incredible penetrating stare that Cali was doing when "You're a
good dog" was playing. To her, that means she's done something
good and may likely get a treat. The fact that it was the radio
saying it didn't seem to matter.
Wed Mar 9
(Eek. Falling behind.)
Went on a walk at noon and he's still readily sitting at corners.
We walked past a concrete mixing truck and he was leery of it but ok. Cali was with us at the time and that helped.
Cali soon after started to limp some so she and Terri turned around and
went home. Yoshi was not happy about this at all and took him at
least a block to stop whining about it, but eventually he chilled out.
[later]
Since Cali is injured and limping, I took Yoshi to watch Power Paws
class. He did very well and seemed to enjoy himself including
going over a full size teeter (with me damping the landing) during a
walkthrough.
Tues Mar 8
Walk at noon. He's sitting at the corners - sometimes without being told.
Last beginning obedience class. Beginning 2 starts April 22.
He did great except for the end when the current Beginning 2 dogs came
in, and he reacted with alarm barking and growling. But
fortunately he was easily enough distractible when I walked him away a
bit and asked for and got attention and a sit.
Sat Mar 5
Went skiing at Royal Gorge and Patricia visited them. No major problems.
Thur Mar 3
Rousing game of tug on the bed resulting in the toy in 3 pieces.
Wed Mar 2
Cali at the vet. At lunch Terri threw a tennis ball for him and
he brought it back! She threw it again and he brought it
again. Pushing her luck, she threw it again and he went for it
but then got distracted by a squirrel. Usually when I have him
fetch it's a toy as he never seemed all that interested in the
ball. I think it's more a deference to Cali's ball obsession.
Tues Mar 1
Terri took him on a walk at noon.
Class today - session 6 of 7. Spoke to Elizabeth the instructor on the differences between Novice Dropin and Beginner II.
Basically the Novice dropin is for folks that may compete so they all have pretty much the same goal.
That's not true of Beginner II where people's goals are usually a
better pet, or dogs that need more work. That would imply that
Novice dropin would be a better class for him but certainly the dogs
that are in the Beginner II class right now would be fine, and since
he's growling at them when they come in at our classes end it might be
good for him. In a sense the continuity is more important than
what the class is.
Did great in class. Even took the tunnel a few times. I
need to come up with a way to anchor my tunnel as its movement is what
seems to bother him.
General class notes:
Started with stationary exercises (sit, down, stay) He's of course popping up on the down.
Get into heel position and sit.
greeting behavior/not jumping up practice (doing well)
spent time on more selective rewarding. don't pay for sit when you ask for a down.
Wait - make sure you reward the wait position and don't call them to you to reward - reward in place.
Agility practice
Recalls - adding distraction of people milling around and had to work around the agility equipment
Handout - Enabling a sitter to bail your dog out of the pound.
Take pictures of your dog and license photocopy and photocopy of other
paperwork - put in an easy to grab envelope and store in car and house
and other places.
Walking on leash with halts and sits.
Worked on watch (tough with him obsessing on the arriving beginner II dogs). Put his Gentle leader on and he was improved.
Go to:
2005
Yoshi Training Diary - Feb 2005
Yoshi Training Diary - Jan 2005
2004
Yoshi Training Diary - Dec 2004
Yoshi Training Diary - Nov 2004
Yoshi Training Diary - Oct 2004
Yoshi Training Diary - Sept 2004
Yoshi Training Diary - Aug 2004
Yoshi Training Diary - July 2004
Yoshi Training Diary - June 2004
Yoshi Training Diary - M ay 2004
Yoshi Training Diary - April 2004
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