Mission Impossible: What a Difference a Week Makes!

DEFINITION:  The phrase "when pigs fly" is a way of saying that something will never happen or is impossible.  The phrase often is used for a humorous effect, to scoff at over-ambition.  There are numerous variations on the theme; when an individual with a reputation for failure finally succeeds, onlookers may sarcastically claim to see a flying pig.

This weekend Jane Killion put on a weekend seminar about training “impossible” dogs (i.e. dogs that are not typical agility dogs like Border Collies or Shelties).  She has written a book and developed a whole philosophy of training called, “When Pigs Fly.”  In preparation for her seminar, I have been reading her book and implementing her free shaping and clicker exercises with great success.  For example, after Jefferson ran from his agility leash during the January trial, I have free shaped him to go pick up his leash and bring it to me.  Success!  Already, I was excited to learn more about “operant conditioning” and how to transfer the clicker to the agility field.

First off, Jane exposed the dogs to free shaping by using the clicker.  Handlers and their doggies (we audited this part since I was already free shaping Jefferson’s behavior at home) had the opportunity to work her dogs.  By the way, they were the “Spuds” MacKenzie dogs of the 80’s – Bull Terriers – "impossible" breeds that do NOT want to work for their handlers but drink Bud Light.  All the participants successfully free shaped her dogs to get on the teeter, take jumps, go in a crate, walk around cones, etc.  – all by clicking the dog to encourage this behavior.  Amazing…next, the handlers brought their own dogs and shaped their behaviors such as stepping in a box, going into a crate, etc.  All the dogs and handlers were very successful in shaping their dogs behaviors.  Excellent!!

The next three sessions involved all the handlers running their dogs in an agility course with close to 19 obstacles.  I was excited to see how Jefferson would handle the course, let alone the pressure to perform!  I was nervous, much like at a trial, because everyone was watching us AND we were being professionally recorded by Jane's husband Mark, who wore a video camera apparatus, while Jane stood on the field to diagnose our run.  Well, our run was a complete disaster…Jefferson shut down, ran off, sniffed the ground, ran over to check-out the camera man, and the crème de’ la’ crème…..pooped on the field!  Yippee!!!  Every “bad” thing that happens in a trial happened during this one run; I was sure to get my monies worth out of this seminar!   No place to go but up! up! up!

Jane helped break down the behavior and the next time we ran the course, we took one obstacle at a time and then clicked and treated.  Jefferson loved this since it involved the clicker and cheese;-)  He was pretty fast and wanted to run more than one obstacle at a time, but I was diligent about clicking after every single obstacle. Since he was familiar with the clicker, he already associated the clicker with good times and “playing the game” of working for me.  The next time we ran, we “thinned the ratio” meaning not clicking after every obstacle, but randomly clicking on average of every 3^rd or 4^th obstacle.  This worked great!  Jefferson really understood the clicking and once again was very successful.  Jane said that some dogs were more “operant” than others so it would depend on your own dog as to how fast you “thin the ration” before running a course without clicking.  Another important tip she shared was that it is important to stop and click when the dog does something “right” rather than “wrong.”  We, as handlers, do not want to stop when the going is good, but it helps to stop and click during the “good” stuff!  

On the second day of the seminar, we once again ran 2 courses - one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  I “thinned” the ratio out pretty far for Jefferson and he ran the entire course for me without stopping or shutting down.  Even when he stopped on top of the A-frame, I got him back on track!  Yay!    Jefferson ran the straight-line of jumps into the tunnel beautifully.  Although she encouraged a front or rear cross to get most dogs to take the tunnel, I was successful in handling Jefferson to run ahead and take the tunnel at speed.  Distance work is our strength so I try to handle accordingly in most situations.  

Later in running the course, he did miss a weave pole entrance due to my awkward rear cross of the jump so I elected to work on the weave poles with Jane.  At first, I was a bit skeptical of Jane’s weave pole training methodology because she wanted me to click the entrance and then click after each pole.  I was afraid this would slow down his weave pole performance so I was reluctant to train this way.  But, after I understood what she was encouraging…for Jefferson to go fast during all 12 and not to slow down in the middle…I was ready to try clicking him for getting the entrance and speed during the middle.  Later, I could phase out the clicker once he was performing all weaves up to speed.  

During the afternoon session, we discussed agility courses and analyzed course maps to determine where the lead changes occur for the dogs.  This was new to me because I had never considered the dog having to change leads (or sides) to take the obstacles.  It did make sense because the dog typically leans toward the handler’s lead hand and then takes the obstacles.  Here's the course we analyzed and ran:

According to Jane’s handling by body movement alone, whenever the dog’s lead changes, the handler should perform either a front or rear cross.  While I do agree with some of this information, I found myself not handling the course quite the same as suggested since Jefferson responds to directionals quite well.  For example, on the final course of the day, I chose to rear cross (on the flat) prior to Jump #4.   This worked really well for us and I am happy that I handled the course in this manner.  Jane even commented on how beautiful it was but she would not recommend that to all handlers.  However, I chose to front cross a tunnel and then rear cross the A-Frame.  The rear cross after the A-frame resulted in Jefferson’s stopping on the top so I tried a more effective handling method the second time we ran the course.  I sent him to the tunnel and front crossed him after he exited the tunnel and took a jump.  This was more efficient in that Jefferson was on my left when he took the A-frame which alleviated the rear cross at the A-frame. Yay!  Oh, and his weave poles were fast and b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!!
Such a good boy!
 

Overall, the “When Pigs Fly” seminar was a great training tool for me to add to my so-called "bag of tricks."  I learned how to use the clicker on the agility field which gets Jefferson into “work” mode.  He loves the clicker because I have been training with the clicker at home every day so he will learn to “work” for me and “play” the game even without the cheese.  He’s becoming a much more “operant” dog and teammate.  What seemed nearly "impossible" last week is surely possible now...what a difference a week makes!!!

A great group of doggies & handlers!  Thanks, Jane!

"We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible."
-Vince Lombardi 

Stand! Darn that R.E.M. Song Anyways...

Last weekend we entered a three day trial.  Since I am still trying to establish a routine and determine what works best for us, I entered 4 events on day one; one event on day two; and 4 events on day three.  My thought was that we would both use the day off -in the middle to re-group and rest.  This proved to make no difference whatsoever because our best run was the last one of the weekend!

During our first run, Gamblers, (yeah...the event we have been trying to get a 3^rd “Q” in for about a year now…) Jefferson took a few obstacles but shut down on the field and stood there looking at me (this seems to be the theme of the weekend!) when I failed to give him clear direction.  Unlike other times, I decided to go for the gamble – 4 jumps – and Jefferson got it!  It was a beautiful gamble by the way ;-)  We earned a 2^nd place - only because we got the gamble but not enough points in the opening.   Darn, that R.E.M. song anyways…

The rest of our runs resulted in “E”limination…Pairs, Standard and Jumpers.  For some reason, he wanted NOTHING to do with going into a tunnel.  And weave poles…fuggedaboutit…Ugh.

On the 2^nd day, we only entered Gamblers so I had high hopes for nailing that 3^rd “Q.”  Guess the agility gods would not have it – because we once again did not earn enough points in the opening due to my not giving Jefferson an early cue while on the A-Frame to take the jump to his right.  So, at the bottom of the A-frame he stood and looked at me yet again.  Poor pup – he looked at me with those big brown eyes that say, “What in the heck do you want me to do now!?”  Once I got him going, I decided to try the gamble - tunnel, jump, jump and jump…and my boy had a beautiful gamble!  We earned first place but no “Q!”  Obviously, the gamble is not our problem; rather, it’s my giving clear cues to Jefferson so he won’t get “offended” by my handling and keep on moving!   Darn, that R.E.M. song anyways….

So, on our 3^rd day of the trial, we had entered 4 events – Jumpers, Snooker, Standard and Pairs.  Due to a deluge of rainfall on the previous day, the start of the trial was delayed until 10:30 a.m. (that is really late in dog agility time!) so the last classes from Saturday could run followed by Sunday’s events.  Because of this, we had quite a bit of down time – Jefferson didn’t run Jumpers until around 1 pm. He was fast on the first 3 jumps but when I did not cue him properly to take the 4^th jump and he skipped right to the 5^th jump, once again, he was “offended” by my handling and stood and looked at me.  Wow…runs like this make me almost long for the “zoomies” – well, almost….Darn, that R.E.M. song anyways…

I had what I thought was a great plan for Snooker…6’s and 7’s in the opening…we actually got our the first 1-6 combo…but when I cued him to take different direction then he expected, once again…he was standing and looking quizzically at me…FINALLY, got him moving and we took the 1-7 combo before the buzzer went off.  Amazingly, we got 1^st place but I was left distraught over Jefferson’s shutting down.  Darn, that R.E.M. song anyways…

Our Standard run was pretty much the same when I miscued him at the beginning so he missed the 3^rd obstacle – teeter – I tried to get him back, but he shut down.  However, I did get him to run fast over the A-Frame to the table for a down (he loves the table now because he gets treats!)  So, I made up my own exit strategy – tunnel to dogwalk and man oh man, did he pick up steam!  Yes, another “E” but at least he had beautiful running contacts all weekend.

Finally, Advanced Pairs would be our last event of the weekend.  Thank goodness because I was getting tired from all of this “standing” around!  We ran the 2^nd half of the pairs course – jumps 1 and 2 to an awkward entrance to the weave poles but I thought that looked like a great side for Jefferson.  While our partner was running the 1^st half, Jefferson was chomping at the bit to take off.  In fact, during the baton exchange, I could barely hold him back from running the course!!  He wasn’t set-up correctly at the start, but it did not matter because he took those first 2 jumps like a madman and I knew we would have a great run!  He nailed his weave pole entrance, but somehow missed a pole around 3 or so but I did not want to squash his excitement to go back and make the correction.  He was excited to run and so was I!  No turning back for Team J-Dawg.  We finished beautifully and it was the BEST run of the weekend!  Who knew I would be so thrilled with an “E?!!”

I learned a lot about myself from this weekend’s trial.  First, I need to not be so consumed with earning a “Q” in our runs.  Running a course is NOT about the “Q” but about the connection you make with your doggie partner.  Jefferson and I connected and ran like crazy on our last run in Advanced Pairs!  We both had a blast and came together as a team.   We earned an “E” but had the best time of the weekend!!  Secondly, I need to “run my own race” and quit comparing myself and Jefferson to all the other doggies and handlers.   Whenever I start to compare myself to others and start to feel inadequate, I get more nervous and then run the course with less confidence.  Jefferson senses this (even through my minty fresh breath!) and stresses-down during the run.  We will get there, but this is our journey alone and we must take it together.  Lastly, I need to work on my self-confidence in handling Jefferson and not expect perfection.  Yes, I am going to make mistakes but that is how I will learn to be a better handler and partner to my teammate.  My partner is depending on me to not get caught up in the “Q’s” and the “E’s” and all other human agility drama.  Jefferson just wants to have fun running agility with his momma!!

So, in the immortal words of my favorite, dearly-departed Monkee Davy Jones…"I’m a Believer" that with a little patience, determination and training, Team J-Dawg  continues to persevere! 

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."  - John Quincy Adams

I Tumble 4 'Ya!

We have had a successful week in training.  On Saturday, I practiced with Jefferson for the longest time ever – nearly an hour!  Of course, we ran obstacles and then took a break…practiced jump box exercises…took a break…then, I took a nasty fall, tripping over my own two feet while attempting a crazy front cross at the weaves...so, we HAD to take a long break!  Apparently, Jefferson was not as concerned about my falling as he was in trying to steal smelly treats from my pockets all the while I was sprawled-out, face-down on the field.  Oh, such are the joys of agility training!

Since this weekend, I have not been feeling well and am a bit concerned about being “on” for the upcoming trial.   Jefferson is so attune to my every mood and senses when I am not “in” to running a course.  Hopefully, with a little luck and a prayer...see "Agility Blessing" below (plus Comtrex, Vitamin C and extra sleep!) we will be able to turn “on” team J-Dawg this weekend.    In honor of March Madness, Jefferson will be sporting his new UK leash and a sleek, aerodynamic “do”!   

Agility Blessing

May the tunnels not have too much suction

May the course be fun and fast

May your dogs not stop to say "hello"

to the photographers they pass!

May the table not be too slippery

May the chute house no scary beasts

May all of the yellow parts be touched

with one little toe, at least

May the wind be always at your back

May no bars fall on the ground

May the A-frame have no stop sign on top

May the judge's whistle never sound.

May your dog obey all correct commands

And ignore the ones that are wrong

May your heart be light, your feet be sure

and the bond with your dog grow strong.

At the finish line may great joy abound

regardless of your score

You have your dog, your dog has you

and who could ask for more?

Written by P.J. Hughes

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller

Begin With the End in Mind

I have been competing with Jefferson in dog agility now for a little over a year.  At first, we attended as many classes as we could, and eagerly performed the courses and exercises that were set-up for all the participants.  But, more trials and more experience led me to begin to learn how to identify the specific skills I needed to improve Team J-Dawg. As a result, I develop my own training goals. 

Gone are the days when I “go to the field” and let Jefferson just run around hootie wild, ears flopping and taking random obstacles.  As Stephen Covey’s quote aptly advises, "Begin with the end in mind."  I review our tapes from trials or performances from a recent run-thru and identify a specific skill that we need to polish in order to be successful.  Much like a leadership exercise from my grad school days (and from training to complete half-marathons!), I develop SMART Goals for dog agility.  SMART is an acronym for:                                     Specific  Measurable Attainable  Realistic Timely

This type of goal-setting really helps achieve an objective.  For example, at a recent exercise set-up by my friend, I reviewed the course map and set my own goals for our practice. There were plenty to choose from:  wraps, threadles, weave-pole entries, dogwalk performance, teeter, directionals, running the line, obstacle discrimination, front cross, rear cross, etc.  Rather than let myself feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the exercise, I chose to focus my practice on a few of these items:  weave pole entrance, running dog walk and front crosses.  These are skills that will help strengthen our performance in the upcoming spring trials.  Here is a copy of the great exercise - thanks for sharing, Agility Nerd:-)
 

Since I had set our personal Team J-Dawg training goal, I was more focused and better able to handle the obstacles and accomplish our individual goals.  I worked hard on getting the front cross before the weave poles - after obstacle 3 and made a fast dash to front cross at the end of the running dogwalk - after obstacle 7.  Our team was successful and I was very happy with our progress.  While the other handlers walked the 2nd half (I didn't walk it more than 3 times), I made use of my time by working on a running dogwalk contact in the practice field.  Remember, my training goal for the exercise involved running contacts and getting my front crosses.  So, whenever we ran the 2nd half of the course - obstacles 12- 21 - I still worked on the front cross.  The hardest front cross to execute was after 14 then again after 17.  At one point, I became lost and just handled Jefferson around the closest jump I could find!  We finally were successful (meaning I didn't completely forget where I was going!) and he was accepting of my front cross.  Another huge step of progress was that Jefferson did not shut down and kept on going.  Yay!!   

I am glad that I have learned to set my personal training goals.  It helps me feel more relaxed and not so stressed when handling a complex exercise.  We are still a work in progress...but bring on the front crosses!!

"If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else."  -Yogi Berra

My Running Valentine: What I Learned About Running Contacts

This past weekend, Jefferson and I attended an agility training seminar given by Daisy Peel, national and international championship handler known for her running contacts.  I was excited about learning as much as I could about running contacts and additional agility tips from such an expert in the field…(it sounds like I am referring to a brain surgeon!)  The starting time was 8 a.m. which required the ridiculously early 5 a.m. wake-up alarm so that I could leave by 6 a.m. and arrive in time.  I packed the car with the usual doggie provisions:  Day Tripper portable soft crate; large red water cooler; doggie bag full of essentials; cooler filled with lots of cheese (and a Coke for me!); extra blanket in case it gets cold; a chair to sit in; changes of shoes and an additional sweatshirt; a notebook and pen to take notes; and 2 bags of Wellness soft treats.   Dog agility participants are like the boy scouts – always prepared!!

When we arrived, I set-up Jefferson’s crate by the fence and covered it with my spare blanket.  It was getting colder and the wind was brutal!  Luckily, I wore my fuchsia Patagonia vest, gray North Face fleece jacket and a thick, nubby scarf to keep out the wind.  As I scanned the crowd of agility participants, I couldn’t help but notice that there were only two non-typical agility doggies in the crowd – a mini-schnauzer and my Cocker Spaniel.  Nothing draws attention to you like being a handler of a black and white Cocker Spaniel!!  We did our exercises along with the group – heel to side; crosses on the flat; luring; getting the dog to collect for jumps; etc.  All the while, I was treating Jefferson with his soft, stinky Wellness treats.  “Thank goodness I brought two bags of these treats!”  I thought to myself as I continuously shoved treats in Jefferson’s mouth so he wouldn’t lose interest in the activities.   This is one of the biggest differences in training a non-typical agility breed:  Jefferson will not work for free for four long, cold hours without lots and lots and LOTS of treats! Come to think about it, neither will I...

After lunch, we began our instruction in training running contacts.  Yay!!  Daisy asked if I had trained these, and I had to be honest and say that I had not but had lucked into getting running contacts.  Yes, I did initially train 2o2o but Jefferson approaches the dogwalk and A-frame with such gusto, that I opted to let him just run over both of these contacts.  I want him to stay excited and motivated to run and feel that stopping him at the bottom of the contacts would de-motivate him from running the course with such enthusiasm.  However, running contacts are not for the faint of heart or the handler who doesn’t want to spend the time on marking the behavior.

The training process for running contacts can be broken down into 4 steps.  First, your dog should run across a carpet laying flat on the ground driving toward a target a few feet away from the end.  At this stage, speed and running on the flat is the goal.  Watch the dog’s stride and gait to get separation from all 4 legs.  This probably was the most difficult aspect of running contacts – observing the proper running style from your dog and marking the behavior.  Some doggies run with their legs together and in essence use their front legs in tandem to almost pull themselves up the dogwalk.  This is NOT the desired behavior.  Your doggie should run on the contact exactly like he runs on the flat – legs separated in his gait.  The second step is to have your doggie run across a board (plank from the dogwalk) lying flat on the ground. Again, marking the proper running gait and watching for separation of legs in the yellow portion of the board.  Third, the board is placed at a slight incline so as to have the dog run down the plank at full speed; watching for a proper running stride.  One must be sure to keep the target a few feet away from the end of the board so that the dog continues to drive past the bottom of the plank with a consistent, separated stride.  Lastly, the plank is raised to a steeper angle by placing it on the table.  The dog should run fast down the plank while the handler marks the proper stride length as he gets his paws in the yellow.  Another part of this last step is to move the target to the left and right of center so the dog can get used to adjusting his stride length to make turns off the end of the plank.  One great suggestion here was to let the doggies fail a few times so they will understand what is expected from them.  Here is where Jefferson had a bit of a problem whenever the target was moved too far left or right from center.   This is the portion of the training steps that I plan on spending more time training.  Once all 4 steps are completed, the full-height dogwalk can then be mastered by your doggie.  It helps to add a tunnel at the end so the dog has an obstacle to help drive them forward.  Again, the handler must mark the appropriate running stride as the dog descends the dogwalk plank.

Overall, I learned the proper training methods to use in order to get more consistent running contacts from Jefferson.  Will his performance be 100% reliable?  Probably not but I am okay with that as long as he is having a blast running the course.

On our travels back home from the seminar, Jefferson began whining and pawing at his crate so I pulled over to a Walgreen’s and took him to the nearest patch of grass.  Poor boy had diarrhea from eating so many treats during our training seminar!  It was then I realized I had shoved 2 entire bags of treats into his mouth as well as 4 sticks of string cheese.  

Thank goodness for canned pumpkin…

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion."

 -Henry David Thoreau 

Feeling Like a Freak on a Leash!

This week it seems that Jefferson has been listening to too much of the alternative metal band, Korn…he’s been “feeling like a freak on a leash.”  (Here's the link to the band's official video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRGrNDV2mKc&ob=av3e)  After our run-throughs on Sunday (he ran a great Steeplechase course!), he scurried from me and the leash!  He has not done this erratic ring behavior since last winter and I was confused and frustrated.  It was so upsetting and in my mind, pretty much negated his good-looking Steeplechase run.

My first reaction to his scampering about the field was to yell and scream at him - allowing my frustrations to build.  The questions that went through my mind as I tried to snatch him:  “What is going on?”   “Oh, no - I thought we were past this!”  “What am I going to do now?”  “My dog is crazy!”  Unfortunately, this did happen and nothing good came from my response.  Finally, I caught him and placed the leash around his neck.  We left in short-order and on the drive home I reflected upon our day and searched for a solution.

First of all, Jefferson, being such a sensitive soul, is attune to my every mood and does not forget anything…and I do mean anything!  Last month, we practiced a Pairs baton exchange with another dog and handler.  For the first time, Jefferson decided to gallop around the field after the exchange while the other dog was running his side of the course.  I got upset and panicked because I did not want the dogs to run into each other and have a possible altercation.  Instead of being calm, I over reacted and yelled in my finest, high-pitched voice for him to come to me and quit his shenanigans.  I finally caught him and got the leash back around his neck.  But, alas it was too late – I had created a sense of stress and panic for my sensitive pup that he now associates with the end of the run and getting his leash back around his neck.  Identifying the cause is half the battle so I can begin to control my behaviors and reactions when situations do not go as planned.

The good news is that I possess the training tools to work past this behavior and shape the desired outcome.  I immediately went home and began using the clicker to develop Jefferson’s having a positive association with his leash being taken on and off.    I was encouraged that the clicker training was immediately successful in gaining a positive response!  We still have a ways to go before the next trial, but I am confident that we are on the right training path.

Once again, participating in dog agility has a lesson for me to learn.  It is best to keep a calm attitude and avoid yelling and screaming when the circumstances on the agility field and in life do not go as planned.  Chin-up and identify the cause for the mishap: succeed in finding a solution because there is always another day and another trial….. 

"Dogs are our bridge - our connection to who we really are, and most tellingly, who we want to be."

-Patricia B. McConnell, For the Love of a Dog:  Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend

Where Is My Cheese: the Power of the Clicker

While taking an 8-day respite from dog agility, I started reading Jane Killion's When Pigs Fly training book on my Nook.  I was curious about the author’s training methods after hearing such positive reviews from a few of my agility friends.   It makes for a quick read and gives wonderful tips and hints on how to shape your dog’s behavior.   The only supplies needed:  a clicker, plenty of cheese and a box.

The first 3 days starting my clicker regiment included “loading” or powering - up the clicker so that Jefferson would associate the clicker with yummy goodies.  Two times a day I performed the following:  click-treat-wait a half second…click-treat-wait a half second…click-treat-wait a half second….up to 20 times!  Needless to say, Jefferson thought he had died and gone to doggie ‘n cheese heaven!!  After this initial exercise, the next 3 day assignment included adding his name to the exercise:  “Jefferson”- click-treat-wait a half-second…”Jefferson”- click-treat-wait a half second…again, up to 20 times.  As a result, Jefferson enthusiastically responded to his name and now associates yummy goodies with my saying his name.  

So far, so good…and now I was excited to learn a fun way to teach Jefferson new skills by using the “shaping” process.   This is when I had the opportunity to use my training “props" – the box.    I found an old Mizuno shoe box and threw it in the middle of the living room floor; grabbed my clicker and about 20 small pieces of cheese; stood and observed to see what Jefferson would do.  Of course, my little chow-hound was licking his lips and crying for some of the cheese so I had to hide my hand behind my back.  Slowly, he turned his head and looked at the box so I “clicked” and gave him cheese.  Again, he looked and walked over to the box so I “clicked” and gave him more cheese. Then, when I wanted to increase the criteria (add more “stuff” for him to do) I waited for him to walk over to the box and nudge it.  “Click” and treat!  This really worked and he caught on in less than 5 minutes.  

Since the box was getting a bit boring for us both (not a lot to do since these new shoe boxes do not have a separate lid), I placed his plush doggie pillow in the middle of the floor and repeated the whole process.  My desired behavior was for him to go to a “down” position on his pillow.  Again, he cried and barked for cheese and offered all kinds of behavior to earn his tasty reward…turning left, right, sitting and going to a down.  But, I patiently waited until he turned his head toward the pillow..."click” and treat.  Another head turn, “click” and treat.  I wanted more, so I waited for him to walk to the pillow, then “click” and treat.  A few more times of this and I increased the criteria and waited for his back legs to get on the pillow, “click” and treat.  Next, a sit on the pillow, “click” and treat.  Finally, he went to a down so I “clicked” added verbal praise and treated with lots of cheese (called a “jackpot” reward as in “Hey, I hit the jackpot in performing this trick!”)  Believe it or not, this also took less than 5 minutes.  What a smart boy!!  I was so thrilled at how easy this game of “shaping” Jefferson’s behavior was and more importantly, how much fun we were having training together.  

Later on last night during an episode of  NCIS featuring an especially good-looking Gibbs (Mark Harmon is such a hottie), Jefferson wanted to keep learning (or should I say eating?) so I clicked during the commercial breaks and had him turning left and right and performing all sorts of fast running downs.  He and I had such a great time during our training sessions!  I am looking forward to transferring the clicker work and behavior shaping to our agility practices.  Oh, the power of cheese…

Mmm...I love cheese!

  

For fun, take this "Cheese profiler test" (Jefferson's profile is "Back to Basics"!) to determine the best cheese to use for training:  http://www.ilovecheese.com/cheese_profiler.asp

“Being in the uncomfortable zone is much better than staying in the cheese-less situation.”
- Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese?