Willow's barking - frustrating evening but showing a small bit of promise?

Re: Willow's barking - frustrating evening but showing a small bit of promise?

Just catching up, and very, very interesting! Especially the "look at that" we have just moved onto this technique with Casper, so allowing him to "choose" to look at what can be a trigger, give him time to process, then when he looks away/sniffs the ground/glances at us we treat heavily. So we are shifting the focus from us..and back to Casper and his environment, positively reinforcing the "OK that's fine then.. I am not bothered" behaviour. At the moment, we are trying to set this up so we are likely to see this behaviour, not when the dog suddenly appears and is in his face so to speak but what is a tolerable distance for Casper. I also have to work so hard at being relaxed, for me it is a huge leap of faith to relax the lead, breathe deeply, and wait for him to notice, and then look..at another dog also on a lead :

Our trainer touches upon this in her latest blog, and it is the approach that we have been working with Casper..allowing him to process what he sees as a threat, from a distance where he feels safe

http://www.widgetsfarm.co.uk/widgetsblog/2015/3/17/if-you-cant-stand-the-heat

 

Re: Willow's barking - frustrating evening but showing a small bit of promise?

That's a nice blog, I like it.

I don't think you are quite describing LAT though - there you click for the dog looking, you don't need the dog to look away before you mark the behaviour. But you are describing something that also is not avoidance (eg look at me). Fiona pasted the main bit above. It has worked like a charm with Charlie, I tried loads of things, but this was the best.

 

Re: Willow's barking - frustrating evening but showing a small bit of promise?

[quote author=JulieT link=topic=10221.msg150401#msg150401 date=1426696093]
That's a nice blog, I like it.

I don't think you are quite describing LAT though - there you click for the dog looking, you don't need the dog to look away before you mark the behaviour. But you are describing something that also is not avoidance (eg look at me). Fiona pasted the main bit above. It has worked like a charm with Charlie, I tried loads of things, but this was the best.
[/quote]

Eventually, though, the dog does look to you immediately after looking at the trigger. McDevitt says that often, the dog will recognise their trigger and, quick as lightning, look back to you. There's an example of two dogs that she managed to get a photograph of looking at each other - she said it was because they had been conditioned using LAT for other dogs and, immediately they looked at another dog now, they reoriented to their handler. It clearly takes a while of clicking for LAT before you get that behaviour, though, and I'm not sure waiting for the look back at an early stage would work for a reactive dog.

 

Re: Willow's barking - frustrating evening but showing a small bit of promise?

Sorry, not quite with you....yes, exactly, the dog looks back to the handler, but it's not the same as training "don't look at that, keep your attention on me". I'm not suggesting you wait for the look back, you don't.

Although, with Charlie, he reoriented very quickly to me, and now it is automatic. He will do it even when a dog interrupts him doing something else, which is perfect.

 

Re: Willow's barking - frustrating evening but showing a small bit of promise?

[quote author=JulieT link=topic=10221.msg150407#msg150407 date=1426696700]
Sorry, not quite with you....yes, exactly, the dog looks back to the handler, but it's not the same as training "don't look at that, keep your attention on me". I'm not suggesting you wait for the look back, you don't.
[/quote]

No, I was referring to Kate's comment:

[quote author=Beanwood link=topic=10221.msg150366#msg150366 date=1426686309]
so allowing him to "choose" to look at what can be a trigger, give him time to process, then when he looks away/sniffs the ground/glances at us we treat heavily.
[/quote]

 

Re: Willow's barking - frustrating evening but showing a small bit of promise?

Oh, ok! So I wasn't with you.