Tomorrow will be four weeks that we’ve had Jackie. Just now for the first time Jackie really opened up and started truly working for me, and I wanted to sit down and talk about what happened.
I’ve been experimenting with all different forms of reinforcement, and so far the best has been running and play, with the best hand-held treat reinforcement chicken. Other than while running, which Jackie loves to do, I haven’t yet found a way to really motivate her to focus in the sharp way that I have done previously with Gunner and other dogs.
Today I experimented with cut-up hot dog medallions, which I haven’t used since Jackie’s first few days with us because she was sort of “meh” about them. Looking back though, Jackie’s been “meh” on a lot of treats, and I think it is because everything has been so new that she’s still acclimating to her life shift.
Today the hot dogs were a huge success! We started playing the recall race game outside today, where Jackie starts in a sit-stay in heel position, then sends out to a target on cue, eats a cookie off a ceramic target (I use a small flat Fiestaware saucer because I have literally hundreds of them, and they are the perfect size, sturdy, easy to see in the grass, and easy to clean), then turns around and recalls back to my front for another reward. We’ve practiced this game indoors, and Jackie always performs it correctly and obediently, but she walks or at best trots out to the target and then back, and has lacked sharp speed.
Today when we took it outside, Jackie found a new gear, RUNNING out to touch the target and DASHING back to me on the recall. I placed the target a bit further away, and then a bit further away again, and so on until she could really build up some speed between me and the target. What helped as much as anything is that I had plenty of room outside to make a big fuss and celebrate each “win,” and Jackie really responded to that, running and even leaping with joy around the yard to celebrate. My enthusiasm at her opening up helped her to open up even more, so we had an awesome positive feed back loop going.
Passion is key; I need to remind myself to bring my own zest, to celebrate and praise enthusiastically to the point of silliness. As Jackie truly started working today, my genuine happiness exploded out of me, and Jackie in turn really responded to that zeal. Lately I’ve been hyper-focused on my own management, on marking exactly the precise behavior I want to reinforce, and accuracy and timing on my part. Today though I was animated and effervescent, using a squealie-high-pitched voice, clapping and running, and Jackie really responded to that energy— of course she did!
- Even the best reinforcement can be “meh” unless the job at hand is play, not a job
- Hot dog medallions were a favorite today
- The dog’s joy and enthusiasm is mirrored by the handler’s joy and enthusiasm, and vice versa into a positive feedback loop
- Accuracy, precision, clarity— all that is fine and good, but above all it has to be FUN!
