Category: Success Stories ¤
  Author: Leslie Lord ¤
   Title: Called Off Squirrels! ¤

Can you see the grin on my face?    Simon chose to come to me 
yesterday rather than go after two squirrels that almost ran into him 
while doing a sit stay yesterday (dog was doing the sit/stay) .    
Was I suprised?   Yes and no.     To back up.   He's two years old 
(mini Poodle), totally c/t trained - shaped for everything.   He's 
never been leash corrected and has one conditioned punisher which I 
used twice in his life - both times to save his life (chewing 
electrical cords as a puppy).    He's been trained off lead or with a 
long line until I knew he could be trusted.

One of the best things I ever heard when I started training  using 
operant conditioning was that "management" of the dog and 
surroundings were critical.   After 25 years of owning many dogs I've 
always ended up with dogs who were  either entirely trustworthy 
loose,  those who were so-so and those who just didn't get off lead.  
 I wanted to stop that pattern of hit and miss, so I thought long and 
hard when I got this dog.   

Blessed with lots of arrogant neighbourhood cats who would prowl my 
fence line and tease the dogs, I set out a plan.     Everytime the 
dogs blasted out of the house after yet another cat I would calmly 
grab the clicker and treats and sit on the back step.    I said 
nothing.   As soon as Simon got tired of pounding on the 
fence and screaming at the long-gone cat with the other dogs and 
started back down the yard, I would C/T.    Soon I noticed that he 
spent almost no time barking and was quickly back with me, getting 
goodies.   Soon I couldn't even get out of the house and he was back. 
The day I saw him get halfway down the yard - stop - look back - 
and then tore back to the house was the day I knew this plan was 
working.     Up to this point I never uttered a word to get his 
attention.    We also worked on the same thing with dogs/cats/kids on 
skateboards who dare walk in front of the house.    He now thinks it 
is way better to stick with me than bark at things out the front 
window.    

Seperately from the cat thing I was working on a casual recall.   I 
wanted "here" to mean, turn immediately,   come close enough for 
me to touch you and to see if there's something else I want 
you to do,  or a release to go back to what you are doing.      Again 
 I used the confines of the yard and really good treats.     Dog is 
8running about, as soon as I saw him turn in my direction I would 
C/T.  No cue yet.   Of course he had to continue to come to me to get 
his treat, so there was a bonus of getting a completed behaviour.    
Soon I started cueing him "here" as he turned to me and then raising 
the criteria to quicker head/body turns.     We then added 
distractions.   I'd throw the ball and cue "here" just as he went for 
it.   If he stopped and even thought for a second about coming back 
to me, I'd C/T and then release him to get his ball.   

This did not happen overnight.   I concentrated on never letting him 
get in a situation where he could reinforce himself with bad 
behaviour.    We built on the distractions and I always made sure 
that if he was loose or in a position to make a poor choice that 
might endanger him,  he was wearing his long line.   I set up 
several situations where there were cats in the distance and made 
myself the best choice he could make.     

Yesterday, he was off lead.   He was having a ball.   We had worked 
on several "here"  recalls during the walk and as he is on a VSR he 
may or may not have gotten his goodies.      At the time of the near 
squirrel collision I had stopped to do a quick heel pattern and a 
formal recall.   I was forty feet away and about to call him when the 
squirrels came into view.    He jumped up to get a look ( after 
all... the little boogers had almost crashed into him) but hesitated 
for a nanosecond to look back at me,    I smiled and calmly  said 
"here"... he hesitated again and then came to me on the tear   
"JACKPOT CITY" and I verbally released him.    He looked back over 
his shoulder again but by then I had started to run back up the path 
and as he reached me C/T ... C/T... C/T....     Did he have a 
choice... you bet.... Did I reassure him that he made a really good 
choice.... you bet!!

Elizabeth TeSelle is dead on with her comments about the dog having 
choices and reinforcing them  when  the "right" choice for us is the 
one the dog will choose.    Simon has never been punished for poor 
choices and I have comfort that he will continue to strengthen this 
kind of choice.      Do I think he's trained -  heck no!    Do I 
think we put a big donation in the bank  -  heck yes!  

And best of all,  not only am I pleased at how well this little guy 
did, but I'm tickled pink to prove that the method does work.

I'll stop grinning now.

Cheers,    Leslie and the poodles
Leslie Lord
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia