Saturday, March 17, 2012

Training Azza (2)

Azza's free shaping is proceeding at a blistering pace.

Four days ago, I introduced her to a cardboard box. I managed to get her to sit on top of it.

Two days ago, I put the same box on the floor, but open side up. After many dozens of treats that rewarded the most minute of motions, she actually put her front paw in the box and held it there for a big jackpot.

That same night I introduced her to a metal 2x2 weave pole base. No poles, just the metal. She had to be lured the first couple of times but quickly figured out that I was rewarding her for walking over the metal bar. I threw the treats forward on the ground...amazingly, I had to show her the treats quite a few times at first because she wasn't used to this mode of reward.

Well, tonight we started with the 2x2 weave pole base with poles. Sure, I know that she is far too young to actually weave. But this dog needs to have these activities broken down into very small pieces. Besides, the metal and the plastic are the kinds of things that normally trigger her fear response. So the more time she spends being rewarded around them, the better.

In just half a dozen clicks, she was running through the poles to get a treat I threw forward on the ground, running back to me to set up again. Running! I managed to step back about three feet and she still ran through the poles away from me...the click only comes after she is through the poles and the treat is thrown forward of her head after the click. So she is performing a completely alien behavior around formerly scary things in anticipation of the reward that is to come. The power of positive training!

At one point I even nudged the metal base with my foot, causing it to make a scraping sound on the tile floor. A couple of days ago she would have run away from this new, scary noise. Tonight she ignored it and continued to play this fun game.

Just this alone would constitute a huge success in her training.

But there is more! I pulled the box out again and after perhaps 20 clicks, she actually put both front paws in it! This was accomplished by pure free shaping. I would reward her smallest paw lift, then paw touch on the edge, then paw movement towards the inside of the box, then paw landing inside the box. She was gaining confidence with each click and reward.

For the coup de grace, I cheated a bit and lured her, and she put all four paws in the box then sat down in it! Of course she got a huge jackpot and that was the end of that session.

Her loose lead behavior is coming along very nicely. We still struggle with recall in some contexts; in others, it is very quick and happy. She can calmly wait for treats while the other dogs get theirs first (she has to be reminded to "wait!" but she doesn't move a muscle!). She runs to the door when I pick up her collar and leash. Her "drop it!" still needs a hand on the scruff to remind her but she is getting faster and better at dropping the cherished item on her own (as opposed to my prying open her jaws and extracting it, which I am perfectly willing to do).

She's certainly a training challenge, and for that reason it is very satisfying to see her start to have a good time with the training. Work and play should become the same thing for her.

1 comment:

BC Insanity said...

You know we need some more pics, can't tease like that. Puppy pics are the best.

OK, here's something I think you will enjoy and it is available even to you in KSA.
It's an online class, puppy foundation just started.
You can audit or participate, TOTALLY worth the money.
I have taken a handling class and the feedback was fantastic.
Now I am auditing a running contacts class and again it is full of info and I get tons of visual aid to help me out to see what I am looking for.
Silvia's feedback is fast and in depth. You will get to watch videos of others and see what she's looking for after the critique.
Hell, you have a camera and internet, you could participate yourself.

http://www.lolabuland.com/long-distance-classes/

Happy Training!!!!

G