Neither M.E. or Mopus are picking up the the Gee and Ha commands in harness. Marley had learned it easily on runs and by being told the command on leash; Marvin figured it out while working with Marley. The pointer sisters are not getting it and I don't have them much on leash or any other setting which I could take advantage of to teach them directional concepts. I think, in harness they are so focused on running that they don't care as much as Marley about getting directions; they are contenting in the guess work.
I'm a believer that each dog has its better way to learn, I like finding what suite each of my dogs. I tried a few tricks without a satisfying response from them, until I picked this up from agility dog techniques. I'm hoping this will work...
While they are not running, not playing in a more static mode, my hyper-crazy mutt heads should be more available to process what's going on and associate the words with turning there head in the right direction.
First step was, tap side of the dog, treat when the head turns, next I call a Gee or Ha, if the dog turns the head in the right direction, dog gets the treat. Anyway, I'm going from there...it might need refining.
M'Opus gets tangled every single time we start a run. She won't stay up front, bounces around and when I do get her to stop moving, she can't help facing towards me. I need to change that. Ideally she will stand strait looking forward and wait for a go command to bounce forward.
There a few things I want here:
-Stay still
-Dog on front of me and orientated in the same direction as me
-Looking forward
-Standing
Those are challenges for a stressed dog which feels comforted by visual contact.
I go step by step.
We have been working a simple stay, with me moving around Mopus. Staying is something that I got easily from her but except that she would spin on the spot as I moved around her. She really wants to keep that eye contact.
Once stay was understood as "stay on that spot". I started back with some stays with out moving as far from her. Actually, I would keep my legs almost glued to Mopus but move myself behind her, if she stayed in that position, butt end towards me I rewarded reaching on front of Mopus to give the treat in that same position with her nose pointing forward. At this point, I don't care if Mopus is sitting or standing, all I want is her back facing me.
On the next step, I do the same motion but take one step back, braking the contact between my legs and the dog. I make that short step back forward and reward. As the dog gets the gesture, I move more steps back.
Next, that's where the video is at, I move away, behind Mopus without staying glued on her. You can see there how she is having a hard time not spinning towards me but knows what I'm expecting. I don't really care at this point what direction she is facing, as long as when I am moving away from her she keeps her back towards me.
