Re: Rolo's training log. Ok so this morning something clicked in my head and I decided I am no longer going to be pulled on our lead walks so I got home from work, let Rolo out of his crate and off we went. He pulled, I stopped he returned to me I said an encouraging Yes! (Decided the clicker may confuse things so went for a verbal marker, believe it or not this is the first time I have used Yes as the verbal marker and I love it) and then we continued. 2 seconds later he pulled, I stopped, he returned and I gave a huge Yes! Yes the walk took twice as long but I stayed strong. A few things were against me though. Very high winds leaves distracting Rolo big time squeaky trees and poles. Then it began to snow and did I mention I hadn't slept for 48hrs! I didn't take treats with me which I was mad at myself for but I think it went well. Until we got 2 doors away from home he started to jump and bite the lead trying to play tug of war. I stopped but by this time I had been out for about an hour and was getting knackered. Good progress I think? Am I doing this right?
Re: Rolo's training log. Sounds great, Kris! Especially having the patience to deal with the pulling while you're sleep deprived - bravo! A couple of thoughts - I think you should be careful using an event marker when you don't have treats, because you don't want it to lose its effect. Like the click, a verbal event marker should be followed by a treat, so they know that when they hear the marker, they did good and expect to be rewarded for it in the next few seconds. However, in this case, the reward is being able to continue the walk, so it's less of an issue. Just something to keep in mind. Are you asking for a walk to heel or simply not pulling, but he's allowed to sniff? I have both of these and cues for both. The main one is how I hold the lead - if I'm holding the loop in my right hand and picking up the slack in my left, it means walk to heel. I also point my finger down my left leg, which is useful for when they're off lead. When they're allowed to do what they like (except pull), I hold the loop of the lead in my left hand. I also tell them "go sniff" in an upbeat voice. If they catch a whiff of something great and pull towards it, I stop and wait for them to release the pressure on the lead, then once they've done that I'll walk towards where they were pulling, so they still get to sniff it (unless it's something I don't want them to have, obviously). On a "go sniff" walk, I remember it's their walk, so they need to be able to investigate all the smells. Anyhow, the reason I ask is that I wouldn't use a clicker (or verbal event marker) on a "go sniff" type walk, because there's no real event to mark. The training is simply done by, if they pull, I stop and they don't get to go where they want. By releasing the pressure, they get to continue. In a heel walk, though, I did use the clicker at first to mark the position I want them to be in - albeit I'm not massively fussy, but I want their shoulder roughly around my knee. Now they know that, I don't use the clicker any more, but I do use a "goooood giiiiiiiiirl/booooooy" which I use as a kind of ongoing marker, like "you're doing the right thing, let's keep doing it" and treat. I'm not sure if this is right, or even makes any difference to the dog, but it seems more natural to me to keep the clicker for marking something precise, if that makes sense?
Re: Rolo's training log. Ok so I have just back from puppy training (we were so much older and further behind than the other puppy's!). It was good we worked on some heel work, recall (we are way past this stage but with the teenage period so close it doesn't hurt to go over the basics), sit to stand, I am ashamed to say Rolo did his first sit to stand today! Yay! We did retrieve and using the hold command. Some wait training. I didn't know the difference between wait and stay, wait being released and stay being collected! It was good. All in all feel better, feel we are getting somewhere, at our last trainers we would learn one thing each week if that, more gossiping and bitching than learning. I think I will stick with these trainers and see how things go. I am feeling upset with myself, we should be further on than we are. I just wish Rolo wouldn't be so loopy, he is bounding all over the place Julie T's description of Charlie always comes to mind, Rolo like Charlie is a hooligan! The trainer pulled me over at the end and asked if I was interested in signing up and was talking about Rolo saying he is such a slender build and feels they can really work well with him so fingers crossed we progress well.
Re: Rolo's training log. [quote author=Rolokris link=topic=9347.msg141708#msg141708 date=1423081003] he is bounding all over the place Julie T's description of Charlie always comes to mind, Rolo like Charlie is a hooligan! [/quote] If you have a genuine hooligan, a real one, not just a normal run of the mill boisterous young labrador, well, that's special. . They are fabulous dogs to own, full of spirit, character and mischief. A bit of a...er...challenge at times but so long as you appreciate their fabulousness, great fun. ;D ;D ;D
Re: Rolo's training log. Don't loose heart. Puppies are like children - they all learn at different rates and in different ways the fact that you are doing classes is a real positive
Re: Rolo's training log. [quote author=Naya link=topic=9347.msg141720#msg141720 date=1423084553] Don't loose heart. Puppies are like children - they all learn at different rates and in different ways the fact that you are doing classes is a real positive [/quote] I know your right, I shouldn't be so hard on myself. I just want to give Rolo the best start that I can. I was telling hubby about the training and he was saying Rolo doesn't listen to you like the other dogs listen to their owners because he doesn't respect you like the other dogs do their owners. Bloody men know how to make you feel like s***e! [quote author=JulieT link=topic=9347.msg141719#msg141719 date=1423084543] [quote author=Rolokris link=topic=9347.msg141708#msg141708 date=1423081003] he is bounding all over the place Julie T's description of Charlie always comes to mind, Rolo like Charlie is a hooligan! [/quote] If you have a genuine hooligan, a real one, not just a normal run of the mill boisterous young labrador, well, that's special. . They are fabulous dogs to own, full of spirit, character and mischief. A bit of a...er...challenge at times but so long as you appreciate their fabulousness, great fun. ;D ;D ;D [/quote] He is fabulous and I love him to pieces and I may moan like billio on here but he brings me so much happiness (and grey hairs). Lol. Is it a lab thing then? Cos the other dogs there were a spaniel, staffie, german shepherd and a boston terrier.
Re: Rolo's training log. [quote author=Rolokris link=topic=9347.msg141741#msg141741 date=1423101335] Is it a lab thing then? Cos the other dogs there were a spaniel, staffie, german shepherd and a boston terrier. [/quote] I've only had Labrador puppies...but based on my experience with Charlie, and the consistency of what people say on the forum "went to puppy class, all my labrador puppy wanted to do was play..." I'd say it is a lab thing, yes. Until they learn a bit of self control, most (not all) are just bundles of over confident, over friendly, over enthusiastic fur and teeth. They are large, solid, robust puppies too, compared to some other breeds. Charlie went to puppy school at 8 weeks, and was a bit nervous on his first night. The second week, he turned into a complete thug, and treated all the other older, but much smaller, puppies like footballs (they were rapidly scooped up). He is a super gentle dog with small puppies now though. . And a moderately well behaved pet, mostly, anyway.
Re: Rolo's training log. Julie T you bring me so much hope! Rolo trys to play and alĺ the other dog owners scoop their dogs up out of his way! Poor lamb.
Re: Rolo's training log. Ok so this morning I need to get some sleep so before I go to bed I take Rolo out for a leaded walk (the last time was o Sunday!) Set off with loads of treats he doesn't pull for ages, loose lead not a perfect heel position but for now I'm happy with that. He pulls I stop, he checks in with me and returns I say Yes! and treat him. We are doing so well we come to cross the road I get him in a sit and wait and release with free. There is loads of kids and traffic and the butchers! He isn't totally focused on me but he's not pulling. A little girl is coming towards us so we kind of pull over, for love nor money could I get a sit! The people pass us so we set off again. Pulling a few times repeating the stop and rewarding for returning. So we come to the part where he can go off lead so I try to get a sit, a watch, anything but it's just not happening, I decide to wait it out thinking once he twigs he isn't going anywhere he will pay attention to me (this is the pup who when in training mode does a perfect watch) but no my patience is running thin so I keep him on his lead take a few steps and try again, yes finally a sit, unclip him and tell him wait but before I have chance to finish the wird he's off! Then on our street (always our bleeding street) he starts biting the lead, jumping up at my jacket or hand I stop and ignore him but how can you ignore a big crocopup jumping up at you getting his lead all wrapped round his limbs. I probably did the wrong thing but once the lead was unraveled I continued to walk with him jumping and biting the lead. So what began as a great walk turned into me getting very stressed! How do I stop this behaviour of jumping up and playing tug with the lead?
Re: Rolo's training log. The jumping up thing and playing tug with the lead will wear off. He's just excited. Try to ignore him and stand still if you can. Also, teach him to play tug. that means he is not allowed to take something to tug until you say "take it" and he releases immediately on "thank you". Then, you can tell him "thank you" to let go of anything you are holding. Btw, tug is a gentle game, not a mad battle of strength with the dog being swung round by his teeth. When you come to take his lead off, say nothing. Get some super treats, wave them under his nose. As he is looking at the treats, un clip his lead and scatter the treats on the floor, then walk away. When he has finished the treats, he'll run to catch up with you, scatter a few more treats. When he has finished those and looks up, say in a downbeat way, "finish, go free". And start your walk. Make sure the treats are amazing the first few times you do this. What this does is get the dog thinking when the lead comes off, it's all about you, not tearing off to do his own thing. And you telling him "go free" is not amazing, it's a bit of a disappointment that you aren't doing something right now.
Re: Rolo's training log. Ok so another leaded walk this morning before I went to bed. Stopping every time he pulls and waiting for him to return to me (loose lead not heel....yet!). He is now anticipating the treat coming and is paying much more attention to me as we walk along. Got a perfect sit at the kerbside and a wait and then a release as we crossed ;D. The walk was very busy again, school time so lots of people and vehicles and once again the butchers with all it's amazing smells. When I got to the off lead part I put him in a sit, he waited and then I released him. Result! He was still jumping at me and biting the lead as we got on our street I ignored this behaviour and it did improve as we came nearer home. When we are approaching someone he really pulls, I stop and wait for him to return to position but as soon as we are level with the stranger he tries to get super close and sometimes (most times) he tries to jump up. How can I calm him down or just deal with this? Do I put him in a sit until they pass? Later on in the day I did a short training session. I did lots of watch, hand touch, sit, stand, wait. I also did heel work using a lure/treat around the kitchen with Rolo's lead off and then getting him in a sit. He did fantastically well. He has been super focused on me. A good day today. Kris
Re: Rolo's training log. I'm glad you had a good day. If I can't stay far enough away from something for my dog not to reach it (eg a person on the street) and to allow my dog to reach it is either unacceptable or very rewarding to my dog, I stop and stand on his lead. I have a knot in the lead where I've measured out the right distance to put my foot. The lead needs to be long enough for him to sit or stand comfortably but not long enough so he can jump forward or up (otherwise the downward run of the lead means he will end up in a heap on the floor).
Re: Rolo's training log. Isn't it a great feeling when things go well? I'm so pleased for you that today's been good.
