Tucker P Macaroon

[Drea]

I'm starting a new thread per Neil's suggestion in the pushing basics thread.

Originally Posted by neilsattin

I'm in the process of writing about this in several different places, but an insight that popped up for me while I was putting the DailyOM course together was how important it is to focus on the "whole" rather than the parts.

Off-topic, but I've been curious about this new course...is there new information that I won't get from watching the DVDs?

Originally Posted by neilsattin

The "whole" is the dynamic that you're creating between you and your dog. When you're working/playing together, are you getting in the flow? Do you feel crescendos of energy (building higher and higher), and then do you take rest breaks where both you and your dog can get relaxed, and quiet? It should feel like waves of energy that peak at "really energized and focused on each other" and subside at "fully relaxed and almost zoning out". So all of the various techniques that we do (whether pushing/tug/fetchtug or boxwork or heeling or...) are meant to generate that state of flow.

Rest work...I have to admit I've not been doing enough of that, at least not in between tugging and pushing. So I've been incorporating some massage in each of our tug sessions throughout the day. I've even been working on tug and relaxation with some of our kennel dogs. It's amazing how well it works. Small steps are better than no steps.

Originally Posted by neilsattin

Sometimes I notice that when people push, they're really intense with the "Ready" part in wanting to get their dogs to stay put while they wait for their name to be called. Then they call their dog for a push. Then they say "Ready!" again, and collect their dog into something resembling a sit-stay before they call the dog again for a push.

That's exactly the way I've been pushing with Tucker; no wonder he's not enthusiastic. Okay, fine tuning my approach. Just call me Flo...

Originally Posted by neilsattin

On the other hand, if you start to see "Ready!" as a "call to attention" (and remember that your dog simply SEEING the palm of your hand can provoke their energy) and don't worry about the "are they sitting and waiting?" part - instead just push more or less right away - then you can use a series of pushes to build up into a higher and higher state of emotional flow. Before you relax and settle again.

It's almost like you're saying "Hey, Tucker!" - push. "Hey, Tucker!" - push. "Tucker!" - push. (say nothing but simply run away then spin and) - push. Then take a breather.

Thanks for clarifying this. It makes perfect sense (today). Cheese...must...get...cheese (Tucker's new favorite tasty treat).

Originally Posted by neilsattin

Also a little video, if possible, would be a great way to see if there's anything in particular that you're doing, Drea, to inhibit the push. Sometimes those habits just evolve for some reason, and a simply "tweak" can set you back on the path.

I'll work on this. I have a camera, just have to find a helper to take the video.

Originally Posted by neilsattin

Oh, and one last thought about Tucker re: tug (for now). You might try something like this (and variations on this theme). Tug. Tucker wins. Tucker comes back to you with the toy. Physically push Tucker away. Tucker comes back. Grab toy in his mouth. Tug. Tucker wins. Tucker comes back. Push Tucker away. Spin and run to get Tucker to chase you. Pull out food and see if Tucker will push with you when he reaches you (dropping toy to get food). Snatch toy. Get Tucker to chase you. Let him grab toy. Tug. Let him win. Etc.

I have been incorporating more pushing Tucker away when he brings me a tug, and he still comes back for more. One interesting thing that he does (and has been doing ever since he was a little pup) is that he brings me the tug from behind and goes through my legs. He's almost as tall as a small horse and if it weren't for his injured leg, I might like to ride him! LOL. When Tucker was smaller, I used to trade him a morsel of treat for the toy, so he would drop the toy, take the treat from my hand, then when I would reach down to grab the toy, he'd snatch it away -- he's closer to the ground that I am -- so he'd get the treat and the toy! I also would toss the treat on the ground after he'd drop the toy so that I'd have a fighting chance to get to the toy before he did, and sometimes that works, but often, he didn't want the toy after that. I'll work on this some more.

Today we had a good session while I was working in the yard. I got the tug, teased him with it, then when I got his attention, ran away. He chased me and just as he got to me I tossed the tug away in the direction that he was running. When he got to the tug on the ground, and picked it up, I mad eye contact with him and turned and ran in the opposite direction. He chased me and we tugged for a few rounds, he won. He ran off. Then he got bored, dropped the tug, and walked away. I saw it. I looked at him, looked at the tug. Made a dash towards the tug, hoping he'd follow and he did. We tugged some more. Then we had a bit of relaxation before stopping so I could finish what I was doing in the yard.

Originally Posted by neilsattin

OK - one more thing - the lying down and barking will change once "down" becomes something that Tucker associates with being energized and in the flow. At that point he'll feel the flow of emotional energy when lying down, and you can add energy to that stable system. Until he's "stable" he'll need to release emotion, through the bark, because he's probably not experiencing down that way.

Now this is interesting. I've been told by several dog trainers that dogs are less likely to bark when they are lying down, which is why teaching down in helpful, but Tucker clearly missed that lesson.

[neilsattin]

It sounds like you had a great session today, and I'm glad that the tips I left in the other thread are helping.

If you were "collecting" Tucker between each push then that would definitely explain his plateau/regression. I'm sure that you'll start to see more "Flo" with him with the modified technique.

Rest...yes..."Because evoking more and more profound relaxation creates space for your dog to be more and more energized." (although I feel silly quoting myself)

Regarding the DailyOM course ("How to Speak So Your Dog Will Listen")- yes, there's new information there. I'm going to probably start another thread to address this topic, but generally...

As I was working on the course, I was very conscious of putting something together that wasn't simply "DVDs redux" - and that was also complete, special, and unique in its own right. The way that I work with people and their dogs has also evolved since putting the DVD set together, and I wanted the lessons of the DailyOM course to reflect that new approach.

Primarily, I've experienced some key insights about how to help people overcome their own obstacles to progress with their dog (I've been calling this the "Inner Game of Dog Training") - and that's where the DailyOM course begins. Then the Inner Game works its way into the presentation of all of the other Natural Dog Training techniques in the course.

As someone who has the DVDs, I think you'll find that the different perspective in the way the material is presented will help you connect with the techniques on the DVDs in an even more compelling way.

So while I borrow video from the DVDs (the techniques themselves haven't changed), the WAY the material is presented is different, and meant to give you (as someone who has the DVDs) a completely new angle on what you've come to know.

Someone who had never seen the DVDs (and who started with the DailyOM course) would likewise find the DVDs to be a great complement to what they had come to understand through the DailyOM Course.

Hope that all makes sense!

(and please pardon me if I quote liberally from this thread as I put the "DailyOM course" thread together)

[Drea]

I have a funny story to tell about myself. I often convince myself that I can't actually do something until I have all the "right" tools. So I built a box for box work, and I built it so well and so sturdy, that it's very cumbersome to move. So there it sits, unused. Then I searched and searched for a nail bag that was big enough, and I finally found one, with a belt, and there it sat after the first day of using it (and that first day I put Tucker's meal inside a plastic bag inside the nail pouch which of course made it hard to actually get to the food when I needed it). I'm always looking for that magic pill! I have a box and a pouch, but I didn't have a solid push.

But this evening, just as I sat down to dinner, Tucker was at the fence barking at new neighbor dogs, and I grabbed the pouch with a whole hot dog, and just stuck it in. I didn't take the time to cut up the hot dog like I usually do, just put it in. Then I went outside and waited a few seconds. I saw Tucker standing on the picnic table, waited for him to see me and to see that I had the pouch, and called "ready?", "Tucker!". Down he jumped, and actually gave me a push. Then I turned and scampered away, towards our house, and turned again and called "Tucker!" and he gave me another push. I did that over and over until we came to our front door and the hot dog was almost gone. Then I opened the door and in he went.

I just came back from closing the kennel for the night and Tucker was no where to be seen or heard. I whistled once, went into the house, grabbed the pouch with a hunk (again, not taking the time to cut it up into cubes) of cheese (my good cheese, too; we're out of dog cheese), went back outside and as I was coming out the door, Tucker wanders over. I waited until he was looking at me, then I called "ready?", "Tucker!" and push he did. We did that several times until the hunk was gone, then we went back inside.

Now I realize the true benefit of the nail pouch. It's big enough to fit my hand in without any restrictions and I just don't care if it gets ooky. I'll just figure out a way to clean it when the time comes.

The other thing I realized was that I was holding my hands too low (bringing my hands down to his mouth rather than having him bring his mouth up to my hands), which of course precluded him from lifting his front paws off the ground in this position. As soon as I can train myself to hold my hands higher (I regressed back during the cheese pushing), I think he's almost ready.

I got several heartfelt pushes from Tucker tonight and now he's crashed out on the couch. Can't ask for more. Yay for us!