Self-Study

Subject to change-because again, I am writing frantically.  :)

Week 2.5: Training with a Competing Motivator

Goal:

Handler does an easy training session with a competing motivator nearby-at the level of where the dog is at, then gradually works closer.

This concept is about getting you and your dog used to training with one type of reinforcement with another type sitting nearby. For some of you this will be easy, especially if you've been doing this since the dog was a puppy. For others, the concept will be new to both you and your dog, so you'll have to start with the competing reinforcement out of reach or far away distance wise. 

Why?

 Because if your dog cannot perform simple cues around another reinforcement that you can control (distance wise and access wise), then distractions "out in the wild" will be that much harder! We start teaching the dog this concept from day one, and it becomes easier for them to look and dismiss things you don't want them to have.

Pre reqs:

Marker cues for the different reinforcements

If this is hard for your dog-then you need to also attach cues to the different reinforcement sessions to make it clearer-for example-Food for a food training session while a toy is on a nearby chair, or Toy- for playing with a toy near an open bait bag. 

Ideally you would also be using reinforcement you control for this-like food treats and a reinforcement that the dog is really attracted to. This could be another bag of treats-perhaps equally yummy, or higher value, or a toy for a dog who also likes toy play. If your dog doesn't like either of these very much, be creative. Perhaps your dog really likes other people and you can park a friend nearby-give them a drink and tell them to play on their phone! Or your dog likes to swim and you have easy access to water and can do multiple sessions at various distances from the swimming area.

Ideally you'll work through this in order-however this is incredibly dog dependent. If you have a dog that doesn't understand this concept and gets frustrated, loud and possibly aggressive, we'll have to problem solve in a different order. 

Training session needs to be easy skills. So if working with food, ask for short, easy behaviors at first, like hand touches and spins. 

Steps:

CR (Competing Reinforcement) out of reach-and at a distance that your dog notices but is not bothered. This is super dog dependent, but a good distance to try is 20 ish feet-across a room and on a chair or desk, counter, hanging on a fence, etc...

Ideally you would be off leash, but if you cannot bet me 1000 dollars that your dog will not leave you to access the CR, then you need to be on leash.

You'll do an easy training session with the treats-not giving the dog the CR

As the dog is able-in separate training sessions-move the CR closer and more accessible. This might look like still at original distance but on the floor instead of the chair or closer but still on the chair. It's your choice whether to move the CR closer or the dog training session closer (this might be dependent on what the CR is-can't move that swimming lake closer!)

However long it takes-eventually you are training right on top of the CR and the dog is paying attention to you and what you have. 

and 

Then go through all the distance steps again, but this time, when you feel your dog is paying attention to you and not thinking about the CR, you will give them access!

After access, set it all up again. The training session will be easier-now that the dog understands to cue to access the CR, or HARDER-now that the dog knows the CR is "in play". Again, incredibly dog dependent. 

Here is Talic demonstrating exactly what I want you striving for-a dog that trains for what you have, not what they would prefer or see in sight and think they should have. My dogs grow up with this concept, so it is easy when they are adults. But definitely not easy with a puppy!

Here is Ion as a young dog showing easy behaviors before I allow him access to the protection helper/person. This person signifies fun arousal barking and biting a toy and the dogs with Ion's temperament and training really enjoy this. Ion would probably take access to the helper person over anything else in his life. 

I am using food and a toy to reinforce Ion and the helper is about 30 feet away from me, near where the camera person is. You can see Ion has a heavy harness on-this harness signifies "protection training" to him, and his arousal goes up with it. You can also see him get excited when I switch from the leash on collar to leash on harness, another pre cue to protection.

He's definitely not perfect here. He vocalizes, glances over, and if I didn't have the leash on, he'd definitely leave me!

There is no volumn on the video because of other people talking. 

Homework:

Show me a session of you and your dog working through this concept!

Ideally I would know what reinforcement you are using and where the competing reinforcement is and what it is.