Freestyle Level 1 – Week 5

Review:

Adding Movement

Once our dog has a solid understanding of the freestyle behaviors we can start combining them.  We call this process “chaining” the behaviors.  We can take more steps in heel , then add a spin, a leg weave, or an around.
In the video below I start by click/treating the stop in heel as well as click/treating the spin.  My dog gets a click/treat for each behavior.  Later I only click/treat the second behavior, the spin.  I am chaining the heel behavior and the spin behavior together, I click/treat after that chain is complete (after the spin).  As always, we want to follow push-drop-stick to make sure we are ready for this.

“Go Around”
In class we used a circular x-pen frame to teach an “around” behavior.  Remember to “arrange the environment so the right behavior is easier to perform than the wrong behavior”.  In this exercise our dog walks clockwise around us, starting and ending in heel position.  In the video below I show the progression from luring, to exaggerated hand signal, to reduced hand signal.  I like to use the opposite hand as the cue for around.

Verbal Cues

We can start adding verbal cues for our tricks once our dog clearly understands our hand signals and responds to them enthusiastically (is in the Goldilocks Zone).  There is no rush to add a verbal cue, so better to wait until you’re sure your dog is ready.  Say the verbal cue first, then pause, then do the hand signal.  Gradually increase the time of the pause between verbal cue and hand signal to see if the dog understands the verbal.  Your dog will learn that the verbal cue predicts the hand signal and will start responding to the verbal without waiting for the hand.  We sometimes call this ‘jumping the hand cue‘, because the dog doesn’t wait for the hand signal but responds to the verbal instead.
Verbal cue for Heel:
In class we began using the verbal cue for heel on a platform.  First we make sure our dog has a solid heel behavior on the platform with no cue (the presence of the platform is the cue for the dog).  Next, do a reset toss and say the verbal cue “heel” just as your dog finishes the treats and starts to move towards the platform.  This will begin implanting the verbal cue for heel, we aren’t done yet!  We will work more on verbal heel next week.

Verbal cue for Leg Weave:
Warm up by taking a single step and using a hand signal to get a leg weave.
To add the verbal cue:
  • Start with your feet parallel.
  • Say “weave” (or your chosen cue).
  • Then take a step with the leg on the opposite side of the dog.
  • Then do the hand signal with the hand on the opposite side of the dog.
If your dog is on your left in heel position you will say the verbal cue first, then take a step with your right leg.  Follow up with a hand signal from your right hand to cue the weave.  See below (notice that my first set in the video is a warm up with no verbal):

Verbal cue for Spin:
     I suggest holding off on a verbal spin cue until your dog has a really robust spin on a hand signal.  But when you feel ready here’s how I would proceed:  First do a few hand signal spins to make sure our dog is solid with the hand signal.  To add the verbal cue we say “spin”, then pause, then do the hand signal.  At first we pause briefly between the verbal and the hand signal.  After several repetitions we start increasing the pause between verbal and hand signal to a couple of seconds to see if our dog can respond to just the verbal.  If your dog doesn’t respond to the verbal then provide the hand signal as a reminder.  Look to see if you dog starts ‘jumping the hand signal‘ and responding to the verbal.
     In the video below I show Popeye and me working on a right-side spin, I use the verbal cue ‘turn’.  He is still learning the verbal and you can see how he starts to get it.  I mark as soon as he starts the turn to tell him that’s what I want.  Then I use the hand signal to help him finish the behavior.  Later I give the verbal without moving my hand.  It may take several sessions to get the verbal going, and you will need to start off with the hand signal for a while to get them warmed up.

Homework:

1.  Practice the “Around” behavior:
  • Use an x-pen or the end of a hallway with three close walls.
  • Start in heel position and use your right hand to lure your dog clockwise around you.
  • Have a treat in your left hand to lure your dog into heel from behind your back.
  • Next use an empty right hand to lure your dog and a treat in your left hand to finish the movement into heel.
  • Gradually shift to using an empty right hand to cue the ‘around’.  Use push-drop-stick to get you and your dog there!
2.  Optional exercise. Practice a spin on a platform:
Using a platform will help our dog start and end the spin in a nice heel.  Make sure your dog has a really solid heel on the platform before trying the spin. In the video below I am not using the verbal because I want to focus on getting a really clean heel before and after the spin. Later we could add the verbal cue to this exercise.  See below:

3.  Practice a spin in heel position while walking:
  • Get your dog into heel position.
  • Take a few steps maintaining heel, stop and mark/treat.
  • Give the hand signal for spin and mark/treat if your dog completes a spin.
  • I recommend just using the hand signal spin for now and practice the verbal spin in a separate exercise.
  • Feed for Position by presenting the food in such a way that helps your dog end the behavior in a good tight heel.  You will typically feed the dog a little to the outside of their head to help their body finish the rotation of the spin.
4.  Practice spins, leg weaves, and arounds while heeling.
  • See if you can take a few steps in heel, then stop, then do a spin, leg weave, or around. See the video in the Review section above.  Don’t get too greedy!  Remember push-drop-stick, get 5 successes in a row before advancing to a harder level.
 5.  Practice using verbal cues for heel, spin, weave, and around. There is no rush for this, so wait until your dog is really solid with the hand signal.
  • Look at the review videos above for adding verbal cues. For the around behavior you will follow the same pattern to add the verbal. Once your dog is really solid with the hand cue you will say the verbal first (I use use the cue “around”), wait a second, then give the hand signal. Increase the delay between verbal and hand signal up to a few seconds until your dog responds to the verbal. This will take several sessions and you will probably need to give your dog hand signal reminders throughout the process.

 

For the future:

     Here are some moves you can do by combining heel, leg weave, spin, and around.   We will experiment with some of these in our last class. Once my dog can do several moves in a row I like to use toys as a reward.  The video below shows us working with distraction.  A person walks by (I didn’t plan that!) and Popeye glances at him but goes back to heelwork.  He’s had a long reinforcement history (he’s been rewarded for these behaviors over many years) so its easier for him to continue with the behavior rather than respond to the distraction.