Pip’s Tough Lesson

Tonight Pippin learned a very tough lesson: When I ask for attention – I mean it.

Some background here:

The backyard is Pippin’s play area as well as training. Well – he plays ball (fetch) when we throw his ball into the ravine area of our yard. He trains on the sports court that is off to the side. When my hubby and/or kids go out in the yard, they usually play with Pippin if they are doing yard work or just hanging out.

So, tonight, I take Pippin to the sports court planning on trying a new treibball training move. Pippin sees my hubby working and I see Pip’s attention flying back and forth between me and hubby. Now – here’s is another point – I always reward Pippin after “working” with some ball throwing. But he has to wait. Tonight, he decided that he was not going to wait,so he ditched me and ran to hubby – who looked at me with a big question on his face. He asked “is this my fault?” OF COURSE NOT! Pip made a decision – and he will be finding out it was not the right choice. Can dog’s make choices? I believe that they can, and do. Pip made a choice to ditch the cookies and big ball that he loves for the little ball that he loves more. Bad choice.

Called to everyone to ignore Pippin. We all left the yard. Finally, he came in the house, sulking. I just took him, and sat him in front of me, not really petting, but just holding him. The boys and hubby went out back to finish their work. I could feel every muscle trembling – he was dying to go out back to play ball. Nope – can’t ditch me in work and get away with it.

That’s the tough choice. Did he know that his choice earlier led to this? I truly am not sure, but I held on and talked to him calmly (explaining what I was doing. Who knows if he understood). Finally, calling out to family to ignore Pip, I let go and followed him (who raced out in a flash) to the yard to try SIMPLE work. After running around the boys a bit, he realized that they were not going to throw the ball. I went to the sports court and waited.

Now, little Pug was watching and raced to the court. What the hey! Let’s Work! So, Pug and I worked, Pip was ignored, Genny watched and … Pip finally seemed to get it. He came to the court and watched. I tried to include him in but he tried to ditch again, so we went on without him. He came back and this time I put him in a down stay (had to place him) and kept working with Pug (he was having fun). Then I sat in front of Pip, told him to sit. He did, but his attention was not on me – it was on the boys (“were they going to ever throw that ball????”). So – we did attention work. That is all. When he looked at me, click and cookie. Then I gave the command and he caught on real quick. “Ready” LOOK click-cookie. We did this many times. Tail starts to wag. Then I do a simple go out and around exercise with the chair. That is it. We do it a few times. This time, he is focused on me, and totally ignores the family. I think we have it. Lots of praise. Lots of fun.

Then, I get the ball.

I see the “light bulb” go off. We play a bit and go inside.

This Border Collie is really thinking and he is trying hard to make sure he understands what choices are. He wants to be in charge, but there are times when he can be, and then times when someone else has to be.

I have to be in command here. When we are in the ring, the family will be around (they video our freestyle competitions). He has to be able to ignore them. He has to know, when we are working, even if the ball throwers are around, we are working. Then, after work, comes play.

Pippin teaching me

Hmmmm …. Poor Pip.

First we had a special house guest and then I have not been feeling well. What does this add up to? Not much work. We have worked a bit … and I mean just a bit … and we have played and taken walks. And so – what has happened?

I have noticed that Pippin is so wonderfully patient. He comes up and gives hugs and kisses. If I go to do something with him, he is immediately grateful, but never reproachful for what I can’t do. Why can’t people be like dogs.

I do have to write about something else – I have noticed some special things going on between Pippin and the other dogs. Pippin has different relationships with each of the other dogs in the family. He recognizes their differences and their needs.

With Genevieve – he loves to play with her in the house. He has realized that as much as he wants to rough house with her outside, she just can’t do it. She wants to, but her hips just don’t let her. So, he plays gently with her in the house. He grabs a toy, and prances over to her. “Take it” he seems to say and shows her the other end. When she grabs it, then a tug of war starts. One that he could win, but he plays to her strength. And they play and play. This is one of his favorite games.

With Truffles our pug – he is a 11 year old pug and is usually “aloof”. Does not interact with the other dogs so much. Except Pippin. Pippin looks after “Uncle Pug”. Example – Pug likes to play with his bedding in one of the dog beds and one evening, Pippin was laying in that bed. Pug comes up and starts to pull at the bedding. Pippin just watches. Pug pulls and pulls and pulls. Bit by bit he is getting the bedding out from under Pippin. Soon, the bedding is almost out – and Pippin grabs the bedding gently and holds on to it. Pug starts to tug and play and tug and play. Pippin just holds on as he senses this is as much as he should do. If Pippin were to tug and play the way he does with Genny, Pug would get whipped around the room! So, Pip just holds on. Then Pug tires and Pip lets go – Pug will either lay down on the bedding there or trot away with the bedding to go lay down somewhere else. One time, Pug was tugging with my son and my son got tired so he handed his end to Pippin - who then just held on and sat down!! What a love!

With Michette – he knows that at home she watches over “her mom” so at home they play just a little. But on the walk – different story! Michette is not watching but walking – and then they run and play and play and run. Pippin keeps it at Michette’s level (okay, a couple of times he has “bowled her over” but he learned what he can and can’t do!). They get lots of good running and playing like this.

I have not noticed to such extent the other dogs working with each other this way. I am finding that Pippin has such a loving, gentle soul not only for us humans, but for his fellow dogs and cats. I hope that I can be that way with each and every person and animal as well. What a teacher!

Giving Exact Instructions

Today I was trying to teach Pippin to put his chin on my shoulder. He knows how to put his chin on my lap or on an object such as a chair or table. So – I struggled, by trying to get him behind me and then with a cookie lure, have him “chin” my shoulder. He was running in front of me, kissing my face, putting chin on my leg, etc.

DUH – forgot one important thing – I had to tell him to be behind me. Now, I have been using platforms to teach him positions and he is getting very good at this. So – I just need to give him the command for standing behind me. But – he could not get this as I was sitting down on the floor. You know – dogs are very situational and sitting on the floor is NOT standing up. So for him to do the command to stand behind me, I have to be STANDING.

Okay – take out the platform, and stand in front of it. We do the command and then after a few successful commands, I kneel and repeat the command. His nose comes poking around the side of me. “HUH?” I give him a cookie behind me from the other side. Repeat command several times with good success. Then I sit on floor. This time he understands and it is no issue. Lots of cookies (and clicks) for successfully standing behind me as I am sitting down.

Now – keep the platform. Give the command for chin. Neither of us have moved. Wait a moment. I point to my shoulder. “Chin” I repeat. Slowly, his chin comes down to my shoulder (I am a bit lower than he is). The second he touches – CLICK and cookie. YEA! Tail starts to wag. Repeat “Chin” and point to shoulder – chin touches shoulder! CLICK and cookie!! More tail wag! We repeat this several times and are both very happy with the success.

My husband who has been watching was real impressed how I was able to break apart the steps to put the 2 movements together – and how quickly Pippin then got the whole thing once the platform showed him where he was supposed to be.

Naughty me for not remembering to do this at first: I was just thinking of the behavior as one movement – put chin on shoulder. What I did not think about is that the movement is really TWO behaviors – stand behind me then chin.

Which now has me thinking about something else; I tell my dog to “Chin” and point to what he needs to put his chin on. Should I be giving names to objects that he may be “chin”ing often? Such as – if I want him to “chin” laps often – should I say “Chin lap”? Or “Chin Shoulder”? OR is this an overkill?

Sometimes we can over-instruct … sometimes we don’t give enough information. I guess for Pippin – if I have him stand behind me and I am in a sitting position – and I ask for “chin” then he will default to my shoulder as that is what I taught him. So – what if I am in a standing position – what will he do? Maybe if I offer my hand, he will chin my hand. So the deal is – what do I teach my dog as default? It is all based on my position. If we are in a group of people and I want him to put his chin on someone’s lap, that will have to consist of “go out to that person” “chin on lap” – at least 2 commands. I think with dogs, we must give EXPLICIT instructions. It is not a matter of over-instructing or not enough, but giving exact instructions. That’s the tough part for us.

Oops -stepped on paw!

Oops – stepped on paw by accident!!

I was teaching Pip how to get the newspaper. Well – cute pup that he is – got the idea to get the paper, but then decided that it was a play toy! Grrrrr – shake shake, paw on the ground, chew, chew!!!

Okay Pip – “Give” “Give!!” “GIVE!!”

Try it again! (as I can’t bend over, getting the paper from the mouth is no easy feat. And I want him to learn to give it to me).

Pip – fetch paper – Good boy! – Give! Give! GIVE!! Oops – stepped on paw! YIP!!

Calm down, kneel next to him, gentle talk, it was an oops. But you know – I see it in his eyes that he is taking this as a punishment. Okay we try again – but he won’t go near the paper. Genny, the good ‘ol lady, comes in and shows him what to do – she gently gets the paper and gives it to me. Lots of cookies. We repeat this a few times. Genny really happy as she is working and getting cookies – Pip carefully watches. I am waiting for him to try again. I can see he wants a cookie. After a good Genny praise, I tell her to lay down and try Pip again.

Cautiously, he sniffs at the paper and then takes it and looks at me. I take the paper and YEA!! BIG PRAISE! Cookies!!! We try again – and end up almost back at the paper game, but just as he is about to start the play he looks at me and I quickly grab the paper and PRAISE!!! COOKIES!! We do this one more time with the same result.

Result of this period – I think he is confused as he thinks he got a big correction with the paw step. As he does not understand that it was a mistake, I am trying to make the paper fetch a good thing. He is careful and unsure. I decide to stop then and will pick it up again tomorrow.

Off to another game. That is the thing with dogs – I find that short and sweet (the sweet being the important part here) works best. If we push and push too much – hammer in the behavior – then we lose them. They try but it is too much. I want my pup to have joy in all of his work with me. Not to do it because he has to. I wonder if that can also work with kids in the classroom?

We are getting somewhere.

Today Pippin showed excellent progress. With my log in hand we went thru and “reviewed” several exercises. Because of the ball and attention issue, we went outside. Today was much better. As Pippin saw the platforms and other training stuff come out, he was focused and excited. We were able to go thru all the “heel” positions with the large platforms and what was so great was his attention. He knew what to do and he was focused on me. We had fun with things we have not done outside yet – fetching the dumbbell and a metal article. For the second time with the metal article, he did very well. Gloves, direction work (right, left, away-to-me and come-by) all went smoothly. Then “Dad” came in the back yard to work and I lost him to the “possible ball thrower!” Great time to come in and get my pup back! I used some quick figure 8 exercises to get him back and then I set up some jumps, grabbed the ball and we did some agility work. Totally ignored Dad!! So, in training and at home, I still "have to be better than the squirrel!" HA!

He is now pooped, and I know that I am now going to be moving on to more complex exercises.

It is an interesting concept of having to teach someone something that does not understand your language. That is what we are doing with our dogs, right? We find a common ground – the lure – and then attach words to the movements and reward with the cookie when the movement is done correctly. Harder than it sounds – because we have to be exact as to when we reward. I wonder if there is a way to bring this into a human classroom where someone does not understand the language. As a substitute teacher, I am always looking for ways to reach each and every student. A bit harder as many times I am only with them for one day, yet, I don’t want that one day to be a “lost learning” day. So, how to use the concept of clicker training in the classroom – you have to find the right “lure”, right steps of the process and then “click” and reward at the right moment. Harder with humans, but intriguing still the same. A great challenge. Something to think about this summer.

Outside work - competition with the Ball

I have not been writing as much, but we have been working bits and pieces each day. As the weather is (finally!!) getting nice, we have been working outdoors on our little sports court in back. So – lately in the last few months – Pippin has been playing mainly ball in the back. I would work agility mostly with the ball throwing and some freestyle moves. Jeremy would also have Pippin work (one trick gets the ball thrown) but Peter just gives Pippin the free play time. All are fine. Peter does not think that Pippin has to work every time. Jeremy and I like to have him use his brain more as he is so OCD on that BALL!

So, when I bring the training stuff outside these last couple of days – big confusion!! He will work, but he keeps looking out into the ravine in case I throw the ball. The last couple of days has been a bit more frustrating for me as I feel that I am competing with the ball. But, patience is paying. The end of the sessions is ball time. But, we have fun during the sessions – great cookies – fun jumping – super petting.

I have been using my log to help me plan my sessions. He still loves platform work and today I was noticing the split attention that dogs can give. We were working on back paw work (3 & 4) and he can lift his back right just fine, but the back left gives him trouble. Here is the kicker – he is looking off into the ravine or neighbor’s yard while working. I am watching closely. He IS paying attention to me, yet he is also paying attention to over there. He does not miss a beat with me. Hmmm – while I am not thrilled with this, I do see that this can help with ring side distraction. If he can learn to give me the attention needed to work with me and still have that distraction – that can be really helpful. Yet I really NEED him to have 100% attention given to me and to learn to ignore that side yard. So – we are going to work in the back yard more often until I get that 100% and more. And then, when I can, move to other areas!

He loves movement work more than stationary work. Heck – most of us do. I remember in ballet as a kid – bar work was okay (stationary stuff) but what I really wanted was the center movement stuff where we really got to move. That’s Pippin as well. Yet – the stationary work is so important to get to the big movement stuff and I realize that I have to mix it up for Pippin so that way I don’t lose him. I can see why some people drop it as it is not as fun in their eyes. So – if we do some stationary work right into movement, back to stationary, etc then I can keep and build the attention and excitment (hopefully). Well – I tried this today and by the end of our 30 min, Pippin was tired, HAPPY, and he worked well with lots of good energy.

I am happy with my log. I am happy with my dog. What more could I want? (okay a back that can bend, but heck that is coming!)