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Showing posts from October, 2022

Week 3 Homework Maintenance Plan

  This is copied from another blog right now.  I am working on getting the appropriate directions and videos linked to this.   This should give you an idea, until I can finish it up and customize it for Dewey: The blue text below goes to the exercise directions and videos. Read through  the whole blog , if you have not already.  If you have, please be sure to read notes for training for Week 3 with the Exercise Directions and Videos linked below. Sit on The Dog  [ video ]  30+ minutes   This can be rotated on days that you are not doing Behavioral Downs or Long Place.   Goal:   To get your dog relaxed and chill in many different environments and scenarios.  When the dog lies down within five minutes or less, and is chill for much of that time, that is when you can up the challenge and distractions for the dog. Behavioral Downs  [ video ] varies between in time but the most has been  30 minutes  This can be r...

Week 3 Videos

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I neglected to get some ones of me working on the Week 3 differences with Dewey and with Explanation.  So I will be inserting videos of Sterling (on purpose this time) or another dog to demonstrate anything that I think you need, but might be lacking in the Week 3 videos that I did take of Dewey.  I forgot how distracted I can get during a lesson, and it's hard to video and explain at the same time. Expect more videos to be added, therefore. Relaxation Exercises: I meant to get you both doing them during the lesson.  So I don't have ones of Sit on The Dog or Behavioral Downs.   Those went pretty good during the lesson though, and you can refer to Week 2 or if I take some of Sterling. Long Place is essentially both an obedience and behavioral exercise at this point: Obedience Exercises: Electronic Collar Work Let's Go and Sit, and Getting Dewey off Long Line:

Week 3 Sit with Electronic Collar

Sit Reps with the Electronic collar: ***Some or all of these can be done in the above exercise, when the dog is called back to you.   Simply place them in a sit after a "let's go" or "come".   They can also be done as a stand alone. Equipment needed:    Electronic collar, flat or training collar for leash attachment, and long line or 6' leash. STEP 1:  . Make sure you have turned the electronic collar on correctly (use the vibrate button, which on the dogtra is the last button away from the antenna side).   Also make sure the collar was put on tight enough. STEP 2:   Come to a stop from whatever you are doing (walking with the dog or following the dog around).   Be sure that you have access to stepping on the long line fairly close to your dog.   In fact in the beginning, you may want to be stepping on it already. STEP 3:   Issue the command "sit". STEP 3A:   Give them a second.   If they sit within that time, be sure to tell t...

Week 3 Let's Go With Electronic Collar

Let's Go command.   So remember let's go means just move towards me.   You can tighten that up as much as you would like to be closer or farther away.   At the very beginning, I like them to come at least six feet from me. STEP 1:  Hold the long line appropriately through the handle STEP 2:  Begin walking your planned path until the dog is not following you anymore and has become distracted or not paying attention to what you are doing STEP 3:  At that point say "Let's Go" or "[Dog's Name] Let's Go" if you prefer. STEP 4A:  If the dog immediately comes towards you say "Good Boy" or "Good Let's Go".   STEP 4B:   If the dog doesn't (wait a couple of seconds to give them a chance, but not too long), use the top button (called the nick button) on the Dogtra collar and tap it repeatedly until the dog turns toward you, and then stop and encourage your dog forward STEP 4C:  If your dog gets confused or stuck with the tapping...

Week 3 Educator Collar Cheat Sheet

  Mannerly Mutts E-Collar Usage Notes (Educator) Online full manual link to Educator Collar      Turning E-Collar on and off. Two red dots (one on collar and one on remote) are magnets.  This turns off (or on) the collar only. Line them up. Test with vibration button, which is the lone button on the side 2.  Turning the remote on and off                 a.  Large button on back turns off collar (small button changes mode so don't touch that).                 b.  Hold the large button down until you see the screen on the front come on (or go off if                           you are shutting it off for the evening. Charging E-Collar Daily. Turn collar off AND remote before putting it on charger. Charger used with collar and remote. Round hole covered by rubber in back or side (remote) is where it plus ...

Week 2 Videos

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  Behavioral Exercises: Sit on The Dog in More Distractions (light, shadows, Sterling and Shana Close by): Behavioral Downs in more distractions and new environment (Sterling Loose, Mudroom, Shana and Robert in Kitchen on Other Side of Gate): Obedience Commands: Sits First Command and Correction When Needed in More Distractions (using food around light and shadows to start to wean away obsessive behavior): Still Sit Stays in Increased Distractions (Sterling, lights, shadows, dropped leash, walking around the room in increasing circles): Circle Sit Stays  in Increased Distractions (Sterling, lights, shadows, dropped leash, walking around the room in increasing circles): Transitional Leash Work: Let's go (rotated with send to place, duplicate video below in place section): Lured Heeling and Auto Sits: Traditional Heeling and Auto Sits: Attention to Name: Send to Place from Increased Distance and Distraction (rotated with let's go command=move towards me) : Circle ...

Week 2 Attention to Name

  STEP 1:   Your puppy should be on their 6' lead and a collar. STEP 2:    Be sure you are prepared with  kibble in your hand  BEFORE giving a command. STEP 3:   Say your puppy's name. STEP 4A:     Immediately upon your dog looking into your face (and not glancing immediately away), say your release word "yes" and deliver the food reward as you release them. STEP 4B:    If they do not look to you, first try calling their name again.   Give them 10 seconds in between so you aren't just rapidly firing off their name.   If they are just really enamored of something other than you, you could try to gently tug on their leash and see if they will turn.   You could also try to make a silly noise after you say their name.   Usually though, once they know what the deal is with the food reward, it does not take more than three times to get them to look at you. STEP 5:   Repeat from step 2. As you advance, you can...

Week 2 Stay with Distractions

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PROPERTY OF MANNERLY MUTTS DOG TRAINING AND ROBIN RUBIN. WE ONLY ALLOW PAYING CLIENTS TO COPY THIS MATERIAL FOR THEIR USE ALONE. THIS MATERIAL MUST NOT BE DISTRIBUTED TO OTHER NON-CLIENT PARTIES OF MANNERLY MUTTS WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION. NOTE ON STAYS:   DO NOT RUSH THROUGH THIS EXERCISE.   IF YOU STOP AT ONE SECTION, BUT DO THE BEST WORK POSSIBLE THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT.   IF YOU CAME HERE MORE ADVANCED, BUT HAVE TROUBLE AT ONE LEVEL, THEN BACK DOWN TO THE PREVIOUS LEVEL, AND GET THAT DONE CORRECTLY BEFORE MOVING ON.   CORRECTLY GOING ON MEANS THAT THE DOG CAN PERFORM THE TASK WITHOUT TREAT OR CORRECTION FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIMES. Equipment Needed: 6' Leash (to begin with) Training Collar (martingale, metal chain collar, or prong collar) 15' Leash (after four out of five stays while on the move with distractions can be accomplished at more than a 6' distance WITH distractions present) Explanation and Goal of Exercise:  The dog is required to ...

Week 2 Stay Command (the very beginning)

PROPERTY OF MANNERLY MUTTS DOG TRAINING AND ROBIN RUBIN. WE ONLY ALLOW PAYING CLIENTS TO COPY THIS MATERIAL FOR THEIR USE ALONE. THIS MATERIAL MUST NOT BE DISTRIBUTED TO OTHER NON-CLIENT PARTIES OF MANNERLY MUTTS WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION. NOTE ON STAYS:   DO NOT RUSH THROUGH THIS EXERCISE.   IF YOU STOP AT ONE SECTION, BUT DO THE BEST WORK POSSIBLE THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT.   IF YOU CAME HERE MORE ADVANCED, BUT HAVE TROUBLE AT ONE LEVEL, THEN BACK DOWN TO THE PREVIOUS LEVEL, AND GET THAT DONE CORRECTLY BEFORE MOVING ON.   CORRECTLY GOING ON MEANS THAT THE DOG CAN PERFORM THE TASK WITHOUT TREAT OR CORRECTION FOUR OUT OF FIVE TIMES. Equipment Needed: 6' Leash (to begin with) Training Collar (martingale, metal chain collar, or prong collar) Explanation and Goal of Exercise:  The dog is required to perform the position of the command, and stay there until the release word is given.   The handler/owner will be increasing the duration fir...

Week 2 Lured Heeling

  STEP 1:    Lure your puppy into a sit in heel position (puppy's shoulder should line up with your leg) on the side of you and facing in the same direction as you .  When sitting in position, you can give your puppy the food reward. STEP 2:   Before heeling, be sure to have a food reward in your left hand. STEP 3:   Now you want to stand straight with the treat now held above your dog's nose.   Remember though, that you still are luring him into the heel position that you want.  Arm should be extended slightly in front of you (not off to the side) to lure your puppy's head forward straight and slightly beyond your leg. STEP 4:   Say "heel" and step forward with your left foot.  Your treat hand should be held slightly in front of your puppy's nose. STEP 5   Go a number of steps forward (be sure that you can retain your puppy's focus (If it is difficult you probably need to reduce the steps).   If your puppy walks or veers ...

Week 1 Videos

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  Chill Behavioral Exercises: Sit on The Dog Video: Behavioral Down: Chill Obedience Exercises: Intro to Place (Step 1 of Place, Only Needed When Introducing to a New Place Object And\Or Environment): Send to Place (Step 2 of Place): Circle Place (Step 3 of Place): Long Place: (Step 4 of Place) Basic Obedience Exercises (these also benefit behavior): Sits with Correction When Needed: Heeling and Sits with Correction When Needed: Out Command and Play Training with Flirt Pole: Quiet in Crate Training in a Group:

Week 1 Sit With Correction Combined With Heeling

The goal for this week will be to do four in a row without needing the correction (which means it is very important to use the well timed correction when it is needed).   You will want to do this (with the heeling) for a half an hour a day. STEP 1 :  Heel with your dog, but be sure that your dog is in good heel position before preparing for the sit command.. STEP 2:    When ready say "sit" as you plant your left foot (while standing you will also close this up with your right foot, but you want to say sit while your dog is in good heel position to catch them as soon as possible---they will later learn to read this body language to create an auto sit).     Also keep your leash loose like a J next to the dog's neck when you say sit (no tension in the leash.   remember tension is only in times of correction) STEP 3: Give your dog one second, and have your leash prepared for the correction by having your hand down enough on t...

Week 1 Behavioral Downs

 STEP 1:  Place flat leash on the ground. STEP 2:  Step on the leash, but you do not want the leash tight on the dog or puppy.    They should be able to stand if they want, but not get too far away from you.  ***Note unlike sit on the dog we are standing, and also we need to start in a really quiet non distracting area first, whereas on sit on the dog you can get away with being in a much more distracting area. STEP 3:  Wait not only for the puppy to go down, but also, you want their chin to rest on the ground.   Additionally, you want them totally relaxed and not sniffing or still actively seeking to check out their environment. STEP 4:  Time how long it takes to 1st Target behavior (total body relaxed and everything on the ground including their chin) and then how long the puppy or dog remains in target behavior. STEP 5:  Once the puppy or dog lifts their head up or engages in the environment again, wait until the second target be...

Week 1 Long Place

  Long place is technically the 4th step in the overall place command:   First step is intro.  Intro is just walking the dog and letting them pass over it.  "Place" is said when all paws are on the place. Second step is teaching the dog to step on the place themselves. Third step is teaching them that there is a boundary they should not step off. Fourth step is beginning to proof and advance this exercise by having them keep themselves on the place for a period of time.   Trainer only gets involved if they try to leave. This teaches your dog that you might very well be in a seated position when they are in a place (while the third step has started the idea that you may be moving around the room).   This is tricky for dogs as they usually want to be petted or cuddled when you take a seat, but it is important that owners have time to read, work, eat a meal, and so on without constantly needing to pay attention to their dog.   Usually ...

Week 1 First Three Steps of Place

   THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PLACE (STEP 1): STEP 1:   Position your place equipment in the middle of the room. STEP 2:  Start walking your dog around the room. STEP 3:   Walk  with your dog over the place area.   When all four paws are in the place, say "place". STEP 4:   Repeat step three from every angle of the place mat or bed (remember dogs can totally interpret something as "just from this direction", so help them to learn to generalize the command by doing this). STEP 5:  After several (15 or so) repeats of this, stop short of the mat, and see if the dog is ready to step on themselves.   SEND TO PLACE (STEP 2): STEP 1:   You still have a leash and collar on your dog.   The place (board, mat, dog bed) item is in the middle of the room so you can walk around it, and use all sides to place your dog (so that they do not generalize). STEP 2:    Now as you a...

Week 1 Sit On The Dog

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Exercise: Sit on The Dog (do not confuse with the down exercise later on) Equipment needed: Metal Training Collar (for puppies a flat collar will due but be sure they can't slip their head out if it's too loose), 6' leather lead, chair for handler to sit on that they aren't too worried about (IE an antique chair would not be a good idea, especially for a dog that might try to chew something other than their toy while you aren't watching, but a good metal folding chair will do), silence which means no verbal commands, praise, or corrections. Also no conversations of any sort with your dog. Objective and Goals: This exercise starts the leadership portion of dog training in a very non confrontational way. You are defining the space and activity that the dog will inhabit while you are engaged in other activities. It starts the process of showing the dog how to quiet themselves down during certain times of day, and employ self control in distracting situations. You are...

Eight commands that will make your life easier

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Novice is the first non-optional level of the American Kennel Club's obedience trials. Three different judges must at least qualify a team with a score of 170 or higher in order for the participants to move onto the next levels, if they would like to. You can move onto open and utility trials after that. When people see these dogs in the ring, they think it's all about "pretty walking". It's actually about a lot more than that. Here are some exercises from the Novice trials, and their real life HEEL ON LEAD: Heel is a moving command and an exact position. The dog turns with the handler , and exhibits that their job is to move with and pay attention to the handler. Uses for this include, but are not limited to walking safely down city streets (teaches your dog to not be concerned with distractions), bringing groceries and dog from car to house, walking through unexpected distractions, taking a dog out of a situation that is about to become volatile, and just the ...

Four Levels to Complete the Training Process in Teaching Commands

I don't know if most of the dog owning public is aware of the levels that we pass through when teaching a dog a certain command. Here are the four levels that I usually think of: 1) Demonstrate to the dog what you want him to do .You can do this by positioning or luring your dog into position. Dogs need to be shown what to do, because they don’t naturally know the things we take for granted that older dogs have already been taught. Obviously they don't understand our verbal cues, and need to be shown what they will correspond to in the future. In the Demonstration phase, the command is verbalized in conjunction with the luring or placing the dog into correct position. 2) Teach your dog what you want him/her to do (consistency and repetition). Let them know this is not a one-time command performance. There are rewards for the correct completion of a task Be consistent. Don’t tell your dog to “sit” unless you are ready to help him/her into a sit if they don’t quite understand i...

Training Philosophy

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The two Dobermans are Jackie and Leon, who have unfortunately passed away.   The training they recieved allowed them to enjoy their life in this way. My philosophy on dog training is based on the idea of providing dogs the best and most full lives available in their domesticated situation with humans.    Training is a means to create a communication between two species, which do not share a common language.     Communication in the form of commands, body language, and demeanor are needed to develop through teaching and learning between the canine and canine owner.   It is more effective and efficient to be able to guide the dog what to do in situations, rather than have them guess what you would like them not to do, in my personal opinion.   In order for dogs to have the most freedom and exercise, commands must be able to be performed reliably in distracting real life situations in which they are likely to accompany their owners.   There...

Why Training Your Dog is Important

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So many people do not train their dogs.   Some humans don't want to.   Some humans feel their dog is already well mannered as it is.   Some people have gone to training classes but not left with a trained dog (trained to a standard, and I will discuss that in another article).  However, living with a trained dog makes life so much easier.   I only wish people knew that once the work was put in, living with your dog is a delight NOT a chore. Here are some reasons to train your dog that benefit both members of the team: · Your dog is happier because he/she understands what you want. What are people thinking when they ask an untrained dog to sit? I know the dog is thinking “Whattttt??????” Dogs are not born with an innate ability to understand English, even if to us those words are the most common commands used. If your dog isn’t trained, he/she has no idea what you want of him/her. They will try to figure it out, and try out a few options...

Glossary of common dog training tools and the definitions as Mannerly Mutts Dog Training uses them

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Through my experiences, readings, and discussions; these are the definitions that I have been coming up with to define terms that I use in dog training. It's important to note that other dog trainers or canine professionals may mean different things when these same terms are used. However, I try to remain true to these definitions, such as these, when I speak on dog subjects. Aggression ( I tend to untangle my definition from overlapping with fear or dominant as to the best of my ability) A canine with the confidence of forward moving action in order to further a goal. Associative Learning - As per wikipedia "Associative learning is the process by which an element is learned through association with a separate, pre-occurring element." Behavior Modification In dog training this is a series of steps and exercises that seek to improve a behavior in the domesticated canine that is seen as unsuitable to the human family or handler's purpose. (IE being a pet dog, a police d...