Lily's New Vests for Counter Balance

Web Master

Ruff Wear

(used by Wildrose Kennels Diabetic Alert Dogs)

Once again, Sue was right!  This is Lily's newest harness to provide counter balance.  It is the Web Master by Ruff Wear.  It shares the weight/pressure between 5 points on Lily's body.

The pockets are attached by Velcro.
I am experimenting with them
Pockets are Collar Wallets by Outward Hound.
The handle runs parallel to Lily's spine.
The vest was designed to assist the dog when hiking by pulling and lifting.

I'm still adjusting the body straps.

All straps are cushioned and connected to each other.

Lily slips her head through the front, then lifts her right leg through the attached straps.  Then the two body straps are fastened.  This is the L/XL.  I also ordered the vest in a M, but when I first put it on her I could immediately tell that it was too small.

Padded Vest

ActiveDogs
(used by TLCAD for children and adults)

This vest is also used to provide counter balance.  But the placement of the straps is totally different.

Neither vest is designed to support the weight of downward pressure.

They are designed to provide counter balance.

The single body strap is not connected to the chest strap.

The handle is placed perpendicular to Lily's spine.

Two of the three d-rings could be used to add a bridge handle.
Both this harness and the Web Master above have a ring where the leash can attach.
Both vests are padded.
This vest is a L.

NOTE:  ActiveDogs applied the Service Dog patch before sending it to me.  It is obviously off-center.  When I called them about it, they said that removing the patch would leave holes and did not offer a replacement vest.  I am going to carefully remove the stitching and have my shoe repair sew it on correctly - holes or not.  Can't help myself!  I have tried "living with it" for over a month.  I can't.

UPDATE:  When I removed the Service Dog patch (no holes!) I discovered that the entire stomach strap containing the handle and two of the three D-rings had been sewn on off center as well.  I photographed all the discrepancies and measure distances and e-mailed Amy at ActiveDogs.  After some discussion, ActiveDogs is sending me a replacement vest.

This and That

We've been taking the jump out to the Marina and incorporating it in play, in Retrieve, in Level 4 Focus (Look!  Hup!), figure 8s.

Finally bit the bullet and bought a Bosu at Target.  It fits nicely under Lily's pause table.  That's an added bonus!  I have partially inflated it and am playing shaping games with it with Lily.  Standing and sitting, primarily.  All 4 on the Bosu.

Continuing to build Paws Up duration w/trees and PB.  More often than not now it's flat pads on the tree trunk.  I'm going to find other people's stucco walls to smear the PB on......maybe on base, BP, elsewhere.  Although it hoses off easily, I must admit.

We've returned to the alley with my sidewalk chalk - drawing out the Bullseye and Ray diagrams for Front practice.  The alley is a wonderful place to train because the distractions are alluring and always changing.  Plus it's right outside the back gate.

Lily's seizure alert training blog has been moved to its own location, separate and apart from our other blogs.  There are many wonderful people assisting us in this work and referring to it - both as contributors and as coaches.

Lily is wearing her harness/vests almost all the time now in our public work.  Even with the Synvisc injections making my knees pain free, I find myself relying more and more on Lily for counter balance.  She has figured out the counter balance and now just automatically switches mode.  So glad to have the new vests.  I am going to have the shoe repair sew Velcro on the Web Master so that I can add the Ruff Wear pockets.  I'm still looking for the right patch indicating Emergency Medical Information.

We are both enjoying working on L4 Focus.  It's a fun behavior.  We've moved to Step 2 with Look! Get in the car!  Look! Go thru the door!  Look!  Jump the jump!  Lily is easily picking up the arm cue to the Left and to the Right.  At some point in the future I will add the Left and Right cues, but I for the moment, I want to keep the Focus training "pure" and train by the Levels.

I'm really impressed by the training done by Wildrose Kennels - Gentlemen's Gundogs.  The pictures of the dogs all on tables in the open while the trainer washes his car has inspired me.  The self-control exhibited by all the hunting dogs is truly impressive.  And the work they do with their young puppies equally inspirational.  What a class organization!  Rachel Thornton - you are truly blessed.  Thank you for inviting Lily and me to your next DAD weekend at Wildrose.

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.

Working with the Balance Handle

This post is a work in progress.  As I think more, I am amending and adding to it.

I am beginning to train with Lily wearing her new vest with the balance handle.

I am listening to Robin (Walters) and the things that she is learning and doing transferring Jonathan to guiding on her right side.

I began this evening with short LL Level 2 sessions with Lily on my right side wearing the new vest.  I am finding that position is important when using the handle.  And Lily doesn't know what I want when I put upward pressure on the handle.  To be honest, I am not sure just what I want either, but I am interested in observing her reactions.

I will be using Lily as a counter balance.  I immediately saw that Lily generalized the Step 1 "give in to the pressure" from her collar to the vest/handle.  When I pull slightly to the side, she moves toward me.  When I lift the handle for support, she is truly puzzled.  She doesn't know how to move up into the pull!!!

Now I'm thinking about Brace (my Stand cue) and utilizing the Opposition Reflex!  I may need to teach Lily to use her Opposition Reflex to counter balance,  provide resistance against the handle.  Hmmmmm.

"Counter balance" is a good term.  Robin J introduced it to me as a description of how I intend using the new vest with the balance handle.  Counter balance describes what I will be asking of Lily.

I learned when beginning the Emergency Telephone Retrieve to define my criteria BEFORE beginning the training.  So although I will spend time with Lily wearing the vest and with me "experimenting" to determine how best to mitigate my needs.....I must also be very precise in defining those needs AND defining my criteria before training and before inadvertently sending signals to Lily which may be changed later.

This is also giving wonderful practice in "vest on/ vest off" = on duty/ off duty.  I will be building a stronger "release and be a dog" when working off leash and the vest is removed.


From Sue:

IME, once the dog has a really good idea of and practise with LLW, adding a
slight pull on a harness or other type of collar and lead usually comes pretty
naturally. Since the tack I use for a slight pull is always different from the
tack I use for LLW, and since the dog already gives me LLW no matter what she's
wearing, I can merely add a tiny pressure to the new tack and reward when she
responds to my pressure by giving me her own. If she doesn't give me her own, I
can pull back a little harder and lure or encourage her forward, then click when
she responds by increasing the pressure. I'm always thrilled when I have to
encourage a dog to pull on the cart harness because as soon as she feels the
pressure of the cart holding her back she thinks "Oops, LLW!" and moves back to
relieve the pressure.

(BTW, this whole scenario starts with the dog standing still and me clicking her
for meeting my pressure just as I used to click her for giving to it).

When the dog starts to meet my backwards pull by pulling forward to match it, I
click her for that.

When she gets into the spirit of the thing (and nearly everybody does sooner or
later) and adds more pressure than necessary, I release the pressure I'm putting
on (for instance, drop the harness handle) and revert immediately to asking for
LLW on the regular tack.

The bottom line, then, is that MEETING my pressure is rewarded, but EXCEEDING it
is punished.

This is a very useful behaviour - not just for service dogs that will be pulling
or balancing people, but for guide dogs, for carting and sledding dogs, and for
show dogs, who are normally shown pulling forward into a tight lead (but not
pretending they're in a weight-pulling contest). I was really excited about how
quickly Syn understood the exact amount of pressure she was supposed to put on a
show lead, even considering that she already had extensive experience with LLW
and adding pressure with carting and balancing.

Sue Eh?

References:

• Steps to Service 
• Vested/ Non Vested
• Teamwork II:  Nordenson and Kelley  (now on eBook format) 
• bracing and pulling behaviors
• counter balance