Track 1:
Time: 4:11 P. M.
Track Pattern - Stright line, 20 yards. Food drops first 5 steps, then scuffed every 5 steps then 2 more steps with food drops on the first step then second step without food drops.
Track Layers: Myself
Articles: Gloves
Aged: 15 minutes
Treats: Roasted Chicken
Location: Home
Districtions: A few walkers; Snow/ice on the ground; Bird tracks;
Weather conditions:
First track video:
Things that we did well:
1. He followed the track stright mostly, nose down, recovered well from distractions.
2. As a handler, I was able to follow my own track better and making sure that he followed in a straight line.
Things that we need to work on:
1. Article indications-Skyler refused to lay down next to the glove even when I told him to "down", could be due to the snow/ice;
2. Ignore distractions completely if at all possible.
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Track 2:
Time: 6:31 P. M.
Track Pattern - Stright line, 20 yards. Food drops first 5 steps, then scuffed every 5 steps then 2 more steps with food drops on the first step then second step without food drops.
Track Layers: Myself
Articles: None
Aged: 30 minutes
Treats: Roasted Chicken
Location: Home
Districtions: Dark; Snowing; Snow/ice on the ground; Bird tracks;
Weather conditions:
track 1 in the dark and while snowing - well, you get the dedication award! and i will tell you to put a hat on your head girl!! nice nose down tracking. track 2 nice nose down tracking but watch that you are not stepping forward when he stops tracking. you are learning a bad habit of 'pushing' him down the track. now a couple of questions/comments for you to answer: 1. what is your plan for lengthening these straight line tracks upward to 100 yards?, 2. how are you going to improve his article indication? 3. are you working article games (including hide and seek, can you down when I tell you to down without repeating commands, and ooops i dropped something) inside the house - please post video of these games. we are trying to help you move forward and not stay stuck on 30 yd tracks with no articles.
ReplyDeletemary ann
Hi Mary Ann,
DeleteThank you for your feedback. In response to your questions:
My plan is to continue lengthening the track until Skyler can keep his head down for most of it. I believe he can currently maintain focus for most of the track up to about 25 yards, but after that, he starts to veer off track a bit. I’m also working on a strong start—once he’s moving for about 5 yards, he knows what to do and continues tracking. However, before that, he tends to look around, sometimes at me, when he gets frustrated.
2 & 3. I’m beginning to think I may have confused him a bit with the article indication games. When we practice the "hide and seek" game at home, he brings the glove back to where I can see it, since I’m not next to him, and he knows he's supposed to retrieve it. I then reward him when he downs. However, when we practice outside, he can still see me, so he no longer feels the need to bring it back to me. Instead, he tends to just stand over it, and I have to tell him to down on the article. While the hide-and-seek game does build drive for the articles, I think I’ll need to work on being more consistent with how I want him to indicate it, whether we are indoors or outdoors.
I'm going to post a couple videos of our home practices in this blog.
Agree with Mary Ann! Nice job with being dedicated in getting in a tracking session! Also, I emailed with Judi about strategies for helping Skyler deal with distractions and one thing to start working on is some "rapid fire" type treats in the car and out of, but next to the car. Basically the same thing you do in class in the building. You will use treats and first you will mark (say yes or use clicker) the behavior of eating the treat. Then this will progress to you marking the behavior of quick eye contact. Do this first by going somewhere different, like the parking lot of a grocery store, but go to a quiet corner. Then open the door of the car, put on the leash – but, BEFORE you take him out of the car: Treat - Mark - Treat - Mark (5 to 7 times). If he’s not showing you that he’s comfortable, then repeat the same thing where you are marking him eating a treat. If he is "comfortable” then add criteria. For example – open door – Treat – Mark – eye contact – Treat – Mark – eye contact etc (5- 7 times). And don’t necessarily require lengthy eye contact…keep it all quick for now. Then get him out of the car and right when he gets out of the car – go back to the same Treat – Mark repeats with no criteria (other than eating), then if that’s successful – add the eye contact criteria. Then put him back in the car. Stay close to the car at first. Drive to a different parking lot or the other side of the same parking lot and repeat the pattern. As he gets more comfortable add in a session further away from the car. So it would still be – start in the car, then next to the car, then a bit further from the car.
ReplyDeleteEvery time you get in the car to go tracking, when you get to your tracking location (including class) do the same thing (always starting in the car). If you are going into your yard to track – same thing, just without a car. Start with the Treat-Mark patterns, before going over to your start flag.
Things to remember – the goal here is to teach Skyler that the activity you will be doing is ultimately going to be better than worrying so much about the distractions that are around him. It is not to make eye contact or to get out of the car as quickly as possible so please do not progress to those until you see the body language in Skyler telling you to. Also, starting your tracking sessions with this quick reinforcement pattern will start to create a routine in his mind that preps him for “working.”
Also, make sure to be organized BEFORE you open that door. Have your leash ready and have your treats ready; make sure they are super high value treats, but also still easy for you to give to him quickly and for him to eat them quickly.
I think we are together next class, so feel free to ask me then if you need me to show you something.
Hi Anne,
DeleteThank you for your suggestions. I’ll definitely start working on that right away. Skyler tends to get really worked up when we arrive at a location and he sees me taking my tracking supplies (flags, articles, and treats) without him and walking away from the car to set the track. Even with our disconnect cue or me telling him that I’ll leave but come back, he still barks and gets himself worked up. Sometimes, he can see me setting the track, which makes him even more agitated. The interesting thing is that he hasn’t done this while we’ve been in class, only when we’re by ourselves. It could be because there are other dogs around, and he knows he needs to behave properly. :) Anyway, I'll incorporate the patterns into his tracking routines, and I think they will definitely help him.
Mila used to get very worked up too when left in the car when I'd put in tracks. She still does sometimes, but over time it improved. Hopefully with time, repetition, trying this and using Judi's reminder it will improve! You're doing great with him!
DeleteAnn, remember when Skyler got upset in class, and we gave him a lick it mat, or a snuffle mat, or a stuffed Kong? Let’s try those (or a good chewy) when you leave him in the car. Eating/chewing/seeking are all stress reducers, and they worked GREAT in class. Let’s try them when you leave him in the car.
ReplyDelete