Level 1 Trainer Level 7 Dog: ZEN

Zen L1

"All together now - shhh!"

NOTE: Because Lily already knows this behavior, the trainer is working with a very high value treat to challenge Lily's self control in this situation.  For the novice trainer it simulates a dog with little or no training; for Lily it challenges her ability to demonstrate self control in the presence of a high distraction.  Win/Win for everyone.

• Step 1:  The dog moves off a treat held in your hand.  You are seated.
• Training Concepts:
• when to click
• "What you click is what you get"
• timing of treat delivery

• Training Concept:  When and how to add the Cue
• Present your closed fist with the treat inside
• Wait until the dog starts to move her nose away from your hand
• You say "No"
• You click and drop the treat

Mary Jane gives the "No" cue softly and quietly, building a good habit for herself and teaching Lily that "No" is just another cue, not a correction or an admonition.  GREAT JOB, MJ!!!

• Step 1 Comeafter
• Reteach the behavior in a different circumstance (This time the trainer is standing.)
• Training Concepts:
• Reteach, Remind, Review
• Generalization
• "When you change anything about the behavior, make everything else easier"
• Reteach from the beginning

• Step 2: The dog stays away from the treat in your closed fist for 5 seconds
• Training Concepts:
• Introducing the concept of Chutes & Ladders to add Duration
• Teaching something new, so we drop the cue

Cold Testing Step 2

Training Concepts:  Testing the behaviour "cold"

Step 2 Comeafters:  Reteach in a different circumstance
Training Concepts:

• the explanation is clearer from the dogs POV if you either drop the treat for her to get or if you give the treat from the opposite hand rather than "No you can't have it"/"Now you can have it"

Step 3: The dog stays away from the treat in your OPEN hand for 5 seconds
Training Concepts:

• Chutes & Ladders
• Building Duration - one second at a time.
• "See," you're saying.  "Zen works whether you can see the treat or not!  No treat until you hear the click!"
• When she's got the whole idea and she can stay away from your open hand for 5 whole seconds, THEN you put your cue back on the behavior

Step 3 Comeafter:  It's time to find someone else to teach your dog about hand Zen.

Training Concepts:

• In order to teach, you must first understand
• Break your explanation into tiny Splits (criteria)
• Explain "step by tiny step"

MJ explains Step 1
(Lily searches the Oriental carpet to find the treats)

PROBLEM - She backs off immediately - but she always bops my hand first!

She's built her first behaviour chain: bump, back off, hear click, get treat!
NOT what we were looking for, though!

(See p.   )

Chutes and Ladders to Add Duration

• With your fist in front of her nose you silently cout to ONE, click and drop the treat.  Reload.
• Present your fist with the treat in it.  She moves off it.  Silently count ONE TWO, click and drop the treat.  Reload.
• Every time she successfully stays away from your hand, she gets the click and treat, but the next time you add one more second to the count.

Re-teaching Open Hand Zen

Training Concept:

• Phil is a master at delivering the cue quietly.

Chutes and Ladders to Add Duration to Open Hand Zen

Training Concept:

• You're probably counting faster and faster as the time gets longer.  Don't shortchange the training already - this is the foundation of EVERYTHING you're going to teach her later.
• The more different ways you teach your dog something, the better she'll be at it.
• When she shows you that she understands, put your cue back on.  Until then, let the clicker communicate.