October 1, 2023: Chai’s first two “hug an object” shaping sessions!
Very happy with how today’s sessions went!
Notes for next time:
+ Take turns standing and kneeling myself. + Only click for paws on the respective outside of the pole (to eventually get up to pole between paws). + When appropriate, select for paw curls around object/reinforce duration; whatever makes more sense depending on what Chai offers!
October 2, 2023 – a tiny bit of duration and paw curls
Today’s two sessions! I’m now trying to select for paw curls on either side and have stopped clicking for paws on the “wrong” side of the pole. Catching those curls is difficult though – Chai is moving fast!
October 7, 2023: back to shaping after a break!
After taking a few days’ break from shaping, we picked back up with the “Hug an object” trick. In this session, I get quite a lot of variation to select from! I end up clicking the jump-hug once or twice because it’s the first time I get both paws, but then stop clicking it because Silvia has warned us: we don’t want a dog who ends up leaning on the object, but a dog who sits and hugs it independently. You see a bit of confusion in Chai when I stop clicking the jumps. I still have to say: love the variation! Maybe next time, I’ll start out with a sit.
October 10, 2023: 2 sessions!
2 sessions today! We started from a sit.
Session 1
Session 2
October 11, 2023: getting nicer hugs with the pole close and feeding in a sit!
Silvia’s feedback “Very cool! Just yes, put the pole close to her chest so she can’t lie down. If she still does, reward so high that she needs to get up first to get the reward. In general, reward higher if getting a down – and lower if getting sit up.”
Based on their feedback – today’s video:
October 14, 2023: duration!
Silvia suggested I aim for duration next. This is tricky with this behavior because Chai doesn’t offer duration. I wondered whether I should try and shape it the same way I shape duration on a hold with a chompy dog: wait out 2 or 3 re-bites before clicking and hope the dog eventually figures out that they might as well simply keep their mouth closed for the time it would take to open and close their mouth 3 times. I went into today’s session with the plan on feeding every 3rd paw sweesh past the pole. But Chai totally surprised me and gave me duration right on the first try!
The cut in the video is me re-loading my hands with food. Chai didn’t immediately offer the same behavior again, so I counted 3 paw swabs … after a little messiness, she gave me duration again though! WOW! I was so excited I took it and fed all my treats even though she was half-way leaning on my arm. Go puppy! We are getting somewhere!
October 16, 2023: duration gets hard again
I asked Silvia what to focus on when getting messy duration as above. Here’s their response:
“Great – should be easy from here on!!! Just continue like this, focusing on duration. Once you have that consistently, start looking for firmness of the hug – pulling the pole away gently and rewarding for resistance.”
It wasn’t easy for Chai today though: at first, she tried leaning against the pole. I seem to have communicated that that’s not what I want, so she kept sliding off instead … I realized it was partly because she was too far from the pole, but when I try to get dog and pole closer together, Chai has a tendency to scoot backwards, away from it. The video below shows some messy communication between Chai and me!
October 17, 2023: back to looking for deep single-paw hugs
Silvia’s feedback on my last video:
“[L]looks like she is actually confusing it with “sit up with support for front feet”… So maybe focus some on getting just one paw first. Reward lower to encourage that. Look for nice, deep 1 paw hugs to clean up the behavior some before going for duration again.”
Silvia sees what I see, too. I’m surprised they expected the behavior to smoothly progress from the previous video – that speed of understanding is not what I’m used to with my dogs. I wonder if Silvia typically gets this much understanding this fast! (Not that I’d complain if I got it; it’s just not what I expect.)
In any case – below is our next attempt:
October 18, 2023: continuing (trying) to clean up deep single-paw hugs
The cuts in the video below are me getting treat refills – this was a single session.
September 30, 3023: a messy session with 2 nice reps
Training plan:
Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”
Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”
Home position: treat hand on thigh.
Today’s session was messy – my head wasn’t in the game and neither was Chai’s balance in the first part of the session. However, (3) and (4) – the last two bowl reps – looked great. Let me show you those so you can see what we are aiming for!
My goal is a session that looks exactly like this one – minus the paw coming out (see the freeze frame in the video above). We’ll get there!
Plan for the next session:
Practice without a dog first; then repeat today’s session – but shorten it to:
Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”
Home position: treat hand on thigh.
October 1, 2023: woohooo! A most excellent session!
Chai nailed this session! The adjustments I’ve made over the last few sessions are paying off: with my treat hand on my thigh rather than behind my back, Chai manages to stay in bowl #5 until the “Get it” marker. By keeping the session short (each bowl only shows up once), she has the stamina to do it all.
I also love how well my different marker cues work in this session. Good choice for this one!
Plan for the next session:
Repeat as above, but move home position of my treat hand behind my back again. This will build a little more duration. Stay at that stage until Chai can stay in bowl #5 until the “Get it” marker with this session profile as well.
The next session!
Because today’s first 4-in session was short and good, I went ahead and implemented the plan for the next one the same day:
I like how this looks. Chai does jump out of both bowls with her back legs, but it happens both times when I’m saying “Get it” (a terminal marker). I’ll count it as a success!
Next session:
+ Repeat just like this one but add the “Four” cue again!
October 2, 2023: adding the “Four” cue
I repeated the same session with the Four cue for both bowls. However, this time, Chai’s back feet came out after every marker. We’ll stay at this stage until I get another session where her paws stay in when I say, “Good” (room service)! (Got video but allowing myself not to edit and share so I get more training and book editing done instead!)
October 10, 2023: back to training after being sick
Wheee, C! This is the first time after being sick for a week that I managed THREE shaping sessions (two hug an object ones and this one)! Slowly but certainly, I’m climbing back out my hole of exhaustion!
More of the same … but this time, I’ll show you a video. As a reminder, the current criteria are:
+ Home position: treat hand behind back + Bowl #5: “Four!” cue – 2x “Good,” 1x “Get it!” + Bowl #6: “Four!” cue – 1x “Get it!”
We’ll stay at this stage until Chai’s paws stay in bowl #5 until “Get it.” I’ll likely video all sessions, but only show you every second or third one to save on editing time. In any case, I’ll be sure to show you the one we meet all criteria!
October 14, 2023: room service and balancing success in bowl #5!!
Over the last few days, I’ve had daily sessions, but Chai didn’t manage to stay in bowl #5 all the way to my “Get it!” marker. So while I filmed, I didn’t edit these videos – I prefer time spent training over editing! Yesterday, she almost did it – she held her balance until after the second “Good!” Today, she DID it and held her balance in bowl #5 until my “Get it!” (terminal) marker! Woohoo! Video proof of the superstar below:
Session profile of the video above:
+ Home position: treat hand behind back. + Transition behavior: blink once. + Goal post: stay in bowl #5 until “Get it!”
Notes for the next session:
+ Start with only bowl #6. + Single “Good” followed by a single “Get it!” + If this goes well, the next session after will have 2 “Good”-s – and then, I will call the trick complete!
October 16, 2023: success with bowl #6!
While struggling to gain her balance at first, Chai found it – and then stayed in bowl #6 until my “Get it!” release! Go puppy!!!
Notes for next session:
+ Same as today, but do 2 room service “Good”s before the “Get it!” + Stay at this stage until Chai finds balance right away. Then, declare the trick a success!
October 18, 2023: Chai’s balance improves!
In yesterday’s session, Chai lost her balance after the first “Good” (room service) marker. Today, she made it until the second “Good!” We are – slowly but surely – getting there!
October 19, 2023: duration on “Four” cues in our smallest bowl – marker cue shaping SUCCESS!
SO proud of my superstar! This concludes our “Four” journey! Bowl #6 was the smallest one I aimed for – and Chai just held her duration for 2 “Good”-s until the following “Get it!” Balance queen! Let’s celebrate!
Chai’s distraction recall plan – all the way across the finish line!
Next recall: easy taco recall (whenever possible, get tacos from the stand across the street from the community center).
Repeat long line/kibble, back tie/kibble, off leash with empty visual target (if the location calls for a target), off leash/kibble in 2 more locations.
Intersperse all distraction recalls with an easy taco recall and always release Chai to the distraction after the recall.
Then, go through 3 locations, using all the same splitting steps, with a high-value distraction (chicken or liver). If it turns out to be necessary, test out what Chai prefers and, if it’s not a taco, switch to a different and even higher value street food reinforcer.
September 27, 2023: getting back into the groove – supercharging “Schnee” with an easy recall followed by a taco reinforcer
Location: Urban Enrichment Jungle
Tacos de birria from Octavio for our first 3 recall rounds!
I’m going to make this park the second location for kibble-distraction recalls. Since we go there most mornings, I’ll have plenty of opportunities to train!
We’ll have our next session tomorrow morning:
+ Approach kibble on a long line, call when the leash is still loose. + Aim for an immediate response on a loose leash. + Make sure Chai can’t reach the kibble in case she does not respond.
September 28, 2023: Long line/kibble success!!
Location: Urban Enrichment Jungle (a different spot than yesterday)
We started our morning outing with a recall on a long line. Chai was a superstar – but unfortunately the video doesn’t show things well because the angle isn’t quite right and I didn’t bring a tripod. In any case – here’s the superstar rocking her recall!
Our next recall will be an easy taco one again – and the time after we’ll move on to the backtie stage I am doing as a fail-safe instead of stepping on Chai’s leash!
September 30, 2023 – back tie loose leash recall success and tacos de canasta!
Yesterday, Chai got an easy taco recall (no video).
Today, it was time for the back tie! I believe Chai knows this is a set-up. In any case, we got a beautiful recall on a loose back tie! Only hickup: the jogger bumping into her. But she doesn’t seem to mind! Her reinforcer today was a taco de canasta – the first one she has had, I believe – with chicharrón. I’ve got two more for the next recalls, and I had two for lunch myself: one with frijoles and one with papas. Yumm! It’s safe to say we are fans!
October 2, 2023: empty target success!
Chai successfully recalled away from an empty kitchen towel (visual target) at the Urban Enrichment Jungle off leash! Go puppy! I took video but most of the action happened off screen, so I won’t bore you with it.
October 3, 2023: off-leash taco recall away from intermediate distraction – check!
… we mastered the off-leash taco recall!!
The video above concludes our intermediate distraction sessions in location 2/3. For our next sessions, the plan is:
+ Easy taco recall. + Recall away from intermediate distraction (kibble) on loose hand-held long line in location 3/3. + Easy taco recall. + Recall away from intermediate distraction (kibble) on back tie in location 3/3. + Easy taco recall. + Off-leash recall away from intermediate distraction (kibble) in location 3/3!
Deciphering this post’s iteration code: 6L2: 1/2.0/3.B: 6th plan, location 2, levels 1 (hand-held long line), 2.0 (back tie) and 3 (off leash), distraction B (kibbel).
Both dogs went to Fresa Parque for half an hour and I did some Game brushing. I can see what my students tell me over and over again happened to their stellar puppy recall happening to my informal recall (the throway pup-pup-pup recall): it’s getting weaker and weaker becauser all I’ve been doing is use it rather than actually work on it. It is fun to observe how different her response is between this one and the formal recall I’ve been building!
The remains of the day
Getting back home, Game was feeling horny! She’ll go into heat soon. The horny phase is one of her early tells. A little play, and then Chai said enough and I separated them, letting both settle down with a chew. (A chew is a good place to put your horniness, says Game.)
All three of us were feeling lazy and kept the day low key.
Home alone
Both dogs stayed home alone when I went out with friends for a few hours.
September 11, 2023: renaming Fresa Parque
Activity level: average
The AM
We spent 45 minutes at the Urban Enrichment Jungle (the new name I’ve given to Fresa Parque). I’ll put together an Urban Enrichment video compilation sometime – it is quite impressive! This morning, the dogs found:
+ Soaked popcorn: Game loved it after having turned her back on it yesterday when it wasn’t soaked yet. + Chai found an apple and stuck with it even though I scattered kibble to compare values. Game preferred the scatter over the apple. + Both dogs snacked on these little artificially colored heart-shaped candies someone had dropped and that were partially crushed into the ground, turning them into an excellent food toy.
Once upon a time, that’s how today’s food toy must have started out. Pixabay image by omnigrapher (thank you!)
Apart from food enrichment – apples have been common recently and Chai is a fan! – the Urban Enrichment Jungle also comes with:
+ Social contacts in the form of familiar and unfamiliar humans and dogs. + Other dogs’ toys that can be chased together with other dogs or stolen and traded for treats. + A dog playground (aka agility-ish equipment in the dog park we sometimes have to ourselves). + The Antagonist Chai likes to try and outsmart (a person who puts bread crumbs for pajaros on the ground every morning and mostly, but not always observes said birds from a bench across from the crumbs). The person has a long stick, and every time a dog comes close to the crumbs, they will use that stick to try and shoo the dog away without getting up. Chai tends to run and check for crumbs. She navigates the person like a challenge, making sure to stay out of the reach of the stick, bouncing back when the stick comes close, but then trying to go for the bread again. I’ll remove her out of respect for the person, but it is FASCINATING to observe the interaction (which sometimes happens before I get there). + Speaking of pajaros: Game very much enjoys running into a flock of pigeons who often hang out on the other side of this park. Game will chase them off and then check for their food source – it’s either grist, which she doesn’t like, or bread, which she’ll inhale. + Sometimes, we even see a Bengal cat being walked on a leash at the Urban Enrichment Jungle. + Occasionally, there’s George a squirrel or two. This isn’t the most squirrely park we frequent, so the squirrels are surprise highlights!
But back to this morning! We left when Game greeted Eva (a BC friend) with too much of a Malinois attitude for Eva’s taste. Before going into heat, her play style typically becomes more physically intense. That goes well with dogs who know her well, but weirds out others. So far, Eva and Game have only played running games, and Eva felt overwhelmed by a wrestling-mood Game. Game is clearly getting close to her heat: both her joy about small things and her likelihood of getting highly aroused by small things go up. I can see that in her play behavior and her interactions with me and the world. Hormones are wild! (I assume heat in dogs is caused by hormones, but I don’t actually know that – if it’s something else and you know, please enlighten me in the comments!)
In any case, it is fascinating to observe! This morning, we got to the park half an hour earlier than usual and Game was SO peppy! Shiny eyes, running bouncily back and forth like a playful, juvenile dog who can’t get enough of the world. These are two sides of the same coin. The time before she goes into heat really seems to emotionally sensitize her: she’ll express her feelings more than she does the rest of the year. Her joy looks twice as joyful and her wild play gets twice as wild and more easily tips into overarousal.
Maybe tomorrow, I’ll only take Chai to the Urban Enrichment Jungle and Game and I will go biking or inline skating later instead.
Home alone
Chai stayed home alone for 30 minutes while Game and I skated errands.
Solo adventure
Chai and I walked to the Toy Play Plaza for some running around and a recall set-up in the afternoon.
We walked part of the way back home in collar mode with between 5 and 40 steps between treats. Chai was being brilliant and only overstepped once!
In the evening, we had a frog session on the couch – without a pillow. Both of Chai’s legs were stretched back all the way! I believe this was our best session yet!
September 12, 2023: squirrels, street food and some training
Activity level: average
The AM
I took Game on a loop around the block and then Chai by herself for half an hour’s Urban Enrichment Jungling. Game in her pre-heat-days is not the best fit for the ruckus of the morning park dogs. She’ll get to go on her own outing later.
Chai played briefly with two of her friends, but then showed more interest in non-social enrichment like the apple she found and ate and stealing two balls. She’s growing up to be a most excellent ladrona. I like that streetsmart gangstery side of hers – the one that dodges The Antagonist and steals toys to trade in for food. She’s benign trouble; the best kind.
Home alone
Chai stayed home alone for Game’s mid-morning walk.
Training
+ We worked on the 4-in bowl #5 trick and I successfully re-attached the “Four” cue (no video).1 In my next session, I’ll take another stab at – drumroll! – bowl #6! + We worked on the sit up trick with the paw target (no video, but I am feeling less weight on the plate now – Chai is making progress!) + We worked on putting the nail clippers in the china bowl and the smaller plastic bowl. + Chai did a crooked frog after the dogs’ evening loop.
PM adventure
If you see a dog who’s not the color they originally came in, it’s probably one of mine.
Game, Chai and I walked to Dead Poultry Park and spent about an hour there. Game chased squirrels, Chai found and enjoyed parts of un melón and a fun mud hole and did an easy “Snow” recall for a taco she then shared with Game.
Left: multi-squirrel tree. Right: just a Malinois running up a palm tree in pursuit of said squirrels.
Popcorn and a movie Squirrels and a muskmelon.
Husbandry
+ A shower (after enjoying a mud hole at Dead Poultry Park) + “Brush” (Chai looks so handsome and shiny after today’s bath and brushing session!)
September 12, 2023: formal recall success and feeling better about pedicures!
Activity level:lower end of average
The AM
Game got a loop around the block and Chai went to the Urban Enrichment Jungle. She was SO happy to see her friend Dina and play and run with her – the two of them haven’t seen each other in a while and it made me smile to watch them.
Later in the morning, the dogs and I went to Toy Play Plaza for another back-tied recall session. Chai ROCKED it today! We’ll work off leash next time …!
Both dogs ran around the plaza for a little bit and Chai briefly played with a BC-mix looking dog we hadn’t met before.
Shaping
+ Four in – I successfully added bowl #6 – the smallest one! – into bowl #5 (see today’s video). + One object in another on the roof (nail clippers) – Chai got 2/3 on the first try in the china bowl (the third one needed a second try) and THREE out of THREE with the smaller plastic container (no video)!
Home alone
Both dogs stayed home alone for several hours.
Husbandry
+ Brush + “Claws!” (right front paw) – again, way better than the last time! We’re almost back to feeling neutral about mani-pedis! + Since the right front paw had gone so well, I did the left front paw after a break as well. This one was also better than last week (or was it two weeks ago?), but Chai was less calm about it than about the right one. I wonder if that’s because this paw is more sensitive OR because this was the second paw I worked on today. Note to self: if I remember (a big if), reverse the order next time and see what happens!
September 14, 2023: nothing wildly exciting, but headphones are tasty
Activity level:average
The AM
Chai stayed home alone for Game’s morning loop and went on a solo adventure to Urban Enrichment Jungle, and then both joined my morning errands. Chai did okay on her back clip harness in terms of not pulling a lot even though Game was off leash and ahead of her. Good puppy!
Home alone
Game and Chai stayed home alone for 3 hours.
Recall and Toy Play Plaza
We did the easy taco recall of the day at Toy Play Plaza. Chai rocked it and both dogs got to hang out outside for a bit. I had been planning on training after getting home, but ended up feeling too tired. Lots of video editing in the morning and then 3 hours of Spanish peer-supporting … The dogs and I took a snuggle break and called it a day, watching The Lady and the Dale instead. I know people love this documentary but I’ve got some issues with it … anyways, that’s a topic for another day!
Chai ate my headphones, which is sad but right on time: I tend to need new ones before international flights. Story of my life!
September 15, 2023: Dead Poultry Park adventures
Activity level:average
The AM
Chai stayed home alone for Game’s morning loop and then got to go on a brief solo adventure at Toy Play Plaza for our next formal recall step – recalling away from an empty paper target in its usual spot! Success! – and some running around.
Then both dogs stayed home alone while I ran biked what felt like a gazillion pre-travel errands.
Adventuring at Dead Poultry Park
I met a friend at the park and we spent a few hours walking loops, climbing art and taking fun pictures. Both Chai and Game got to come and enjoy chasing squirrels, running and, in Chai’s case, rolling in a mud puddle – one of her favorite things in the world!
Chai, proudly presenting her war paint after the first mud puddle she encountered (when there was still some white left on her face).
September 16, 2023: recall success and meeting a new dog sitter
Activity level:average
The AM
I took both dogs to Toy Play Plaza for their morning adventure, knowing it wouldn’t be as crowded as the Urban Enrichment Jungle. We started with an off leash recall away from the kibble distraction in our usual spot and Chai ROCKED it. Bestest Border Collie ever!
I am still amused that my own dog has been more difficult to distraction recall train than most client dogs I’ve worked with over the last 5 years or so. It feels like we are playing a strategy game where Chai’s goal is to know when she can reach the distraction without coming back first and my goal is to convince her that coming back first is worth her while. There are days that feel like she knows it is worth her while but prioritizing her goal is simply more fun. That is probably not the case since dogs tend to be opportunists, but I like thinking about it that way because it cracks me up. Chai is smart and serious about this to the degree that it doesn’t matter who meets their goal at any given day (she or I) – we just keep playing, and THAT’s what the game is really about, for me anyways: we both have fun. Bernard Suits would say it is an open game – not the kind of game recall training typically is!
Husbandry
+ “Nails!” (both back paws; Chai was super chill and relaxed about it – back claws are easier than front paws!) + “Brush!”
Home alone
Chai stayed home alone for a little under 1.5 hours while Game and I walked errands.
We went to visit Chai’s dog sitter so she could meet them and their dogs a day before being left there. Gerardo, the main sitter, is a BIG person. While Chai has a decent number of human friends, they are all MY friends and we’re all scrappy, lean and athletic. We’re kind of like Whippets and this person was like a Anatolian Shepherd. Chai is more on the Whippety side of canine personality and morphology as well and I had to protect her a bit from Gerardo and their mom so they wouldn’t touch her.
I hope they will humor me and only touch or put a harness on Chai when she approaches first. Sadly, Scarlett is out of town, and Alan is having the craziest work week and can’t take a second juvenile Border Collie (Kiba is already kicking his butt because he doesn’t have enough time for her).
I hope Chai will be the same dog I dropped off when I come back to pick her up again. In any case, Alan will drop by sometime next week to check on her and put my mind at ease.
Chai got to play with the sitters’ own dogs Marley (a well-matched play partner for her) and Tae (who barked nonstop while we were there, which didn’t seem to bother the sitters at all).
Marley (left) and Tae (right). I didn’t take these pictures; Gerardo sent them to me yesterday. Today, they were both wearing choke chains. (No problem for me as long as Gerardo keeps the promise to only walk Chai in her harness or not walk her at all, which I really hope they will.)
On the way home, we stopped at the Urban Enrichment Jungle and looped around a little to decompress. Now Chai is passed out on the couch. When she wakes up again later, we’ll work on the 4 in trick.
September 17, 2023: good-byes are hard!
The AM
After a brief loop, we all went back to bed. Around noon, we took a brief walk to the not-particularly-enriching (today) Urban Enrichment Jungle.
Then, the three of us met Alan at Kiba’s Park for good-byes and Austria-related emotional support. Thank you, Alan, for being here and knowing just the things to say. I hope I am able to do this for you, too.
Chai’s off on a multi-day solo adventure …
At 7pm, I dropped Chai off with the sitter … and let me tell you, it was HARD. I love the sensitive little Border Collie.
In any case, it’s a good exercise for ME to leave Chai with Gerardo, who is a very different person than I. I genuinely believe most people are competent, even if they are competent in ways other than my own. So I remind myself: trust that Chai will be okay. She has proven herself to be a resilient dog time and again – this life experience will make her even more so.
This week, you’ll see me run out of video-editing steam. Recording is fast and fun, but editing is not (for me). Because I was running out of steam, I videoed less and took pictures instead or didn’t bring a phone at all (my preferred way of leaving the house).
My original plan was to video and document Chai’s life until I adopted her out.
My updated plan, after I decided to keep her, was to document the first year of her life. However – future me dropping in here – this won’t happen, at least not in video form. It’s too much work – I haven’t made it all the way to the 1-year mark as far as videoing and documenting absolutely everything is concerned. She’s still being the bestest puppy though, whether there’s video to prove it or not! ↩︎
We only spent 15 minutes at the almost empty Fresa Parque: Game crashed into a park table/chair, whined and stopped putting weight on her left front paw. So we headed right back home, she got a dose of Rimadyl and is now sleeping on the couch. Pobrecita!
Home alone
Chai stayed home alone for Game’s shortish noon loop (trying to let her paw recover – luckily no limping for now, but I can’t tell if that’s the Rimadyl or her body recovering).
Noon and PM: Chai’s solo adventure
Once I finished work, it was time to head out and meet a colleague and their dogs for some dog geekery. Chai got to hang and play at Dead Poultry Park for 4 hours. She is passed out on the floor now! I had hoped to do some morning shaping (but work got in the way) or afternoon shaping, but I suspect we’ll just let sleeping dogs lie today! This was a lot of exercise and fun! Lucky Chai found a stinky water hole to get muddy in, played with my colleague’s dogs Hilo and Nemo, earned lots of treats for staying within a mostly approved-by-me radius, found a tasty bone and did really well hanging out next to a park bench while the humans had tlacoyos. Good puppy!
Dirty dogs are happy dogs!
September 4, 2023: a formal recall success, 3 parks and a little shaping
Activity level: average
The AM
The three of us had 25 minutes of fun at Fresa Parque. Chai got to play with a young Mal and then found something to eat somewhere behind some bushes where I couldn’t see her. (Of course, my informal pup-pup-pup recall didn’t work because found food is EVERYTHING to Chai and I am not using my formal recall in real life yet.)
Game was running around cheerfully again even though I haven’t given her a painkiller yet – looks like she’s all good! YAY! So glad! That “I am in so much pain” face and whining as she came back to me after crashing into the park chair/table really had me worried for a moment. She usually dismisses pain entirely if it happens while she’s having fun, so that was a strong reaction for her!
Home alone
Chai stayed home alone briefly while Game and I walked errands.
Solo adventure and formal recall success!
Chai and I spent 20 minutes at Toy Play Plaza. We started out by repeating last time’s recall on a long line … and succeeded! Go Chai!
Then there was a taco de birria for the bestest girl and looping around the park, briefly greeting two dogs and playing in the fountain (our personal public baby pool) twice before heading back home.
Shaping
We worked on the sit up trick. Unfortunately, I believe I got what Silvia calls an “ugly sit” again but didn’t see it in real time: Chai’s back paws weren’t facing directly forwards but to the side. I’m going to have to experiment a bit more to learn how to see the perfect position in real time!
We also worked on one object in another on the roof. The smaller container I’m trying to use instead of the last one isn’t working either … I’ll have to find something else. It may be time to go shopping for more kitchenware and look for bolitos in all the sizes! (I’m very much not someone who gets excited about shopping … unless it’s for dog-related stuff! Or plants!)
I had planned on also working on 4 in as well, but work got in the way. Hopefully tomorrow!
Kiba’s park with Game
Game, Chai and I went to Kiba’s Park to run around dogs, screaming and running kids and large umbrellas for half an hour:
They also did a lovely job waiting for me outside a pharmacy.
September 5, 2023: park time, formal recall oops and a little training
Activity level: average
The AM
We started the morning with 40 minutes of park time for Game and Chai. Mornings tend to be enrichment-based (unless Chai is in a mood to play with other dogs): both dogs will scavenge all over the park, finding scraps of what folks left behind the previous night and pieces of bread and tortilla chips the bird-and-squirrel lovers sprinkle like perfect scatters in certain areas in the morning.
Scavengers in their element!Now that Chai’s stomach isn’t as sensitive anymore, she gets to have all the food-finding fun as well.
Home alone
Chai stayed home alone around noon when Game and I went out to get Chai’s recall taco.
Solo adventure
Today’s solo adventure was short – just long enough to get a formal recall oops in! But a solo outing is a solo outing, and we’ll take it!
Tricks and obediency stuff
We worked on 4 paws in, one object in another on the roof and down/good/get it in the afternoon at Fresa Parque (no video of the last one but Chai did very well!)
PM at the park
Before it started raining, both dogs got to go back to Fresa Parque for another 40 minutes. Together with Chai’s solo outing, we’re at our solid 1.5 hour outdoors average (not counting noon and evening pee loops).
Chai found a cup of consomé and opened it for Game and herself, and they shared it. It smelled delicious and from what I could see, it tasted just that way as well.
Chai then went on to do her afternoon job: steal the balls of all the dogs in the park she could steal from to bring to me and trade for treats. She’s a busy Border Collie with a lot of jobs!
September 6, 2023: a typical BC fun-and-training day
Activity level: average
The AM
We spent 40 minutes at Fresa Parque and Chai had a good time with her park friends. Game did great taking treats for just letting everyone be, and then both dogs wrapped up with a little sniff-and-scavage fun.
Home alone
Chai stayed home alone while Game and I ran errands for 20 minutes. She hasn’t been home alone for longer periods of time lately, but we’ve been doing a good job keeping up with multiple weekly 5-30 minute home-alone sessions (without Game). Normalize, normalize and normalize again!
Chai, Game and I went to Fresa Parque, waited outside a store and practiced foot-on-leash downs at a papelería for 1.5 hrs. The walk there took us quite a bit because Chai was in the mood to pull on her back-clip harness, resulting in many, many circles! I’m really happy Game is an off leash dog, allowing me to focus on Chai when I circle!
On the walk back from the park, Chai walked partly in collar mode. I reinforced every 5 steps today – that way, I needed hardly any nose bumps even though Game was off leash ahead of us us!
At the park, Chai played a bit with two new dogs, both her and Game scavenged and both worked on the tunnel cue since we had the dog park to ourselves. No solo adventure today, but a good day for dogs! Especially for Chai who got an easy formal taco recall (when she was already looking at me!) to super-charge “Schnee!”
Good dogs waiting patiently at the papelería while someone is trying to figure out how to print a page without margins for me.
September 7, 2023
Activity level: going for low today to catch up with work and make sure every week has its low energy day! Let’s see if we’ll succeed …
Note from the future: I succeeded! Low it is!
The AM
Game and Chai spent 30 minutes at Fresa Parque, scavenging and, in Chai’s case, playing a bit with her friend Sam the Doberman. Game got brushed at the park: she is blowing her coat and there’s Malinois fur everywhere.
Chai got bullied a bit by another dog and came back to me to be protected. I love that she trusts I will look out for her, reinforced and did my best to keep the bully at arm’s length.
Happy morning play with Chai’s friend Sam!
Training – just a little bit!
We allowed ourselves a single sit-up session. I forgot to hit record, so no video. In any case: a single sit-up session is totally okay for a quiet day! We’re still within the boundaries of calm-day-ness!
The briefest of solo adventures
We went out briefly to practice a formal recall on a back tie at our usual spot and marvelled at a squirrel together. (Tip: show your dog that you share their interests!)
Home alone
Chai stayed home alone briefly while Game and I ran an errand, and both dogs stayed home alone when I went inline skating at night.
Watching Chai on a calm day
Chai has been really good! She played a little with what’s left of the dolphin toy tonight, tossing it up in the air and pouncing on it. She has been really good about relaxing and isn’t being a pushy, demanding pup at all, but totally able to entertain herself. I’m very happy with how she’s developing!
September 8, 2023: lots of training and fun with friends
Activity level: average
The AM
We spent 30 minutes at Fresa Parque. Chai played a little with now 5-months-old little Doodle Pipa and the dogs enjoyed their urban enrichment jungle (aka finding food and sniffing stuff) for the rest of the time. I ran an experiment with soaked tortilla-chip pieces someone had left for birds and squirrels by sprinkling kibble on top. These two food items seem to be the same value.
After I worked a bit, we did sit up on the floor and then I shaped a sit on a crate. I hope the crate is narrow enough to “force” Chai to keep her back legs facing forwards which, in turn, would allow me to work on the sit up trick ON that platform:
The video above ends right where I should have ended the session. Start to finish sit on a platform – perfect. Leave it at that; take the fact that a treat got stuck under my suitcase kitchen door as a good moment to end.
That’s not what happened in real life. See me continue for a few more minutes and Chai’s response below!
Solo adventure
Chai and I went to Kiba’s park to meet up with Alan. I got another successful recall away from Kiba before saying hi and we both worked our pups – Alan on leg weaves and downs and me on downs and stands, and both girls got to play single-toy fetch with Kiba’s ball.
We walked part of the way back in collar mode (5-20 steps between treats).
Chai also met Loki, a mix she enjoys playing with (see middle picture below), and found a dog food bag to climb into. Maybe she’s telling me to change our kibble brand!
September 9, 2023: out of the city with friends!
Activity level: high physical
Both dogs got their own morning loops today and then hung out at the house while I worked a little. Before it was time to leave on Chai’s solo adventure, Game got another brief pee loop by herself.
Solo adventure at Los Dinamos
Kristen, Kala, Luca, Chai and I went to Los Dinamos for the better part of the day. Chai and Kala played A LOT. Chai saw horses and mules – both grazing freely and with horseback riders – sheep, goats, got rushed by 4 of the shepherd’s dogs and recovered fast, saw various groups of suddenly appearing people and had no feelings about them, rolled in horse poop, played in the river and ate parts of an apparently delicious head- and partially legless rotten animal. It was mostly skeleton with little flakes of rotten meat stuck to it – probably either a small sheep or a mid-sized dog? I don’t know, but on the drive home, the entire car smelled deliciously corpse-like. Chai did not throw up on the drive there and back and did not get frustrated about Kala being squeezed in right next to her crate before getting to properly greet her. She was gentle with Luca and didn’t bother him at all, and interested in sticks and stones a kid tossed into the river for Kala and her. She also did an excellent C-runs-away easy taco recall – meaning the next one gets to be a distraction one again! The conversation with the shepherd was fascinating, and Kristen and I had a fun time. This may be the last time we’ll hang out because they’ll be moving abroad, but we sure made the most of it!
Left: Chai and Kala explore the river. Right: Luca is practicing being the cutest boy e-ver!
The last time Chai saw a horse, she got spooked. This time, she first contemplated this mule from a distance and then decided it was safe to go closer and sniff. (I didn’t worry here because Chai’s body language lets me know I’d be able to call her off and the mule doesn’t mind her presence.)
Chai and Kala came across a flock of sheep and goats!
The flock and two of the shepherd’s 10ish dogs. They are all related and puppies are raised with the flock, like lifestock guardian dogs traditionally are. Young dogs learn from older ones. They both guard and are able to keep the flock together. When nothing is going on, they doze in the shade. They are out with their human and the flock for ~6 hours a day. I learned so much from this shepherd, who was kind enough to hang out for a bit and answer all my questions about living with sheep and dogs as a small-scale subsistance farmer.
Left: right before Chai got rushed, she got just a little too close to the flock and the dogs made it clear to her. Right: watching the sheep from a distance after the shepherd has communicated to their dogs that we are friends. Chai’s herding instinct didn’t kick in – but it’s also possible she is still recovering from getting rushed and would have reacted differently to a flock without dogs. In any case, I’d venture it is safe to say that Chai is not magnetized to sheep. In the background story I have been told, her dad is a working sheepdog, but I am somewhat doutbful about the truth of this story.
I could have spent another hour talking to them, but didn’t want to keep them too long. While what I said above is what they told me, what follows are observations and parts I pieced together based on what I’ve read on this way of life in other parts of the world – it may or may not actually be the case for this particular shepherd and their flock.
The dogs and the life of subsistance farming (observations and thoughts):
The dogs are shepherdy-looking mixes about Game’s/Kala’s size; some with slightly more coat. From what this shepherd said, they are all related – so they have puppies and the puppies learn from their parents.
It is interesting to me that the dogs who are actually used for herding by people who do this for a living are not a particular breed of herding dog or even a landrace. I’d venture the most common breed in Mexico that is widely recognized as a herding breed is Australian Cattle Dogs (they are everywhere in the city, but usually not used to herd sheep), followed by Border Collies (used to herd sheep by people who do it for fun but not by people like this shepherd) and Old English Sheepdogs (who I don’t think are used for herding, but are a popular family dog breed around here). I’ve seen Australian Cattle Dogs throughout economic backgrounds while Border Collies and especiallyOld English Sheepdogs are fancier-neighborhood-dogs. I also have seen one ACD who was actually herding, but I was only passing by. I had the impression that this dog was an actual sheepdog, not a rich person’s hobby herding pal.
I found it extremely interesting that the dogs of the shepherd we met had a bubble around the sheep. There was clearly a boundary outside of which they allowed other dogs, but inside of which they would guard. Chai overstepped the boundary and their behavior changed immediately. Once they had chased Chai back of the bubble, they went back to chilling. I asked if the shepherd had taught the concept of the bubble to their dogs, and they said no – the dogs are doing this naturally.
It was also deeply fascinating to me that the dogs seemed to naturally surround the flock, protecting them from all sides. The flock did not seem bothered by the dogs at all and the dogs seemed very relaxed. The way they surrounded the flock kept the flock together and the invisible bubble kept intruders (like Chai) out.
I asked the shepherd if Chai and I might approach a little more so we could test how she’d react to the sheep when being closer (this is just something I’ve been meaning to test). The shepherd had control of their dogs – once they invited us into the bubble, the dogs stood back. (The shepherd had a stick and used body language to communicate with the dogs, but not in an aggressive way at all – they just communicated clearly that Chai was a friend to be welcomed into the bubble.)
I would love to spend a day with this shepherd, the flock and the dogs. I wonder what their everyday life looks like: how far from the green space do they live? How much do they walk? Are they always on the move or do they stick to one general area? How often is there a potential conflict? And is it always with visiting dogs or is there also wildlife or other pets to look out for? Maybe even humans? Is everyone on the same page about the shepherd using this (public) land for their sheep? What do the dogs eat (feeding 10 mid-sized to large dogs is a lot!) Do they have other sources of income or is it based on the sheep alone – on their meat? What does community or family structure look like? How much interaction is there with the wider capitalist society a subsistance farmer, whether they want to or not, is necessarily embedded in? If this shepherd had a kid, what opportunities will the kid have? Is it necessary for the kid to work as soon as they can walk in order to feed everyone or are they able to go to school, graduate, study; choose a totally different path in life?
I am curious about all of this, but it’s not my place to ask. I’ll probably never know. From the outside, to me, it’s easy to romantisize this life: it is calm. It has nature, animals, movement and little to no technology. It is physical and human-powered, not fossil-fuel-powered, and there is so much to observe about your animals, their interactions, the people you see, the changes of the plants, birds and insects around you through the seasons. I know there is a version of me who’d enjoy this life – its physicalness; the nailing of wooden planks to create a barn; the walking. Naming and observing your dogs. Keeping their puppies (the ones who survive); seeing them grow up. Observing local plants, birds, lizards; how their behavior changes with the times of day and year …
It is easy to romanticize because I wasn’t born into this life. If I were, I might feel completely different about it – after all, as it is, I did not keep the life I was actually born into and the same thing might have happened had I been born into a different life. And spinning that thought further: the life I was born into was a privileged one that allowed me to leave it behind. If I was born into the life of subsistance farming, leaving that life may not be an option. Or it may be just as much an option as it was for me and the live I actually got! I don’t know, but I can’t help but enjoy leisurly following these threads of thought as I’m clening up this pst at 2:30AM in the morning, a day before I’ll release kt.
Check the dog social post for today’s video of Kala, Chai and Luca!
Home alone
Chai stayed home alone for Game’s morning and pre and post solo-adventure walks.
I used to believe it was far more important for dogs to play with appropriate adult dogs than with dogs their own age (this is unsupported “common knowledge” floating around the R+ world). The just-so story is convincing enough: your dog is only going to be a puppy or juvenile animal for a fraction of their life; the conspecific interactions they will eventually have – if any – are mostly going to be with adult dogs. Plus what could a puppy possibly learn from other puppies? Adult dogs are the ones to look for in terms of socializing because adult dogs – other than puppies – actually have social skills.
Then I took Kristina Spaulding‘s excellent ethology class and learned that we do indeed know from actual studies (which I currently don’t have the bandwidth to dig out) that animals benefit from the opportunity to play with conspecifics of a similar age. This has changed my approach: I will now seek out more play opportunities for the puppies and juvenile dogs in my care – specifically with other young dogs.
Mexico and other places in Latin America I’ve been to have one big advantage when it comes to socialization: there’s ALWAYS dogs around. If you give your dog the chance to play every day, they’ll satiate (unless they are the rare dog who doesn’t satiate – these dogs do exist, just like there are dogs who never stop feeling hungry, but they are not the norm.) Given the opportunity to regularly satiate their social needs, they will be far easier to train, walk and work around other dogs. Win-win!
Below is a small selection of Chai’s play dates. These are just a few times I videoed over the course of the months and some I set to music (because it gives me joy) – but they are by far not the only ones. Chai has met other dogs of different ages every single day since she’s been with me. Some have become her friends; some stayed one-off play mates. You’ve seen some of these videos in Chai’s diaries already. In any case – here’s a chronological compilation with some context for each of them.
May 17, 2023 (day 41 with me): Chai plays with a new puppy
Chai played with (mejor dicho ignored in order to keep an eye on Game’s tennis ball) 5-months old puppy Archie at Chapultepec today!
May 28, 2023 (day 52): another new puppy playmate!
Chai made a new play-friend at Las Islas (UNAM), puppy Nenet! Enjoy the music and the play!
June 6, 2023 (day 61): playing with a new adult dog and practicing “pup-pup-pup” and whistle recalls … some of which are more successful than others!
Watch the video above to see my recalls – successful as well as unsuccessful! You won’t hear me use my formal recall cue in this video (“Schnee”). l’ll only use the formal cue in real life – outside of games and set-ups – when I am certain that Chai will respond. The informal recall and even my whistle recall? I don’t mind trying it sometimes and seeing it not work. These are data points that let me know where we are and what Chai’s ability to pay attention currently looks like.
After watching the video above with subtitles and voiceovers – think about the following questions and, if you’d like, leave your answers to any or all questions in the comments! I’ll be sure to read and respond to them!
Can you tell why I chose the first two recall moments (these recalls are not successful – but why did I try them at the points in time that I did?)
In one of the first two, can you spot an indication that Chai heard me even though she doesn’t come back?
Why do you believe I used pup-pup-pup rather than whistled in recalls #2 and #3?
Can you pinpoint (time-stamp) some of my favorite moments of the interaction between Chai and the other dog, Luna? What makes them stand out?
June 8, 2023: Chai (BC, 5.5 months) and Kiba (BC, 6.5 months)
We met our friends Alan and Kiba at the park and our girls had a blast playing together!
June 17, 2023 (day 72): adventures with Kiba at Chapultepec (and a sad, but beautiful song)
July 15, 2023 (day 100) – Chai and Kiba
Chai and I spent an hour with Alan and Kiba at the park today. As always, I started off with an informal recall away from Kiba (this is still HARD for Chai!) and then reinforced by releasing her to play. They also played with Kiba’s toy together!
Play-fighting and running together!
Good friends can share toys!
July 18, 2023: letting off steam after distraction recalls!
Today, we practiced really difficult distraction recalls! Chai needed to let off some steam after – and dog/dog play is perfect for this!
July 22, 2023 – all the Border Collies!
After shaping recalls away from Kiba, Chai got to hang out with her buddy and 4 other BC friends: Ivan’s dogs who were at the park with their dog sitters. Nicole, the child of the main dog sitter, tossed Kiba’s squeaky ball for Chai. I don’t mind informal toy play like this as long as it’s not with our formal training toys. It’s good for Chai to build a relationship with Nicole through playing! The last time, she got intimidated by Nicole who can be a little rough and wants to touch dogs from above or hug them (I suspect they’re between 8 and 12 years old, but I might be totally off – I’m bad at gauging the age of kids.)
August 8, 2023: new friends for Chai
My friend and colleague Kayla visited for a few days with her Border Collies Barley and Niffler and cat Norbert! This video is from the first evening Chai met all the new animals. (If you listened to our podcast chat, you may have already seen a shorter version of this video with a different song.) I like the fact that I’ve been able to introduce Chai to new dogs both in “her” apartment and in neutral spaces. She has also visited Nazli at Scarlett’s place and been to the apartment of friends who have cats.
August 20, 2023: fast friends!
Chai and Kala at Chapultepec! Kala is Zai and Kristen’s adult dog; this was the first time our dogs met!
September 10, 2023: Chai, Kala and Luca at Los Dinamos
We took a weekend trip to los Dinamos today! Time to not hear traffic noises and feel all naturey – even though this is still part of Mexico City! Luca, Zai and Kristen’s pug puppy, got to come as well!
October 15, 2023: Chai, Kiba and Elios
Today, Alan and Kiba introduced us to their friends Soto and Elios, Soto’s 11 months old Corgi!
October 22, 2023: Salazar with Daniel and Dina
Dina has become one of Chai’s best friends. Game and Dina are more acquaintances than friends, but they get along well enough. Today, Daniel (Dina’s human) and Dina showed us a hiking route outside Salazar. Game is wearing a muzzle because she’ll go into heat soon and tends to get easily over-aroused by other dogs running in the weeks before – it’s just a safety measure around Dina.
My bestest girl on the mountain. Mexico City in the distance to the left.
Snuggly girls on the car ride home. They were taking off each other’s burrs! (Poor Dina has a shaved paw because she needed to stay at the vet’s and get fluids for a nasty stomach infection the other week.)
At around 10 months – close to the time Chai went into heat the first time – she got significantly more socially selective. She still has her friends, but is less likely to initiate play with a new dog. She mostly just confidently ignores other dogs (or steals their balls). If given a choice, she’d rather work with me than play with other dogs.
This is a lovely development for a working breed. I see it in the other dogs her age as well: the young Dobi and a young Mal we used to run into at the park don’t play as much as they used to either, and Kiba and Chai, while still extremely close, treat each other more like family: “hey there, great to see you; I can basically read your mind just looking at you because we are the same; now let’s go do other stuff!” Their behavior is very similar; they grew up like siblings with Kiba being one month older. They even went into heat the same week. But there’s less playing from both of them: they seem to feel like grown up Border Collies around each other now. They will do stuff together, like sniff the same spots, greet the same dogs, lie down next to each other … But they rarely behave like puppies with each other (except for an exuberant greeting when they haven’t seen each other for longer than usual).
Dina, on the other hand, is still a favorite play mate of Chai’s. Dina’s play style is different – she’s a different type of dog. She’s built like a whippet and as fast as one, but wire-haired, incredibly gentle and giant-eared. I’m fond of her – and so is Chai. Dina is 3, but still loves to play chase games. If I were to anthropomorphize, I’d say that Chai looks up to Dina and thinks she’s “cool” – hence the continued playing! It’s unlikely that dogs find each other “cool,” but the thought makes me smile.
I suspect that over time, Chai will play a little less with Dina as well. They will stay close friends, but over the next few months, Chai’s behavior around Dina will probably start resembling her behavior around Kiba unless we are on a hike together (which doesn’t happen every day and tends to give the city dogs a boost of youth and bounciness!)
Chai and Kala would probably also keep playing a little longer into the future – or even on a permanent basis. They are extremely well-matched playmates. Kristen, Zai, Kala, Luca and their cats have moved abroad though. Chai says everyone, but especially Kala is always welcome on her couch if they ever miss Mexico City! (Chai is optimistic. I am realistic and would like to add: the cats would probably be safer staying elsewhere because of a certain Belgian Shepherd who lives on Chai’s couch as well and, while getting very good at not eating cats, can’t help the fact that they smell awfully tasty.)
Chai and Game, of course, will still play-wrestle as well. That’s typical for dogs sharing a house: anytime one of them needs to burn off energy, there’s a play partner right there! We just spent a few days at the beach and in this new environment, there was a lot of racing along the waves and chasing each other, too. I wish I had video!
September 5, 2023: today, bowl #5 is looking good!
Notes for the next session:
Repeat everything just like this one more time to build confidence and stamina.
Note to self: remember that the home position of my treat hand is behind my back! Chai can do it!
September 6, 2023: from a little insecurity and wobbliness to beautiful balance in bowl #5!
Session profile:
Home position: treat hand behind back
Marker cues: good, get it
Transition behavior: blink
Treat placement: room service 1-2 inches above floor marker
Mirror: yes
Chai did really well in the later reps. However, the first one where she offered a sit is a sign of her not being sure she can do it. She also struggled to balance the first few times I used my room service marker (good). So I’ll have one more session just like this one for good measure. Once I consistently get confidence and balance, I’ll re-attach the “Four” cue … and only THEN will we look into going down in bowl size again. Slow and steady wins the race!
Personal win for this session: I remembered my home position (behind back) throughout the video! Go me (I cheer on my students! So yes, of course I cheer on myself as well. Dog lover or dog trainer – I suggest you do the same for yourself!)
September 8, 2023: no more struggles to get started but still finding our balance
Today’s session was good! Chai knew she could do it from the first rep onwards, and I am happy with my timing and feeding mechanics in this session. However, Chai was still a little wobbly in some reps. I’ll stay at this stage for another session or two. Before moving on to re-attaching a cue, I want to get 8 treats – 4 “Good”s and 4 “Get it”s – without Chai losing her balance and stepping out between “Good” and “Get it.” Remember: clear, achievable criteria make our dog training lives a lot easier!
September 11, 2023: balance success!
No video, but 4 + 4 success! Yay! In the next session, I’ll re-attach the “Four!” cue and go for 4 “Good”s and 4 “Get it”s without getting out of the bowl in between again!
September 12, 2023: re-attaching the “Four” cue to bowl #5!
No video – but I repeated yesterday’s 4 + 4 success, remembered my transition behavior every single time AND re-attached the “Four” cue. Go Chai and go C!
Notes for the next session:
+ Take video! + No cue. + Two good-and-get-it-s with bowl #5 + Two immediate get-it-s with bowl #6 in bowl #5. + End session!
September 13, 2023: success with bowl #6 in bowl #5!!
Wooohooooo! We did it! We’re back to (our new, higher-walled) bowl #6! We will proceed carefully from here on forwards, but I’m already VERY happy with how this is coming along! No hesitation at all about the new bowl in the old bowl! Go Chai!
Notes for the next session:
Re-watch this video and then decide how to best proceed to avoid the drop in confidence our last bowl #6 attempt created!
September 16, 2023: good and get-its in bowl #5 as well as bowl #6 in bowl #5!
The plan:
Two good-and-get-it-s in bowl #5 followed by two good-and-get-it-s in bowl #6 insinde of bowl #5. We’re inching our way closer to the goal …
This went really well!
Here’s the plan for our next session:
One good-and-get-it rep with bowl #5
One good-and-get-it rep with bowl #6 in bowl #5
One good-and-get-it rep with bowl #5
One immediate “get it!” rep with bowl #6 WITHOUT bowl #5!
End!
Sneaky AF but I believe that is exactly what we need!
September 17, 2023: bowl #5 and bowl #6
I stuck to the plan I made yesterday! (Behind me, the sheet on the armario you can see in the video? That’s where I wrote down steps 1-4 from above!)
This went really well – I stuck to the plan. However, sometimes, you’ll see Chai step out of the bowl after the “good” treat. I did not expect her to step back in before the “Get it” as I usually would. So – plan for next session: repeat the same steps and insist on Chai staying in after “Good!” Maybe even do more than one “Good” in the larger bowl so Chai doesn’t expect the immediate “Get it” release. Yes – this is what I’ll do now that I think through it:
Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
Bowl #6 in bowl #5 – one “good” and one “Get it” – if Chai steps out after the “Good,” wait for her to step back in before cueing “Get it!”
Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
Only bowl #6 – immediate “Get it!”
I’ll definitely need a cheat sheet for that one!
September 26, 2023 – our first session after getting back from Austria and picking Chai up from the dog sitter’s!
After a break Game and I spent in Austria, I picked right up where we left off! I put a cheat sheet on the armario and did what I had set out to do in my “notes for the next session” above!
Wooohooooo! For the first time E-VER, Chai put all 4 paws in our new bowl #6 (last rep in this clip)! I love it!
Plan for the next session:
Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”
Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”
September 27, 2023 – today, I don’t look at the cheat sheet enough!
Today’s session didn’t go as planned. Not because of Chai but because after writing and attaching my cheat sheet to the armario – I simply forgot to look at it and apparently, my head wasn’t in the game today. It happens.
Note to self: make sure to be fully awake when training and potentially practice without Chai first!
Plan for tomorrow: just like yesterday’s plan, but follow through!
Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”
Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”
September 28, 2023: sticking to the training plan!
This time, I stuck to the plan! Woohoo! (I also practiced all steps without Chai first and labeled the bowls #5 and #6.) These extra steps are like writing cheat sheets for yourself to pass a test: it is the act of having written them that will help you remember the steps rather than the cheat sheet itself. I feel like practicing without a dog and labeling the bowls works the same way for me.
Tip: if you are struggling with timing, mechanics or sticking to a training plan – do a quick session without your dog were your full attention is on your own movements! Trust me – it makes a hell of a difference!
I’m happy with how I handled Chai’s hickups in the video above (getting out of bowl #5 after my “good” marker). The reason I moved my home position back behind my back was that I thought she could hold that duration in bowl #6 – just not in #5. However, seeing how hard this was for her, tomorrow’s session will look similar but different:
I’ll move home position for my treat hand on my thigh and repeat what we did today.
September 29, 2023: changing my home position (treat hand on thigh)
I followed the cheat sheet again today! The new home position helps Chai by cutting down the duration of holding her position between treats. However, she still steps out a few times. I will stay at this same stage until I get zero step-outs between the first “Good” and the “Get it” for bowl #5. This should also resolve Chai being mesmerized by my food hand being visible!
We’ve worked like this before – but she’s still a juvenile dog and juvenile brains are all over the place when it comes to desires and impulse control.
September 1, 2023: second session on the roof with unexpected hick-ups
Info in the subtitles. Spoiler: this session didn’t go as planned!
Notes for the next session:
+ Put something into the plastic container so it isn’t as deep (easier to eat from) or find another container of similar diameter, but with lower walls! + Repeat the previous session!
September 4, 2023: another less-than-perfect smaller container
I tried a small yoghurt container after starting over with the porcelain bowl. Chai had a hard time!
Notes for the next session:
+ Start with the porcelain bowl again. + Switch to the plastic container from the last-but-one session and change its depth to avoid the aversiveness of the smash-eyes-into-container-walls experience Chai had last time! See how that goes and take it from there.
September 5, 2023: let’s chew up this clicker!
Notes for the next session:
Repeat with both containers.
Swap the partially eaten clicker out for a different object – something that doesn’t splinter, is a similar size and makes a sound upon impact in the china bowl … a ver …
Shorten total session time.
September 6, 2023: a new object (nail clippers) and two containers
I’m happy with this session – and with myself for ending it when I did and Chai was still having a good time!
Notes for the next session:
+ Repeat just like today until I get reliable nail clippers in the second container!
September 8, 2023: making progress on the nail clippers project!
This session went well! Jackpots really get the point across for Chai!
Notes for the next session:
Do another session with the same two containers and the nail clippers. Can I get 3 + 3 reps with the clippers in both containers, no misses at all?
No need to record the next one – I need a video-editing break and I don’t think it would show a lot of new stuff anyways!
September 11, 2023: a stab at 3 jackpots with 2 containers
We did the session I had planned on and I allowed myself the luxury to not film (i.e. no video editing). Chai got the nail clippers into the porcelain bowl on her first three attempts, but needed 5 or 6 attempts with the smaller plastic container (we worked until she got a jackpot 3 times with that container as well). I’ll stay at this step until I get 3 wins in the plastic container right away. Permission to train and not film!
September 13, 2023: a nail clippers win!
Chai got the nail clippers 2/3 times into the porcelain bowl on her first try and THREE/THREE into the smaller plastic container! Go puppy!!! (No video.)
September 16, 2023: coins, coins, coins!
I was going to go for both clippers AND a coin in both containers today, but only brought a 10-peso-coin to the roof – so we started with that one right away. Porcelain bowl: easy. Plastic bowl: hard. I’ll keep working on the plastic bowl with different objects and also make sure to throw in easy porcelain bowl reps to keep the rate of reinforcement high.
September 17, 2023: an indoors session
It was hot and humid out today so we trained inside – but not on the puzzle mat to create contextual difference to the 4 paws in trick. I used the porcelain bowl as well as the smaller plastic container and 3 different objects: a glue stick, a 10-peso coin and a nail. The plastic container needs work – stay at this stage; potentially change an object or two!
September 26, 2023: glue stick, plug and coin in china bowl and plastic container – varying locations
Varying the location of the china bowl REALLY made a difference in Chai’s understanding! I love it!
I want to have a similar session again – and I’d like to add my hands as a new “bowl” to the game soon as well! There are endless possibilities with this trick!
I’m naming this post iteration 5.3.A because we are still on our 5th attempt at distraction recalls and will be working onlevel 3 (unprotected distraction, off leash dog) with the easiest new food distraction (A).
August 28, 2023 – location 1: Kiba’s Park
I set up the fish distraction while both dogs were back in the car and hid the camera in some bushes. No scaffolding! Got Chai back out for a surprise recall that wouldn’t feel like a set-up … Well. Turns out I had hidden my tripod so well that I didn’t find my distraction anymore. So we meandered around the area looking for it (me) and enjoying her run or potentially also following the smell (Chai). She ended up approaching it from a different side than I did. I only realized she had found the distraction once she had started eating. I called (off camera) and she responded IMMEDIATELY! YAY! While I had planned to call her before reaching the distraction, this works as well. For most dogs, it will actually be harder to recall once they have started eating something – so we’ll call it a win! Chai enjoyed her cream cheese and then finished off the entire pile of fish. Unlike yesterday, I hadn’t touched it but poured it out of the bag – that alone (not smelling of me but of found food) may have upped its value. Or maybe she was just hungry. In any case – off-leash recall away from unprotected fish in location #1 is a win!
August 29, 2023
Chai didn’t know it was a set-up in either of today’s sessions. In the first one, I set up, tripod hidden in the bushes, and then let her out of the car. She runs back and forth on the path before going in the direction of the fish that I indicate because (I suspect) she is used to be let out of the car together with Game. Game stayed in the car and Chai is likely looking for her.
Location 2: Fresa Parque
Location 3: Toy Play Plaza
Chai didn’t know it was a set-up in this session either. She and Game were chasing squirrels as I poured a pile of fish on the ground. Then we approach and I recalled when they were close to it. Game also came running. I wouldn’t usually feed her, but can’t have only one dog eating cream cheese, so she got lucky today! I released both of them to the distraction and it is really interesting to see how much Chai’s enthusiasm about the fish treats is upped by the fact that Game is eating them as well:
The distraction recall plan going forwards
I’ve succeeded in 3 off-leash unprotected low-value food recall sessions. Now, it’s time to make things harder and go for the distraction I originally didn’t master: kibble (henceforth distraction B)!
Chai has taught me that food distractions are MUCH harder than anything else for her (by now, I have successfully recalled her away from dogs, people, squirrels and birds, pet cats and farm animals. Street food is paws down the hardest for Chai.) Because of this and because a strong recall is my favorite behavior, I am upping my own challenge: I will work up to unprotected kibble (intermediate food value) in 3 different locations with Chai off leash, and then unprotected LIVER (high value) in 3 different locations with Chai off leash.
I am sure some of the items on the list of found food I’ve made are even higher value than liver. However, for anything other than my 3 food distractions, rather than systematically working up to it, I will bank on the force of habit, lots of high-value reinforcement for easy formal recalls in our recall “account” and the trust that Chai will be sent back to eat the distraction that we’ll build in the next steps of her recall distraction plan, which will always include access to the distraction within training sessions – but only after coming back to me. She will be sent back to eat whatever she has found in real life as well – except for the very rare occasion where I can’t let her go back. In general, I want her to learn that coming back unthinkingly when called pays off BIG time. Once we’ve mastered the difficult food distraction recall, I will make her formal recall a rare and coveted word she can’t wait to hear – precisely because it is special and is followed by a-ma-zing experiences.
I’m naming this post iteration 5.1/3 because we are still on our 5th attempt at distraction recalls and will now be working on levels 1 (long line, no barrier) and 3 (unprotected distraction, off leash dog) with the easiest new food distraction (A).
The plan …
… is vague for now. The first time I work without a container again – with something lower value than kibble this time – I will go back to a long line. When I get a long line success, I will try off leash right away in the same location. Whatever happens, I will then head back to headquarters and decide how to continue.
August 25, 2023
Dead Poultry Park
Since Chai has outsmarted me at the unprotected-distraction stage several times, I’m going to take it r e a l l y slowly this time! I started with her lowest value food (that I have found so far): dried fish treats. I went back to Chai on a long line and scattered the treats under her favorite scavenging draws: trash cans.
Session profile: Distraction: dried fish Reinforcer: cream cheese followed by eating the distraction Distraction safe-keeping: long line Immediate response on a loose long line: NO
Round 1
Round 2
I did this one right after the previous session, but approached from the other side this time. Immediate recall success because Chai knows I have Philadelphia (if I had to guess why!)
Round 2 profile: Distraction: dried fish Reinforcer: cream cheese followed by eating the distraction Distraction safe-keeping: long line Immediate response on a loose long line: YES
Round 3
Same location; right after session 2; approaching from the original direction again.
Round 3 profile:
Distraction: dried fish Reinforcer: cream cheese followed by eating the distraction Distraction safe-keeping: – Immediate off leash response: YES
It is fascinating to me that in the third session – the video above – Chai doesn’t even want the fish anymore. In only three recall rounds, I have turned fish from something she’d try and blow off my recall for even though she was on a long line into the most boring treat in the world that she has very little interest in.
I don’t want to jinx it, but if I were cautiously optimistic, I would say: found food (including fish) trumps anything except for cream cheese. I would love to be right about this one – it would solve all my recall “problems”! But I know I need to be careful. Chai’s recall is a flighty animal and needs to be approached with great caution! I know that today’s success is, at least in part, because – as Tracy (Tracy, in case you’re reading this: I love this metaphor you’ve used for Huck!) would say – I have used the earlier two sessions as scaffolding for the third (successful) one. And as I would say (to Tracy or any other student): a successful off-leash recall only bumps you up to the next level once you’ve succeed after a break, un-scuffolded!
I’ll think about this some more but I believe what I’ll do is try this same set-up in a different location and see if I get a recall on a loose long line on the first try. I won’t make the mistake of going directly to off leash in a new location!
August 26, 2023
Fresa Parque
Chai knew this was a set up. That said, she did GREAT in both sessions. Already doing better than yesterday by keeping the leash loose in the very first rep. I did the second one pretty much right after – using it as scaffolding as Tracy would say.
In both sessions (because Chai knows it’s a set-up), she offers eye contact while we’re still far from the distraction. I keep heading that way anyways to make it a little harder. If I wasn’t filming and trying to be clearly visible on screen, I might have marked the check-ins with a recall cue right away.
Round 1 profile:
Distraction: dried fish Reinforcer: cream cheese followed by eating the distraction Distraction safe-keeping: long line Immediate response on loose line: YES
No break – round 2, off leash, same location:
Round 2 profile:
Distraction: dried fish Reinforcer: cream cheese followed by eating the distraction Distraction safe-keeping: – Immediate response: YES
Notes for the next session:
For my next session, I’d like to have a helper set up the fish distraction, come across it as a true surprise for Chai on a long line and see if I still get the success I’m after. If this works, I’ll take a break and try the next session after – again with a helper – off leash.
August 27, 2023
Location 3: Kiba’s Park
My friend had to take his mom to the hospital right before we got a chance to do a set-up (no worries – all is well with his mom). I managed to sneakily set up anyways. This time, there is no way Chai knows there is a distraction set-up …
Session profile:
Distraction: dried fish Reinforcer: cream cheese and eating the distraction Distraction safe-keeping: long line (accidentally) dragging Immediate success: YES!
The first rep in the video above shows that Chai didn’t realize this was a distraction recall: I called pretty early, Chai responded and then headed off in some other direction rather than going towards the fish or sticking with me.
I wanted a distraction recall that wouldn’t feel like a set up and where she actually knew there was a distraction! So I didn’t point the fish out to Chai, but looped back around and let her get really close this time. This time, she clearly knew there was a distraction (but hopefully not that it was a set-up)! She responded beautifully and then went back to eating the fish with much more gusto than in the previous sessions – maybe precisely because she thought she had found street food rather than a distraction I had placed? Who knows.
While this session went really well (as in: Chai did really well), I did not stick to my training plan: I was going to hold on to the long line, but in both these reps, I let go of it and just let her drag it. Which really doesn’t help anyone because Chai is too far ahead by the time I call. The long line isn’t long enough for me to step on it if I needed to. Its weight may still have helped create an on-leash feeling, but the session I ended up having today was not the one I planned on having. Note to self: ALWAYS read your session notes right before you train!
Notes for the next sessions:
I feel ready to give this a try off leash and without scaffolding. I will do the next session at Kiba’s park again, where Chai has already succeeded with the long line dragging, but probably in a different spot of the park. f Chai gives me the response I’m hoping for – a single-rep off-leash success – I will then go for a single-rep off-leash fish recall success in two more locations before making the distractions more difficult:
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