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!
Distraction recall, iteration 6L2: 1/2.0/3.C: 6th training plan adaptation, 2nd location (L2), levels 1 (holding on to long line), 2.0 (back tie) and 3 (off leash) with distraction C (liver; difficult).
October 18, 2023: on to our second location!
New location – new post! Yesterday, Chai got an easy taco recall at the Urban Enrichment Jungle: I called her when she was already looking at me, tongue-clicked as she came running and ran away to make it more fun. She got a taco de canasta and lots of praise when catching up with me!
Today, recharged and ready for the next step in our game, we found ourselves a new location – the second one I want to proof the difficult distraction in. In this first round, Chai does not know it’s a set-up. The tripod is hidden in a hedge and I sneakily placed the liver slice when she was ahead of me; then caught up with her, long-lined her and meandered back towards the distraction. I wanted a spot that wouldn’t need a visual target this time, so we played on mowed grass. You can see Chai find the distraction by means of following her nose after recalling. I suspect it was the smell of the distraction that prompted her to check in when she did (which I used as a start button; calling her earlier than I had planned on).
(She knew to take the gap in the hedge on her way up the hill because that’s where we had come down as well.)
Difficult distraction – long line – location #3: success!
October 20, 2023: tether success (and SQUIRREL success!)
Yesterday, Chai got an easy taco recall at Urban Enrichment Jungle (no video). Today, we tackled our next distraction stage!
After our tether success – I would call it a back tie but it is actually a front tie because Chai is wearing her front-attachment harness! – we looped through the park off leash. As we were nearing the exit, I called her back informally and she didn’t come – I didn’t see the distraction that held her interest, and for some reason, my formal recall came out of my mouth. Chai turned on a dime and shot back to me; I saw she was turning away from A SQUIRREL! and emptied out the kibble left in my treat pouch for her (since I was all out of tacos) and then cued “Birds!” (the release to chase critters) and went looking for the squirrel together with her. It took us 30 seconds, but we found it and Chai had a good chase.
I wasn’t planning on using her formal recall in this kind of situation and without a taco reinforcer – but she rocked it! However, I will definitely do an easy taco recall next! Recharge, recharge, recharge!
October 21, 2023: easy taco recall in a new location
I bought tacos de pechuga de pollo con frijol y nopales at a subway stop and played at a park nearby that we’ve never been to – not the very best of ideas, it turned out, since Chai’s inital reaction told me that the meat may still have been hot when she took her reward.
I decided to make up for the potentially hot taco with another easy taco recall tomorrow before going back to our last distraction stage at location 2/3: off leash, unprotected liver!
October 22, 2021: another easy taco recall
I did another easy taco recall in the house – just calling Chai from the couch to the kitchen and surprising her with a delicious, chicken-breast-stuffed taco (no video). NOW we are ready to tackle our next challenge!
October 23, 2023: we DID it! Chai just nailed an off-leash liver recall at location 2/3!
Look how far ahead this puts us in the Tacos & Border Collies game! We’ve ventured across island #2!
Despite our detour (2 easy taco recalls before today’s off leash one), we are well on our way towards the treasure!
Our next recall will be an easy taco one – time to recharge at the shore before jumping into the ocean again! – and then we’ll tackle our third real-world location in the next post in this series!
Distraction recall, iteration 6L1: 1/2.0/3.C: 6th training plan adaptation, 1st location (L1), levels 1 (holding on to long line), 2.0 (back tie) and 3 (off leash) with distraction C (liver; difficult).
We’re ready to face down our nemesis – the most difficult food distraction – or so I hope! First things first though: our next session will be an easy taco recall, no distractions. We need to keep that response sharp and fun! And then … we’ll gamify!
Tacos and Border Collies, the game
Then, I will play with liver in 3 locations. I made a game board (thank you, Canva) to hopefully not skip any steps. From experience, I know that if I accidentally skip a step, Chai will outsmart me! Here’s our board: all of the steps below and we will have reached our distraction recall goal.
This is how we (plan to) beat our nemesis – the most difficult food distraction! The little Border Collie and I will hike and swim from island to island until we reach the treasure chest: it contains off-leash privileges out in the streets of Mexico City! Because hiking and swimming is hard on the body and mind, Chai needs to recharge with an easy taco recall after each distraction she masters!
October 11, 2023: rising to the first challenge on our the path!
Yesterday, we did an easy taco recall at Dead Poultry Park. Today, we went to location #1 for our third and most difficult distraction – liver – and had a successful recall on a long line!! Go Chai!!
On the path to recall success!
October 14, 2023: back tie success!
After another easy taco recall the other day, Game nailed her back tie recall in location #1/3 today! Go puppy!!!
October 16, 2023: off leash SUCCESS!
Yesterday, we went to Chapultepec and I brought my last taco de birria … unfortunately, I forgot all about it because I was there with friends. So instead of getting an easy taco recall out and about, Chai got an even easier one back home in the living room.
And today, we finally did it: our first off-leash recall success away from the most difficult distraction – liver – in our first of three real-world locations!
Go Chai, master of swimming across oceans! Tomorrow, you’ll get to recharge again:
The title of this iteration is 6L3: 1/2.0/3.B: 6th training plan adaptation, 3rd location (L3), levels 1 (holding on to long line), 2.0 (back tie) and 3 (off leash) with distraction B (kibble). Slow and steady wins the race!
The day before yesterday, Chai had an easy taco recall at the Urban Enrichment Jungle. Today, we are back to the first distraction session in our third location: Kiba’s Park!
October 5, 2023: first session in location 3
We’ll start out with holding the long line in my hands. I’ve got a taco de canasta con chicharrón ready and will release Chai to the intermediate distraction (kibble) by dropping the long line after a successful recall. Let’s see how things go today!
Success!
Our next recall will be an easy taco one, followed by one with the distraction in the exact same location at Kiba’s Park … and a backtie! Slowly and steadily, we are getting closer to our highest value distraction!
October 7, 2023: back-tie success!
After yesterday’s easy taco recall at Toy Play Plaza (no video), today, it was time for the back-tie distraction recall! Chai knew this was a set-up but she didn’t know exactly where it was:
You can’t see the back tie – but it stayed loose! Go puppy!
I should do the easy taco recall tomorrow in the same space since there will be no empty target session this time! And then … off leash!
October 9, 2023: intermediate distraction off leash in location 3/3 – success!!!
Chai got an easy taco recall at the Dead Poultry Park yesterday, and today, I picked up 3 freshly made tacos de canasta de chicharrón and we tackled our last stop in the intermediate distraction recall stage: off leash, unprotected intermediate distraction (kibble), location 3 with the first taco. She did it!!! Another easy taco recall next, and then we’ll be ready to start with – drumroll – DIFFICULT distractions!
Content warning: this week’s diary is not for those of you who feel disgust easily when it comes to the things a dog might find on their walk. If this is you and you want to be absolutely sure you do not accidentally read about such things, skip September 29 and 30 as well as October 1 and its footnote, or skip this entire post.
September 27, 2023: deep taco-inspired thoughts on society (and some dog training too)
Activity level: average
Home alone
Chai stayed home alone during Game’s (short) morning and noon loops.
Solo adventures
Moring fun with Dina
Chai went on two solo adventures: one in the morning at the Urban Enrichment Jungle where we met Daniel and Dina. The two dogs played lovely together and it was great catching up with Daniel after his Morocco and my Austria trip.
Tacos de birria
For Chai’s second solo adventure, we went to buy tacos de birria from Octavio. Today, Octavio and I talked more than we have in the past. I learned that they live en el Estado de México. Their commute is 2 hours each way and they work the taco stand 9 hours a day. Octavio lives in their parents’ house (which they own), so it makes more financial sense for them to not rent a place in Mexico City. Octavio seems genuinely content with their life, the connections they make with customers like me (who always get free consomé) and the fact that they are away from home for 13 hours a day. A taco is, I believe, 20 pesos. I’m sure he sells a lot over the course of the day. I wonder how much is left of a lot times 20 pesos after subtracting the price of the taco ingredients and public transport home and back to Mexico City – 2 subways and a camión.
It is a life, and it is not a bad one I don’t think. And then again: there is no way out of this life. I’m not familiar with Octavio’s educational background, but assuming they are unlikely to be hired for a job that pays more, I cannot imagine that they are able to save a lot of money. They probably support their aging parents. They will continue on in their house en el estado for another generation if they go the traditional route of marriage and children and such.
I think about these things as we joke over the counter of Octavio’s bike-drawn mobile taco stand – their eyes gleaming, a big smile showing bright, white teeth, short dark hair molded into a triangular prism, slightly bent to the left for a daring, playful, boisterous look. A washed-out white t-shirt with a band logo, fashionably torn blue jeans, sneakers, dark brown eyes. Octavio is slender and moves fast behind the metal counter screwed to their bicicle trailer, strong hands with long fingers tossing and turning tacos on the hot plate, ladeling taco meat, snatching a styrofoam plate. Octavio is moving smoothly like a DJ turning the tables, like someone dancing to a song only they can hear (maybe Complicado by Gera MX, Jayrick and Ervin River). They are young, they are strong, they are handsome and they know it.
Theirs is a good life, I think to myself after, if it is the life you want. An excellent life if you’re a people person who gets along with their parents and wants that traditional thing with the kids in the multi-generational house and all. You know you’ll be a home owner one day, and till then, you never have time to get bored anyways. From a young age, you have the responsibility of being your parents’ (and potentially your kids’) financial caretaker. If it is the life you want, that responsibility might feel good: you are part of what keeps the family afloat. People depend on you.
A while ago, I read Abolish the Family and the other day, I listened to an interview with M.E. O’Brien. I remember how Sophie Lewis calls the nuclear family the smallest unit of capitalism. I agree. I agree that a free society that relies on family structures (biological or chosen) is an oximoron. It’s not that a free society can’t have people sticking together – we are social animals after all and people will stick together. It’s just that in order to be truly free, family cannot be a means of survival anymore than capitalism, gender or the police. A society that is truly free is radically different, not only slightly so. A society that is truly free (we’ll get there one day, but not in my lifetime) will have to be THAT different from the society we live in today that we wouldn’t recognize it and that the arbiters of power won’t be able to perceive it as a society at all. You are rightly scared of it if you like your life because your life in a free society will be unrecognizably different.
In a free society (I think, burning my tongue on the delicious, hot consomé in its styrofoam cup), Octavio could walk away from their family and the taco stand – or they could stay. The decision would be up to them, not up to the structures they are embedded in. In a free society, the main impact of Octavio walking away would be on their own life, not on that of others (as in, the financial stability and survival of others would not depend on Octavio).
In any case, Octavio seems content enough. Until Chai recalls away from everything, we will have regular chit-chats when I get tacos and sometimes, we’ll banter or flirt a little across the counter because it’s what you do in the society that actually is.
I think of Zane and how he believes that we tend to always see our actual life in a kind of golden light and frame it as a choice we have made rather than the only option we had in order to feel less at the mercy of things. Like Swankie in Nomadland who is dying of cancer and wants to take one last trip to Alaska rather than die in a hospital …. I thought it was a beautiful, romantic and bold choice. He thought it was sad, depressing and very much a lack of a choice. I tend to contradict Zane’s arguments (I like to think I’m free to make choices myself) but sometimes, I wonder if he’s right.
If the person I am today had Octavio’s life, I would not be content. And then again, there is no way I’d be the person I am today if I had Octavio’s life. It is perfectly possible that, if I had Octavio’s life, I would like it as much as they do. It is also possible that they don’t like it at all and just don’t show me.
“¡Hasta luego!” I smile, take my tacos and leave with my Border Collie.
Picking up the formal recall again
Chai and I walked to the Urban Enrichment Jungle. After an off-leash loop, I did an easy “Schnee” recall (formal recall) rewarded by a taco. The second taco will be for more distraction training!
Leash walking in manners mode (collar)
We walked in manners mode to a corner store (5-20 steps between treats) where Chai waited outside and continued manners mode practice on the way home. She’s now passed out on the floor, looking content.
The Game of Chai
Throughout the day, Chai and Game played a lot. Maybe they missed each other while Game and I were gone!
Both dogs stayed home alone for about an hour when I went to pick up Kristen and Zai’s washing machine. In the late afternoon, Chai stayed home by herself while Game and I ran a quick errand.
Afternoon solo adventure
Chai and I walked to the Toy Play Plaza. She ran around, chased squirrels and played in the fountain. I had brought one of my fleece tug toys and we did a brief tug-and-chase session. WOW, her tugging has improved! What a strong, confident girl! (No video.)
After some more running around, we worked on sits and fold-back downs (they have gotten hard again) both on a park bench and on the ground.
We walked home in collar mode, going between 5 and 30 steps between treats.
September 29, 2023: the best kind of enrichment (content warning: it’s disgusting!), an easy recall and otherwise a regular day
Activity level: on the lower end of average
Solo adventure
Chai went to the Urban Enrichment Jungle by herself for half an hour in the morning. We met Dina and Daniel again and our dogs chased and raced each other. Chai also made time to steal another dog’s ball 5 or 6 times.
Then she had her most enriching enrichment experience yet. This is where you’ll want to stop reading if you have a low tolerance for disgusting stuff. Pick back up at the PM Adventure heading.
She discovered bandages someone had tossed into the bushes. It was partly actual bandages, partly banana (?) leaves, dripping with what I suspect was human puss. It was bright yellow and I don’t remember the last time I’ve smelled something this disgusting. She slurped down some and rolled in some more (she was in heaven!) before I picked it up and threw it into a trash can.
How we experience disgust …
(Keep scrolling down if you don’t want to read about this!)
Seeing Chai slurp puss and tossing out the bandages/leaves felt SO much more disgusting than when my dogs have rolled in human poop – and that already feels quite disgusting.
It’s interesting how this works: other animal’s poop hardly bothers me at all. It’s the human animal that brings out this visceral response in me. Someone – I don’t remember who it was – told me that this is because as humans, we are most susceptible to bacteria, viruses and parasites that affect our own species. Therefore, we respond most strongly to things that might contain potential dangers while our response to, say, the poop of a different species doesn’t bother us as much since the associated bacteria, viruses and parasites are less likely to be dangerous to us. It’s a mechanism of self-protection.
I don’t know if that’s true or an urban myth, but if it is, judging by my visceral response, human puss is more dangerous than human excrements. It makes sense I guess: if there’s puss, there is probably an infection and avoiding close contact may be smart. If there’s poop, it may be perfectly fine.
Chai got home full of energy (and puss) and, after taking a shower, wrestled for another half hour with Game. Apparently, it was an animating find!
PM adventure
In the afternoon, I walked with both dogs to the Dead Poultry Park and looped around a little. It wasn’t a long walk today but squirrels got chased and Chai got an easy taco recall in (no video).
Home alone in the PM and beyond
Chai and Game stayed home alone for a few hours hours when I visited a friend to co-work in the afternoon.
Chai also briefly stayed home by herself during Game’s last night loop.
September 30, 2023: another day without special events (and disgusting enrichment, part 2)
Activity level: lower end of average
Solo adventures
Skip the first paragraph below if your disgusting-things tolerance is low! The second paragraph is safe.
Chai went to the Urban Enrichment Jungle for 30 minutes this morning. Once again, it was VERY enriching: she found part of the puss-covered banana leaves I had missed yesterday (apparently, none of the other animals in the park are into this delicacy), a few licky-mat-like spots on the ground and got to eat some of the bread the person who feeds birds every morning didn’t shoo her away from today.
For her second solo adventure, Chai and I went back to Urban Enrichment Jungle in the afternoon. We successfully did her distraction recall challenge (loose back tie) for a delicious taco de canasta con chicharrón, looped through the park and played tug and fetch with a fleece tug.
I was also going to start working on the hug-an-object trick … but I just didn’t get around to it.
Home alone
Chai stayed home alone for about an hour when Game and I went shopping.
October 1, 2023: two parks and a new trick
Activity level: average
The AM
We went to the Urban Enrichment Jungle for Chai’s solo adventure.
Shaping
I love how in the video below, you can really see an instance of shaping with marker cues making a difference: “Good” (room service) and “Get it” (chase thrown treat) have different meanings and allow us to communicate more effectively!
We had a second 4-in session (since this one was so short, I thought two a day couldn’t hurt) and her first two sessions of shaping the hug-an-object trick (which she very much enjoyed!)
Home alone
Chai stayed home alone for Game’s noon loop.
Afternoon solo adventure
Skip everything under this subheading if your dog-finds-rotten-animals tolerance is low and/ or your love live poultry! It’s safe to continue reading under the next subheading: Husbandry.
Chai and I walked to Dead Poultry Park, did a big loop and an easy taco-rewarded formal recall. Chai’s favorite part of our outing was finding a torn plastic bag with a long-dead rooster in it (the maggots and the smell gave away the length of his death – or maybe you don’t need to be dead all that long to start smelling and turn into maggot central? I wouldn’t know.) She had rolled in it quite a bit by the time I realized what she was doing and relocated the rooster to a trash can.
Here’s what’s puzzling to me: WHY do folks not compost their dead roosters, put them in the trash can or feed them to their dog? Why is it always plastic bags by the side of the road or in a park? The back story of said roosters is (I guess – this is a just-so story I’m telling myself) the loss of a cock fight. Alright. So you don’t want to keep your dead or injured loser rooster around. But why get rid of them in THIS particular way? I don’t understand.1
Poor Chai had to take a shower – the second one this week – once we got home. She smelled too much like dead rooster to welcome her on my couch otherwise. But now she’s all shiny, showered and brushed.
Sleepy pup post rooster-rolling adventure, a shower, drying off and getting brushed!
Husbandry
+ Brush (regular brush). + Claws (both front paws). This time, Chai stayed completely relaxed for the first paw and mostly relaxed for the second one. We got over that brief hump of not liking to have our nails done fast!
In other news
Chai peed on the living room floor today – something she hasn’t done in a long time. I’m pretty sure the reason it happened was that I accidentally closed the bathroom door for about 15 minutes. Since Chai doesn’t have a concept of not peeing in the living room, she didn’t hold it but just went. Oh well. I hope this stays an isolated incident. If it happens with the bathroom door open, I’ll consider harshly telling her “No” before picking her up to have her finish her business in the shower. While I am not mad at her for peeing anywhere (she can’t help it), it would be nice to one day live in a place where I can unmurphy the bed while the dog is out!
October 2, 2023: by now we are done with this week’s disgusting things. I promise!
Activity level: average
The AM
Chai and I briefly went to Urban Enrichment Jungle, starting with an off-leash recall away from an empty kitchen towel target in location 2. Chai checked in with me before getting to the point I meant to call her and I used the check-in as a start button for my formal recall. Immediate response and she loved her taco, and then went to check out the empty target. You can’t see a lot on my video due to Chai’s angle of approach, so I’m allowing myself to not edit or upload it – it really is time for a major video editing break!
Shaping
+ 4 paws in a bowl session (no video). + 2 hug-the-pole shaping sessions.
Kiba time!
Game, Chai and I walked to Kiba’s park to meet Alan. Chai found LOTS of street food and the two girls played together and briefly with a group of other dogs.
Home alone
Both dogs stayed home alone while I walked to the tlapalería to get an empaque (whatever this is called in English).
Leash walking
I realized I needed a second empaque and went again, this time taking Chai. On the way back home, we walked in collar mode, going between 5 and 25 steps between treats.
I’ll change my collar approach for Chai: I’m going to go “up to” X steps from now on, but mark, treat and reset my step counter anytime she looks at me before reaching the X threshold. I wonder how far and how fast I’ll get her eye contact up this way. Knowing Chai, I bet it’ll be easier to then go to intermittent reinforcement … We’ll see!
October 3, 2023
Activity level: lowish average
The AM
We met Daniel and Dina at Urban Enrichment Jungle in the morning, and the two dogs played as long and joyfully as I haven’t seen Chai play in a while. Watching those two is a great way to start the day – they seem SO happy (and Dina is SO fast!)
Chai was ready to doze off for the rest of the morning while I worked. She had quite the workout with Dina!
We’re turning into tlapalería regulars …
I took both dogs on a walk to the tlapalería. I’m rigging up my washing machine drainage system, and it’s turning us into tlapalería regulars. Maybe one day, if the dog training thing doesn’t work out, I’ll be a plumber. What I’ve come up with may not be perfect – but it sure works!
There was probably more going on today …
… but I didn’t take notes. So we’re ending our week 26 digest here, with two sleepy puppy pictures future C just took when proofreading this post on December 11, 2023:
A friend offered a different just-so story to me: maybe the dead roosters Chai keeps finding at this park are part of a ritual that demands they be gotten rid of in a particular way or loaction. ↩︎
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! ↩︎
I’m naming this post iteration 6.1/1/2-2.0/3.B because in the course of this post, you’ll see me develop my plan to a more nuanced degree that differs from iteration 5 – so I’ll call it iteration 6. In this post, you’ll see me train in location 1 (L1). We’ll work on levels 1 (long line, no barrier), 2.0 (line dragging/back tie as opposed to the original meaning of my 2nd level, which is barrier/helper) and 3 (unprotected distraction, off leash dog) with our now intermediate food distraction: kibble (B). I know my “iteration” categories are long and crazy – no need to keep them straight if you’re reading along. They are mostly just for myself.
August 30, 2023 – session 1: Dead Poultry Park
I started on a long line. Chai knew it was a set-up – and she definitely knew she was on a long line because on the way to the distraction, she reached the end twice. That said, she recalled beautifully on a loose line:
45 minutes later, I took what I thought was a reasonable next step. I was confident because we had done SO well on that loose long line recall. I didn’t let her drag the long line but went straight to off leash!
Session 2: other side of Dead Poultry Park. Off leash!
Again, Chai knew this was a set-up. See her do that double take? It was my spontaneous “AY!” and the second “Schnee!” that got her to come – not the first one, that’s for sure. I’m not calling it a success. I was tempted to repeat right away or soon after, according to what I thought in the moment and say into the camera. BUT I was smart enough to not do that but head home to think some more how to best set us up for success! On the walk home, I came up with what I believe is a better plan than what I said into the camera … but watch the video first! More below!
Instead of sticking to the plan I made in the end of this video – repeat on a long line, then long line dragging, then off leash – I’ll try and find an even higher value reinforcer. What if instead of cream cheese, Chai got a taco for mid-level distractions and above? I know she likes stuff with seasoning, and as far as I have seen over the last several weeks, her stomach is now at a point where she can eat small amounts of most food items and be okay. A single taco recall a day should be fine.
Before I do this, I’ll test whether tacos really are higher value than cream cheese (I think they are but there’s no guarantee). In order to test this, I will pit a taco against cream cheese. I will randomize which item goes left and right, make sure both contrast well with the ground and attempt to use the food item Chai doesn’t choose to lure her away from the one she does choose. Stay tuned! So tomorrow there will be no taco recalls, just a reinforcer test. (I don’t want to feed her more than one taco a day for stomach reasons.)
If the taco is higher value, I will follow the plan I made in the video (long line, long line dragging, off leash), but always reward with a taco. By the time we reach off leash status, Chai hopefully trusts that she will get something amazing if she comes back.
September 1, 2023: reinforcer tests don’t lie! The taco wins!
September 2, 2023: a recall fail(ish). My bad!
Location 1 (we are starting the count over): Toy Play Plaza
I set up smartly so Chai didn’t know we were approaching a set-up and started with the first condition: Chai on a long line, kibble distraction, surprise taco reinforcer. The tacos de birria stand was closed today, so instead, I got a taco de bistec con salsa roja.
Recall reward, ready to go!
I set up with a hidden tripod, kibble on a paper napkin to increase contrast to the ground and then got Chai from the car on a long line and walked right towards the distraction.
I wanted to be sure she saw and smelled it before calling, and since she didn’t know it was a set-up, I made the mistake of letting her get too close. Yep, that’s exactly what my students will often do! By the time the last syllable of “Schneeeeeeeee” had come out of my mouth, Chai reached the kibble and grabbed a mouthful before I tightened the leash. Since we have lots of giving in to leash pressure practice under our harness, she responded to the pressure cue. But unfortunately, at this point, she had already eaten a mouthful of kibble. She happily finished off the taco (until a very alarm-barky dog showed up – you can’t see Chai’s body language change behind the bushes but she clearly felt uncomfortable). She finished the taco anyways because – ¡TACOS! – and then was eager to go back and finish the kibble as well.
Once again, Chai has proven to be a smart, smart Border Collie! She 100% knows when a distraction is or isn’t accessible. I hope that once I have convinced her that if she recalls in the face of a medium or high value distraction, she will ALWAYS get an even higher value reinforcer AND the distraction, she will still choose to recall – even if on occasion, like today, I don’t stop her soon enough in the early stages.
Notes for the next session:
+ Repeat the same session in the same location with a call-no-later-than-here marker for myself!
September 4, 2023: recall on a loose long line!
Location: Toy Play Plaza
We repeated the exact same set-up – today with another taco de birria because the taco de birria folks are back during the week! – in the exact same location. Chai did not see me set up and my tripod was hidden in the shrubbery, but she knew what was going on because we were approaching the same spot from the same angle. This may be part of the reason she was successful today: zero latency on a loose long line!
I don’t mind if the repeat location helped: I want to get as many successful reps under Chai’s harness as possible. Every success – even if she knows it is a set-up – will help her understanding that she is going to receive both the AMAZING reinforcer and the distraction. I hope the weight of the taco reinforcer to eventually help her choose to recall every single time – even off leash, even when the distraction is better than kibble. And every taco Chai collects is putting force behind her recall! C: 1 – distraction: 0!
Notes for next session:
+ Same location, a little closer to sidewalk, long line dragging so I can step on it (make longer with rope?); mark the latest spot to call.
September 5, 2023: a recall oops!
Location: Toy Play Plaza
I called later than planned and didn’t step on the long line … oh well! It happens. We learn from it and move on with our lives!
This session wasn’t all bad, either: while Chai ate some kibble, she then did recall (with latency) on a long line after all. Good puppy making up for the slack in my training!
Notes for the next session:
Set myself up for success: tether the long line to a sturdy object and make sure it will stop Chai before she reaches the kibble. If the human (in this case I) isn’t reliable, outsource long-line-stopping to a sturdy object (if there’s one thing you can always rely on, it is a sturdy object).
Decide up front when I will call (at a specific point where the long line is still loose) and mark that spot.
Since this really is hard for Chai: going forwards, every second formal recall will be easy, distraction-free and rewarded with a taco. I want to put more torque behind that behavior!
Repeat all three kibble steps (long line, dragging or back tie, off leash) just like this in 3 locations. No shortcuts!
September 6, 2023: an easy recall and a TACO!
As by the plan I made yesterday, today, I just waited for a good moment (Chai had been sniffing and lifted her head to look at me – then I called), used her formal recall cue, ran away as part of my reinforcement strategy and then fed a taco! We’ll be charging up that cue like there is no tomorrow!
You’ll see me first restrain Game a little so Chai gets the majority of the taco and then I let her dig in as well. A little sibling rivalry may up the distraction value more (neither of my dogs guard food from each other in this kind of scenario; otherwise, I would not do this).
As of point 3 above: after today’s easy taco-rewarded recall, the next one gets to be a distraction one again!
September 7, 2023: back tie recall. It needs a repeat but the set-up works well!
Location: Toy Play Plaza
Today, I used a longer rope (since my long line is only 5 meters) and back-tied Chai so I wouldn’t have to worry about stepping on the line in time. I attached one end of the back tie to the car and made sure my kibble distraction – in its usual spot – was out of reach even on a fully extended rope.
I paid attention to when I’d have to call to make sure Chai had a chance to recall on a loose leash after noticing the distraction.
I followed my plan to a T and called the exact moment I had planned to. Chai did not respond on a loose leash but hit the end of the long line and immediately came back – tongue click, taco and praise – “okay” release to the kibble (I untied the other side of the backtie while Chai had her taco to make sure she could reach the kibble after my release.)
Notes for the next-but-one session (not the next one since that one will be an easy taco one!):
Repeat just like today.
Make sure I say, “Okay” before Chai starts moving towards the kibble after I’ve handed her the taco.
September 9, 2023: an easy taco recall at Los Dinamos!
Location: Los Dinamos
My friend recorded this recall for me. I wish they had held the camera in Chai’s direction rather than mine so you could see her turn on a dime! In any case, this was an easy surprise recall for Chai: she didn’t know I was going to call her and I didn’t have the taco on me, but in the backpack that we ran to together! I waited for her to look in my direction before calling and running. Superpuppy!
September 11, 2023: another back-tie attempt
Location 1: Toy Play Plaza
I was going to repeat the EXACT same set-up as last time, but my car was blocked in by another car, so I couldn’t use it as a back-tie attachment. We walked to Toy Play Plaza and improvised. The sidewalk I’m setting up on in this video is the one right before the row of bushes on the other side of which I usually have the distraction. However, since I couldn’t tie the rope to my car today, I had to change the location and our angle of approach. This time, the distraction is on the sidewalk and we are coming around the corner, out of the park.
I’m surprised that Chai did NOT seem to know it was a set-up even though I had tethered her out of sight when setting up. (The reason I suspect she doesn’t know is that she takes her time approaching the distraction and slows down to sniff around the lamp post.)
The second observation I made today is that I truly believe Chai thought she was off leash: I had hooked the back tie to her harness before taking off the regular leash with my usual announcement (“Leash off”). I had used the regular leash for tethering. The regular leash is, just like my pink long line, heavy enough that Chai probably feels it and knows she’s not “free.” The yellow rope, on the other hand, is extremely light. I don’t think Chai realized she was wearing it before hitting the end.
I can’t wait to find out what will happen next time, when I back-tie her to the car again and put the distraction back in its usual location (which is only about 5 meters from the spot on the sidewalk you can see in this video).
Today’s recall reinforcer: the first one of these three tacos de bistec with piña, aguacate y habanero.
Points for me: I called Chai when she reached the spot I had predetermined to call and I said “Okay” early – when she was still busy with the taco. (You can’t hear the “okay” in the video because I’m not saying it loud enough for the camera mic to pick up.)
Notes for the next two sessions:
+ Next session will be an easy (distraction-free) taco recall anywhere. + For the session after, I’ll go back to Toy Play Plaza and repeat that same set-up. Remember to “okay” release before Chai releases herself to the kibble!
September 12, 2023: an easy taco recall at Dead Poultry Park
Our next recall will be a back-tied one at Toy Play Plaza again! Let’s find out if it’s true that three time’s a charm!
September 13, 2023: a back tie recall success!! 3 IS a charm!
Location 1/3: Toy Play Plaza
There are several elements I am happy with in this video. The first and obvious one is that Chai recalled before hitting the back tie. YAAAAAAAAAY!!!!
The second is that I stuck to my criterion of when to call, and the third one is that I got the “Okay” release in before Chai started moving towards the kibble.
She did not finish her taco this time. (Good thing it was the last one of 3 – I’ll get a different kind next.) I suspect the habanero may have been a bit much. Chai has skillfully opened every single little plastic bag of salsa people have dropped that I’ve seen her find and slurped down the salsa, spicy or not – but maybe there is a certain degree of spicyness she’s not a fan of and this particular taco may have had too much salsa in it. Or maybe it’s the piña? In any case, I’ll go back to our tried and true tacos the birria!
Notes for the next session:
+ Taco de birria + Easy, distraction-free recall + Why not do it in the exact same location we usually have distractions set up?
I also just had an idea for the next session after – splitting things down even more finely: what if for the first off leash recall, I put just the paper kitchen towel (visual target) in its usual location – without kibble or with brown cardboard scraps (looking like kibble) on it? Let’s do this, really splitting things down as finely as we possibly can!
Thursday, September 14, 2023
It’s easy-taco-recall day … for a change in the exact same location I did the last two distraction ones on a back tie. Look at how well Chai does!
Since she offers a check-in, I use it as a start button to call her. Not required – never a bad thing if you happen to get reorientation and can mark it with a recall cue though!
August 15, 2023: recall away from an empty visual target in its usual location
Two lessons for next time:
Get the reinforcer out faster so Chai isn’t tempted to turn around and go for the target/distraction in between responding to her recall cue and receiving her reinforcer (this is what happened today).
Say “Okay” earlier so she only starts moving towards the target/distraction after I’ve given the release cue.
September 16, 2023: SUCCESS!!!
Off leash, unprotected intermediate distraction (kibble), SUCCESSFUL RECALL!!! Wooohoooooo! Go Chai and C!
We’re going out with a bang: this is likely the last recall session before I head to NYC and Austria (without Chai).
Here’s the plan – we will keep going as soon as I’m back en la ciudad que lo tiene todo (according to a billboard near me):
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 one), 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.
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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