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  • zahed subhan

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    May 5, 2018 at 10:56 pm in reply to: Problem with heeling
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    Many thanks Judy!

    All very helpful information particularly the “auto sits” – which now I come to think about it don’t make that much sense : just a legacy from the trainer that worked with my previous GSD (and me)..but I can see the potential to confuse.

    I very much appreciate the power of a marker (whether it is “yes” or “good boy”/”good girl”), but is there any use in saying “no” when he doesn’t quite follow through with a command that I know he knows backwards?..meaning the word “no” (at the same time as the correction..and then the repeat command?

    An example: “Kimba” – “Place” – (he doesn’t fully get there and lies down just in front of his place board) – “no” (with correction) – “place”?

    Apologies for being too analytical or too dumb or both!

    Best

    Zee

  • zahed subhan

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    May 3, 2018 at 4:54 pm in reply to: Problem with heeling
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    Hi Courtney – just to add the translation to heeling:

    In terms of heeling I do the same:

    “Kimba” – “heel”- move my right foot forward (I heel on the right) – we start walking – he knows heel now and so if he walks ahead or out of line, I use a small wrist correction if he steps too much out of line. If he is going well I occasionally say “good heel” and also stroke his head. I have him on heel for a few minutes and come to a stop – he sits automatically (albeit somewhat reluctantly at this point in his training) – treat or lots of praise – release with “free”.

    Kimba then is free to sniff other dogs pee or what ever doggy things he wants to do!

    We keep doing that repeatedly.

    Don’t know if that is the “right” way, but so far so good..

  • zahed subhan

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    May 3, 2018 at 4:35 pm in reply to: Problem with heeling
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    Hi Courtney,

    Thanks for your (yet again) helpfully expansive note. Forgive me for being pedantic, but I wanted to dig deeper into the marker words…

    This is what I do for a simple “place” command, for example:

    “Kimba” (his name) – slight pause – “place” – “yes”(marker) – reward (either food or praise). After that I will continue to “praise” with “good place” said occasionally, but I want him to stay on that place mat without me having to say “stay”. He does so until I release him with “free”.

    Does that sound ok to you?

    Best

    Zee

  • zahed subhan

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    April 21, 2018 at 9:41 pm in reply to: Problem with heeling
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    Thanks again Courtney. All great information. Clearly I have a lot to learn! I have signed on to the waiting list for the Foundation Style training method course..hopefully that will work out and I can go from there.

    Your squeaky ball exercise had an interesting outcome: I took Kimba into the yard and followed your suggestions. He went for the “dead” ball and then immediately ran into the house and up the stairs with it and lay on his bed protectively. We tried it a few more times with the same outcome (before I cottoned on to shutting the door). He lost interest in going near it at that point. I will try again in a couple of days!

    The heeling is going much better thank you. As you suggested, he is much more “compliant” when I’ve taken the time to take the edge off his quite high energy level (for an older dog). Distractions? Forget it! I try to take him where there are no dogs or people and until there are he is getting pretty good just with leash tension and release (I suppose these are tiny pops but just using wrist movement). It seems I am getting better at communicating with him through the leash at least.

    I do have another question on marker words: I have been using “yes” as the marker (and then reward) and not “good boy”..mostly because I use that when praising him (so, also as the reward when I don’t give him a treat). I then use “free” as his release word, for example, at thresholds when he sits. I am sure the words themselves don’t matter as long as I am consistent but should he be
    RELEASED (and also rewarded) immediately after the marker word? I think I got a bit confused when I was watching some Larry Krohn videos: he would say yes (in happy tones) and then the dog was automatically released but then he also emphasized the need for a release (“free dog” in his case).

    Clear as mud huh?

    Thanks again!

    Zee

  • zahed subhan

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    April 16, 2018 at 11:25 pm in reply to: Problem with heeling
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    Thank you!

    Thank you. This is a lot to assimilate, but it all makes sense for sure.

    Background: our prevous gsd, we had from 10 weeks old until he passed from HSA at 8. He was “hack trained” .. as I now know it. Went to a so-called boot camp (food reward frowned upon) and came back seemingly obedient and compliant on-leash, off leash, but would show episodes of aggression/dominance/extreme protectiveness. He was a lovely boy but seemingly “destroyed”: We went back several times (mistake). The trainers answer was always stronger corrections..until he yelped in some instances, turn up the e-collar..

    Different issues with this new rescue.

    I need to get better at this!

    Thanks again

    Incidentally, I have summers off (College Professor) and I would love to learn much more. Is there a trainers school you would recommend?

    Best

    Zee

  • zahed subhan

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    April 15, 2018 at 11:22 am in reply to: Problem with heeling
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    Thanks Courtney

    I think you hit the nail on the head on several counts.

    I have noticed that Kimba is much more “compliant” after he is tuckered out, although one problem is that he has no ball drive and doesn’t seem to want to be bothered with tug or toys..so it is just long walks for now. I would put him into the category of an “American” GSD (ie certainly not a working dog) whereas we were used to a “German” GSD with strong drives. Roller blading might be a good idea!

    Is it possible to cultivate more in the way of ball/toy drives. Fetch?

    He is a big boy at 87lbs and for a 6 year old GSD needs a bit more exercise than we thought before we start short training episodes.

    I am going to go back to phase I in a no-distraction environment, as you suggest.

    He is also very skittish/nervous and was clearly abused (seemingly hit with objects from what we can discern – for example he cowers when I come near him with a leash..although that is getting much better) and so we have a lot to work through. He seems smart though, and is eager to please with thankfully NO signs of aggression towards other dogs or humans despite his apparent previous experiences.

    Thanks for taking the time to offer such great advice.

    Best

    Zee

  • zahed subhan

    Member
    April 15, 2018 at 11:06 am in reply to: Problem with heeling
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    Many thanks for this Dave. Kimba tends to forge ahead regardless, but I have noticed that he is much more obedient when he has had some energy drained out of him..and perhaps that is the key to moving forward with heeling (and other obedience). For an older dog (6 years) he does seem to be quite puppy like and need s more exercise than perhaps we had anticipated (we are used to that having raised a GSD from 10 weeks). I will go back a couple of steps and restart phase I but do this after he has had a runabout. One challenge is that he has no ball drive and doesn’t particularly care for tug or other activities we might have done with him..Lots to work on with a rescue that doesn’t seem to have had a pleasant upbringing.

    Thanks again

    Z