FIDO
Fido's blog... this is an account of my collaboration with Richard Weis in his project to choose and train a dog to a high standard, in order to take part in his horse training clinics. The training journey looks like becoming an end in itself, raising many issues about training philosophies and our relationship with our animals.
Looking for a pup
Richard begins his search for a pup and we talk about what breeds would be suitable.
Our project
Richard and I agree on a 2 to 3 year project of training his dog to a high standard and documenting the process.
Training Pepper
We are desperate to do some practical training, so Richard brings his wife's Border Terrier, Pepper, over for a training session with me.
The research goes on
Richard thinks about the concepts of training versus breeding for instinctive behaviour.
At last! Finding Fido
Richard decides to take a mini parti coloured poodle from this litter he has just seen, and names him Fido.
Puppy classes
Richard books Fido in to Puppy Class at Kensington Vet Clinic and talks to Julie Barber about Fido's first few days.
Fido's early socialisation and training
Richard embarks on introducing the clicker, capturing behaviours and doing some luring, as well as introducing Fido to people and new environments.
Fido Day 7
Richard and Fido have been together for a week, and already Richard has introduced Sit, Down and Stand using lure-reward methods, and is dealing with toilet training. Richard is also discovering and encouraging Fido's retrieving instinct, which seems to be strong. I recommend Karen Pryor's book Reaching the Animal Mind.
Aunty Kaye's Building Blocks
I introduce Richard to my Building Blocks for Creative and Advanced Training. This is a framework for the training I hope to introduce Richard and Fido to over the next 2 years.
Introducing the clicker
Richard is using a mixture of luring and hand targeting to get simple behaviours. It is now time to introduce the clicker, for capturing and shaping more complex behaviours. Crate training, toilet training, retrieving and playing with Pepper the Border Terrier are all filling Fido's days.
Days 8 to 11
Richard has a session with Julie Barber and discusses Fido's progress and suitability for our project. Richard has accidentally captured a paw raising action action as he lured Fido into a down, and will proceed with this to get a high five. Socialisation and toilet training continue, and Julie introduced physical handling exercises.
Day 12
Richard and I have a training session. As well as reviewing Fido's position changes, and his High Five, I give him a portable roll up mat, and we introduce a "go and lie down (on your mat"). We also introduce the "Off" so that Richard can give Fido cues for getting and leaving his tug toys (and other objects).
Sticks
Richard comments on Fido's passion for carrying things in his mouth - the basis of the Retrieving Building Block.
Day 16
Just over 2 weeks into their journey together, Richard continues Fido's socialisation and training. I have advised Richard to develop a training diary and dictionary, as Fido's behaviours and Richard's signals are developing apace. At our last training session, I got them started on having Fido walk by Richard's left leg, as a preliminary to introducing lead training.
Fido's first Puppy Class
Fido attends his first official Puppy Class. Richard worries about Fido's level of motivation and I try to reassure him. He has started walking on lead.
Progress at 13 weeks of age
Fido is 13 weeks old and going to his second Puppy Class. He is getting clipped for the first time. Richard does a little less on the basic "sit, stand and down" behaviours and tries to introduce more play to maintain Fido's motivation. On lead walks are progressing.
Some new concepts
Richard and Fido come over for a training session, but Fido sleeps through it. We talk about a few training concepts which I believe are relevant now. I introduce the idea of the motivational release and different levels of control. I also talk about introducing stimulus control i.e. focussing on signals or cues rather than just rewarding the behaviour. This is a stage of training we often overlook.
More focus on clicker training
We have read Karen Pryor's book Reaching the Animal MInd, and have decided to put more emphasis on clicker training, as Karen says it gets the animal thinking and more actively engaged in training, while luring teaches the animal to be more passive and wait to be shown what to do. Using the clicker we introduce hand targeting, and coming when called to the hand target.
Desire and attention
Richard and Fido walk around the property, with Richard clicking for attention.
Fido holidays in Queensland
Fido is four months old and becoming a teenager. For the time being Richard reduces the amount of formal training he is doing but exposes Fido to plenty of new experiences as they travel to the Sunshine Coast.
Richard writes to Dr Paul McGreevey
Richard reports his progress to animal behaviourist Dr Paul McGreevey. At present he is trying to capture Fido "speaking", with no success.
Fido at 5 months
In terms of training, Richard is using the target stick to teach Fido to do small obstacle courses. Richard continues to think about what motivates Fido, and notices that his dog is initiating training sessions.
The teenager
Fido is a teenager, and Richard continues to explore ways of rewarding him for attention and maximising his desire or motivation. However, on a walk around the Lake, there is an incident which may have repercussions.
Baffling stories
Richard relates the latest news from his property, Hidden Farm. In one incident, Fido seems to lose confidence and exits from a training session.
Humble!
Richard continues to reflect on the fallout from the incident at the Lake, and describes what he has been doing to regain Fido's confidence around the lead.
Fallout
In this post I gently remind Richard that punishment, i.e. the use of aversives after an unwanted behaviour, can have a lot of unpredictable fallout.
Humble 2
Richard reflects upon what he now regards as a training error, and reports that Fido is back to his normal cheerful old self.
Consequences
Richard continues to reflect upon the role of consequences for behaviour, in particular, what does the positive reinforcement trainer do when the dog does not do what you want in training. What, if any, are the consequences of undesirable behaviour?
Fido instigates some activities.
Richard describes Fido's improved attentiveness, and wonders why my dog Chance only raids the rubbish bin when i am out of the room.
More on consequences
Richard has another session with Julie Barber, and again raises the issue of consequences for behaviour.
Does your dog know what "sit" means?
Richard explores Ian Dunbar's eye opening exercise Does your dog know what "sit" means? with xome success. He is also working on Stay. Julie expresses concers about teaching Fido to spin.
Motivational games
Richard is working on static, inhibitive exercises such as Stay. I warn him that they can have a very inhibitive effect on the dog, so Richard introduces lots of chasing and tugging games as a motivational release to reward Fido for staying.
Say Your Prayers
Richard and Fido come to me for a training session, and we watch a vidoe of Mary Ray doing doggy freestyle heeling and explaining at a conference how to train the moves she uses. She makes a lot of use of the target stick. Later we start teaching Fido to say his prayers. He already sits up with both paws soff the ground, but he jumps back skittishly when Richard tries to get him to rest his paws on Richard's forearm.
Play
Fido is growing up and has been highly motivated in his training sessions at home. Richard is disappointed when they come to my place and he is not so motivated. However in Fido's defence, he his demonstrate going from chair to chair in a little obstacle course, as well as showing me how he can bounce and roll over, so perhaps Richard is being a little hard on him.
