Another leg

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Today we were at a C-wags show and got a leg towards a level 2 title and a second place ribbon.  Dazzle was really distracted, but I think it was because the place was dead quiet, even though there were several people in the room.  All dogs were in crates, mostly in people's cars and no one was talking during the performances.  I think that threw him a bit.  "Why are all these people just staring without any other noise?"  The click of the photgrapher's camera, the jingle of the next dog's tags and the opening of the door all seemed VERY loud and grabbed his attention (& mine).  The idea was to minimize distractions, but I think the silence had the opposite effect for him.  We squeaked by, but he held his honor stay, which is an improvement!  He also NAILED the moving stand and stand stay for exam.  Even the judge commented that his stand is really nice.  He was already standing when I cued him to "stand" and he adjusted himself in a way that was clear he understood the cue.  It was as if he did started to respond to the cue and then realized he already WAS standing :-)  The pro photographer got some REALLY cool photos, but they are expensive. I can only afford to get 3 and I'm having a hard time choosing. Then I have to wait for them to get mailed.  I'll post them when they arrive.
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I feel like I really need to go back to basics on obedience with him and do less "free throws" and require him to do more work for every toy throw or tug session.  It's so hard when asking him to give up his toy is punishing but he isn't very motivated by food (won't give up a toy to get any food). He will respond to cues for certain foods, but it has no enthusiasm or drive like he has when toys are involved. I also think I need to do a bunch of show n go's so I can take a toy into the ring and surprise him with it.
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Last night we went to an Agility run through and he did really well!  No focus problems, no problem with the triple bar jump he has never seen.  He was really listening and focused on his job and working well.  But he knew I had a toy. 
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Clicker Expo!

Three whole days of learning about reward based training! We had a fantastic time and Dazzle did better than I could have imagined!  He laid quietly or slept through every seminar session (except the working ones :-), he was social with anyone who wanted to say hi and any dogs that wanted to say hi but without greeting before invited (except for a few sniffs he sneaked as we walked through the crowds.)
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As soon as I arrived Thursday evening, I went to the store that was set-up for the Expo and purchased several things I had been coveting- including the new, hot off the presses Agility book!  With all the purchases out of the way (and most of my money gone) I didn't need to tempt myself by going back in the store :-)  I did go back to see if Kong got their shipment in on Friday (which they did) but it didn't include any frisbees :-( After my stop in the store, I went to the social gathering.
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One unexpected surprize was that I met Dazzle's sister Jazz and her owner!  On Thursday, during the social gathering a person (that didn't have a dog with her) came up to me and asked about Dazzle (age, where from, etc.) and then she told me she has his sister Jazz in her car!  So that was really cool.  Jazz was all wiggly when she met Dazzle and he wasn't quite sure how to take her exhuberance :-)  But he warmed up a bit and they were starting to play a bit.  We got some photos of them together later in the conference:

Jazz is a bit smaller and more petite/feminine (as to be expected) than Dazzle.  A really adorable and beautiful girl.

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In the opening session it was stated that the Expo filled to capacity, that there were over 400 attendees and 34 states were represented (as well as several other countries like UK, Sweden and I think Norway). Karen Pryor opened the Expo with a talk and something she said during that talk that I really loved is: 

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  Most people consider Clicker Training to be a sub-set of dog training, when in reality dog training is a sub-set of Clicker Training (since it is used with so many other species). She also explained that Clicker Training is based on 3 different sciences: Ethology, Behaviorism and Neuroscience. 

After the opening session, everyone split up and attended one of 5 different sessions.

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Warning: training content to follow :-)

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I went to the Agility "Right From The Start" session by Eva Bertilsson and Emelie Johnson Vegh who presented all 3 Agility sessions.  They talked about the foundation skills they teach (handler skills and dog skills) which they start with young puppies. The handler skills include timing, setting criteria (planning training sessions), proper reward delivery, clean and consistent cues, varying behavior (no unwanted patterns) and the handling basics (shoulders pointing in proper direction, dog always on outside, etc.)

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The dog's foundation skills include: properly getting the rewards, transports (a concept that was completely new and made total sense!), understanding shaping and placed rewards, learning the behaviors of over, around, between, onto, under and through completely separate from any agility equipment, enjoying noise making and wanting to do things that make noise, rear end awareness and control, stay and start cues, follow handler's shoulders and stationing.

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As I said, some of this was new and made a lot of sense.  For their dogs, if the dog is not actively working during a training session, it is on a stationing mat or in a crate. This is a behavior they teach the dogs to love.  Then to get from the station/crate to the start of the behavior (like in front of a jump), they use a transport method.  This is also something the dog learns to do, but not something they have to think about doing (remain on a tug toy controlled by the handler, enjoy being led by the collar, plaster their nose to the handler's hand and keep it there or for small dogs- a lift and carry).  This keeps the dog occupied till the instant they are expected to work and keeps them engaged with the handler. Right after they do what they are expected to do, they go right back into a transport to get back to re-start or to go to a station.

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The next session I chose (out of 5 possible choices) was the working session called SIGHTLESS! by Michelle Pouliot who has changed the training of guide dogs to all reward based training at the school where she is the training director.  She also helps blind people train their own guide dogs.  I got to experience a bit of what it is like to train without the benefit of sight (blindfolded). A very interesting experience.  It also helps you learn what your cues for behavior really are (verbal only, verbal and body cue, body cue only, etc.) And you get to see if not having your sight changes anything in how you cue.  She taught us how to teach our dogs a targeting behavior (find the chair) while blindfolded.

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After lunch, I attended the Learning Games and Play session by Kay Lawrence. She said dogs learn all sorts of things through play: That they are faster than you, that if they "accidently" bite you they get the toy and you make interesting sounds, that you can't get the ball out of their mouth and that they can keep the toy away from you. :-)  In order to avoid these "lessons" play games need to have a certain structure.  When used correctly, they build teamwork and proper (modified) chase, capture, kill, consume games with food or toys.

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All games need: A risk analysis (can dog and handler both stay safe?), Certain skills (throwing skills, timing, etc.), Rules for safety, A clear plan/goal (what do you want the play/game to do?), Stimulus control, and a warm-up and cool down if active.

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She shared a few of the games she plays to teach certain skills like attention, backing up, self control, etc.  Cool stuff I want to try! 

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That brought us to the end of Friday.  A group of us went out to dinner to share what we had learned and that was just as informative as the sessions I had attended because I heard highlights from the sessions that took place at the same time as the ones I had chosen. I was staying about 10 minutes away from the hotel at the house of a troop member's mother.  I really appreciated her hospitality especially since it saved me so much on hotel fees!  Dazzle and I had our own room and comfy beds.

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I found a cool statue at one point during the Expo (not sure which day) and took Dazzle to get his photo.  You can see Dazzle wasn't sure at first about the "running horse" that wasn't moving :-)

But it only took a few seconds for him to go up to it, sniff and determine it was safe.

Saturday started at 8am with an extra session on "Understanding Social Networking" by Laurie Luck.  It was about Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogs.  I might get a Facebook account for Dog Scouts, but I'm not sure.  I think there might already be one, but not sure if it's maintained.

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Next was Good Agility Practices- Turning skillful training into great agility. They described their method called Think-Plan-Do.  A 6 step process for clean, focused and intense training sessions.  They shared the handling system they use (Greg Barrett and Susan Salo), but said that as long as you use a consistent system and follow it, they are open to any handling system. The key is to be sure the dog is always loving what they are doing and what you are doing, that the dog understands what you are communicating to them and that you maintain your focus on the dog and training the entire time you are working your dog (if a distraction comes up, station the dog before attending to it).

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After the break: Agility working session Good Agility Practices In Action was next. We learned how to use their 6 step process when practicing some basic foundation skills.  Dazzle did great and I'm really glad I signed up for a working spot so I could experience how it felt to use the steps.  I'm really looking forward to teaching Dazzle more foundation skills to compliment the training we have been getting.

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Here is Dazzle in the working session:

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After lunch, I attended Karen Pryor's session on Punishment and the Public. I think she was very tactful and repectful as she discussed Cesar Milan and what it was like to attend one of his live shows to see un-edited training. She pointed out what he did right and how clicker trainers can effect change by example (rise above and look for the good), demos, classes, and using good examples/facts. I loved a quote she had from Steve White that said:

•  "Anything that makes you think about using aversives as punishment is a message to you that more training is needed." Meaning- the dog doesn't understand what you want, so you need to help them understand, not punish them for ignorance. 

She also had an awesome video of a Rhino being trained in a zoo to sit, then lie down then roll over on cue so medical procedures could be performed. And each click the Rhino got was worth 1 grape :-)  She said stuff that used to require physical control or chemical restraint (sedation) in zoos is now being done on animals that are fully offering cooperation through cued behavior! This means lower stress and an increase in preventive care. In some species it means stress about humans and handling is lowered enough that they can start a successful captive breeding program.

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After the main sessions, they had a panel discussion where several of the Expo instructors were presented with questions that were asked by attendees (by submitting a card with the question).  Several good questions and thought provoking answers.  My favorite was given by (I think) Karen Pryor when she said:

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  "behaviors are never "done" or "perfect" to where they no longer need any practice".  Behaviors are always getting better, getting worse or becoming different.  It takes effective practice to keep a behavior on the razor's edge of polished and "perfect". 

Also that behavior is something one does with a start, middle and end. When teaching a new behavior the clicks mark the start, but usually will gradually move closer to the end.

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By the end of the day, my brain was fried but I had let several people know that we were going to have a DSA get together at 6:15pm.  Not as many brand new people were there as I had hoped (some later told me they forgot or were stuck at the book signing), but we had 3 new folks all from near me and several current scouts including several troop leaders. It was so great to catch up with friends and meet new folks that might join my troop.  

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Dazzle was SO tired by the end of the day!  If I stopped to talk to someone, he would flop down and sleep.

Sunday started early again with an extra session, but I got up late and ended up sitting in on a couple of one-on-one sessions with KPA graduates I that knew.  These sessions allowed attendees to have 15 minutes with 2 Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) graduates and ask them any training question for a $5 suggested donation that was given to the local humane society.
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Our first session on Sunday was The Special Sauce- "creating stunning freestyle routines with props and hidden cues" by Michelle Pouliot. We learned how to get the dogs to interact with props, prop selection and how to transfer known cues to new "hidden" or contextual cues within the routine.
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After this session during a potty break, Dazzle found the sand vollyball court and LOVED the feel of the sand under his feet!  It really got him jazzed and he ran/rolled around in it and ended up playing with this dog for awhile. I think he needed the little break and play time after so much self control and settling so nicely.

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After the play break we attended The Conditioned Reinforcer Scentifically Explored by Jesus Rosales-Ruiz. While his accent made it challenging, I find his studies really interesting.  He talked about and explained how a known cue will reinforce whatever behavior the animal was doing when it heard the cue because of the chaining effect.   So if the dog jumps on someone and you say "off", if the dog's proper response to the "off" cue is followed by a reward, the dog will create a chain: jump-cue-get off- reward.  So it is best to get the desired behavior without a cue (shaping or letting the dog figure out what works and what doesn't) or prevent the unwanted behavior in the first place.
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The studies he shared this time focused on conditioned reinforcers (what the dog is taught that means a reward is coming).  This is most commonly a click, but they found that many other predictors might be giving the dog the same conditioned/learned information (hand moving to the treats, looking at where the treat will be placed, eye contact, etc.  The fewer things you have between the click and the dog getting the reward, the better.  This is "cleaner" and easier for the dog to understand.  Ideally, it should be: click--dog gets treat immediately (with little to no other cues that the treat is about to be available for the dog).  Instead, it might be click--dog gives eye contact to handler--dog moves toward handler--handler reaches in treat pouch--handler looks at dog--dog gets treat.
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They also found that if you add something into the chain that the dog is not familiar with or remove something the dog feels is a critical piece of the chain, it can interrupt the flow of the pattern and degrade or stop the behavior.
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As an example, they were having a dog touch a target, which was clicked, then the dog collected his treat out of a bowl next to the trainer.  This was going fine, except that the trainer wanted to test a jackpot (multiple treats dropped at once) and the treats being dropped didn't always stay in the bowl.  So she decided to use a new delivery system- drop the treats down a PVC pipe into the bowl.  But what they found was that this addition (which the dog had not been taught) completely stopped the dog from performing after only 2 clicks because after the click it didn't think the person delivered the reward. 
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They also learned that having the handler look at the bowl and move her hand toward the bowl were critical pieces of the chain (for the dog) that were missing after the PVC pipe was introduced. Adding the handler looking at the bowl helped a bit, but didn't solve the problem. The dog didn't make a connection between food dropped at the top of the tube meant food was available at the other end of the tube.  This could have been taught, then added back into this chain successfully.
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So you need to be aware of what has gotten into the chain.  If the dog has been doing something and stops doing it, has anything in the chain changed? Often these are considered "contextual cues" or "proofing issues" but it might also be that parts of a known chain are missing or new and untrained/conditioned parts have been added.
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He also did tests to find out if every click should mean treat or if the click can be put on a variable schedule of reinforcement once it is understood.  It was painfully obvious that every click MUST be followed by a reinforcer ("reward") for the click to remain useful as a predictor of reward and to be a useful marker.  However, it was also shown that you CAN train a "keep going signal/word" to get more repetitions of a behavior (multiple touches of a target for example) and THEN follow that with a click-treat.
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This was, I think, the session that made me think the most.  I'm not sure why, it is stuff I already know.  But something about the way it was presented really made me think deeply about the mechanics and just how clean and precise the training should be.  It's amazing that that the dogs still learn in spite of how inept we are, even with a comunication signal we know works so well!  When it's cleaned up and used correctly, it is amazingly even faster and more powerful!
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I had to go to my van during lunch to sort out in my head what I had just heard. I was very glad there was that time for me to digest it and get it all straight!  I'm sure getting some food into my growling stomach helped too :-)
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The final session was Loopy Training by Alexandra Kurland. This was a great follow-up to the previous session because it was right along the same lines.  She explained that good clicker training IS loopy training.  The well known cue-behavior-click-reward chain is not a sentence, but a loop.  After the reward, it should go right into the next cue. But she later explained how you can get multiple known behaviors in a chain before a click-reward.
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She also said that the reward delivery is a critical piece of the loop.  The more efficiently and consistently you can deliver the reward, the cleaner and faster the loop will be.  Breaking down complex behaviors into simple parts also helps keep the loops clean and fast paced. But both sides of the click need to be perfected into a smooth, efficient system. Here's a video example of excellent loops in training as well as breaking down the behavior in small enough pieces that the dog understands it so easily that he looks like he already knows the behavior! This was his first intro to the mat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=EP7Soem31qg
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Three things that make learning faster are: clear criteria (know what you are going to click), good timing (essential in any training) and high rates of reinforcement (if you start at an easy enough level and build on that in small enough chunks, the rate of reinforcement will be high because the dog will keep doing it right!)
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She talked a lot about keeping the learner happy about doing what you ask.  She refered to a study done by Jesus Rosales Ruiz that he shared 2 years ago that showed the effects of even minor punishment in training vs. only rewards for correct responses.  The same dog was trained to do the same behavior using 2 different cues: "Ven" was reward only and "Punir" included rewards and minor corrections.  When the dog heard the cue "Ven" it's body language was completly relaxed, happy and the dog was eager to work and do many repetitions.  When the dog heard the cue Punir, it's body language was much more sedate, the repetitions were not clean because the dog was doing other behaviors between the cue and the click.  It's a really dramatic example, but sadly it's not available on-line as far as I can tell.
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So the goal is to have only a "Ven" learner and to avoid anything that the learner feels is punishing. But because most people are not used to Ven animals, they need to build in safety and control to prevent injury (especially when working with big animals like horses or dangerous animals like killer whales!) Any animal that can cause injury if it gets over excited must have safety controls built into the chains. You don't work on behaviors in a chain that get the animal more and more excited. You do exciting behavior, calm behavior, exciting behavior, calm behavior.
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By making sure you are ready to train before you get the animal in the picture (have equipment, treats, props, etc. ready to use), breaking down the behavior into super simple steps for the learner and building more gradually than you might think necessary, keeping your loops free of unwanted behavior (from you or the learner), and having your primary focus be on keeping the learner in a "Ven" state of mind your training will go faster than you thought possible!
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So it was an information filled, social learning experienced that is just AMAZING!  The sessions I attended were only 20 percent of what was offered.  Other session focused on the foundation skills of clicker training for those brand new to using a clicker, others focused on the sport of freestyle, others focused on aggression or training in shelters or training people (class learning or TAG teaching for individuals).  So no matter what your level of understanding and no matter what species you train, there are sessions you can attend that will leave you saying WOW!
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Another fun bonus was that I won a raffle! 

At the Expo the attendees and staff can "click" each other for doing good things like giving water to your dog, asking good questions, helping someone, cleaning up after your dog, etc.  Each person puts their name on the tickets they hand out and when you GET a ticket, you put your name on it too.  There is one drawing per day and both people on the winning ticket get a nice prize basket.  Mine had the "Learning Games" book by Kay Lawrence, a Kong Squiggles toy, Bravo chicken liver treats, a Wetnoz toy, a set of "click-a-trick" cards and a clicker! What a perfect end to an awesome weekend!

Help with transport

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Dazzle and I helped a 6 yr old female Malinois in Malinois Rescue on her journey across the U.S. today.  A sweetheart of a dog that met me and the next transporter with a tail wag and eye contact.  She travelled really well and seemed to feel safe in any crate.  I wish her well on her travels and hope she finds a great forever home. Note: she does have ears, she just had them back in this photo. 

Few more photos from Cobo

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These are a few photos taken by others at the show...
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Photo by Maggie:  Dazzle nibbling on his girlfriend's legs while she nibbles on his head

Photos by Melissa: I was narrating while Lonnie was working Kozi on scent detection.  Dazzle took the chance to nap while away from the adoring fans :-)

Attack of the WORMS!

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I have never seen worms seek such high ground after a rain storm.  With the exception of a few rebels, they are only on the posts of the fence, but not on the house just 8' away or any other vertical surface in that area.  Really bizzare!  Good thing it's not daylight or I'm sure the birds would be enjoying the feast.

Lurd!

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Detroit kennel Club Cobo Hall show

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Dazzle and I had a big weekend and I'm still trying to recover :-)  We drove to Detroit for the Cobo Hall dog show, a huge event!  Here's what one source had to say about the show:

• The Detroit Kennel Club (DKC) Dog Shows on March 6 & 7, 2010 at Cobo Center in Detroit offer fun for the whole family. The two-day celebration of dogs, allows visitors up-close and personal time with breeders, owners, handlers and over 3,000 dogs from the 161 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club.
  
  Show highlights include conformation and obedience competitions, Agility, search and rescue dogs, demonstrations, AKC Rally Trials, specialty retail booths and more! The Detroit Kennel Club Dog Shows are recognized as one of the largest all-breed benched dog shows in North America.
  
  The DKC shows are a ‘benched show’, which offer visitors the unique opportunity to meet with owners and breeders and learn about breed characteristics, temperament, care, health, grooming, history and other issues for dog owners. When dogs are not in the judging rings, they are required by the rules of the show to be displayed on a bench according to breed, making it easy for a spectator to talk to several breeders of a specific type in the same location. The DKC Dog Shows are one of only six benched American Kennel Club (AKC) shows left in the United States.

We were not there to compete, but instead to help in the Dog Scout booth. DSA has had a booth there for a number of years and always has great support.  Dazzle collected 55 one dollar bills from the general public, got LOTS of petting and attention and met lots of nice dogs.  I did 3 public presentations and answered lots of questions about DSA.  It's fun, but also very draining.  By the end on Sunday, we both just wanted to go somewhere quiet and sleep.  Dazzle got his wish, but I had to drive :-)
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While at the show, I had him CERF'd, which is an eye exam done by certain vets with special equipment after the dog's eyes are dilated, and he passed.  So that's good news!  A re-test each year is recommened.
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Here are some photos:
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Kids and adults alike really liked the "beautiful shepherd" or "skinny German Shepherd".  Several people learned about a breed they had never heard of before.  Others wanted to meet him because the K-9 officers that were doing demonstrations had a beautiful BIG Mal (90 lbs of muscle) and they wanted to be able to pet the "police dog".

Dazzle took all the attention in stride

He played with several dogs, including this shepherd mix...

and his girlfriend Kozi.  He was so excited to see his girlfriends were at the show when we arrived on Saturday.  It was so cute!

This was near the end on Sunday.  Dazzle was so tired he just laid down right out in front of the booth with people and dogs streaming by and closed his eyes.  His ears were still keeping track of me though :-)

Then he found the tent and used that to get away from the adoring fans so he could take a nap. I had forgotten to bring his soft crate, but there wouldn't have been room in the booth for it anyway.

He slept in the crate the whole way home and after the 5 hour nap, he was ready to play again!  I had to pull over part way home to take a nap, but even after that I was just ready for bed by the time I walked in the door. Mike helped me unload the van and I collapsed into bed where I slept for 10 hours!

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This morning was our last level 2 agility class and he did well.  I was hurting from all the time on my feet the previous 2 days so I was glad we didn't have much movement required for us :-)  After class, I took him to the park and tossed his ball just because the weather was so nice!  Finally in the 60's and sunny.  So nice not to have to bundle up against the cold!  After running for awhile, Dazzle found a pile of snow that was not yet melted and flopped down to roll and cool off :-)  Life is good.

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Vet conference

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This past weekend, Dazzle and I attended the Midwest Veterinary Conference to attend the "Behavior" track.  Thursday and Friday the speaker was Dr. Lore Haug who was EXCELLENT!  Some new info was learned and some info I knew was presented in unique ways that made it interesting. 

Dazzle did great on Friday, Sat, Sun with just laying quietly for hours on end, which REALLY amazed me!  He didn't like a loud popping sound the microphone made occasionally for no apparent reason, but I can't say I blame him.  It was making me and everyone else jump too!   I tried giving him some Melatonin on Saturday, but it didn't seem to help much. On the first day of the conference (Thursday) I tried leaving him at the house of friends where I was staying during the conference.  He did fine, till he got let out to potty.  Once he was outside, he was NOT going to be caught again!  An hour later, he finally came in through an open door.  Getting him back into the crate was a chore too and he ended up shredding a blanket in his crate, but leaving the bully stick and treats untouched. :-(  Which is why I took him with me the other 3 days and he did great!  Each evening I was able to take him to Posidog, a training center owned by the friends I was staying with, to let him run off some steam.  So I'm sure that helped! 
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Saturday and Sunday the presenter was a different vet who left me very dissapointed.  Her sessions over the day and a half were mostly the same info with a different title.  Her video examples often didn't match the subject. She used her own and her clients dogs for demo of punishment techniques (like smacking the dog HARD in the face after she encouaged it to jump up, setting the dog up to fail by tossing treats on the ground to get the dog to move away from her so she could use a shock collar to do a recall and jerking a dog off it's feet with a prong collar!)  Her timing for both punishments and rewards were late and her rate of reinforcement was too low. She was working the dogs in areas that had them at full arousal, instead of setting them up for success and working up to the higher level of distraction slowly. 

I eventually ended up walking out on her sessions and attended a few others.  One on homemade and raw diets was no better.  No wonder vets are confused!  But a session on recognizing and reporting animal abuse was very good. Even though it was quite graphic, it was actually easier to handle than the abuse being shown by the behavior vet's video examples.

Overall, Lore's info made the conference worth it (plus some nice free stuff and some good deals on stuff I needed from the conference store).  But the other Dr's stuff left a bad feeling and was not how I wished the conference had ended.