Posts Tagged ‘ammo
Dachshund Graduation
On April 22, 2010 Ammo the Dachshund graduated from the Level 1 Basic Manners Class at DTCCC. I’m so proud of him! In the course of 6 weeks he learned so much, and so did I. Honestly the class was more about giving me ways to train my dog, but the added benefit of taking Ammo to a new place, meeting new people (and dogs), really helped to give him more confidence. I’m excited that we will be taking the Level 2 course starting in mid-May. I know there is a whole world of things Ammo can still learn!
Below is a video of Ammo’s final test. We still have to work on our loose leash walking as Ammo likes to smell EVERYTHING, but its coming along.
At the end of class Ammo was rewarded with his certificate and allowed to choose a toy from the pile. Ammo of course couldn’t make up his mind so I chose a cute stuffed dog for him. A puppy to call his own.
The cutest thing about Ammo and his new little friend was that the second we walked in the door to the house he ran straight to the bathroom and jumped in the tub with his new pal. Not sure why, he never gets in the tub (at least voluntarily), maybe he thought his friend needed a bath. Either way it was pretty adorable. In fact, its now become a regular thing for him.
How do you turn this thing on?
April 11th Mounted Games Clinic
On Sunday we held a mounted games clinic with trainer Michelle Reilly at Iron Horse Farm. Michelle Reilly has been coaching mounted games since 1989. She has sent over 25 teams to the USPC Championships with teams placing as Champion in all levels. She is the former coach of the USPC International Team and she was named the 2009 Best Trainer of the year by Mounted Games Across America.
We had BEAUTIFUL weather, and a nice turnout. I always jump at the chance to have a clinic with Michelle because she always has fantastic tips to share. She’s also really in tune to each specific horse’s needs, giving you pointers on how you can make the ride better for your horse. We’re having another clinic with her on April 25th, so anyone interested should sign up now!
Below are some photos from the day.
Dachshund Training Class #4
We only have two classes left in our 6 week session! Its gone by so fast.
We arrived at class a little early this week and were excited to meet another Dachshund. The woman who owned him apparently owns several Doxies that she shows and competes in various events. She told us about scent trials that sound just up the Dachshund’s Alley. Apparently they release a rabbit into a pen and let it travel a path (leaving behind its scent) then remove the rabbit and let each dog be released to follow the scent. I think the fastest time might win. She told me next week she’d bring me more information on it, and I’m excited to maybe try it with Ammo – I certainly know he has the nose for it!
This week at class we worked on hand targeting, something that I even do with the ponies. With the ponies I use a target stick to guide them to where I want them to be (works wonderfully for teaching self loading on a trailer). With the dogs we used out hand as a target and asked the dogs to touch their noses to our hand. The dachshund had a little confusion since I had taught him to give me a high-five – but eventually he caught on that this was something different.
We then worked on leave it. A command to ask your dog to leave something alone when you ask. I also use this technique with the ponies when I want them not to be grabby with food. With the ponies I stand infront of them with a big juicy apple, everytime they grab at it I snatch it away. If they offer me something else, a head turn, etc., then I will click and reward them with something different right under their mouth. This teaches them that they can only take something when I offer it to them, grabbing will get them nothing. With the dog we kept treats in a closed hands and put it within smelling level for the dog, as long as they were sniffing it and trying to get at it they got nothing, but if they looked or moved away they were rewarded with a different treat.
Next up was the stay command. Fortunately Ammo already knows this command (but shh! I didn’t tell anyone – made him look super advanced haha). With this command we want the dog to sit and not move (or stay in whatever position we put them in). We began by asking our dogs to sit, saying stay, stepping back one step that forward into our dog, clicking and rewarding. The important thing with stay is that to release your dog you should always return to them (rather than recalling them), because otherwise the dog will get confused and think they are being rewarded for a recall and not staying put. I was very impressed with the dachshund when he performed his stay amid the other dogs playing with squeaky toys. He was able to hold his position throughout all of it. What a smart boy.
Later we worked on recalls, this time off leash. Our instructor held our dogs while we stepped away and recalled our dogs. The recall has always been difficult for Ammo, but I have been practicing A LOT! It paid off because as soon as I stepped away from him Ammo’s eyes were glued on me, his recall was phenomenal too. Eventually we added a sit to the recall so that soon our dogs will associate the recall with a sit too. Ammo picked up that step pretty quickly too. Our instructor also mentioned jackpot treats. This is about giving your dog several pieces of food for a job well done when they do a command exceptionally well. I use this when I train the ponies too, giving them either a “special” treat or several treats when they do something I really like. Minnow especially is really in tune to jackpots, its part of the reason he can master a trick in mere minutes. One jackpot for a really good effort and you can see the light bulb going off in his head.
Overall I was very pleased with Ammo’s progress in class, he’s really starting to master a lot of the skills we are learning. The hardest part is for me to keep being consistent with him. But the more we practice the more it becomes second nature to me and Ammo.
Dachshund Training Class #3
I’m a little behind on my training class updates, but better late than never! Last Thursday was a pretty good session for the Dachshund. He’s really starting to association the DTCCC with something positive and he knows exactly what happens when we go there….he gets lots of treats!
(** Enjoy the photos of Ammo’s Easter Celebration scattered throughout this post)
We started off class with a recap of previously learned skills so that our classmates and instructor could see our progress. Ammo was pretty in tune, although as he’s getting more comfortable in this new place he has a renewed interest in the other dogs and people. Mainly he thinks everyone should be paying attention to him and gets a little jealous when the other dogs get treats and he doesn’t, his discontent is displayed by short playful barks/moans. That’s a Dachshund for you!
Ammo has mastered the sit and down with flying colors, and for those skills he’s at the top of his class (I have to say I’m a little bit surprised). His come has improved greatly as I’ve been recalling him randomly at the farm and am overjoyed when he now comes bounding to me every time. Carrying treats with me 24/7 has a lot to do with that, he knows his effort will be rewarded. I’ve also been rewarding him for just checking in with me. So if he opts to run up to me at the farm and make eye contact I reward him. I also try not to ever call him to do something. For example I never call him and pick him up and put him in the car, because I realized early on he would come when I called but immediately backed away after getting his treat – for fear of being snatched up. After 3 weeks of only calling an rewarding him (and just going to get him if I need him for something) he is now no longer backing away after I reward him.
His focus has improved, although he does still get distracted and his concentration breaks. During class we worked on a wait command – which required us to walk our dogs up to a gait opening ask our dogs to wait by placing a “stop” hand in front of them, then allowing ourselves to step through the opening. If the dog moves to follow we make a move towards them to get them to back up and ask them to wait again. Ammo picked this drill up pretty quickly as we have worked on stay (which is similar) before. Although with wait the difference is it doesn’t matter if your dog moves a little or gets out of place, you just want them to stay in the general area that they are. For example crossing a street, you might pause at the curb and ask them to wait until you say its ok to proceed.
We’ve been working on wait since last week and Ammo is doing pretty well with this one too. We also practiced more loose leash walking (or heeling) in class. Ammo had been doing exceptionally well with this at home and work, but when he was asked to do so solo in front of the class he had a little trouble. Walking to the front of the class meant new smells and he had a little distraction problem, and although he did walk pretty well next to me his nose was to the ground most of the time. I had a hard time getting him to check in with me. But that’s ok, the rest of the class had distraction problems too, and that’s why we are going to these classes – so Ammo can learn to focus in any situation. We’re getting there but he still has a long way to go.
I’m thrilled with his improvements, but I also know I have to keep it up. Training him isn’t just going to class once a week, its the constant work I do with him every time we interact. I admit its hard to think about training ALL the time, the classes are really about training me – and making me think about every interaction I have with Ammo as a learning experience for him.
All that we have learned can definitely be applied to the horse training too. Every interaction I have with the ponies is a learning experience for them as well. And reinforcing the behaviors I want them to learn ALL the time – not just when I feel like it – will solidify the them. And if that means I have to carry treats around with me everywhere, than that’s what it means. I’ve actually taken to wearing two treat belts while at the farm, one for the ponies and one for the dog. They’re weighing me down!
Hopefully I’ll be back later this week with a Training Class #4 update. We’re in the home stretch now!
Dachshund Training class #2
After our first adventure at training class I spent the next week working on of the necessary assignments with the little Dachshund. We worked on sit with hand signals and then a verbal cue, and the same with down. I also practiced teaching him not to pull on the leash and to follow when I walked. And most importantly I worked on getting him to look at me when I called his name and keeping his attention. And yes, proudly I worked with him EVERY single day. We practiced at the shop in between customers, we practiced at the farm when he was distracted by ponies and farm smells, we practiced at my parent’s house, we even had a session at Petsmart and we practiced at home.
I think my insistence on practicing ALL day long really paid off, because at last night’s class he was an angel! I was completely amazed when I was able to keep his attention throughout most of the class. Yes, he did get distracted a little and focus on some smells, but the difference this time was that I was able to snap him out of it and bring his attention back to me.
We started off class by working on a watch or look command. This command can be used when you want your dog to look at you (in your eyes) but not necessarily come. Our instructor gave an example of doing agility with her dog. She wants her dog to wait on the start box and look at her but not move off the box. We practiced this command by holding a treat at our dog’s nose and then moving it up to our noses asking the dogs to keep focused on the treat. When their eyes met ours they were clicked and rewarded. Eventually we moved onto moving the treat to the side of our face and when the dog’s eyes landed back on ours instead of the treat they were rewarded. Eventually the treat will be faded out all together and we will add a “look” cue to get our dogs to look into our eyes.
Then we worked on resetting our dog when we are loose leash walking them. If they start to get out of position we can use this technique to reset them into position. Here are two videos of Ammo working on his reset.
Next up we worked on the come or recall. First we lured our dogs away from us by dropping a treat behind them. As they were finishing up the treat we called their name and backed away from them, when they turned and followed we clicked and treated. Eventually we will add a verbal cue to this such as Come or Here. The important thing about this recall is that you have to be prepared to reward your dog EVERYTIME they come to you, otherwise they will decide its not worth listening. I like to think of it as an emergency call. Like if your dog was going to run into traffic you need a verbal to yell that brings them running EVERYTIME. So for example I might use come to call my dog in from the yard because I’m not going to reward him everytime he does this. But if I yell HERE my dog should drop everything all the time and come sprinting and I need to be prepared to reward this – EVERYTIME.
Overall I was very pleased with the Dachshund’s progress. Its been hard carrying around treats with me EVERYWHERE and remembering to practice practice practice with him. But I think in the end it will give us a much better partnership, and the more I do it with him the more it will become second nature. Anyone that has or has had a Dachshund knows how stubborn they can be, I’m determined to break this stigma with Ammo and have a dog that listens more like a Labrador would. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
