Liam 1st class: Graduation at AKC STAR Puppy Class!

ghggp said:
Go figure, jumped from the frying pan into the fire!!!!

Liam started his canine good citizen class tonight at a different venue and trainer!

He had a melt down at the first class! Poor guy kept trying to hide under my chair. He got better as the class went on. Two men run the class. I think Liam was more used to the two women from the previous class. Learning curve round Two!
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Good for you! Keep that learning ball rolling -- it'll be invaluable over the years! Go Liam!!!
 
ghggp said:
They won’t allow food rewards in this CGC class. Not sure how that will work out as he is only a puppy.
Anyone else experienced this?
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Yes -- and I found it very useful. "Start as you mean to go on," as the British say. Beckon learned to work strictly for verbal rewards, and he's very food oriented. I also took a handling class where food wasn't allowed. My gang learned to focus on me, not the treat. Trust the process.
 
Chris said:
Yes -- and I found it very useful. "Start as you mean to go on," as the British say. Beckon learned to work strictly for verbal rewards, and he's very food oriented. I also took a handling class where food wasn't allowed. My gang learned to focus on me, not the treat. Trust the process.
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So, was Beckon fearful - or he just preferred a food reward? I think in this case, with Liam being fearful, she is just going to wind up with a shut down dog if she doesn't have a way to coax him out of his comfort zone. It's an important distinction to make, I think. A fear period may not be the best time to try to transfer the value of a reward. I really think this is too critical a time to be trying to get him to work for anything other than a super high value reward (in his book). A handling class is a whole different scenario than having a fearful dog in a CGC class.
 
ghggp said:
Liam started his CGC class yesterday. I think he did pretty well. He was not shut down.
He was a bit concerned at all the new dogs in the class as he never encountered before.
Fingers/paws crossed we do well.
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Not sure the behaviourist mentioned bullying Deska (I'll have to check the notes), but it was actually harder because Tully is so tiny it's hard to reprimand this little cute fluffy thing. She did suggest Tully having to 'work' for everything, incl playing with Deska. And that included separating them when I wasn't around - but that didn't work because Deska broke Tully out of her 'jail'.
 
Cara Sandler said:
I think in this case, with Liam being fearful, she is just going to wind up with a shut down dog if she doesn't have a way to coax him out of his comfort zone. It's an important distinction to make, I think. A fear period may not be the best time to try to transfer the value of a reward. I really think this is too critical a time to be trying to get him to work for anything other than a super high value reward (in his book). A handling class is a whole different scenario than having a fearful dog in a CGC class.
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Totally agree...
Believe me, when I try with just my voice commands he pays little or no attention to me especially during something he is learning. Having a treat distracts him long enough to focus on me. I just need to help him over his fearfulness... and a high-value food reward is the only way at this time. He knows sit, down, heel, stand, leave it, and stay. Focus is his downfall... if a dog is coming up behind him he loses total concentration. Then I get him to focus back on me with a treat and a watch me command.

It is the allowing some stranger to pat him and stay with them once I leave the room for 5 minutes that will be the challenge for us. Lisa who owns Piper had a great idea and said go to a pet store and have someone hold him as I go out of site around another aisle. Starting slowly with all this for sure...
 
ghggp said:
Totally agree...
Believe me, when I try with just my voice commands he pays little or no attention to me especially during something he is learning. Having a treat distracts him long enough to focus on me. I just need to help him over his fearfulness... and a high-value food reward is the only way at this time. He knows sit, down, heel, stand, leave it, and stay. Focus is his downfall... if a dog is coming up behind him he loses total concentration. Then I get him to focus back on me with a treat and a watch me command.

It is the allowing some stranger to pat him and stay with them once I leave the room for 5 minutes that will be the challenge for us. Lisa who owns Piper had a great idea and said go to a pet store and have someone hold him as I go out of site around another aisle. Starting slowly with all this for sure...
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I might even start slower than that - just have someone hold him, while you turn and walk away but don't leave his sight. Make sure whoever is holding him rewards him so he starts to think that being with a stranger is a GREAT thing! Then when he is comfortable with that, go out of sight for literally a count of 3, etc.....
 
Cara Sandler said:
I might even start slower than that - just have someone hold him, while you turn and walk away but don't leave his sight. Make sure whoever is holding him rewards him so he starts to think that being with a stranger is a GREAT thing! Then when he is comfortable with that, go out of sight for literally a count of 3, etc.....
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Great idea! Thanks for the council!
 
Cara Sandler said:
I might even start slower than that - just have someone hold him, while you turn and walk away but don't leave his sight. Make sure whoever is holding him rewards him so he starts to think that being with a stranger is a GREAT thing! Then when he is comfortable with that, go out of sight for literally a count of 3, etc.....
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I totally agree- go very slow......
 
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