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.