Training with Takoda
July 3rd, 2010I’ve posted several blogs today so that I am up to date and current with info on the new dog! I’m excited to be able to start training her. Any time you are with your dog there is some sort of ‘training’ occurring. It does not have to be a formal training session for the dog to learn. Your dog is always learning from you and from how you react.
I’ve set up formal traininig sessions with Koda to teach her about the clicker. In our first session I used micro shaping to teach her to put her front two feet on a wobble board. This session taught me: 1) she is a quick learner (as I’d hope she’d be) and 2) she is not afraid of moving surfaces beneath her feet (think teeter).
In another session I wanted to work with her on my right side. I noticed early on that she, like most dogs are taught, preferred to be on my left. As an agility dog she needs to be comfortable on both sides. Using click/treat I again shaped her to being on my right and began moving about using my body to turn into her or away and using a high rate of reinforcement to keep her happily on my right. She is now defaulting to the right, but is still comfy on the left as well.
This morning I discovered an added benefit of having her walk on the my right: Ditto walks on the left. I took them both for a walk at the same time and it was much easier to have them on either side of me rather than in front or on the same side. No leash tangling and they weren’t playing the race horse game of trying to get ahead of one another. And while I know this is not a ‘new trick’ I did discover another use for my treat pouch: I unbuckled it and put the handle of each leash through the waist strap. I slid both leashes behind my back and adjusted their position so that the leashes were the exact length I needed to keep the dogs in perfect walking position!! It worked awesome. With both hands free I was able to C/T both dogs at the same time and they each kept to their respective side. The leash had just enough slack but not too much. I liked it and so did they!
Other ‘life lessons’ Koda is learning include:
- Waiting: to get out of the car, to go through a door, at gates and the all important wait until released for her food dish
- Do NOT drop the toy at me feet, I want you to hand it to me or I won’t throw it. This is the opposite of what her foster mom taught her but it just shows you how flexible dogs can be! (There is no right or wrong here, it’s just personal preference)
- Release toy on cue
- In the car she is learning that she has to stay in the back
Things she already does well:
- Walk nicely on a leash
- Sit
- Come when called both to a verbal and whistle cue
- Retrieves
- Tugs
- Most of the time takes food nicely
Next formal training goals:
- Teach her the opposite cues: Feet Up/Off
- Teach Aim For It and Race to Reward from the Agility Start Right book
- Begin scent detection work
- Begin rally obedience work
Now that I’m caught up on this blog I will be posting frequent updates!!

Takoda with tug ring




