Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Introduction

I thought it would be good to do a brief intro to the Training Levels program we are using for training. All detailed information can always be linked to at the Sue Ailsby's Training Levels link in the "Links Of Interest" sidebar.  There will be an index of terms that may be new or unfamiliar in the "Labels" sidebar under "Training Terms"

This is completely positive reenforcement training. I decided when we got Maizey to cross over from traditional training and am sold on this method. There are so many benefits, but one of the greatest to me is that this is FUN! And not just for me, but for the dogs too. Shaping, capturing, and luring with clicker training teach a dog to think. And it teaches the handler to think too. Trust me I have spent many hours scratching my head trying to figure it out!LOL

Another benefit of using positive reenforcement and the  Levels is how adaptable the skills are to each dog. Meeka, being the eminently teachable girl she is, certainly doesn't need to work the same skills, or the same order, as Maizey. But once you and the dogs have a good handle on the basic concepts you can customize the training to be exactly what each one needs.

Maizey is our main student, but Meeka's work is ongoing and will be peppered in here and there as I learn areas she needs work in. Maizey has tested and passed three of the five level 1 behaviors: sit, down, and zen. So she is working on level 2 behaviors except for target and come.

More later on what these behaviors are and what they involve for her, and for me!

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Lessons From and For 4 Legs has moved to a new address: http://www.lessonsfrom4legs.com. Where we will continue to learn life's lessons from my little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel's, Maizey and Magnus. Don't miss Meeka's lessons too, by checking the archives of my big girl rescue Rottie. They all teach me so much!