FE595: Bombproof Behaviors

Before we ever ask for a behavior from our dog in a new, distracting environment, we can get a good idea of their mental status in a low-stress way. Creating a baseline pattern allows us to have a picture of our dog’s normal reaction to a standard set of behaviors that we can then use as a comparison when introducing distractions. These patterns can be as complex as cuing easy behaviors or as simple as tossing treats and observing your dog chasing them.

It is important to practice this pattern in a normal training environment regularly because the observations you make during those sessions will be the baseline that you will use to compare your distraction session to. Because performance of behaviors and reactions to cues can change over time, you will need to be aware of the most current pattern picture while you are utilizing it as a tool. One of the best strategies for a baseline pattern is to create a game of nothing but rewards using a multiple marker system as shown in the video below. A marker system is the use of consistent and intentional markers in your training system. A marker system can be as complex as providing different markers for different types of reinforcers, delivery of those reinforcers or location of those reinforcers or it can be as simple as having one marker such as a clicker or a verbal “yes”. 

As you can see in this video, Creature knows several different marker cues and is able to combine them into a discrimination game. This game can be inserted into his training sessions at any point if I need to evaluate his mental preparedness for the next behavior. If I am unsure how he is feeling around a new distraction or in a new environment, I can initiate this game and observe his reactions to the different marker cues and his ability to interpret and discriminate the reward locations and deliveries.

Using a marker game is a fantastic way for you to evaluate your dog’s baseline mental status in a distracting environment because it limits the possibility of error and forces a high rate of reinforcement. It also provides plenty of observation opportunities and allows you to control your dog’s arousal level as well buy allowing you to provide different reinforcers in different ways. You can also create a baseline pattern using simple behaviors that your dog knows and understands well. Behaviors such as offered focus, chin rests, hand touches or simple tricks work well. By using behaviors, you are able to vary your reinforcement schedule from reinforcing every behavior to reinforcing behavior chains of varying length.

 Your homework for this lecture is to teach the Bowl Game as a baseline pattern. With your dog on leash and your hand in their collar, put a couple of treats in the bowl. Wait for your dog to offer focus (does not necessarily need to be eye contact, just look towards you instead of the bowl). Mark, move away from the bowl and reward. Let go of the collar and only use the leash to prevent access to the bowl. Continue to mark and reward from your hand for offered focus. Then, using a different marker or a release word, allow your dog access to the bowl. It's very important to pause after giving the verbal before offering any additional cues. In the video below, I say "take", pause and then gesture towards the bowl if Brilliant doesn't go to it herself. Ideally, she doesn't need that additional help as then she would understand "take" means to eat from the bowl. The reaction to "take" and the impulse control of offering focus away from the bowl are the important parts of this exercise. 

Your additional homework for this lecture is to choose one or two additional baseline patterns to create and video for use throughout this class. Some examples are listed below, but feel free to think outside of the box and create your own!

Marker games

A game that is comprised of only marker cues is a great baseline pattern if you utilize multiple markers in your normal training. I like to combine at least three different markers to create a discrimination game that I can use on the fly between behavior repetitions. I also have marker games that require a bit more of a setup but work in the same way. There is an example of a toy-based marker game in the lecture above and a food-based one described below.

“Behind” vs “Take” vs “Good”

This game uses three different markers for a food reinforcer. “Behind” means eat the food in the bowl behind you, “take means eat the food in the bowl in front of you and “good” means continue the behavior, I’ll deliver food to you. It requires my dog to hold a stationary position (the video uses a perch stay) and have the understanding of all three of the markers (can be adjusted to two or different markers could be used).

You will need two bowls with treats in them positioned directly behind and in front of your dog. Cue your dog to do their stationary behavior, then mark one of the three options. Replace the food in the bowl if that was the cue given, reset your dog and give another marker. Continue in this way varying the marker given each time. The observable aspects of this game are:

• Ability to leave the food in the bowls (staring, lip licking, ears flicked back)

• Reaction to cue (performs immediately, looks away and then performs, needs additional cue)

• Reaction to marker cue (compare to normal reaction)

• Ability to discriminate between markers given (handler needs to help after a pause, incorrect guesses)

Cookie Toss Game

This is a simple game that allows you to observe your dogs enthusiasm, refocus ability and helps bring up their excitement during the session. When your dog offers focus, mark and toss a treat off to one side (either to the right or left of your dog). When your dog returns and offers focus again, toss another treat in the other direction. Continue this for several repetitions. The observable aspects of this game are:

• Anticipation of treat toss after mark (dancing feet, pupils dilated, mouth closed, tail up)

• Enthusiasm during chasing of treat (pace, reaction to treat bouncing, ability to quickly grab and eat treat)

• Quickness to return to handler and offer focus (quick head turn immediately after eating treat, pace on return, any additional sniffing)

Choose to Heel

This game is fantastic to work in new, large environments that allow you to move freely. You may need to use a longline to  keep your dog safe, use your best judgement and only do this exercise off leash in fully enclosed environments with no dangers present. Begin by rewarding offered focus from your dog. Reward from your hand a few times and then toss a treat. Immediately start walking away as your dog chases the treat. Do not call or encourage your dog to follow. When they begin to return to you, mark and reward at your side as you continue to walk. Reward in this way multiple times before tossing another treat away from you. Repeat the process.The observable aspects of this game are:

• Enthusiasm when taking treat from your hand (over enthusiastic, nipping, licking, careful)

• Anticipating of tossed treat after mark (dancing feet, pupils dilated, mouth closed, tail up)

• Enthusiasm during chasing of treat (pace, reaction to treat bouncing, ability to quickly grab and eat treat)

• Quickness to return to handler and offer focus (quick head turn immediately after eating treat, pace on return, any additional sniffing, handler help)

• Ability to focus between rewards while walking (head dips, sniffing, head up, tail up, ears forward, eye contact)

High to low game

This game utilizes reward delivery as well as a known behavior to help our dog move from high arousal to low arousal. This will help us observe our dog’s ability to concentrate on the task at hand despite the environment or their excitement level. This is also a great game for dogs that tend to get frustrated without an outlet for their arousal and energy. 

Ask for a calm duration behavior from your dog, some examples would be a chin rest, nose press, down stay or a sustained sit pretty. Mark and reward this behavior by utilizing a reinforcer and delivery method that is near the top of your dog’s arousal level hierarchy. Some examples would be tossing a treat, tossing a toy or playing tug. Then ask for the calm duration behavior again.

Dogs that struggle in arousal level control may need a tapered approach to bringing them back down in excitement before cueing the calm duration behavior again after play. That is ok, as long as you are aware of your dog’s normal pattern and needs during this game, you can use it for distraction training. This is demonstrated in the video below. Creature goes from high arousal play to calmer play. Then to a duration behavior back to high arousal play, then calm play again. Then he goes to low arousal reward (scattered food), then duration behavior to low arousal reward again. Next he goes into a very low arousal behavior (down stay) to a distraction game then back up to high arousal play to start the cycle over. If your dog does need a tapered approach, you can try this method. You can ask for other, simple behaviors that include movement rather than calm duration (spins, heeling, quick hand touches) and reinforce those with a reward and delivery that is lower on the arousal hierarchy. Then ask for the calm duration behavior and start that pattern again.

The observable aspects of this game are:

• Reaction time to first cue (performs immediately, looks away and then performs, needs additional cue)

• Enthusiasm of performance (should be compared to normal performance of the behavior)

• Ability to hold duration (Duration adjusted for success)

• Reaction to marker cues (compare to normal reaction)

• Reaction time to cue after high arousal reward (compare to first cue and normal reaction time)

• Enthusiasm of performance after high arousal reward

• Ability to hold duration after high arousal reward