[Al Curbow]

I'd like to hear how everyone teaches different exercises, from ob to bitework, i know everyone is different, so, throw some ideas out here and try to be detailed because i'm not to smart ,
AL

 

[Selena van Leeuwen]

ob/heel.. start about 8 mo. playing with a biteroll, what is going to be the reward. After playing hold the roll against my chest with a verbal pay attention. If she follows for a few steps, she gets the bite roll. I build it up from there. Left/right following and beside a bicycle.

You mean something like this?

 

[Bob Scott]

Everything starts with the attention exercise at heel position. It takes a little patience at first, but the split second the dog makes eye contact, a food reward is given, with a marker for the behavior. \"Good\". The treat is ALWAY given in the sight line between my eyes and the dog's eyes. I use food because I think many dogs have a hard time focusing with toy in sight. Once the dog is solid, and really understands the exercise, then, and only then do I use the toy as a reward. Of course this varies with every dog. One thing I consider EXTREAMLY important is the site picture you give the dog. Always stand straight, shoulders forward. If you turn your shoulders to give the reward, THAT'S the site picture the dog associates the reward with. This, IMHO, is what causes a lot of dogs to do the wrap around heeling. That and giving the reward with the right hand. Only after you have good solid focus form the dog, can ou take the first step. Only one step, then guide the dog back into the sit with the food treat brought back over his head, and slightly to his left. Going slightly to the left will keep the dog from comming around to your front. One step at a time, sit, one step at a time, sit, etc. Trying to take to many steps, at first, will just set the dog up for failure. When that one step, sit, one step sit, etc is solid, start adding a few more steps.

 

[Bob Scott]

I might add, the difference between this and the (also very effective) Flinks method, is the dog is rewarded for his eye contact with me. Not his staring at the food/toy reward. It doesn't take long at all before I can hold the food/toy out at arms length. The dog is rewarde ONLY for his eye contact with me. I don't want him focusing on the food/toy.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Everything starts with the attention exercise at heel position. It takes a little patience at first, but the split second the dog makes eye contact, a food reward is given, with a marker for the behavior. \"Good\". The treat is ALWAY given in the sight line between my eyes and the dog's eyes. I use food because I think many dogs have a hard time focusing with toy in sight. Once the dog is solid, and really understands the exercise, then, and only then do I use the toy as a reward. Of course this varies with every dog. One thing I consider EXTREAMLY important is the site picture you give the dog. Always stand straight, shoulders forward. If you turn your shoulders to give the reward, THAT'S the site picture the dog associates the reward with. This, IMHO, is what causes a lot of dogs to do the wrap around heeling. That and giving the reward with the right hand. Only after you have good solid focus form the dog, can ou take the first step. Only one step, then guide the dog back into the sit with the food treat brought back over his head, and slightly to his left. Going slightly to the left will keep the dog from comming around to your front. One step at a time, sit, one step at a time, sit, etc. Trying to take to many steps, at first, will just set the dog up for failure. When that one step, sit, one step sit, etc is solid, start adding a few more steps.

Bob just told me something I was not attending to: Shoulders (body) forward when I reward.

Also one step, and sit, one step, sit, is something I learned only recently, and it almost guarantees success. Why did I not learn that for mpph-ty years??

I love this thread.

 

[Bob Scott]

Just goes to show you Connie. Us old dogs CAN learn new tricks.
I said that with my outloud voice didn't I. :wink:

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Just goes to show you Connie. Us old dogs CAN learn new tricks.
I said that with my outloud voice didn't I. :wink:

LOL! I NEVER should have announced that I was about your age!!

 

[Connie Sutherland]

the come

I would love if people would describe their very first steps with training \"come.\"

The reason I pick \"come\" is that it's probably the most vital command to have 100%, with maybe \"drop it\" as a close second, for obedience.

Al has started what I think is a terrific thread.

 

[Selena van Leeuwen]

That´s the only command I teach till they´re 8 mo. Calling there name and give some meat/cheese (in closed area). They will learn come very quick. Later on with a long leash in open area, if command is clear and is done always, they´re totally free. Usually they need a reminder if they´r about 9 mo. :roll:

At that time the KNOW what the commands mean, but just won´t obey it, I work with an e-collor. They quickly will remember what come ment again :wink:

 

[Tim Martens]

what i've used to \"cheat\" is to keep the food treat in my mouth. when we come to a halt in the proper position and dog is looking up at me, i'll drop the treat. key is to get treats that don't taste too bad to humans!

 

[Connie Sutherland]

That´s the only command I teach till they´re 8 mo. Calling there name and give some meat/cheese (in closed area). They will learn come very quick. Later on with a long leash in open area, if command is clear and is done always, they´re totally free. Usually they need a reminder if they´r about 9 mo. :roll:

At that time the KNOW what the commands mean, but just won´t obey it, I work with an e-collor. They quickly will remember what come ment again :wink:

If you were helping with a dog who didn't have an e-collar, what would you do at that rebellious stage? What I have done is start all over with the treats in the enclosed place. Any better ideas?

 

[Connie Sutherland]

what i've used to \"cheat\" is to keep the food treat in my mouth. when we come to a halt in the proper position and dog is looking up at me, i'll drop the treat. key is to get treats that don't taste too bad to humans!

So when you say \"drop the treat\" -- this opens a new area in Ob training for me. I have always hand-fed the reward, requiring \"sit\" almost always for the treat, but with a verbal marker instantly. (Command, obedience, \"good boy,\" sit, treat.)

I am totally open to different scenarios. My own other-dog work is 99% with people who need to learn pack leadership, and very little with formal sit-stay-heel-come. My own dogs get much more of the \"formal\" training. This means that I am interested in better and more competition-level Ob training with my own dogs (just for the fun; I don't know if I will ever compete).

So is this what others do? Drop the treat from their mouth? I can certainly see that this could help with training attention on the handler's face!

 

[Tim Martens]

oh yeah, this only works well with a dog who can catch the treat. if the dog can't catch the treat, then he may break the sit to pick up the treat.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

oh yeah, this only works well with a dog who can catch the treat. if the dog can't catch the treat, then he may break the sit to pick up the treat.

OK, I get it now! You're not letting the dog scramble around for the dropped treat!

I guess it also has to be a handler who can drop a treat with some kind of aim.......

I am going to try it. I think the GSD will do this great and the Pug might not be able to catch it. This will be an exciting new thing in the routine, though.

 

[Hil Harrison]

what i've used to \"cheat\" is to keep the food treat in my mouth. when we come to a halt in the proper position and dog is looking up at me, i'll drop the treat. key is to get treats that don't taste too bad to humans!

I have also done what Tim describes. First taught the dog to catch treats........took a week , evry day a few times, then did the food in the mouth trick.........grilled sausage meat works great.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

what i've used to \"cheat\" is to keep the food treat in my mouth. when we come to a halt in the proper position and dog is looking up at me, i'll drop the treat. key is to get treats that don't taste too bad to humans!

...
I have also done what Tim describes. First taught the dog to catch treats........took a week , evry day a few times, then did the food in the mouth trick.........grilled sausage meat works great.

OMG what a hilarious thing this was with the Pug! We settled on a treat we would both eat, which was easy (since there is nothing he will not eat).

But try as he might, he could NOT catch it! He kept looking in my eyes and opening his mouth but not following the path of the treat with his eyes......not even to move his head, like, 1/2 inch! The treat would hit his nose and bounce off and it was all over, or even hit the side of his gaping mouth and bounce off! And remember, he's way far away down there, half as close as the GSD for me to aim.

It was highly entertaining for everyone involved. In fact, I almost got cramps from laughing.

I was too weak to try it on Pomfret (GSD). Tomorrow...........

 

[Connie Sutherland]

training

I do get it, though, even if he didn't. One of us got some training.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

training

Please keep those routines coming, though! This may not have been my best training session ever, but it was educational! And I *will* get it to work.

 

[Martin Espericueta]

oh yeah, this only works well with a dog who can catch the treat. if the dog can't catch the treat, then he may break the sit to pick up the treat.

OK, I get it now! You're not letting the dog scramble around for the dropped treat!

My Sable does this when I drop treats between her front legs on a platz. Funny
thing is, they bounce, and she'll scramble to get it :x

I guess it also has to be a handler who can drop a treat with some kind of aim.......

I have to train myself :!:

 

[Mike Schoonbrood]

The trainer at a Schutzhund club here in Orlando showed me how skilled she was with dropping treats from her mouth.... she could put a whole bunch of small chopped up pieces of hotdog in her mouth, n literally spit them into the dogs mouth at a short distance with perfect aim. I've often thought about doing something like this with Cujo, but I just have issues with putting cold hotdog in my mouth LOL.