Maizey's Level 2 Video-Part One

Time for the L2 video of Maizey's Training Levels progress. She has tested 8 out of the 16 behaviors. So we are half way there.

She tested her first behavior on April 1, 2010 then the last behaviors we tested were on June 6, 2010 so 8 behaviors in 2 months is pretty good. Keeping good records, which I admittedly am not great at, does help. It's quite encouraging to look back and see how fast her progress really was.

The video shows the tests as outlined for L2, I view it as sort of the basic foundation to build on.



Then after you lay a firm foundation the levels outline a "Continuing Education" section. We are working on much of the continuing education skills for the skills she has already tested. These are some of the great ideas:

COME: call her with my back to her, and recalling her and gently grabbing different parts of her body helps her learn to be caught.

DOWN: work on using other forms of payment. Try a back scratch or Maizey loves it when I clap for her, apparently she loves applause! A toy, or before being released to go through a door are some other ideas.

PARK IT: This has been a really fun one. Part of it is too move the mat around and teach them to figure out where it is and go to it. One time her floppy lion was a few feet closer to her and in front of the mat so she ran over and pounced on it in perfect park it position and just grinned up at me like, "How 'bout this? good enough?" Such a silly girl! This has proved a very practical skill also to help with her reactivity so we have been doing a lot of mat work out side and in many locations.

CRATE: Location of the crate becomes very important now and so far she has learned to be crated outside in our yard, at numerous other peoples houses, at a training field, and in the car to name a few.

To really understand the depth of the levels you really have to just visit Sue's Training Level book and dive in, but it is a great program, especially if you aren't in a position to do a lot of classes.

30 miles in 30 Days Makes Loose Leash Walking A Snap

Fait accompli! Okay so I think I deserve a little slack in the fancy word department as a way to say: we did it! It is an "accomplished fact, something already done and beyond alteration." The fait accompli? We successfully walked 30 miles in 30 days. Challenge complete!

So I am a little full of my self, those of you who know me realize that for someone who is a self confirmed energy hoarding sloth this really was an accomplishment.

Many four legged lessons were learned. But my favorite thing was learned by Maizey. Not too long ago we started L2 Loose Leash Walking(LLW), and since I think Maizey was as determined a puller as our 90lb Alaskan Malamute, whom we will always miss, I was admittedly not too optimistic. Especially since this is what LLW does not look like:

"Ahh crap, I'm about to go turn around and follow you walking backwards aren't I?

You do know the neighbors think your a nutcase for walking me down the street backwards all the time?

Pardon me while I roll my eyes in disgust"

But the progress was amazing. And it is so nice to walk down the street and not look like a fool of a grown woman bing dragged down the sidewalk by nine pounds of girlie hair! So this is what LLW does look like:

But first of course we have the celebratory "pretty girl shot" before we start our last miles of the challenge.

On our walk I cue, "get ready" and make sure she is 'in the game' and paying attention.

"Get Ready? I AM ready crazymomlady! Lets Go!"

So with a chipper and completely unslothful, "let's go" we start off.
 
L2 LLW is defined as,  "a loose leash [is] a leash with the snap hanging straight down from the collar. If the leash supports the snap in any way, the leash is no longer loose." So that is our criteria. At close to perfect it looks like this:

Now there are two ways described to reinforce the LLW and I strongly recommend reading the details at Sue's Training Level site, but for purposes of our picture commentary I'll just comment that I chose the option of c/t when she is in the position I want her and while we are moving forward. I feel it gives a clearer explanation of, "Yes! You are perfect right where you are." 

The theory goes that a dog can be taught to know that when on harness it's "recess", so to speak. It's play time, with a looser interpretation of the rules. Then when put on flat buckle collar they realize, "Okay, class time! Time to have a nice LLW and pay attention to crazymomlady." It works great! By now she is getting used to the position I expect her to walk in, namely her shoulder at the seam of my jeans, and often times even on her harness is walking that way.

I think we are going to make her a new section, "LHW" for loose harness walking.

Of course this is recess so it doesn't always stay loose. But its okay.

 "WHOA that's some foot ya got there crazymomlady!"

In conclusion Maizey would like to say:

  "Yeah I know I'm the princessface and not only am I pretty, now my knees work I can walk on a loose leash 30 miles in 30 days! Ya, I rock it.!"

Loose Leash Walking Is Sheer Joy-Even When It Snows!

Obviously with the girls challenging me to walk 30 miles in 30 days we have been doing a lot of walking. And we have been doing a lot of L2 Loose Leash work for Maizey.

It is so fascinating to walk to the two pups. They are such different walking styles. Meeka is like taking a walk with the significant one in your life where you stroll together holding hands, and while you are enjoying each others company you don't have to worry about each other. It's like that stroll with your loved one where you mutually know how fast to go, and when the other is getting tired. It is ultimate peace to walk with Meeka.

Just a Friendly stroll by the river

Maizey? Oh Maizey is like trying to walk a kite on a gusty windy day. It is an experience in a whole other realm. Walking Maizey consists of watching Maizey's body language for reactivity, watching her feet so they don't get under my feet, watching the environment to anticiapte what might set her off, reeling the leash in cause she is determined use her 9 pounds to drag my. . .well considerably more than 9 pounds right off my feet! Walking Maizey has been an exercise in thinking and self control. But yes I said has been, because she is making progress in leaps and bounds!(No pun intended and insert me cheering and sighing in relief here!)

The progress has come from following more good Training Levels advice. In the Training Levels Book L2 Leash is states, "Once the dog is comfortable with the leash, she'll start pulling on it to get where she wants to go. Now we run smack up against a point of view problem. YOU see "She's not going to make ME go faster than I want to go! We'll go at MY speed" and SHE sees "Man, this human is so slow, I have to pull really hard to get him to go anywhere!" And there's the key right there. Are you going to tell her that she HAS to pull to get anywhere? Or are you going to tell her that pulling NEVER gets her anywhere, that the ONLY way to get where she wants to go is by giving you a loose leash? Look on today as the first day of the rest of the dog's life. From now on, a tight leash will never, NEVER, NEVER go where the dog wants it to go."(Italics mine) The answer is as soon as the leash tightens up you walk backwards, away from what she is fixated on pulling you towards. You keep walking backwards until her attention is back on you. But you can look up the details in Sue's Levels

  

But how could we have a nice long walk where she gets some energy out and still never go anywhere on a tight leash? Trust me for a while we spent more time walking backwards than forwards! Then I read the advice to let the pup walk however she wants on a harness and do the serious training with the leash and on the buckle collar. I must admit I was hesitant, could a dog really tell the difference between the harness and collar. But I tried it. And it is a thing of beauty! Walks with Maizey are now starting to feel more like that comfortable stroll with my friend instead of chasing a kite in the wind. 

We start every walk w/ a quick session of "Watch"

 "Maizey? Watch Me!"

Then when she's focused we start the walk on the Puppia Harness.

When she is on the Puppia Harness we do no training except to c/t when she looks at me.

  "See me Mom, I'm watching you. Now fork over the chicken liver cheerios!"

"MMMM! Chicken Liver's my favorite it stinks sooo good!"

Then when she has settled down and can focus on me I switch to the buckle collar and continue to c/t when she looks at me. But the second that leash gets tight I backup. I don't say anything but I keep walking backwards. (Yes my neighbors think I'm nuts and that the dog can only walk backwards down the street, but they already thought I was a "crazy dog lady!"LOL) Then when she keys back into me I c/t her glance at me and w/ out saying anything start walking forward again. It is so simple and she loves it. We have taken our longest and most relaxed walks in the last week or so and yesterday she actually walked over half a mile loose leashed on her buckle collar and we only backed up once at a distance of about 20 feet, then she sailed right past the distraction that had her pulling just seconds before!

This is what the sheer joy of loose leash walking in the snow looks like: