Laddering Distractions in Balboa Park

This is the beginning of a summer schedule of training sessions in Balboa Park with "the Levels musketeers".  We will be USING Levels behaviors of our choice as we ladder distractions.  Handling distractions requires attention and focus.  This is our first day in the park.  We are training in the parking lot behind the Sports Museum.  This location is the least trafficked parking lot in Balboa Park with minimal passing distractions.  We will not be training new behaviors.  This will be Comeafter work.  There are no shortages of distractions in Balboa Park!


Target Level 4 Step 1 teaches the Go Out from heel position (left arm), return to right side and circle back to Heel position.  Level 4 works on increasing the distance.  The Balboa Park video shows me that I was still sending Lily from a distance AND including the L4S1 go out and return behavior.  Yet, my criterion were to use Target Level 3 to ladder Distractions AND to increase Lily's Paws Up Duration.  I plan to continue the go out and return as taught in Level 4, but will not add distance beyond 5' while we focus on duration and distractions.

This is where we began the day, with Lily off leash in her "comfort zone" ...  her spot in her car.  Target Level 3 Step 3 with added distance.  It also incorporates all of the Level 3 Jump behavior, which focuses on remaining in the car, unleashed and under self control, with distractions occuring all around.

Cathy left Monty in her car, also unleashed, and I began clicking for contact with both dogs.  During this session, Monty was eventually able to give 5 seconds of Eye Lock.  When Monty's focus wandered, I treated Lily.  She was content to lie in her car watching the world go by, occasionally giving me uncued eye contact, while I work with Monty.  Focus Level 3 Step 3.

Cathy works on eye contact with all three dogs.  This is great distraction training for Lily because I am seated right there on the tailgate of Jan's car and am the greatest distraction from Lily's POV.

One of my goals of this summer distraction work is to teach Vest/ No Vest while laddering more and more distractions.  Today Lily worked briefly in her new balance training harness.  In this video I am working on developing counter pressure w/o a cue.  Resisting the pull.  In daily life I am alternating between Lily's Raspberry Fields vest and just wearing this new ActiveDogs balance harness.  I am training counter balance at home.  Today in BP Lily's focus is good and she has a good distraction threshold, so I am training (vs using).  This also included LL Level 3 from the new book, Target L6 and SDW (all levels) from Steps to Service.

Another Vest/ No Vest opportunity.  Ignoring playing children.  Setting up the environment, using a tether and an x-pen divider.  I want to give Lily an opportunity to make her own decisions here without any input down the leash.  The x-pen is intended to be a visual "safety net" between Lily and the children.  However.......further in the session but unfilmed, two boys rolled down the grassy incline, knocking over the x-pens onto Lily.  She handled it with aplomb. but.....  So much for the theory:  "control the environment".  Ha!  That could have been a formula for a big problem.  Next time?  I haven't decided yet if Lily will be vested.  My reasoning FOR vesting....and the entire exercise.... was to give her the confidence that when vested there is no child interaction.

Relax Level 3 Step 2:  Dog settles for 3 minutes in sight of other dogs playing.  Not captured on video, but Lily gave me 3 minutes of Relax, on her side, head down, with all of the above mentioned distractions going on around her.  The dogs weren't playing, but they were actively working.  I will be regularly using this behavior as we ladder distraction this summer.  Interestingly, I had Lily's car carpet square on the ground for her to lie on.  She chose the asphalt of the parking lot.

On the Road ..... again

The Level II CRO signs, description and courses are ready to go (rearranged re: Sue and Jan).  The large jump is out and easily packed alone.  My new cones are bagged.  We began this morning incorporating Distance "Go By"/"Away" using various targets - a single cone, a mat, one of the Treibballs.

So just with the behaviors in this new CRO Level, we will utilize Jump, Distance, Down, Sit, Change, Tuck, Side, Target.  In new and different contexts.

Now that I have reorganized equipment, Lily and I can easily return to train at the Marina.  We can go to Tidelands.  I want to walk through these new courses (5 and 4).  Jan is coming down next Wednesday to "play CRO" with us.


Adverbs


When watching an excellent training video on Treibball by PawState U, I was struck how this exercise with the Treibball as the target is really the same Go Out/There (Sit or Down) behavior that we began working on with Sue.  So this morning we worked a little more on going out to a target, stopping on cue and performing either Sit or Down or remain standing.

Then I changed targets, from the Treibball to a cone.

Then I removed the target altogether.  But Lily looks for a target and goes to the mat.  I was standing behind the camera and directing with my left arm.  When that didn't move her, she listened to what I was asking ... and moved.

Next I used the same cue, There with Down, and instead of sending out, I used it for a Drop on Recall. Lily still prefers downing on carpet instead of tile!  (Who can blame her?)

Now I have to decide just exactly how precise I want her response to the There cue to be and train for it.  For Treibball is would be very important.  For Rally, not so much.  Would there be a reason for more precision in every day life?

GTM from a distance

..... using multiple mats.

Somewhere between Level 3 and Level 4 and using skills from both Levels, Lily and I have been using mats and Treibballs to do some "out of the Levels box" directional behaviors.

Teaching your Dog Directional Control

...from Treibball Training Tips list

We began at the beginning....the first chart.  Here is our progression:

• one mat
• round gray mat
• I was in front of mat, approx 5' away
• directed with body position and verbal GTM cue
• moved mat, but I returned to my original position and directed from there
• moved mat a 3rd time, directed from original position

• using 2 mats
• round gray mat
• white mat
• I was between the 2 mats, approx 5' away
• Using GTM cue (Go Lie Down), body position, I direct Lily to mat of choice and reward in position
• CRITERIA: go to the directed mat and lie down, facing me
• changed my position
• standing in front of left mat and directing
• standing in front of right mat and directing

• add a third mat in between the two
• new floor mat
• mats now about 5' apart
• standing in front of new mat, approx 5' away
• added my left arm with palm upright when body position and cue were not sufficient
• directed in same manner to all 3 mats randomly

• standing in front of left mat
• Lily had her first hesitation here
• but when I put the old white mat in the center and the new floor mat on the right that "explanation" simplified the job and Lily responded correctly

• standing in front of the right mat
• standing in front of the center mat

That's where we are after our first morning.  Each clip within each video is a separate training session where Lily was free to do whatever she chose.  The next time we practice, a fourth mat will be added (per the chart above).  I'm really space challenged in our house, so this behavior will be moved outside sooner rather than later!