Distraction recall, iteration 6L3: 1/2.0/3.C: 6th training plan adaptation, 3rd location (L3), levels 1 (hand-held long line), 2.0 (tether) and 3 (off leash) with distraction C (liver; difficult).

October 25, 2023: upwards and onwards to our third and last real-world location!

Tacos de canasta! Chai prefers them filled with chicharrón. My favorites are de papas y frijol.

We restocked on delicious tacos de canasta de chicharrón (¡5 por $MX40!) and did an easy taco recall at the Urban Enrichment Jungle yesterday. Today, it is time for the next step on our game board: recalling away from the liver distraction on a long line!

I had hoped I’d get away with Chai not knowing it was a set-up, but she did, resulting in a funny video: after my release, she went straight to the tripod (that wasn’t hidden this time) and looked for the distraction there before finding it under the trash cans (where I had put it because she keeps finding food around there in off-leash park contexts). Her long line toppled my tripod, but the phone kept recording and I picked it back up just in time to show you Chai actually finding and enjoying her liver. Achievement unlocked!

… and here’s our progress on the board:

Jumping back into the ocean where an easy taco recall awaits to recharge for the swim!

October 27, 2023: the little Border Collie keeps moving towards the treasure!

After yesterday’s easy taco recall at the Urban Enrichment Jungle, we did the tether (front-clip alternative to back tie) session in park #3 today. Chai nailed it once again! She knew it was a set-up. In the video below, you can see her check in with me twice – knowing there is a distraction has become a cue for her to ask me to call her! I wanted to let her get closer today and didn’t call in either of these instances. When I finally called, I got a turn on a dime. And then an amusing search for the distraction Chai knew was there … it just wasn’t where she thought (right by the tripod).

Plan for the next session

For our most difficult and final recall session – off leash in location #3 – I will call Chai earlier again – the first time she looks at me or at the latest when she’s at the spot she looked back the second time today. I’ll also place the camera right with the distraction next time. Chai knows these are set-ups, so why not give away the location. If we still get a single-rep success … we get to open the treasure chest!!

But first things first: let’s not forget that the very next formal recall needs to be an easy taco one. We need to charge back up for that last big challenge of the Tacos & Border Collies game!

Tacos & Border Collies: the game I didn’t know I needed but clearly did!

I better not get too cocky just because we can already see the shore! If Chai doesn’t nail a recall, her avatar will have to go back to the free taco behind the closest LL field behind and work back up from there!

October 29, 2023: wooohooooooo!

After yesterday’s easy taco recall at Los Dinamos, today, we DID it! Easy, says Chai: recalling away from a slice of dehydrated liver – a difficult distraction – at our third location is a walk in the park! She got a taco de canasta de chicharrón and an immediate “Okay” release to go find her distraction as a double-reinforcer.

I bought a second extra taco – I’ve decided that the key to the treasure chest is one last easy taco recall. Then, finally, we get my BIG reward: giving Chai off-leash freedom in the streets. I haven’t opened the treasure chest, but I know that off-leash street freedom is what’s in there!

Off-leash freedom in an urban area

If I hadn’t needed off-leash freedom as a motivator to keep me working on the formal recall, I’d have let Chai off leash on the sidewalks several months ago already. But a while ago, I said my criteria for off-leash freedom included finishing my distraction recall protocol – thinking I’d get there much faster!

When I didn’t get there as fast as expected AND decided to make my distraction recall training goal harder (not just kibble, but also liver), I also decided to wait on the off-leash freedom: I wanted something to keep me working through the protocol!

It would have been easy to allow Chai that kind of freedom sooner: she is a friendly/shy-in-the-face-of-startles dog in an off-leash world where not having a great recall on your off leash dog is culturally okay.

But no: I wanted to show my students that I could modify my protocol to teach Chai to come when called away from a VERY difficult distraction – not just kibble – with positive reinforcement. And today, I did: I met my goal!

One more easy taco recall to unlock the treasure chest, and Chai is FINALLY going to go on REAL off-leash city walks! Go puppy! Go me! Here’s to the power of the taco!