🌟 E collar conditioning 🌟
The most misunderstood piece of equipment for most of my clients before they meet me. Most folks tend to use this tool as only brakes or a way to say stop that. I want to use it as a signal to perform action first. We can totally condition a dog to perform an action based on the tactile communication of the e collar without a verbal or physical cue. Now that's only one piece of the pie but it is achievable and I do it often.
Basically I prefer to give the dog the answer to the test and have them performing a behavior on cue with 90% or greater accuracy. To do that we use a ton of marker training with food and then introduce leash pressure. After that the e collar conditioning phase is almost always a cake walk, sure there are outliers. But this way we can stay very low on our collars. Your dog will toughen up over time and levels will increase slightly maybe one or two levels.
All this work prepares us for the day we start training in public amidst distractions and may need to tell the dog NO via tactile communication. But now your dog knows what the answer is and what pressure means. We've taught them a language between us.
There are other methods such as skipping the leash pressure and connecting the stim to a very well known cue or through shaping. I do use those methods quite a bit also but I don't recommend them to my clients as they do take some real precise timing and you can create training scars if you're not careful.
Lucy is crushing it and we'll be out on the town in no time!
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Liberty Canine
Columbus, GA
#Doberman #ecollar #dogtraining #dogtrainer
First remember there are no absolutes in dog training.
But as a general rule of thumb once I start naming behaviors I will begin to increase the duration in behavior just a little before I mark and pay. I do not generally go too far with this because I really want to get to collar conditioning before the dog decides to break behavior.
Once we're collar conditioned I can be impersonal about the corrections. The dog thinks they made the correction happen versus seeing and feeling me apply the correction with a leash (if done properly). Don't get me wrong we can and should correct with leash and collars but in my opinion the true clarity generally comes when they make the choice and the dog thinks they caused the correction.
Adding a little duration early just helps continue to shape that the behavior is about more than simple getting in to position.
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Liberty Canine
Columbus, GA
#dobermanpinscher #doberman #obedience
Dozer is learning to down at distance and in motion.
In the bird dog world stopping a dog (whoa/stand) with verbal cues is a huge asset. We use it for field work but also safety in situations we encounter hazards such as roads, unfamiliar dogs, etc.
Well in the pet world we use down instead of whoa. This helps us maintain control of our animals forward progress and prevent situations that could potentially be hazardous.
We start this, generally, once we are off leash heeling and downing very well. From there it's pretty straight forward. -R on the e collar, issue the down command, and keep walking. You only need a step or 2 in the beginning then issue your marker and pay in position. As you progress walk faster and further away as well as vary your payment. A lot of times with this I pay in position heavily then progress to paying out of position with food and play to create reward events. This keeps it fun and fresh for your dog.
Sometimes using leashes is a huge plus. I like 10' - 30' leashes for this so I can get the dog away from my helper and keep them from attempting to complete a recall. This way we can isolate the performance of the behavior and start shaping the picture. Then we can jump into the methods described above.
Remember take it slow, be gentle, and once they begin to offer the behavior you know you're close to being done. This generally only takes a session or two. Baby steps!
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Liberty Canine
Columbus, GA
#shepherd #dogtraining #dog
Dozer needs a reboot.
Dozer has been e collar conditioned previously but the collar has turned in to just a "no-no" button with his new owners instead a motivator to take action. I felt it appropriate to counter conditioning that before moving on with him.
It's simple classical conditioning. Apply stimulation, release stimulation, mark, pay. Levels must be extremely low and the hope (food or toy) should be pretty high value.
After this is complete I will start tagging my stim to not only reinforce my cues, but to my markers and " free cue" as well continuing to show stim equals good things even while working.
Now I didn't come up with this and I give credit where do. I learned this from @southernstate_k9 and @jrigk9. Both great trainers and people so if you're following me and not them you should be.
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Liberty Canine
Columbus, GA
Do you want a better #birddog ? We all know consistently having live training birds is a struggle. Use this to supplement your training for young/new #huntingdogs
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Here I'm using frustration and opposition reflex to build my puppy's desire to engage game. As long as I have a reliable desire to engage I can teach him to stop, but first we want to make sure he's crazy about being a predator and the bird.
We start with a tease up, you can see that I tease him, make him miss once or twice, then toss. This frustration of almost getting what they want but missing the opportunity increases value to the item. Not too many misses here we don't want to make it seem like the item is off the menu, 1 - 2 per rep is plenty.
Next we toss the item away and as our dog moves toward it we feather the leash out, don't let the leash snap tight. I want them at the end of my 6 foot lead, I want them pulling, and I want the dog to feel like I'm adding resistance. Be careful here, too much resistance and young or lower drive dogs can feel like they cannot win and will quit.
As the #dog approaches the last 2 feet before our object I move my arm/shoulder forward quickly to "dump the leash" and sling shot my dog in to the item. I only do this if I'm seeing a good pulling behavior. "Show me you want it and want it bad and I will reward you with momentum" is the mindset.
After that let the #puppy hang on to the object a bit. Don't just immediately take it away, give them 30 seconds or so with it. Maybe even pretend to take it and stop or give it right back. Keep them guessing.
These are all things that will pay dividends for us down the road. I've used this game successfully a bunch to turn some low drive dogs around and get back to being a predator instead of a couch potato. Get out and have fun with your bird dog!
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Liberty Canine
Columbus, GA
#pointingdogs #pudelpointer #hunting #birdhunting #uplandhunting
Heimer took a while to "unlock" and become engaged with me during training. He's still got some mild stranger danger but we're working through that as well. If you're struggling to get engagement here are a couple simple things you can do. Number 6 may be the most important.
1. Some time in the crate before and after training really helps build value to being with you.
2. Get on a legitimate feeding schedule. I like feeding once a day (if the #dog eats less than 4 cups a day). Free feeding, from a trainers perspective, is a pretty bad idea for a lot of reasons.
3. Use a sterile area to training.
4. Be more interesting. I have to constantly go back and forth between being calm and being animated depending on each dogs goals and demeanor. But definitely being more interesting helps when they're losing focus.
5. Fasted #cardio is an absolute game changer. Getting morning exercise in and feeding in the evening.
6. Find a Canine Body Composition Scale and get your dogs weight under control. Vets are great for this but also consult a trainer. I've seen a bunch of dogs lately deemed "perfect weight" by a #veterinarian when really the dog was big time fat.
7. Speak less. Make your words mean something. If your constantly talking your dog is 100% tuning you out. The common theme amongst the best #dogtrainers I see/work with is that they speak very little and at key moments.
I either learned these through experience or had some very quality trainers teach it to me. Feel free to pick and choose what's helps you and your dog.
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Liberty Canine
Columbus, GA
#dogtraining #dogowners
🇺🇸 Happy Fourth Of July Folks 🇺🇸
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Liberty Canine
Columbus, GA
#dogtraining #indepedenceday #happyfourth #happy4th #happy4thofjuly #america #dog
The number one thing you can do everyday is engage with them in a purposeful way.
What that means is its time for you and the #dog. I don't mean cuddling on the couch. What we should be looking for is some sort of activity that your dog finds valuable. #Fetch, tug, jogging, training, etc.
Use this opportunity to add a little structure and a few boundaries. "Want to go for a run? Go get on your bed first and wait for me to open the door." "Want to play fetch? Cool, come heel first then I'll throw the ball."
Incorporate these small things into a daily routine and I bet you see happier, more fulfilled, and better behaved dog. Bonus points for adding static behaviors and extending your duration.
We've been training these animals for thousands of years. You will make progress with your dog on your own with enough patience and establishing some fun games that have boundaries.
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Liberty Canine
Columbus, GA
#dogtraining #happydog #dogtrainingadvice
This to consider for the hot training season
1. Get core Temps on you dogs often. I check their temperature at home before training, when we show up to the field, try to during the field work, and definitely after. No what a normal working temp is for your dog and how quickly they get back to a normal rest temp.
2. Carry plenty of water and float food this time of year. I would also look at your nutrients requirements for this time of year versus the winter.
3. Park in the shade.
4. Shorten your sessions. You can go from 3 problems to 1 or just put your birds closer together. Say 30 yards apart. That high rate of reinforcement is actually a good thing most of the time.
5. Know the signs of on coming heat injury like shade seeking, paddle tongue, uncontrollable panting, appearing to disobey commands or perform unusually below their skill level, excessive water consumption, quitting work, abnormal temperature.
6. Know where your closest emergency veterinarian is located and their phone number.
7. If your going to get the dog wet you need to soak them thoroughly and get them in a windy environment to pass air over them.
8. Be smart, it's not worth hurting your dog over.
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Clyde is progressing well and I'm excited for his owner to see how far he's come.
Check out our website or shoot us a DM if you're interested in versatile dog training!
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Liberty Canine
Columbus, GA
#gsp #germanshorthairedpointer #uplandhunting #gspofinstagram
This dog has been a learning experience.
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Red has a ton of energy, decent drive, and a cloudy mind. I didn't see him lay down for days when he first arrived. He would max out bark collars, mark everything he could inside and out, bite leashes and me, and was reactive to every little sound. Unable to disengage from any outside stimulus until a higher stimulus came.
We've been working to show Red one simple word that's hard for other to understand sometimes. LEADERSHIP.
Boundaries, consistency, calm, predictability, guidance in duress, an example, sustainability, affection, a job, direction, purpose. All things that we as dog owners should be giving to our dogs. Some will say it's not that deep or complicated. Well, they're wrong sorry not sorry.
Being a leader can be hard but these dogs need it or they will fall in to a rogue collection of compulsive creatures.
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Liberty Canine LLC
Columbus, GA
#germanshorthairedpointer #behavior #leader #leadership #dogtraining
Building drive starts early.
As my friends at @losthighwaygundogs and @gundogityourself say build a monster first and add control later.
I value the retrieve and loads of prey drive pretty highly. We start building that monster as a little puppy. These games are fun, no rules, zero expectations, and very exciting. We keep these games short and make them overly fun!
Right now I'm not super concerned about the return and definitely not the delivery. All I'm really concerned with is that the puppy charges out to the bird and engages. I'm 100% ok with possession at this point. If he wants to grab it and run off or play keep away fine! That possessiveness is only building value for him to maintain a grip on his bird. I will use that behavior in the future to build the return and delivery. And then comes the dreaded word, TUG.
You can bet I'm playing a little light tug with him and letting him win nearly every single time. When he wins he will run off and parade around with the bird. Perfect.
Again, at this early stage all I really care about is that he engages the bird, the possessiveness is even better.
All building blocks for the future.
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Columbus, GA
#puppy #puppytraining #retriever #shaping #norules #Pudelpointer #pudelpointer
Start small.
Colt is working on maintaining duration in behaviors like "place" and "down". He understands the cue and understands how to turn pressure off by completing the behavior. Now we add a little more time, a little more distance, and a little more distraction over time before we deliver our marker and pay Colt for his hard work.
This is what I call our "living space" we are no longer using -R to drive to behaviors. Now we are showing the dog that he can avoid pressure all together by completing the behavior on his own. We are also showing him that he can earn a correction if he chooses to leave the behavior before the marker.
Remember markers MARK and TERMINATE a behavior. All ways we can help Colt find his advantage.
I like to start with "place" for this as it's clearly black and white for the dog so it helps them understand what's going, building off our foundation.
If your dog needs to learn how to stay put send us DM and ask about our upcoming training opportunities!
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#GSD #germanshepherd #dogtraining #shepherd #dogobedience
