Oh, this is a great idea!See, January is what the Association of Pet Dog Trainers has designated as Train Your Dog month. On that site, they state "We selected January as the perfect month because so many dogs and puppies are adopted or purchased from breeders and brought home during the winter holidays. Our desire is to help these new pet parents start off the new year right with their newest family member", which I think is great, and I definitely support!
I’d like to teach Elka how to close a door. I’d also like to teach her the every so cute “say your prayers”. We’ll see if I make headway on both, or either!
Elka tends to be a big fan of training sessions, because she loves treats! When she hears the clicker rattle as I get it out, she comes running, and watches treat preparation with enthusiastic interest.
Here's where I break it to you: I haven't taught Elka how to close a door, or how to say her prayers. We've got some beginning behaviors for the prayers trick captured, and I've worked a bit with targeting a yogurt lid with her paw, to get the door thing, but I haven't focused on either, and especially not this month. It's been cold, and I've been lazy.
But, all is not lost!
You see, with the cold has come sporadic snow, and rain, and icy front steps. I don't fancy taking a spill down those steps when taking Elka out to eliminate, and through practice and repetition, rather than clicking and shaping, I've taught a new behavior, specifically when going down the front steps: Slow.
See, my routine with her to go out the front door is very specific. I get the leash, I get my shoes (and coat!). Elka comes to the front door. I ask her to Sit, I clip her leash to her collar. I tell her to Wait. I open the inside door, and then the screen door. Elka stares at me. I say "Okay", to let her out the door, where she waits at the end of her leash for me to close the inside door. I say "Swing" (so that she comes around to Heel at my right) and we go to the top of the stairs. Sometimes I ask for a Sit here, sometimes not.
Then, as I start down the stairs, I say "Slow", to keep Elka in Heel with me on the steps. To teach this, I took the steps particularly slowly myself, and shortened up the leash. If she pulled, or forged ahead, we turned around and went back up the stairs. Rinse, repeat. We're now to the point where I can ask for "Slow", and we go down the steps, loose leash, with Elka at heel, which she then breaks in the driveway to sniff around for her "special spot".
It isn't flashy or impressive, but it sure is useful!
That's awesome that you accomplished something even if it wasn't what you planned! Elli's a stair-forger, too, but her Wait is fairly solid -- I may rely on it too much lol.
ReplyDeleteI rely on Wait a lot, but really, Elka likes/trusts it more than Stay! Wait suggests something's coming soon....Stay is more iffy ^^
DeleteLove it - it's more safe than dashing down icy steps, she pays attention to you and is rewarded with a snow run :). Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteYup, safety first! And she's listening so well. I've heard that Dobermans "get their brains" between 2 and 3....maybe it's some of that? Not that we often have an "Elka, where is your brain?" problem.
Delete(though now I wish we had a brain shaped toy so that we could train that....)
The idea of a brain shaped toy to teach fetch is hilarious! Justus, find your brain! HA. Justus should be close to or around 2 y/o Feb. 14 :).
DeleteMy fiance (who holds an art degree in sculpture and illustration) has informed me that if we can figure out what those durable rubber dog toys are made out of, he might be able to make them. So, we'll see how that goes!
DeleteCongratulations! That is no small feat. It may not be as flashy as a paw trick but it is definitely useful! Shiva has an excellent stay (if I do say so myself) but she knows not the meaning of slow. When walking on icy surfaces I usually put her in a stay and then call her to catch up once I have walked over the scary parts. It works but I think yours is even better!
ReplyDeleteYes, and Elka's stay can be very shaky! I'm pretty happy with how Slow has worked out, especially at the slope our driveway is, right down to the street.
DeleteI say any training that involves self control is good training! Maybe the fun stuff can be next year's accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteI'm also better at training (and more motivated!) in the Spring and Summer, so we'll see. Self control is very important....leave it, drop it, wait, gentle (as pertains to taking treats) and now slow!
DeleteDo they have a train your person month? There's a few tricks that I'd really like to teach my people. -Bongo
ReplyDeleteI think the rest of the months are Train Your Person month. January was so that we had a fair shot at it ;)
DeleteThat's fantastic!! We too have been working on slow and walking over icy driveways and roads, so I know the feeling. The dogs that I have really worked on with leash walking do great, while the others are still in the learning process.
ReplyDeleteVery handy tool, isn't it? :)
The ice is definitely one reason we never ended up walking last winter. This winter it's been plain laziness.
DeleteIt is really handy, though. Besides all this leash stuff being things I should have been working at all along instead of when she's almost 3.
First, Jen, I have to apologize for taking so long to stop by to say hello! I've been sick lately and didn't even feel up to fun stuff. I knew I was doing better when I said to myself, "I can't wait to see how everyone did on the challenge."
ReplyDeleteI love what you trained. I think you did just the kind of thing I had in mind when I issued the challenge--something that you observe is necessary and that will benefit you and Elka both in your work together. Very impressive job. I hope you inspire many others too.
The best thing is that if you can't walk as much as usually, Elka is still getting a good mental workout from the training.
Good luck in tomorrow's drawing for the donation to your favorite animal cause!
Sorry you were sick! I'm glad you're feeling well enough to return to the blog-o-sphere ;)
DeleteThanks, I'm glad that I was a good doobie! Of course, I don't know if Elka does "slow" for the other people who take her out to empty her, but she's good for me...she's even heeling better across the yard now, despite really trying to anticipate some tennis ball time!
Looking forward to the drawing!
Maybe not flashy, but certainly impressive! Personally, I'm loving the "swing" command. That is awesome! Now I've got another new idea to try out. We've decided to start with "Pray" as the first trick from the "Paws Up" command. We'll have to compare notes!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI got "swing" from watching Dr. Stanley Coren's "Good Dog!" (I think that's what it was called). I like his books, and his show is nifty as well, when you can find it. It was on Hulu but isn't any longer.
We don't really have a "paws up" just yet, so you're ahead of me! ^^