I have heard that watching how a trainer trains – the good, the bad, and the ugly, is highly beneficial to some people, so here is a full training session from start to finish. Here are my goals in the first minute:
1) See how Brito reacts to a brand new training space where he has never been, without allowing him to acclimate to the ring. Obviously this is the “trial reality,” so I need to look at that once in a while.
2) See how Brito handles a longer stretch of formal work before receiving his first reinforcer. We do this routinely at home, but not necessarily in a new space where he has not worked before, so this is a shift in criteria (new location).
After that, we moved into a routine training session with a high rate of reinforcement.
Finally, we finished off with another stretch of formal heeling to see how he was holding up after working for about ten minutes.
I was pleased with most of his work. I can see where I need to improve my handling and where his precision suffers but on balance, we’re heading in the right direction.
Over the next few months we will continue to work on basic skill building for Open and Utility at home, and I will add more ring formality in public spaces. For example, I will work more often with a judge calling a pattern, longer stretches without reinforcement, removing reinforcement from my body, and no acclimating inside the ring itself.
On an unrelated note, if you’d like to enter a contest to win a free bronze spot in my Engagement class at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy (new term starts December 1st), go ahead and enter the contest here. Your email will not be used for anything else; just the contest: Contest for Engagement class
I’m also teaching heeling games if you’d like to bring a bit more life to your dog’s work . Check out the entire schedule if you think you’d like to learn something new!: Fenzi Academy December Schedule
Hi Denise, I msg’ you prior but thought I should back it up with my email too. So I’m looking for class suggestions for my situation/goals… I’ve got a friend (who has met you & loves you; so she’s smart!), who has kindly offered for me to take home & Co-Own a great 3yr. old CBR. I’d like to find a dog that will work as my Medical Alert Service Dog & I was hoping for suggestions on which courses would be good to test out how this boy works for me? Your Engagement Course seemed like a great start? He’s also a gun dog so that course would be fun, but note, he doesn’t live with me yet. I need proper paperwork to hit my landlord with. You would really be helping 2 NEEDY SOULS; I’ve got some physical & “invisible illnesses” I’m fighting, & the Chessie, Robbie is currently living in his dog run all day & crate at night, doesn’t get the exercise (or attention) that I believe he needs! I’d also like to show his owner, my dear friend, that times have changed & HE DOES NOT NEED A PRONG COLLAR ON, etc. I’m NO PRO, I am eager to learn how to convert ALL my training to positive & lured training methods, etc. He’s a big OL blockhead, but has plenty of “old school” training under his belt. This could change both our lives forever❤️! Have a blessed day.
Best, Amanda
Hi Amanda,
I’m going to send you a message of FB so we can discuss.
Thank you. Very helpful to watch a session and hear a suggested structure: internal training, focus on learning, internal training etc
. I often wonder if there is any science to how training sessions should best be structured e.g. Time: 5 minute sessions?
Contents: repeat same behavior for the five minutes or mix it up?
Run through and then focus?
Keep training 5 behaviors to fluency over months before introducing new ones?
Play randomly throughout?
I imagine some dogs have more tolerance for repetitions and others get bored more easily . Mine gets bored (except oh yes, omg there’s food and balls) and yet he needs a thousand repetitions at least. Pack it in, stretch it out? How best to learn?
I don’t know if there is a science to it, but I know what I tend to do, which is why I post things like this. Not sure if it’s the best way to do it but it usually works for me!