This video is a bit grainy because I had to turn the brightness way up – it’s early today and still dawn out.
Nothing much to remark except the speed: trotting rather than running towards the kibble. (And yes, I have two sweaters, not just one.)
Wanna work on this or similar behaviors with your own dog? Join me in Out and About at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy!
I just realized I published my write up for day #10 before day #9. So I’m switching around the order these posts will appear on my blog so future readers don’t get confused! Day #9 – the one I skipped! – can be found here.
This time, Game started hesitating before reaching me when I called her: she is starting to expect the “okay” release to happen! This is excellent information: I want her to keep thinking “Come all the way back” thoughts after her recall. So next time, I won’t immediately release with “Okay,” but do a tossed “Get it” or click hot dog. The positives: Game is continuing to approach the kibble in a trot rather than a flat-out run. Thoughtfulness is what I expect to happen before the cue transfer.
It’s raining men! Hallelujah!
I’m doing two “Get it” hot dog tosses to ensure Game keeps coming all the way back after my recall cue.
If the above video doesn’t work in your country due to copyright issues, here is the same video without the song:
Unless I’ve got something interesting to say after releasing Game to the kibble, I’ll cut my future videos once she gets there to keep my videos fast and easy to watch!
If you want to work on this or similar behaviors with your own dogs, join me in Out and About at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy! Or check out any of our other classes! Game and I are having fun in Nicole Wiebusch’s Heeling class at Gold this term! The plan was to also follow Sara Brueske’s Bomb Proof Behaviors at Bronze … but we’ll have to catch up with this one during the break! This term is a good reminder for me that when I’m teaching, podcasating, writing daily blog posts and house hunting, there really is only one class I can keep up with as a participant. Otherwise, I’d have to skip my daily long nature walks – and they are non negotiable. I need my off-leash time!
I love that Game watches me and waits for my release to the kibble cue – even though I’m a little slow to release this morning! Good girl!
In fact, unlike I say in this video, there IS progress to report, and I see it more clearly as I’m watching this video back: not only is Game going around the corner more slowly than in earlier sessions – she is trotting (rather than running) the entire time now! And you can see that while her nose points towards the goal (the pile of kibble), the ears are up and back: she is expecting me to call her and actively listening for it! This is not a dog barreling towards a pile of kibble! She’s getting slower and more thoughtful! Love my bestest girl!
Wanna work on this or similar behaviors with your own dog? Join me in Out and About at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy! Registration is still open, and we’re having lots of fun in class!
I’m using hot dogs for the click and the “Get it,” and not interrupting her when eating the pile of kibble.
More of the same: hot dogs for “Get it” and the click, and then I let her finish dinner in peace. I switch around the order of things here: first “Get it,” then the click. This morning, I did it the other way around. I’ll also go straight to an “Okay” release after the recall soon, to keep things interesting.
By the way, the reason I keep letting Game get really close to the kibble before calling is that for this particular exercise, I want to be sure she is seeing and smelling the distraction first (cue transfer), and I want to give her as much time as possible to think of coming back before reaching the pile of kibble.
Wanna learn this or lots of other fun skills with your own dog? Check out the FDSA schedule for the current term!