Peggy and Easy (Rottweiler)

I am excited to be back in Fenzi Academy at gold in this class.

My other Rottweiler, Jemme, and I did a slew of courses at a variety of levels for a year and a half or so through September 2014. Injuries sidelined my girl and I just couldn't quite get motivated for more training. Then Denise came to town for a seminar, suggested Nosework and here we are! I will be working Easy, a 4.5 year old Rottweiler who is actually my partners dog. Easy doesn't do much training. A little bit of Rally, a little bit of tracking but mostly he's a buddy to the non-trainer in the house. At the same time, he really likes to do stuff so this will be his time to shine. I will work both dogs through the course but videos will be all Easy.

I am looking forward to getting started in a new sport.

Welcome to class Peggy! Sounds like Easy is a lucky dog that he gets to play! I look forward to working with both of you!

The first two sessions went pretty well.

Great first session! Reminds me of my very first one with Savvy. Dog isn't sure but offers behaviors and figures out what is gaining reinforcement! Just watch that you don't feed away from source - it looked like just a few inches away at 44s, 1:09, 1:57. Just drop treat in tin hand. Next I would feed multiple treats in a row when he checks out the tin hand. Make it MORE worth his while to go to source. If he ever stays at source when you pull your hand away, go BACK in and reward for staying. But for now, just immediately feed.

I could tell you were NOT making eye contact with him - that is good and could really make a dog get stuck and that you sometimes looked at the tin hand. That is something I may do very early on to help with initial behavior. But also try to not look at the tin hand to make sure he is not cueing off of that.

I wouldn't add too much challenge yet, just more of these kind of sessions.

The next video I'd like to see is after a few more like this and if he is showing more understanding - being quicker or staying at source.

Nice job!

We have practiced a few sessions before recording this one this morning. I think he is definitely progressing to understanding the task. I felt I rewarded at source pretty consistently. As we went through the session I tried leaving my treat hand open. Got confused myself a couple of times as to where I was in the sequence, time to reward, reward for staying at source, open hand with treats, close hand , reward, etc. it moves pretty quickly! Overall, though, I was pleased with the session.

You're so funny! Yes, you can get lost in it and forget what you are rewarding for. You did a GREAT job. And so did Easy!!

LOVE that you got that quick duration reward in at 30s. It was prefect and quick.

At 45s you did reward when he was off - I think that was when you lost track!!

The last session was VERY good - only one little blip at 1:16 where he looked at the open food hand and came off a little and you went in to feed. Very minor and the rest was great. He looks to really know why he's getting paid.

You should be ready to try the other challenges with Easy. Maybe the Two Tins with one of them cold? And then a hot container in one hand.

Looking forward to your next video! Nice job!

He did pretty well with a two tin session we had this evening so if that continues I'll try the hot container next. I can tell he is getting this! Having so much fun.

Here is a session where we tried several things. First, just some simple it's your choice but trying for duration at source. Then we went to two tins, one hot and one cold. It took him a bit but he got it. Then we did a hot tin in a shoe and again he got that pretty quickly. I did some in a container but didn't get good video of it but he did fine with that. I realize I need to change height and location a bit more. We'll incorporate some of that in our practice.

I would make your schedule a little more variable. That first duration was 5s long at 4s mark. Might be too long for him now. Stick to 1-3s with stay at source. And do more 1s-2s.

Stretch from 41s-45s was nice - got 2nd mark in for staying at source.

Then at 56s, that is when I see him being unsure? His rate of reinforcement went down. So we need to get the rate back up - add more immediate rewards and only a few with duration.

Then some really nice sequences between 1:15 and 1:25 when he got back to work.

For timing of going back in, I would have marked/rewarded at 1:41 before he had a chance to come off (of course you didn't know he'd come off but that was 2s duration so that is a good limit to shoot for with him.

He did do very well on the shoe! You were getting in some duration between 1:53-1:57, just a tad late going in at 1:57 as he started to pull off. That is why I'm thinking 2-3s the max for duration right now with him.

In your next session - do more immediate rewards with only 1 or 2 with duration and the move on to the Red light/Green light game doing the same exercise.

He finds, you mark and go in. You bring hand back away and the second he stays, bring your treat hand in slooooowly. Stop if he comes to it (don't move it back) and then when he goes back to source continue on in.

We want to watch any frustration he is having. So up your rate of reinforcement if you see that occurring.

Lots of good information in this session!!

Here is a 2 minute unedited segment from this morning. I was almost rapid firing those treats to him. I did try to kind of play red light green light with him but the duration was very brief. If he looked away, I waited to treat until he went back to source. As we continued I felt like I was getting just a little bit of real staying in there.

I missed your instruction below about bringing the treat hand back in slowly if he stays. I will work on that

Really, Really nice! Look at him stay at source!

When you were rapid firing the treats from 14-19, you don't have to say yes each time (probably doesn't hurt). They find it, "yes", feed, feed, feed, feed, move your hand away. You aren't looking for duration but it will help with duration. You are just giving him a higher rate of reinforcement for finding it the first time.

Nice sections from 53-1:17 and 1:28-1:58.

I do think trying the slow hand in will be a good next steps. It's proofing to stay at source and does work on duration too.

Looking forward to the next video!