And here we have Vinnie the comedian 😂 He has dabbled with nose work but never done any formal training. He loves finding treats but being a sight hound, is very motivated by the movement of them being thrown. For him to work for a hidden, static item, without the movement, can lead to confusion and he starts offering me his repertoire of tricks. So we simplify things and start from the beginning. This video is about 5 "searches" in. For the first 3, he was able to watch me place the tin. For the last 2, I threw a treat away from me and while he was looking for this, placed the tin on the bench. As with all his activities, he gets there eventually - it just takes more repetition and baby steps! Being picky, I would like to work on the duration of his indication. If this was a hidden search, it might be unclear as to whether he has indicated a find or not, as he returns to me very quickly after finally "nosing" the tin.
This second video is of my old girl Maya and her first search with the scent 😊 A perfect example of how nose work is such a good activity for older dogs. Maya has quite severe arthritis and this is a good way to tire that terrier brain, while keeping her relatively calm 😂
She is less independent in her nose work and tends to look to me for cues and encouragement. I have done less search training with her and this is very evident (although this search was pretty impressive!). She is however, wonderfully steady with her searches and is also a lot closer to a passive indication than Ella, simply due to her natural behaviour when she finds something. Despite her all time favourite obsession being in her path (spot the ball?), she is able to continue with her search. What a little star 🌟
I think it's safe to say that the test run of "the scent" for this coming weekend has gone well! 🎉🎉 I'm very getting excited about it now 😊
I will share a few videos to demonstrate the way in which members of Team Watkins vary in their nose work styles. We are working with a sealed food scent here but I'm not asking for a passive indication. I just want to celebrate the find and each dog gets rewarded with praise and food from me.
Ella is a pro....confident to work away from me and very sure in her searches. She lives for nose work and her joy is obvious. She is nearly always "on it" until she makes the find and rarely needs her "seek on" prompt from me. She is a speedy worker but accurate with it. Her default habit is to retrieve the item for me and I'm ok with this! We are now only doing this for fun 😊 Before I became unwell we had started working on her passive indication but we haven't yet had a chance to continue with this.
This is a short video of Ella's very first search with this new scent. She had been introduced to the scent indoors just before this ☺️
"I know a song that will get on your nerves...get on your nerves...."
11 years of age.....and still behaving like an over tired toddler. The chatter is about a toy under the bed. Tired and content terrier fighting her tenacious character!
Peaceful snoozing has since commenced. 😍
And the Oscar for the best "Let's Worry Mum Stupid" act goes to Maya Watkins.......who I thought at one point this morning was going to need an emergency vet visit. I'm not one to overreact to dog illness....in 11 years, Maya has never visited the vet for anything!! But she is now starting to show signs of her health deteriorating a bit 😞 She was an extremely poorly little mite today and really scared me ....😢
Think it's safe to say she's feeling a little better this evening as she has just presented me with her ball 😊 Phew!
Today has been a day of huge improvements! Most of all, I need to mention this little chap, Max.
I have been working with this gorgeous dog for a little while now. He is currently looking for a new home. His dubious start in life means he missed out on some vital socialisation and as a result, the big wide world has been a little too much for him....especially other dogs. He can also be quite wary of strangers. Both of these things need work but with ongoing training and input, his behaviour with other dogs has improved and he can now happily socialise with dogs he knows. He is also fine with people once he has met them without pressure.
This short video shows how wonderfully responsive he is and how willing he is to please. When I first met him, he showed almost no focus or connection, especially around distractions. Today he recalled away from distractions, watched quietly as other dogs moved within view and was calmer and quieter on the lead.
He definitely needs an experienced home but I am sure that with time and in the right environment, this little cheap will excel! Most of all, I am delighted at the all the commitment and hard work that has been put in to get him this far. The progress is wonderful!
I was delighted to meet and teach such a wonderful group of dogs and their people today! The weather was against us but thanks to Rexon Stud and their wonderful facilities we had a great indoor space to work in!
A huge thank you to everyone for attending. Your handling, respect, and questions were perfect! 🌟
Team Watkins were so patient today and seeing as I had a load of cocktail sausages that needed using up....we had some silly fun when we got home! This is the perfect example of high value rewards and the enthusiasm they generate! 😂
The addiction started too young....and there was no going back.....
Is it possible to be born with dogs in your genes? 😂
Terriers....who'd have em' huh?
Well actually me and countless others! They are fabulous dogs and bright as a button and very trainable.
This gorgeous little one loves life and people but does like to vocalise about all this and greet with huge enthusiasm....and quite persistently! She is also very quick to bark at noises. People arriving at the door is a particularly "barky" time and today we started work on helping to quieten things a bit.
Her mum is amazing and had already made her crate a really positive place to be, so we used this to our advantage!
Today we worked on
• Find it games
• Shaping games with the crate
• Slight desensitisation to the door knock
• Pairing the door knock with "go to your bed" cue, that she already knows
• How to eventually fade the cue
The ultimate aim is that when the door goes, this fab little one will take herself off to bed....and quietly! But to just be able to stop the barking is a huge achievement.
She was an unbelievable superstar and by the end of the session wanted to stay in her bed!! 😂
Gorgeous little Pip, the 15 week old terrier. Working on confidence building and bonding with her lovely young humans! ☺️
The Team and I have had such a fantastic day at the Cully Fun Dog Show! What a huge turnout! Our stand was busy from start to finish.
We have met little and large, old and young, confident and nervous, calm and boisterous, pure breeds and mixed breeds.....all of them wonderful!
I have talked about epilepsy, hip dysplasia, core strength, training tips, behaviour, scent work, ground work, McTimoney, zoopharmacognosy, hydrotherapy, foundation agility....the list is endless!
We used the Buster activity mat and a course of groundwork exercises to demonstrate training skills, confidence building, body awareness, strengthening and to help with some behaviour issues.
A huge thank you to Anne from Top to Tail for inviting me! And for my yummy sushi lunch! 😊
Questions that come up in training....
"How long will I have to use treats for?" and "what happens if I forget my treats".
Answers....
• Food is not the only reward - praise, play and releases can also be used
• Used correctly food forms positive associations and a solid reinforcement history....this is different from bribing with treats or becoming reliant on them.
• The stronger the reinforcement history, the more likely the dog is to perform a behaviour - even when treats are not available.
• Well-timed, variable reinforcement schedules can hugely strengthen behaviours - so once something has been trained, it is ok to not use a food reward for every single behaviour.
• Learning to chain behaviours together that offer an integral reward is a great way to train (releases are a great example)....sometimes this can involve the Premack Principle, where a high probability behaviour can reinforce a low probability behaviour.
• Relationship building and fun, go a long way to help with training. Engaging in activities with your dog will increase the bond.
In this video, I have no treat rewards with me....not even an empty treat bag. I also have no toys. It is not a video about slickness of behaviours, training or timings (or filming skills for that matter 😂). It is a fun demonstration of how we don't always need to use food as a crutch!
***TIME TO ANNOUNCE THE COMPETITION WINNERS***
With a little help from my trusty companion Ella Watkins!!
A huge thank you to all who entered and shared and reviewed. Word of mouth and support like this mean the world to a small business like mine!
(Thank you Pauline Jackson for provision of some of the items from our tracking kit!!)
Impulse Control.....can it be taught??
Well I certainly think so. Some argue not. And I've even heard it referred to as "torture" for dogs.
Water is possibly Ella's biggest joy in life....yes....in fact....it even ranks above food!! Once upon a time, there was no stopping her near water. Even from a huge distance away she would want to be in! On the lead she would lunge and even scream out of frustration to get to the water.
Here we see one of the results of loads of fun training! The other being a recall away from water (a video I have posted before). As you can see, the release to the water is her reward and I think you'll agree she's very happy! She does so well here as the other dogs are free and loose and Maya is already by the water!
I would suggest that the really positive training process that leads to this being possible, is better than having a dog who is in a highly stressed state due to frustration.
I believe impulse control is important, can be taught and can be great fun for the dog. Start young and see the results!
I think it's safe to say that my lovely boy Bruce is doing rather well at the age of 9! An ex-racer who was retired due to lameness at the young age of 3. Even now, it's easy to see why he won races....his speed and power are immense....and this isn't full tilt!
He receives off-lead walks at least 5 days a week and chooses whether or not to let off steam like this. He rarely goes lame but can get a little stiff in his hindquarters. He is regularly treated with massage and McTimoney.
I hope his good health continues for many years. Greyhounds are sadly prone to some serious problems 😔
