Yesterday afternoon we went outdoors for our training session. It was cloudy and a bit cold, but not windy or rainy. Yay! We worked on 'freeze', paying close attention to duration. She's getting it!
Our evening session was more work on 'bang' and we've actually added a cue to this. It's funny, sometimes she looks like she staggers before she falls over...which adds to the trick even more. She's doing splendidly on staying down until I click, too. Halfway through the session we went upstairs to the hallway, only to have her look at me with a clueless look on her face. I guess she's incapable of playing dead in the upstairs hallway. After much cajoling and luring, she gave me a few and we ended the session.
In other news...today is grooming day! Frankie will smell nice and clean with trimmed nails! We pulled up in the Petsmart parking lot and she was so excited...until we got to the groomers room. Down goes the tail and she starts plotting her revenge. Or so it looks like, anyway.
As I was walking back through the store, I noticed a beginners training class going on. I watched for a bit and was able to talk to the instructor. Aparently they have a lesson on clicker training and don't mind if you use one on your dog in class. I've always wanted to enroll Frankie in a class to test her skills. Granted, she can't do everything on the beginners list yet, so this might be good for us. I think I'll sign up!
OH!!! I didn't post about my little 'positive reinforcement' experiment last Sunday! This is funny...lol!
At the church we go to, I am the childrens chorister. I'm responsible for getting about 60 kids ages 4 - 11 to sing. Every year we put on a childrens program for church, and last sunday was it. During sunday school the kids, especially the 9-11 group were complaining and whining about singing. They've never really been enthusiastic singers, anyway. I said, "Who wants to sing today?" About 3 kids raised their hands. I asked them to come up and gave them each a hershey kiss. Well...after that EVERYONE raised their hands and begged to sing! We learned a song that we'll eventually do for Thanksgiving, and my goodness, I've never heard them sing so well! Treats all around!! I explained that they'd never know when I'll offer treats, so they don't want to get caugh not singing. The teacher of the 11 year old boys just about fell off his chair. Those boys NEVER sing!
I chuckled all the way home...LOL!
That's all for now.
Ellen & Frankie
Visitors and treats
I have tried to enlist the help of neighborhood kids in training Bailey. They loved it, but I found it harder to teach them how to click than to teach Bailey.
I know just what you mean about some parents objecting to treats. That's why I stuck with pencils. Do you have a "Teaching Tools" store nearby? They used to have tons of stickers, a great assortment of erasers, pens, pencils. (Maybe they still do.) My students always loved it. But with 60 Sunday School kids, cost will be a problem.
My kids would also work for their name on a chart, but it was a little more difficult making every child a winner that way. Still, I sometimes designed the games so certain kids would win. (The kids who rarely won.)
My pre-teen boys always loved stickers of monsters, cars, Star Wars, trucks, etc.
Good Luck!
Sherry
About Frankie not "playing
About Frankie not "playing dead" in the upstairs hallway: Isn't it interesting how dogs equate a different space with an entirely different situation. When I first started training Bailey all over the house and yard he was sure I didn't really mean it. Now, he's much better. Still, if someone is visiting I have to convince him all over again.
Your 11-year-old boys singing for Hershey's Kisses tickled me. I taught piano for years and had a "check" reward system. I assigned different numbers of check marks for different items: playing a scale in one key, in 3 keys, counting out loud. After accummulating a certain number of check marks the student could choose something from my store of stuff: pencils, cute erasers, stickers. The system never failed me, even with the boy who didn't want any of the reward items. He just wanted to accummulate more checks than anyone else.
BTW: the high today was about 84 degrees. I enjoy envisioning your cold and wind and rain.
Sherry
Oh definitely! If someone
Oh definitely! If someone comes to visit we might as well kiss any training goodbye.
Regarding the church kids...there's always one parent that spoils everything. I knew that one of the boys had allergies, so I called the mom to ask if there's any particular treat he can eat. She kind of got on my case about how kids shouldn't have any food in sunday school and how it contributes to obesity. So now I have to get pencils and stickers for him to have a choice. Honestly, I just don't think that those kind of treats have a high enough value for the kids I teach, but I guess they'll have a choice now.
Ellen & Frankie