AGLTY TRANNG NSTRUCTOR: MEGAN MLLER Summer 2011 CONTENTS syllabus 2 how do dogs learn? 3 clicker training 4 clicker training example 5 training tips 5 Homework 6-10 Hurdle Options 11 Resources 11 1
SYLLABUS N THS CLASS, you will be introduced to the fun sport of dog agility! We will focus on motivation and positive reinforcement while training basic skills and equipment. The goal of this class is the ability to run a simple jumpers course off-leash. FACLTY AND CLASS RULES - please keep your dog on leash, except when participating in class exercises - please potty your dog before entering the training field; please pick up after your dog WHAT TO BRNG TO CLASS 1. Flat collar (head collars are ok, but No choke chains) 2. 6 leash 3. Crate 4. Rewards (a variety of toys and treats) 5. Clicker 6. Water for you and your dog WHAT YOU NEED AT HOME 1. At least one hurdle with a displaceable bar (see page 11) SCHEDULE week 1: intro to clicker training: a hands on approach, the Name Game 2: restrained recalls, introduction to jump training 3: introduction to circle exercise, jump work: different approaches 4: jump work, circle exercise continued, intro to tunnels 5: jump work, circle exercise, and tunnels continued 6: sequencing jumps and tunnels 7: novice jumpers course 2
HOW DO DOGS LEARN? Two types of learning: 1) CLASSCAL CONDTONNG forms an association between two stimuli.» Pavlov s Dogs o Russian Scientist van Pavlov saw that his dogs salivated at the sight of food o He rang a bell right before presenting the food o After a few repetitions, his dogs would salivate at the sound of the bell o No new behaviors are learned instead, involuntary behaviors are paired with new stimuli o Caution!! Unpleasant stimuli are conditioned much faster than pleasant ones. 2) OPERANT CONDTONNG forms an association between a behavior and a consequence» 4 possible consequences of an action a) something good can be presented = POSTVE RENFORCEMENT b) something bad can be presented = positive punishment c) something good can be removed = negative punishment d) something bad can be removed = negative reinforcement note: positive punishment and negative punishment never fully extinguish undesirable behaviors CLCKER TRANNG uses a distinct click noise to associate desirable behaviors with rewards o rewarded behaviors will increase in frequency while unrewarded behaviors will decrease in frequency o reward desirable behaviors and ignore everything else CLCKER TRANNG relates classical conditioning with operant conditioning o At first, the click is a neutral stimulus o Rewards are paired with the click (classical conditioning) o The click becomes a positive stimulus, and tells the dog that a reward is on the way o Dog will be encouraged to offer different behaviors in attempts to earn the click (operant conditioning) 3
CLCKER TRANNG: TRANNG THROUGH POSTVE RENFORCEMENT BEGN BY LOADNG THE CLCKER: click the clicker and give a treat. Repeat about 10 more times. Remember to first click then treat. Try to make the timing between clicks random (1-5 seconds). Once the clicker is loaded, you will not have to do this ever again; your dog has now associated the clicker with treats. NOW YOU MAY USE THE CLCKER AS AN AD N 1. Luring utilizes treats/toys to guide dogs into certain positions. 2. Capturing requires observing and rewarding fully developed behaviors. 3. Shaping entails rewarding the slightest hint of the desirable behavior and taking small steps toward the end behavior. This method forces the dog to think. t requires much more patience, but it pays off. * Depending on the behavior, training can integrate all three techniques ADDNG THE CUE WORD o When you are first training a behavior, do not use a verbal command (=cue word) o After your dog is offering the correct end behavior reliably, start giving the cue word right before the behavior is offered and reward for the behavior. This allows the dog to associate the cue word with the behavior. o When your dog does not respond to a command, do not repeat the command right away. Give a few seconds for the dog to think, and then ask again. f your dog fails to respond a second time, you may have introduced the cue word too early, or there may be too many distractions. Make it easier for your dog to succeed. CLCKER TRANNG TPS o Keep sessions short: an adult dog can handle 2-5 minutes of shaping. However, offset the training session with a game of tug or fetch and you could easily work for 20-30 minutes. o Gradually raise criteria: start with low criteria then, throughout training session, make your dog work harder for the click and treat. f you see your dog getting confused, slow the rate at which you raise criteria. o Slowly add distractions: start training a behavior in a quiet and familiar room. Then slowly work toward training the behavior in more stimulating environments such as your backyard, front yard and park. o Always end the session while your dog is eager: you are the referee you make the rules, and you say when it is time to begin and end play sessions. o High reward rate = motivated dog o f your dog shuts down, end on a good note: get your dog to perform a trick she knows how to do. Reward her and end the session. Reflect on what you are doing: are your clicks well timed? Are you treating often enough? Did you set the criteria too high? Are there too many distractions? Give your dog time to recover and try again. 4
EXAMPLE OF SHAPNG A BEHAVOR: JUMP NTO A BOX f the dog is liable to wander off will put her on a leash. start by sitting right next to the object want my dog to interact with. will focus on the object, inspiring the dog to have interest in the object as well. WLL GRADUALLY MODFY AND RASE MY CRTERA so she will have to work harder for the click and treat: o First, will click and treat (c/t) when she looks at the box o c/t for stepping toward it o c/t for any contact with the box: nose touch, paw touch (however after the first couple of nose touches, will ignore this behavior, because it is not what want) o c/t for successively more forceful paw touches o Jackpot her for stepping into the box o Now, will modify this behavior by c/t the enthusiastic jumps into the box TRANNG TPS Be genuinely happy to play with your dog! describe to yourself the goal behavior you are working toward plan what you are going to work on before beginning a training session make it extremely easy for the dog to succeed when training something new keep a journal of your progress Only allow your dog access to his favorite toys while playing with you Don t feed your dog before class/training better yet: forget bowls! Have your dog earn her meals 5
HOMEWORK: WEEK 1 FND OUT WHAT MOTVATES YOUR DOG Experiment with and observe your dog s reinforcements throughout the week. List out all the reinforcements and grade them according to value. o A: reinforcements that your dog is happy to work for anywhere and anytime o B: reinforcements that your dog is happy to work for in most places, most of the time o C: reinforcements that your dog works for in some places and some of the time o D: reinforcements that your dog works for in only very specific situations have given a couple ideas: TOYS TREATS ACTVTES tug toys tennis ball Frisbee water bottle kibble cheese hotdogs peas & carrots baby food tug fetch water from garden hose swim (note: the best training treats are soft and can be cut into pea size pieces) 6
WALK MORE Start working up to daily 30-45 minute walks if you do not already. THE NAME GAME Have your dog on a leash and when she is not looking at you, say her name. f the dog turns to you, immediately click and reward. f the dog does not look, wait a few seconds before slowly backing up and to tighten leash. When the dog turns and looks at you, click and reward. PLAY WTH YOUR DOG Get your dog interested in one of her favorite toys. Hold your dog back with your arm across her chest or your hand in her collar and toss the toy. Tell her to get it, let her go and race to the toy. f you get to the toy first, you are the winner and get to run around, flaunting the prize. f your dog wins, praise and play a game of tug. Tip: only allow your dog access to her favorite toys while playing with you. CLCKER TRANNG EXPERMENT Use clicker training to shape a behavior that you can show off next week in class! See page 4 for a guide to clicker training. Notice the word guide clicker training is an art form: you are shaping molding a behavior. RESTRANED RECALLS HOMEWORK: WEEK 2 Get your dog interested in you (game of tug/show her treats). Have a friend restrain your dog by holding her across the chest. Keep eye contact with your dog as you jog about 5 feet and call her to your side as you continue jogging. The dog should only be held back for a second or two at first; but, as she becomes more confident, jog out further before calling. f she fails to come, jog out a shorter distance before calling. Always praise and play with your dog when she comes. MEASURE YOUR DOG To find out what jump height your dog is in, tape a meter stick against the wall with the 0 mark on the ground. Have a friend lure your dog so that the dog s withers are adjacent to the meter stick. Place your hand on top of your dog s withers and read, in inches, how tall your dog is (you can estimate to ½ inch). HEGHT AT WTHERS: JUMP HEGHT: (NADAC) 7 Height Jump Height 11 and under 8 14 and under 12 18 and under 16 over 18 20
JUMP WORK * DEAL GOAL BEHAVOR: The dog should collect or extend over a jump according to the handler s position and/or body movement (with or without a verbal cue). The dog should jump as low as possible while still clearing the bar. The dog should jump with a rounded back and low head.» These explanations make the jump training process seem long, but you will find that getting to step 3 only takes 6-7 sessions. f it is taking longer than 7 sessions to train, see page 5 for clicker training tips. (f it takes less, way to go!)» t is good to keep challenging your dog by progressing forward; but, if she becomes confused at any point, you can move back a step.» As long as you keep the goal behavior in mind, you can use these steps more as a guide that a strategic procedure. Recall what worked for you in the clicker training experiment and utilize it now. STEP 1: Start with the jump bar set very low or on the ground. Lure your dog across the jump once or twice; and click and treat when she steps over. Click and treat every time your dog steps over the jump. Present the treat by dropping it on the ground. This step is intended to get the dog enthusiastic about the jump, so keep sessions short and use high value treats. STEP 2: When your dog is enthusiastic about crossing the jump, begin raising the bar in small increments (2 ). Click and treat every time your dog your dog crosses over without touching the bar. f your dog drops the bar two times in a row, lower the jump. Note: The click can come a little late but make sure you do not click too early, before you know if your dog has successfully cleared the bar or not. You will probably be able to get the bar up to competition height in 2-3 sessions, however keep sessions short jumping is hard work. STEP 3: When your dog is at full height, progress to kneeling, then standing beside the jump. You should still drop the treat on the ground to encourage your dog to focus on the ground with his back rounded. CRCLE EXERCSE HOMEWORK: WEEK 3 Walk in a large circle with your dog on the outside of the circle. Reward for your dog staying by your side. Gradually work exercise at a faster pace and include front crosses and shoulder pulls. RECALLS Same process as the restrained recalls; but instead of leaving your dog with a helper, leave her in a wait position. 8
JUMP WORK STEP 4: nstead of delivering the treat in the same place on the ground, begin rolling the treat to different positions. This will allow your dog to approach the jump from variable distances and angles. STEP 5: Now work on gradually adjusting your position so that you are facing the same direction as your dog as he approaches the jump. Continue to toss the treat on the ground, but toss it on the takeoff side of the jump (we will talk about why in class). Change the angle at which you stand to the jump, so that your dog learns how to read and negotiate these different approaches. STEP 6: move the jump close to a wall so your dog is encouraged to jump and turn with a round arc. Gradually work the jump closer to the wall so that the distance between the jump and the wall is about the same as the jump height. CRCLE EXERCSE HOMEWORK: WEEK 4 Work toward a fast paced jog and continue practicing shoulder pulls and front crosses. JUMP WORK STEP 7: have your dog at your side and walk calmly by the jump. f your dog jumps clean, click and treat low by your side. Heel your dog and approach the jump at different angles. Use your ground work knowledge: shoulder pulls and front crosses. Also, randomly choose to stop short (several feet) of the jump if your dog takes the jump when you stop, do not click and treat. This exercise will teach your dog to be aware of your motion. STEP 8: set up multiple jumps, including two jumps about 6 apart. At walking speed, randomly choose jumps for your dog to take, clicking and treating after each successful jump. Ask your dog to perform the two jumps 6 apart without treating in between. Randomly use shoulder pulls several feet short of jumps to pull your dog off of the jump this also teaches the dog to pay attention to your motion (click and treat if your dog turns with you without taking the jump). STEP 9: when your dog is successful in the previous exercises, add a verbal jump command just as your dog lifts up to jump. Gradually phase out the clicker, but keep treating at a high rate. Once your dog begins to understand the verbal command, do not reward jumps that you did not ask for. 9
HOMEWORK: WEEK 5 JUMP WORK STEP 10: sit your dog about 2 feet away, perpendicular to the jump. Stand on the takeoff side, facing the jump, and ask your dog to jump. Shoulder pull: as your dog jumps, rotate 180 away from him. Reward your dog low and close to your body. Front Cross: as your dog jumps, rotate 180 toward him. Reward your dog low and close to your body. STEP 11: set up two jumps about 10 apart and sit your dog between the two jumps: dog Ask your dog to take the jump in front of him. Choose to do a shoulder pull or a front cross and treat your dog. Then cue your dog to take the other jump and shoulder pull/front cross before treating. Also set up the jumps like this: dog and practice the shoulder pull/front crosses. SEQUENCNG: CRCLE WORK AND JUMP WORK UNTED! HOMEWORK: WEEK 6 Practice these sequences and any other sequences you can think of less than 5 obstacles long. Avoid overtraining (no more than five, 3-minute sessions this week). 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 4 3 1 2 10
HURDLE OPTONS 1) Purchase online o affordableagility.com o cleanrun.com 2) Purchase in class o ¾ regular-grade PVC jump with adjustable jump cups o $15 per jump 3) Make with PVC o http://www.instantagility.com/2008/04/14/bar-jump-or-hurdle/ o http://www.dogplay.com/activities/agility/barjump.html RESOURCES Susan Garrett. Shaping Success: the Education of an Unlikely Champion. 2005. Print. Linda Mecklenberg. Developing Jumping Skills. Clean Run Magazine. January-June 2006. Print. 11