This evening I took a small bit of time to start working on object wrapping with Harley. So I started with the basic luring around a cone. I have done this with her in class too but I have been able to achieve any success with it. I have stopped using the clicker because I am unsure of where to use it during the circle around the cone. So if anyone can advise with that I will be thrilled. Also, Harley will "target" anything she thinks you want her too. The moment she has any clue that we are doing something and not just hanging out she will use her paw, nose or try to pick it up with her mouth. This has got WAY out of hand because I don't provide any cue, other than that we are doing something - which I understand she has now interpreted as find something and touch it. She becomes so excited and it is hard to get to her leave the item, she will also move onto other items to see if that is what I want. When we did our clicks and tricks class she picked this up SO quickly and well, it is clearly something that makes sense to her. Let me add that her enthusiam is great if, for instance I am in the shower and I haven't brought the towel close enough. I can wave my hand at the towel, ask her to TAKE towel and bring and she will pick up the towel and bring it. So I want to harness her enthusiam but also get some contol over this. This evening I managed to get her to stop targeting the cone like a lab rat on methamphetamines and stay by my side and follow the lure. But the moment I turn to replenis treats she is on that thing, touching, knocking it over, picking it up - all with this super excited look on her face.
Oh @Harley Quinn , I have no helpful advice, but your post does make me smile -- what a sweet girl she really is! I kind of have a similar issue in that Cass tends to leap (literally) to a behavior, pre empting the cue!
Have plenty of treats for luring so she hasn’t got the opportunity to target the cone. Keep the distance quite small so you can then send her from your side with a hand gesture and say ‘go round’. - she might need lots of practice with you luring her around before you can do this. I used to practice indoors using a chair before I bought the cones. No need to use a clicker imo. Good luck .
I am doing the same as @Atemas and I haven't used my clicker either. Keep it simple to start off with, use your hand cue aswell as your verbal. It's slow going but even Charlie is getting it Good luck! x
When I watched your video with Red @Atemas you treated when she returned to your side. With the baby steps I am starting with when I do I reward? When she returns to my side? Or when she finishes the wrap around movement? Or am I thinking about this in a different way?
I would look to change the environment and what you are asking her to do - so I would ditch the cone to begin with and get her going around my legs, much easier with a lure as well to initiate the action and nothing for her to 'touch'. Once you have it on cue you shoukd be able to transfer it to going around a cone, chair or anything else.
Okay, yes that makes total sense. Do I make her go all the way around me or inbetween my legs? I am a bit short and she is a bit big for that move on the move but I can make it work if needed.
I would probably start with just going around legs so you can develop the focus. If you use a lure to initiate the move you should be able to get her around and reward when back in position. I'm not very tall but have Jen going around and in and out of my legs and we finish with a 'middle' position but that's only for fun and cuddles and she is then ready to do another few turns for a treat
I used to go to her when she had just gone round the chair and treat. I seem to remember I then lured her along a bit more towards me as I moved backwards into my original position. I know she added her own bit of coming back around me and sitting to heel - I never actually trained that, she just did it. I did/do the weaving around my legs but my cue for that is ‘weave’. I must admit it’s all a bit trial and error - she is smarter than me .
I lured Plum to the marker and round, clicked as she walked round it and treated when back at my side. Initially we started very near the marker and gradually moved further away until I could drop the lure and just direct her round with my arm, I've never used a verbal cue, just a signal. Can't remember though at what stage I faded out the clicker.
I had to do a target with Finn on training. He didn’t understand what was expected of him. When the exams came I put salmon oil on the target, a little frisbee like round object, and he went for it and touched it with his nose as was expected from him to do so....! I don’t quite understand what you are trying to do (my English is probably not that good...), but I reckon it is the same?
I used my clicker when I faded the lure. I click just as Coco has gone around the cone and is turning back toward me. He continues back to me then and gets the treat. I'm thinking I'll be moving the click to when he's straightened up, and then to when he's back with me (I haven't given any thought to the finish position). I find Coco learns this sort of thing fast when I use the clicker.
I think I've managed to get to the point where I can get Monty to walk around the guitar stand I am using, and once he's gone around I take a few steps back and he comes to my side and I treat. But I am still having to start really near the object, less than 1 metre, as soon as I move just a bit further back he doesn't understand what I am asking, and just does a spin, or similar. Is it a case of just keep trying, going back to a bit of luring if he doesn't do it more than a couple of times?
If he can manage is when you're near the stand then I don't think you need to go back to the lure. Just increase the distance in tiny increments, mixing it up with reduced distance ones. Coco is fine going clockwise at a reasonable distance, but we're still on fairly short distances for anti-clockwise. I keep having to move nearer to the cone for a successful one then back-up just the length of my foot to try again.
Thanks @edzbird I'll keep trying. I moved the stand intoo the kitchen last night to practice, and I noticed that a number of times he walked up to the stand and turned around without actually going around it, so i wonder if he hasn't got the hang of this as much as I thought he had.
Yes..Coco will turn in front of the target instead of going around it if I up my distance too much. I find it fascinating..their brains trying to work it out. To a human it looks obvious - he can do clockwise at a fair distance...so why can't he do anti-clockwise? To a human it looks exactly the same exercise, except the other way around. To a dog it's SO different.
