Denise Fenzi's Blog, page 19

Reinforcement Choices in Heeling

Today I wanted to see what I had with Brito’s heeling. 

Here’s an unedited video:

After you teach the pieces of lovely heeling, You have to string them together. At that point, I use my choice of reinforcement (food or toys) and the positioning of those reinforcers to improve my dog’s work. Personally, I will always emphasize drive over precision because I simply cannot feel inspiration for a dog who is absolutely correct but shows no joy or “lift” in their work. I want to work with a dog who is obviously having a good time – if that’s on the fine edge of self-control then that’s okay with me.

Note my choice of reinforcement options…

To encourage drive and forward movement I reward ahead.

To encourage a tight wrap for a right turn or an about turn I throw across my body – indeed, I do as many 360 degree types of turns as possible before throwing at all.

If I want to reinforce a left turn/not forging I reward to the left and slightly behind.

Rarely do I start from a halt – that’s boring.

Rarely do I practice halts. That’s boring too.

Rarely do I hand THIS dog cookies in heel position when we are working “in flow” – he needs more movement in his work because of his temperament. A different dog? I might approach it differently.

Look at your dog and work to encourage more of what you want to see, based on whatever happened in your last repetition and with an awareness of your dog’s basic temperament and tendencies.

 

Podcast

Do you like podcasts?

I was interviewed by my friend Ryan Cartlidge recently for his Animal Training Academy Podcast.  If’ you’re interested, take a listen!  We covered a lot of territory, so it’s hard to say what all we covered, but we did talk about the happy bucket….

Denise Fenzi – Fenzi dog sports academy; “Stay in the happy bucket”

What happens if?

I recently wrote a blog about the importance of asking “Why”. If you don’t know why something might work, don’t try it!

Now I want to refine that discussion.

While I need to know why something might work before I try it, I do not need to know if it WILL work. WILL is a completely different question than WHY, and often it is not answerable until the trainer in question gives it a shot.  It’s also worth noting that the technique might work for a different trainer with different skills or a different dog but that’s not relevant – it has to be effective for the team under consideration.

I’m a pretty big fan of experimentation because I think we can learn a lot that way. So, in addition to knowing why something might work, ask yourself one more basic question and then consider branching out into the world of “What happens if…”

It’s this:

Can you read dog behavior well enough to know if the dog is happy? I have two basic categories of dog behavior; happy behavior and unhappy behavior. If a dog is showing frustration, worry, or lack of interest in playing my games, then those all fall in the unhappy bucket and I will change my approach instantly. But what if the dog is happy? If the dog is happy, then whatever I’m doing is causing no harm, so I can continue.  Happy or unhappy. Simple!

I see dogs as individuals. I don’t train high drive dogs the same way I train low drive dogs. I don’t train dogs prone to worry the same way I trained dogs prone to overconfidence. I don’t train intense dogs the same way I trained tentative dogs. I treat them like individuals, and that means that the right approach for one dog may be the exact opposite approach for the next dog.

Now I just start to experiment. What happens if?   Because I understand the why of whether or not it might work, I can usually tell pretty quickly if this is the direction I want to continue to pursue. Signs of success should show up quickly! And if not, I’m perfectly happy to switch direction and go to another option, as long as I can figure out the “why” for that one too.

Why might it work, and is the dog happy?

As someone said recently, if you’re a new trainer, it’s probably smarter to go with the safe approach. Don’t go running off in random directions if you have no idea what you’re doing, and in particular if you cannot answer the “why” question.

But if you’ve been around for a while, why are you sticking with the recipe? That’s fine if it fits your temperament but if not, then try something new and see what happens – you might discover some missing pieces of a puzzle. And anyway, the worst thing that happens is you don’t progress or you go backward. No worries; if you’re an experienced trainer you can fix it back up and try something else.

Why might is work and is the dog happy.  That pretty much covers it.

Purchasing a puppy with a contract

I recently asked on Facebook what a typical dog purchase contract looks like. I asked from the breeder’s and also from the buyer’s point of view.

The good news is that most people were able to find a breeder with a contract that worked for them and everyone lived happily ever after.  The bad news is that there were exceptions ranging from the very mild to the over the top bizarre.

After reading a few hundred comments, I came up with the following list of possible considerations when you are purchasing or selling a dog with a contract.  Here’s my list:

Be aware that most contracts in the dog world are not legally enforceable, especially the ones that are micromanaging.  Legally, dogs are property.  As a result, do not rely on contracts to “force” the behavior that you want. Instead….
 Do not buy or sell an animal if you are not comfortable with the other person! No contract in the world will make an irresponsible buyer responsible, and no amount of pleading after the fact is going to soften a breeder who does not see things your way. Walk away!
 If you are a buyer, do not put down a deposit until you have seen the written contract.  Verbal discussions are good, but at the end of the day it’s what is in writing that you need to agree to.   First discuss and then write it down.
 If you want to communicate to the buyer how you “hope” they will raise, train, exercise, etc their new puppy,  then consider having two separate documents – A contract that is simple (and more likely legally binding) and a second document that explains your preferences.  Discuss both in depth!  And if you think the buyer isn’t on board with your way of thinking?  See number 2….Are you sure you should be selling this person a dog?
Look for a person to work with who is a good “match” for your temperament.  If you are a highly controlling breeder, look for buyers who welcome this as a sign of support and long-term caring. On the other hand, if you’re an opinionated buyer who is inclined to resent any and all efforts at control, look for a seller who is comfortable with a more hands off approach.  This isn’t a matter of right or wrong!   Some people want a ton of interaction with the breeder and others do not. Match yourself wisely.
 If you are the buyer and there are specific things in the contract that make you uncomfortable, talk to the breeder. They may be more than willing to make changes for you. If they have no flexibility at all, consider if this is someone you can get along with for the next ten or fifteen years.  Conversely, if you are the breeder and the seller is asking for changes that make you uncomfortable, do you really want to rely on your contract if you are not able to find an acceptable resolution? Remember, dog contracts often fail as legally binding documents, so a compatible buyer is much more likely to result in success.
 Be aware that contracts that create long-term relationships such as co-ownership, breeding arrangements, show requirements, etc. can turn sour.   Even the most comfortable friendship can fall apart. Are you willing to take the risk?
   If you smell crazy, RUN RUN AWAY!!!!   Think about it for a second. Is it worth it? You’ve already seen signs that the person you’re working with is irrational, unstable, unpredictable, irritable, or shows some other aspect of unusual behavior that makes you look twice. Are you sure you want to take a chance?

Beyond that, note that while a contract can get you financial compensation for specific issues, it will not take your unhealthy dog and make it well, or your behaviorally unsound dog and make him stable. There is an animal to be considered here, and contracts do not influence that one way or the other.   Do your research!   Personally, I don’t care if an animal that I buy comes with a contract or not; my number one priority is an honest and ethical breeder who tells me what I need to know. At that point, I willingly take my chances and accept full responsibility for the welfare of that dog.  For every “but the contract must have this!” statement that I’ve seen, I have easily come up with reasons why that statement might not be in the best interest of the dog under various circumstances.

Before anyone freaks out, it’s also worth noting that many puppy buyers and breeders end up becoming lifelong friends, so you shouldn’t be afraid to buy a dog! But going in with eyes open, both as the buyer and seller, can make the chances of success much higher for both of you.

 

the BEST way to train

If I am shaping a retrieve and my dog moves her mouth one inch from the dumbbell to half an inch, then I am closer to my goal.  I will mark and reward.

But consider this. Rather than watching the dog’s mouth in relation to the dumbbell, someone else might be watching the side of their dog’s mouth or neck, looking for the muscles to tense as she begins the process of moving her head forward.  This makes sense because in order to move your head forward you have to tense your neck muscles.

If you videotaped the dog within the training session, the two handlers could end up marking and rewarding at exactly the same moment in time but for different reasons.  They focused on different things.

Which brings up an interesting question…what was the dog focusing on?

There’s no way to know!  Maybe the dog shifted her weight from the rear end to the front as she reached and that is what she noticed.  So now we have three possibilities.  Indeed, there were probably several more behaviors happening that we were not paying attention to.

So what should we do, look at the dog’s muzzle in relation to distance from the dumbbell, look at the movement of the dog’s neck or mouth, or look at the dog’s distribution of weight?

It doesn’t matter.   Pick what is easiest or most entertaining for you.

When I consider the many ways to teach a dog scent articles, position changes, weave poles,  precision heeling, jumping, etc… at the end of the day, there really is no right or wrong, no “greater good”, as long as the method is respectful to the dog and progresses the handler in the direction that they wish to go.

Maybe the only greater good is the flexibility and willingness to change direction when you see that something is not working for the dog, the handler, or the trainer.

Facebook Live: Cue Discrimination and Getting off Props

If you’d like to learn more about the topic of Cue Discrimination and Getting off Props, take a look:

 

Do you NEED Engagement Training?

Engagement training is the very specific training process where responsibility for starting and pushing for work is transferred from the human to the dog.  That is different than having an “engaged

dog, which could happen with no specific training at all.

Do you need Engagement training?

Maybe, but maybe not. People have been competing with dogs successfully for a very long time, and many of those teams had no formal engagement training at all.

Here are some considerations in a nutshell:

If you would describe your dog as lower drive, or with a tendency towards stress, or as having low frustration tolerance, or as easily distracted, you will very likely find engagement training helpful.

The reason is that formal engagement training is all about teaching dogs to opt in when they feel safe and to accept personal interaction as a reinforcer (or as a bridge to a toy or food reinforcer).  That can be just the ticket for dogs that need you more because of a higher stress temperament or for dogs that are unable to work well for several minutes before receiving a toy or food reward. This is especially helpful for both low drive dogs who simply don’t care enough to work hard for a long period of time, and also for high drive dogs that begin to express frustration behaviors when they are not reinforced sooner or because they have developed a habit of working even when stressed.

And if your dog is high will to please,  not particularly prone to frustration, medium to high drive, and low in stress? You may not need formal engagement training at all.

That profile is your natural competitor. The dog wants to get along and cooperate, enjoys the reinforcement they will earn for work, and doesn’t freak out when it doesn’t come fast enough. A winning combination!

Take a look at your situation.

If you’re not sure if engagement training might help you, go ahead and send me a note, either through FB messenger or through my website here and I will tell you if I think my online class might be a good fit.

If you think engagement training might help, but you don’t have the interest, resources or time to take my online class, then start here:

Take your dog to a new environment, ideally not too distracting, and give your dog plenty of time to explore and settle in.  When you have done that (called Acclimation), then stand still and wait. When your dog gets bored with doing nothing and looks at you simply because there’s not much else to do, go ahead and start an active treat or toy party for about 10 seconds. After that is over, go ahead and encourage or allow your dog to disengage and start over again.  I call that “Take a break”.

The more places you do this basic pattern the better! It allows your dog to learn the basics of opting in and also developing some serious motivation to check in with you when you’re standing still and quiet. The dog learns that when they look to you then interesting things will happen, and allowing them to decide “when” helps to prevent them from working stressed or nervous; a classic result of a human-directed start to work.

If this is the only thing you do in regards to formal engagement training, you will likely discover that your dog’s willingness to work for you, and the ability to engage for longer periods of time, is very likely to increase.

If you would like to take a structured class that goes into more depth and addresses the myriad complications that are bound to arise, that’s great too! I’d love to have you. Bronze level spots cost $65. Go here to learn more: Engagement

 

Why?

In a recent seminar, someone commented that they needed to play with their dog in new environments even if the dog wasn’t asking to play.  If the dog refused then she would have to crate the dog.  That belief doesn’t happen to mesh with my philosophy so I asked “why?”  I really wanted to know!

The question threw her for a loop because she had never thought it through.  She was simply following what she had been told. We went back and forth a bit until she was clear on where her belief was coming from and from there, I was able to provide the best possible response to her question, respectfully, addressing it both from my philosophy and hers as well.  Going forward, what she chooses to do with the information is up to her.

“Why” is my favorite question of all!

You are training your dog. You are stuck! Everyone and their mother has advice for you, whether they have ever trained a dog or not, let alone know about your specific dog or situation.  And since random advice can vary anywhere from downright silly or dangerous to brilliant and eminently workable, I’d suggest making sure you understand where it’s coming from.

So what do you do?

Asks the giver “Why.” Why do they think you should do this? Why do they think it will work for you?

Now test their response against basic logic.  Does it meet with your experiences? Is the logic sound or do you have concerns?  And if there are gaps in the logic, can you ask the person to help you understand them? “It worked for me” is a pretty weak answer so hold out for more than that.

When I ask “Why” I am looking for understanding. I am not challenging and I make that clear with my conversational tone and soft body language.

If a person gets defensive when you ask them to explain where they are coming from, then there are a few possibilities. First, they are more interested in giving advice than helping you. That should set off some warning bells right there. Second, they have no idea why it might or might not work; they’re simply parroting back what the last person said to them. That’s fine, but I would suggest not applying that advice until you’ve figured out the answer to the question on your own, “why might this work?”  Third, the person you’re talking to isn’t very verbal and doesn’t explain things easily even though they can “feel” the answer.  Once again, you’ll have to figure it out on your own before you proceed.  And while you’re at it, decide if this is the person that you want helping you become a better trainer.

The dog world is filled with both tradition and superstition; techniques that work but not for the reasons the person might think they’re working or techniques that don’t work but no one actually follows up well enough to figure that out.  And of course, there is advice that works but if you think it through, you’ll recognize that you’re just not comfortable applying it – the “Why” doesn’t fit your beliefs or philosophy of training.

I never ever ever attempt a training technique if I don’t know why it should work. Never!  If I cannot ferret out the logic of a technique, then I’m no more going to waste my time on that then I’m going to waste my time attempting magic phrases and sprinkling fairy dust over my dog’s head. Because if on this day, my dog figures out what I want at the exact moment that I sprinkle that fairy dust and I conclude that the fairy dust caused the change in behavior…I just regressed as a trainer and as a person of logic.

And that is way more common than you might think.

Facebook Live on Reducing Reinforcers

Here is a Facebook live that I did on reducing reinforcers. Hopefully, someone will find it helpful!

Facebook Live Blog on Socialization

Following up on my webinar from last night, here are more thoughts on socialization, taken from a facebook live I did about a month or two ago. I hope someone finds it useful!

Thanks to all of you who joined me; I had a great time!