When Pigs Fly_ Training Success With Impossible Dogs - Jane Killion [26]
Piggy Pointer
If my dog is “off duty” and I want him to start paying attention to me, I call his name. Because my dogs’ names are the very happiest sound they know, they will immediately alert to me and start paying attention, because they know something exciting is coming up.
Seven Pillars of Listening
How to Teach Attention in Seven Steps
Notice that I am not prompting this dog for attention. I just wait for him to look at me and then I will click and treat him for it.
Step One
Begin at home with no distractions. Arm yourself with a bait pouch or a garment with big pockets filled with treats. Go about your regular business, but be alert to what your little friend is up to. Anytime your dog looks at you, click and treat. Begin by rewarding any slight glance. Your dog does not have to be near to you. As long as his head is turned in your direction, click it. By the end of the first day, you can start working up the duration of the stare. Work up to having him stare at you by using small approximations as you did when you played the box game. Wait one second before click and treat, then two seconds, then three, then four, and so forth. Do this for a few days and you will have a dog that bores holes into your head with his eyes.
Step Two
It is helpful to set up controlled situations to proof your dog’s attention. By proof, I mean that he can continue to give you attention in a variety of situations. Start in the least stimulating environment where you are most likely to have good attention—probably your kitchen. Pick one distraction and reward your dog for maintaining eye contact with you while the distraction is presented. Click and treat your dog for keeping his eyes on you as each distraction is presented. If he breaks position or loses attention, do not say or do anything. He will learn quickly enough that attention earns him rewards and everything else does not. Here is a sample of how you might add a progression of distractions:
Have a friend make a noise in another room.
Have a friend walk into the room.
Have a friend walk into the room and move towards your dog.
Have a friend walk into the room and move closer toward your dog.
Have a friend stand next to your dog.
Have a friend lean over your dog.
Have a friend hold her hand over your dog’s shoulder.
Have a friend touch your dog’s shoulder.
The smaller the progressive slices you reward, the faster and better your dog will learn. Change only one small thing at a time. You would never skip from a friend making noise in the other room to a friend leaning over your dog, because you would have changed at least three things—the physical presence of the friend, the closeness of the friend to your dog, and the friend leaning over your dog. The smaller the progressive slices you can reward, the better the behavior will be.
Click and treat for your dog maintaining eye contact when the distraction is presented. At first, even if your dog turns away to check out the noise/person, reinforce him when he looks back at you. Eventually, you want to hone that behavior down to steady eye contact. Gradually raise the criteria until a person is doing a jig and eating a hamburger right next to your dog and your dog is still staring at you. This is a very good way to teach your dog attention as a default behavior. Weird stuff = look at mom/dad.
Step Three
Now go out in your back yard with your dog on a 10 foot line. If you have a fence, just let your dog go. Walk around, tend to your business, and click/treat whenever your dog looks at you. You will be shocked at how quickly just going out into the yard becomes a cue for him to stare at you.
With the right training, distractions just become a cue for more attention. Ruby knows she will get cookies if she remains motionless regardless of what is happening around her.
Step Four
Finally, you are ready to take this behavior on the