Haven’t been doing too much tracking with Isaac, and absolutely no bite work. Have been working him in OB and have fuss coming along and a decent long down, might actually be able to get a BH on him.
Haven’t placed any ‘pressure’ on him, no corrections, all just positive. Except for the long down – that was worked with the e-collar.

Currently uploading a video of today’s session. I think I’ve made progress with keeping his attention, but need to start applying pressure (prong or e-collar). Keep in mind he’s soft and when I say e-collar I use the vibrate to stimulate him not actual stimulation (seems to respond to it better). Will be thinking on that for awhile -

Did a little OB training with Isaac last night and it went well. Clicker and a ball….no leash (forgot it). Had him fuss in straight lines, sitting in basic position and we did some rotating in a circle. Had good attention and he was where he needed to be.

Was nice to have some success! Protection has been for shit with him, and before he matured a little I couldn’t keep his attention to save my life. He’ll work for the ball now (seems anywhere no matter the distrations). So I don’t think it was him shutting down before it was just Marmaduke brain screaming for him to gallop around and sniff stuff.

Will be doing no playing or OB work with Isaac until further notice. Will be saving it up for protection to see if Marmaduke will get involved. I will be tracking and today was the first track of the season and it went well, it was nice to have some success. He sure does like to use that nose of his (oh and he likes food).

Hoping that we can squeeze enough prey drive out of him to have a go at the protection phase otherwise he’ll be a two phase dog (that or I’ll teach him to mow the lawn).

Did some shitty work in the afternoon. Was up to my ankles in squishy wet ground, he wasn’t driven at all for the food, I wasn’t terribly happy so I quit  after two minutes and just did a little play. Neither of us were in the game (mostly me).

Put him in the crate after some play and will try again later maybe, we’ll see.

Isaac had a stick (Magic stick) 15 of 30

Did some clicker platz & he started to offer the FUSS while there was some down time and I was walking around, so I clicked and rewarded. Did some pivots & short straight lines. (used the new clicker)

Got some very good play out of him with the stick, really into it. I banged on his side. Bill suggested a ball but I wonder about hoses or jute (doens’t like the gappy rolls). With the ball he tends to grab the string or webbing. It seems to be more the struggle he like as long as it’s something he comfortable in his mouth.

Need to start using Fuss –> Look –> Yes –> Click –> food –> Free  (use a stiiit for no, try again ..under breath)

Also need to get correction –> back to drive idea/timing before I need to start using is (keep that in my noodle).

PM Session was good! Really had his attention and got some good play out of him with the KONG, he was way into it. Did Platz and Giblaut with sitting at attention thrown it.

Feed him 1/2 his daily food in the basement from hand for barking and platz.

Trip to ICSC

OB with hot dogs (Jen said god full attention, Bill says I don’t have his attention 100% and some other comments Documented offline)

• Wouldn’t play at all, even Jen seemed to have a hard time getting him going. Prey drive still & issue.
• Kept his attention through pivot (feeding in the middle) 14th of 30
• Jen suggested I change clickers, easier to manage with leash and food
• Jen said I could mix in sitz and platz while working on fuss
• Fuss – Look – yes – Click Free (add a stiiit)

Protection

• Hesitant @ first again (no barking) Bill doesn’t want to pressure him, he is maturing slow (Bill might use another description)
• He does the hold & carry, but I noticed he drops it as soon as he face the helper. After he gets his grip and slip on the toy he seems to go back to the helper
• Carried to car & held on even while Denise was there at her car

Need to get as much of the play as I can out of him. Milk as much as possible since he seems low in ball drive.

Overall he is is doing better in the OB and seems to slowly be getting a tad more used to the helper, though still not completely sure until Bill really trys to engage him.

13th of 30 here is what someone who knows something said in response to the video of his OB

Watched this, it looks really nice…one thing to think about, when you’re pivoting, sometimes click and reward when you have focus during the pivot. If you always wait to reward once you’ve stopped & he’s made the sit, then he has the freedom to duck his head or get distracted while you’re moving, b/c he knows the reward comes once he sits and gives focus. You may have to lure him a bit at the beginning to get the consistent focus while you’re pivoting, but do it a few times, and I think he will understand you want focus from the sit in the basic position, thru the pivot and into the sit again in the basic position.

Since I don’t have permission I won’t mention the source, but they are smart and I guarantee they are right.

Did what was suggested in the next session and it worked, imagine that. Had a crappy play session afterwords. Might of had to do with my lack of coordination with the new feeding thru the turn.

Just some video of training in the basic position followed by some play. Not terribly interesting, but I want to review what I’m doing so I can figure out what needs to change (Hold/Buy/Sell). Upon review I think I went to long…need to shorten it up.

Here is the play after working, upon review of this there is one point where he loses the ball and I tease him with it….looks like I went a little to long before letting him get it (he was just about to give up, need to let him win).

AM 4 minutes clicker training basic position, used chicken stell feeding after every click, say FUSS good FUSS when in proper position

5 minutes of play after clicker, one out with giblaut

PM 4 or 5 minutes clicker training basic position, used chicken still feed after every click, Noah was there which was a nice distraction…freaky guy with dog showedup & I had to Platz Isaac….after that it was just play (they dude is strange and his dog is a basket case).

Clicker training basic position (shortened it up), used chicken chunks and fed after every click. The attention thing is really coming along nicely, his position isn’t too bad either.

8 solid minutes of play in the backyard with the ball on the string…tug tug.

Clicker training basic position, video taped the session in the basement (AM)

Clicker training in basic position (PM) field next to jacks

8 solid minutes of play w/ball on string (no letting go, not supper fast).

Had a chance to watch, looks really good overall. Couple of things, I would cut the session in half as far as time goes. A few short sessions throughout the day are better than a long session, esp. at this age. I would do a lot of rewarding for awhile yet, just so that you know you really have the understanding of what you’re asking and you pretty much have his focus 99.9% of the time. Positioning, etc look good and it looks like he is concentrating well.

The video looks good. He seems to really understand the basic position and the focus but you need to put a name to it. You can start to use fuss so he understands that when you give that command that is what he is supposed to do. I would give a reward every time you click. Sometimes you click with no reward. Since you are giving the picture of him sitting and watching you a name, (fuss) you can lure him with food putting your hand a little higher than your hip (generally) and saying fuss taking a step or two, click, reward as long as he is in the correct position (not too far up, forging or too far back, lagging). At this point don’t worry about the focus as that can come later, just make sure he is in the basic position. Putting a leash on the fur saver dead ring might be nice to guide him and just make it more clear to him so things are more clear to him.

Reward from over the dog’s head, not behind him because when you bring your hand around him he looks back and loses focus. We noticed that a lot of times you step into the dog to adjust yourself into the correct position. Don’t do that…. I had a bad habit of doing that with one of my dogs. You want to teach the dog to get into the basic position, not you correct yourself into him.

His platz looks really good. I could not tell from the video if his elbows were down, I assume they were but always watch that. Maybe incorporate a release command in so that after he is done with the platz or whatever, you say free so he know’s it’s ok to break the position.

First Session in the basement in the AM

• Clicker in position
• kept hands out of the way (where they belong, at sides, not behind me)
• Didn’t say look (shaped)
• Wish head wrap a tad more

Second Session in the backyard way better only 26 more repetitions. There were some kids at the pond playing on the ice (occasionally he would look away and the instant he came back to looking click –> jackpot)

12 minuts of play in the driveway with ball on webbing (didn’t let go)

Clicker training with hot dogs

Sitting in position (basement) and at the Claudia Romard seminar

• Keep hand where they belong
• feed from left hand
• Adjust myself to the dog
• Currently rewarding every click (need to change that to varied reward)
• Waiting for him without saying look
• He’s looking up, but not too across

15 Minutes of OB field next to jacks

• First if was freaking COLD out today
• 2 KONGs to start
• Sitz
• Fuss in some circles (just pivoting to the right)

Nothing to heavy, just wanted to make sure I got out before the Claudia Romard seminar, Van Gogh Kennels tomorrow and Sunday.

OB Field next to jacks
15 Solid Minutes

• Warmed up with the KONGs
• Did some FUSS in straight line (occasional right turns)
• Platz (which he is getting faster at)
• Sitz in starting position (with a release for looking and proper position, with going into a fuss).

Went well and is actually getting better, still on occasion doesn’t bring the KONG all the way in.

15 minutes of OB field next to jacks

• Warmed up with the KONGs (did a lot of play and tug, he was on fire for himself)
• Began with PLATZ after getting him going with the KONG
• Straight line FUSS
• Straight line FUSS with a right turn, throw KONG as soon as complete the turn (get him running around me instead of lagging)
• Right turns in a circle with the KONG

Is slowly getting better every day, need to get to some different locations so that when I get to the club he isn’t just used to working in one spot. Again while putting the pinch on he seemed to know what was going on.

10 minutes clicker training in basement

Since we didn’t get outside tonight we did some clicker training, he is fast for the food. Was more of a refresher session than teaching, he already knows all these things.

• hotdogs and the clicker
• Sitz
• Platz
• Look

Wonder if I can mix up food and play at the club, he still really likes his food.

OB 12 minutes Field next ot Jack’s house

• Warmed him up with the KONGS
• Started with PLATZ (he’ll go down, but doesn’t always pop down)
• Started to bark for the toy so I did just some GIB LAUT, rewarding for barking. He caught on quick, hasn’t barked much in the past (for anything).
• 3 straight line FUSS with differing speeds
• 2 complete right turns with FUSS

Starting to get some liquid out of the mouth when he sees the KONGS (that’s gotta be better). He also seems to know when I put the pinch collar on we’re going to play because he starts digging in my pocket where I store the KONGS. Maybe I’ll put his pinch collar on a the club this Sunday to give him an idea what’s about to go down.

OB 12 Minutes field next to Jacks

• Started with play with the KONGS, tug, close tosses, and teasing
• Fuss in a straight line 4 or 5 times, he gets it, may not have been completely in drive
• Made 3 right turns with him
• Platz 4 or 5 times and a toss/tug when he completed
• Had his leash on, but didn’t use it, he just dragged it
• Pinch collar was on, but leash was on dead ring of Fur Saver

Isaac made a trip to Indian Creek Schutzhund Club today (I went along). He is still a little put off by the new surroundings, Jen got him playing. When I got home I played with him in the field before feeding him (he’s definitely better in a place he’s comfortable with). Will try Jen’s suggestion and get him in new areas and play there.

During protection work, he was slow to get going (still no barking), and yes he still was afraid/leary of Bill until Bill drew him out. He settled in after awhile and played along. My running in circles is getting better. Need to continue to get out to the club on a weekly basis so he gets used to the new surrounding and to the helper.