
Change of Venue
Change the venue of your multiple dog working environment. Start to generalize the environment.
Change the venue of your multiple dog working environment. Start to generalize the environment.
Adding action by way of the distraction dog while maintaining a working relationship with the working dog.
One of the things we like to do at Pawsitive Vybe is to use a finger point to mark behaviors. The above video is a
Tips and tricks for freeshaping with multiple dogs.
Choosing Target Behaviors for a freeshaping session with multiple dogs.
Freeshaping Multiple Dogs Sample Session.
A sample session of working multiple dogs on taking turns using a pedestal.
We have the Working Dog, the dog holding the duration behavior and a Distraction Dog(s) that is doing stuff.
The Distraction Dog is not very important to this exercise. This dog is simply used as a distraction for the Working Dog’s duration behavior. The
We like to use Pedestals here at PVybe HQ because it is a very Black and White behavior. The dog is either on it, or not on it, plain and simple. A Spot, while definitely more concrete than simply putting a dog in a Sit or Down, is not nearly as concrete as the Pedestal.
Many clicker trainers have problems with duration because they are primarily focused on marking and reinforcing action. After the action part of the duration behavior has been performed there is really nothing left to mark.
We are about 2 weeks away from starting the Pawsitive Vybe Distance Learning Classes and I’m working on the Working Multiple Dogs online distance learning class
Odds are you have been working in the same area or two with these skills. It’s time to take the multiple dog sessions and move them to a different location. A new location is a distraction in and of itself.
One of the greatest problems with trainers is they believe that when a skill is learned in one environment that it’s going to happen in new environments as well. That is not the case. Dogs need to be taught, given refreshers, and hints when going into a new environment.
Just because the dog sits on the pedestal and does his job in the basement, does not necessarily mean that he will do his job in the kitchen, or the back yard. Dog’s don’t generalize well, and they certainly don't generalize well if you don't ask them to do so. So you have to make that generalization happen for them.
When changing venues, bump up the rate of reinforcement and reduce the criteria to ensure success. Go back through the learning process itself, try to re-trigger the steps of that process real quick. Good trainers are not afraid to go back a step, great trainers are not afraid to go back to foundation.
Expect your dog to fail in every new environment. It empowers you to take appropriate action to ensure that the dog is successful.
Move the entire operation to another location. Take the spots and your pedestal and work some place else. Move from the basement to the living room. Or from the living room to the backyard. Perhaps the backyard to a training studio or a friend’s house.
Let us know how you are doing with this skill in comments below.
Good luck!
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