Two Dogs, Two On/Two Off

87 days to go...

I really need to do two (or several!) posts but this is the most overdue one so I shall start here :)

This week we started contact training (well, apart from box training which we'd already started, so I guess that does count as contact training too). Perhaps 2o2o training is a more accurate way to describe it then :)

I haven't trained a dog for 2o2o before. Well, Porter did a little bit of it briefly, but never really consistently and at the level I'd want now. The dogs have all been doing some nose touching to my hand and to a clear plastic target, and they can all use a foot target (a felt-covered wooden placemet - thank you Go-Lo!), plus some months ago I spent some time getting the boys used to walking on a plank set up off the ground on blocks. So it was really time to start putting the elements together.

I thought I would start them using steps. Now, the maximum number of steps in my house is two, the ones going out the backdoor, so I propped the doors open, did some practice foot touches to the target then took turns bringing each of the dogs in and setting them one step above the target and then standing in front of them ready to click when they made motion towards it. It only took me one session to realise I didn't like this at all, it felt way too clumsy, too much of me putting the dog into position rather than them taking up position themselves. So I abandoned the step idea.

Next idea was to simply train them on the plank (the plank is quite old and weather worn after two years sitting outside now, and somewhat warped, so it rocks a little rather than being flat. I figured it would be good for them to get used to a little motion under their feet anyway though). So I started doing the same thing - putting the dog on the end of the plank and rewarding them for moving their front feet onto the foot target. However, after a bit MORE consideration I decided this wasn't working for me either - I didn't like having to PUT the dog anywhere, I wanted them to do it themselves so they were really learning what to do and how to do it. When I tried to let them step onto the plank themselves there would inevitably be a paw or two still standing on the ground. (At this stage I should note that one end of the plank was up on a low block).

So once again I decided this wasn't good enough, and I needed clearer critera for the dog to be able to do it for himself. I grabbed another low block for the other end of the plank, thereby raising the whole thing off the ground by 10cm or so (very low, but not so low it wasn't obvious to them when a paw was still off the side). It was amazing how quickly they remembered the work we'd done with the plank (6-8 months ago now). Each of them was quickly walking over it, scratching it with front paws, trying lots of interacting with it.

I decided my first criteria then would be 4 paws on the plank. To start with I marked them as soon as they got 4 paws on. I positioned myself at one end of the plank so they had the whole length to walk along and get themselves straight and all four paws up, then as long as they stayed in position, I kept feeding. If they moved feet but keep all four on the plank I marked that also because obviously on real equipment they will be moving on it, not standing still. Only a couple of sessions and me switching ends regularly, and they both were quickly getting up on the plank and happy to move along it. (Though once again it was amusing to watch everything they tried, i.e. jumping over the plank, bowing with their front end on the plank, sitting or dropping next to the plank, walking along the plank with their front feet on it and their hind feet on the ground, scratching at it with their front feet and so on).

Next step - introduce the foot target. I put the foot target right at the end of the plank and stood on it, so it wasn't available for them to step on until they got themselves into position on the plank. Once I'd rewarded the 4 paws on, I stepped back from the end slightly - any steps forward I marked, and indication of paying attention to the target (i.e. head moving down to look at it) I marked. Because it was an obvious step down, I felt this gave them much clearer criteria to start with than the end of the plank being on the ground. It was clearly - two hind feet on plank, two front feet on target. I gradually moved further back and eventually they each took that step down onto the target. (Fyre pawed at it a couple of times first which I did mark, but only a couple of times because I didn't want him to think that was the permanent behaviour I wanted). I rewarded them multiple times as long as they stayed in position - each time I gave a piece of food I presented it very low, practically on the ground, so they had to put their nose right down to get it (starting to give them the idea for the nose targeting, though it wasn't a nose target as such. Josh did start to offer dropping his head down though so I was pleased that it seemed to be working).

If at any point one back foot came off the plank, I simply stopped feeding, said 'Oops! What happened? Let's try again.' Then I once again stepped onto the target and waited for the dog to take up position. Since Josh learned this very quickly, I decided to remove the foot target after a couple of sessions. Whilst it was vey helpful to teach him where exactly his feet needed to go, I didn't want him to become reliant on it being there. Rather I wanted him to learn the 2o2o position itself (not, two paws on plank, two paws on target).

So after a run through with the target, I then released him, removed the target and went through the whole process again in exactly the same fashion but without the target present. Good boy, he did it almost right away :) Fyre is still not 100% sure so he will keep using the target for the time being. Josh may also use it again if I take the plank to different locations, or start to move my body position (I did the very beginnings of this with both dogs by moving around to each side whilst rewarding them for being in position).

I am very happy with how this is progressing. Just have to get out more and do lots of practice in different locations. (And actually get some contact equipment so I can really get into training it properly!)