Notes from Mike's Book

Sporting Dog and Retriever Training the Wildrose Way  by Mike Stewart
Wildrose Training Videos:  http://www.youtube.com/user/WildroseKennel?feature=watch

The Art of Canine Leadership

There are three parts to becoming an effective, positive leader: communication with the dog, understanding canine behavior, and becoming a problem solver.

Problem Solving

Great dog trainers are problem solvers who look first to themselves as the source of any problem, then to the circumstances of the situation on their training methods, and last to the dog. 

Reinforcers

Not reinforcing known or previously established behaviors is a common mistake.  You need to recognize previously entrenched skills occasionally to let the animal know the behavior is still valued.  Don't forget the small stuff or the actions are likely to fade.

Timing

Of the three methods of communication - timing, tempo and tone - timing is the most challenging and the most critical.

Affection and Physical Touching

Affection and physical touching are excellent reinforcers when used in moderation, but they are the most overused and misappropriated owner activity, which make them subject to the most dilution.

Food

Indiscriminate feeding of treats significantly dilutes their value as well.

Association

Association is a powerful motivator.  Dogs place a high value on being with their pack.  The correction to inappropriate behavior is banishment as an outcast.

I remove the dog from the group and make him watch from a distance; he only returns to the activity when the desired behaviors are evident.

If alone, I remove the dog from my proximity - time out, if you will - affording him no attention, not even eye contact.  Over a period of time, the dog learns to stabilize and be in balance with the leader or the group, and accomplishes this with self-initiated behavior.

The Wildrose Way

A positive, slowly progressive way of training where one set of skills is built upon another. 

Neutral Responses

Never give a command that cannot be reinforced.

Dogs Are Place-oriented

You have to train a skill at multiple locations to ensure that a predictable habit has been established

A negative experience in one location will not be forgotten for a long time.  Change the place, the environment, and the situation.

Dogs live in the present, so match their mindset.

Focus on the dog and stay in the moment. 

The First Six Months of a Puppy's Life (the backgrounding period)

7 weeks to 3 1/2 months (first 14 weeks): introduce the basic fundamental behaviors and commands

3 1/2 months to 6 months (the next 12 weeks): entrench those behaviors and skill sets to the point of habit

3 Main Areas of Focus during the Backgrounding Period: socialization, desensitization, and establishing core fundamental behaviors

Pups have an exceptional capacity to learn at this age and what they retain will likely be imprinted for a lifetime.

Desensitization

It bears repeating that every interaction between you and the dog is a learning process for the youngster. You are the guide to the world and its experiences.  Make haste slowly.

Place Training

Anytime your dog is traveling in your vehicle or sitting with you in the home, he should be on his mat.

No one should bother the pup when he is on place.  The dog can do what he wants on place within reason, but he cannot violate the boundaries.

Eye Contact

Every interaction begins with getting the pup's eye contact by using his name before proceeding.

Feeding Time

At feeding time, there are many simple skills that can be taught, including hand signals, sitting, coming when called, and entering the kennel - all using the food as a reward.

In everything you do with the youngster, always require a behavior before a reward. 

Sit or Stand in Place

If you're working with a pointer, don't reinforce sit.  No one wants a pointer to sit on the point.  Instead, reinforce "whoa" when you come to a stop at heel, allowing the dog to remain standing. 

Name Recognition

The dog's name becomes the indicator for action. The dog's name is the call for action, the retrieve command.  The dog retrieves by name only.  If he doesn't hear his name, he should be rock steady.

Practice name recognition skills in group work with other dogs.  Perfect name recognition to the point that no dog in the group moves other than name, as each is called out of line to their handler.

Whistle: recall, sit, whoa

As you walk along, stop and instruct the pup to sit using the whistle and the verbal command in this order:  whistle blast, "sit", whistle blast.  Gradually you can fade the verbal "sit" and use only the whistle.

Generally, you should use one single whistle blast as the sit command and a series of very short whistle blasts for recall. 

Own the Eyes

Each command should be preceded by the pup's name and 3-second eye contact. 

Give the dog time to process the command  If you don't give him adequate time to think, interpret, and respond, he's really just emulating your body language and not responding to the verbal command.

Denials

Denials build steadiness. 

4 Basic Core Skills

sit, stay, here, heel 

Failures

Failures are frustrating for you to be sure, but they are for your student as well.  Back up a couple of steps in your training to the familiar, simplify, reteach the basics, and set the dog up to succeed to get the intended result.

6 to 8 Months of Age

Build upon early starts

Increase in the duration of the core obedience fundamentals and introductions

Place training

Emphasize steadiness while other dogs work

Tie the dog out and add distractions

Move heel work to realistic conditions: vary the speed, change directions, zigzag, and negotiate obstacles

Discourage sniffing by gently pushing the nose up with your foot and getting him to watch you as opposed to sniffing.  Sniffing is not a sign of hunting; it is a sign of distraction

Further solidify the dog responding only to his name

Incorporate denials.  Denials build steadiness.

Introduce sit to flush by using denials

Energy Level Control: The Turnoff

A cue that means be quiet, still and settled.

The turnoff is established by placing your hand under the jaw of the dog, cradling the muzzle in your open palm.  Your demeanor and tone should be relaxed as you attempt to establish a calm behavior.

Gain eye contact and require quiet.

Use the turnoff to relax your dog, maintain calm, or settle him after an exciting retrieve. 

Steadiness

Steadiness is the dog's ability to sit still and quiet during any type of activity - a shot, a falling bird, or the distraction of another working dog or hunter.

The Three Ds of Steadiness

Denials:  simply denying the retrieve

Delays:  the amount of time between the fall of the bird or placement of the bumper and the release of the dog for the retrieve

Diversions: distractions; the dog should remain focused on the retrieve at hand, not the diversions

Steady in Group

If the dog doesn't hear his name, he should remain absolutely steady and quiet

Honoring in a Group

Honoring in a group can involve a mark thrown or a memory placed as each dog is individually released by his name while all others remain quiet. 

No patience, no retrieve. 

An Honoring Exercise

The dogs move forward across a field much like in a pheasant-hunting situation. It is one thing for the dogs to be steady at sit, and quite another when they're walking at heel. 

With the dogs off lead, if possible, the line moves forward and the handlers throw bumpers. Now is an opportunity, if you would like, to also practice sit to the flush as you toss bumpers. Use your whistle or hand signals if necessary. If the dog is conditioned to sit when he sees a flyer, he won't be breaking. 

If problems arise, use the slip collar and steady tab. This is a great benefit even for the duck hunter to hone steadiness. As the line walks forward and the handlers throw marks, each dog in the groups receives one retrieve. Occasionally, leave the dogs at sit and walk out and get the bumpers yourself. 

Honoring is obedience, as is steadiness. Find some pals and make sure your dog is rock steady in group situations. 

Notes from Laurie

Does anybody have any recommendations of how to train our DAD to alert during a swim practice?

Right now, we have successfully taught him to stay on his Karanda bed during the entire two hour practice. When our son gets out to check his sugars, our dog will alert him if necessary. My question is, what method should we use to allow the dog to alert while our son is in the water? It is expecting so much of these dogs to be able to figure out that they have to break that down stay only when needed.

A bringsel alert is a clear signal. Having Nova sit and hold the bringsel on place will alert Elijah if he stops to check instructions for his next set or drink water, his team mates or coaches. The placement of the Kuranda cot in a conspicuous place is important 

From our experience at swim practice and swim meets, the loud and chaotic environment (seriously chaotic with horns whistles cheering fans) can prevent an auditory alert from being heard. Swimmers heating up for a race randomly mill around and during practice sets sprints, diving, long sets can be overwhelming.  

Once the DAD learns not to break from the cot and reliably sit and hold the bringsel, the dog can be placed in a vantage point for visual monitoring. Even a bystander knows to report if the service dog in the vest sits up and holds a bringsel.
We place Willow and can circle around to the other side of the pool and see her alerts. Onlookers are thrilled to watch her work at meets. 

Willow has a paw alert and bringsel. They are remarkable when they want to communicate. Willow has the ability to communicate high and low with varying degrees based in context. Her exuberant bow for a high at home is nothing more than lowering her eyes in a restaurant. Her exaggerated wave / paw at home is a flick up of a chin in a restaurant. They can learn what is appropriate in different locations.

 I totally understand Elijah's desire to be independent but Nova's training can only benefit from your attention during practice. The immediate feedback to pre alert / alert behaviors and the sculpting of his alerts is a great opportunity before he leaves for college.

Heel

Heel work is very important to me.  

I train heel with eye contact in the morning with the pup’s breakfast initially everyday for several weeks then occasionally when I have time.  I also train recall through a round robin game in the morning with the first small meal.  Instead of the small first meal in a bowl taking 2 minutes to eat, I carry the bowl around and around the house feeding one kibble at a time for 15 -20 minutes.  The pup must make and briefly hold eye contact for the kibble.  I use the walls and furniture to my benefit by leaving just space for the pup to get in close next to me to get the kibble in position.

At this stage, I am not marking anything just walking around mostly in straight areas and rapidly delivering bites of kibble. This is more a luring exercise for the pup to get into position rapidly and get reinforced without thinking.  I deliver the kibble in front of the dog’s nose in position of an obedience heel.  Pup's toes together and in line with mine, pointing in the same direction as my feet.  Their body alignment from above would look like an imaginary line drawn down their back from nose to tail in a straight line parallel to me.  Position and eye contact are reinforced with each kibble.  Kibble is delivered in front of the dog's nose in the correct position even if the pup has stepped slightly out of position treat delivery is at the ideal or close to ideal spot.

I also train heel position with eye contact using a small foot stool.  The pup or dog steps up on the stool with front paws (facing and in line like described above) and I either just rapidly deliver the kibble or mark and deliver.  Within a day or 2, I can slowly rotate around the stool and the pup will shift and adjust staying in heel by moving rear feet and follow me never stepping off with its front feet.  Using the stool helps the dog learn to be close, parallel and make eye contact.  The stool also saves the human's back by not making delivery of the kibble so hard with bending over.  

Once pup gravitates to heel position, then I use a marker before treat delivery and I add complexity by stepping out of heel, adding turns and marking when the pup can put themselves back in heel.  Basically, I quickly build the position with luring then rebuild the position by shaping and capturing.

Heel position is the most rewarded position I have.  I would rather take extra time to teach front position and right side heel many months later and know that the dogs will always return to left heel when in doubt or to get what they want.

Heel tends to be a behavior that can have a solid foundation in the younger pup and then get sloppy in adolescent if not actively maintained and still slides even with the best efforts.  The fall apart in adolescence can be during developmental (hormonal) stages where outside awareness introduces more interesting sights and smells to the dog.  I find a little comfort when my girls have forged out of heel by a step because of a distraction then when reminded by my stopping that they were heeling, they fling themselves back into heel.  These times just go to reassure me that they want to please me, know how to please me but sometimes outside attractions just simply overwhelm them. 

Building confidence

Building confidence in a soft pup for us was how we started our journey with Willow.  Willow was insecure about traffic noises, about leaving the home because traffic was close, about leaving on outing with just one person vs the whole family.  Each and every scenario where we saw Willow hesitate, we put time and effort into training through the problem.

Here is an example of how we trained through a problem.  We live in a city neighborhood 2 homes in from a 3 lane one way road where traffic travels 30 MPH.  The traffic comes in waves from the rhythm of the stoplight blocks away.  Willow feared the traffic as it approached.  We love to walk as a family, we needed Willow desensitized to the traffic noise and so we used an incremental approach.  

I sat in a lawn chair for 45 minutes at a comfortable distance to the traffic a few days in a row just clicking and treating for calm eye contact, then closer and closer, then heeling back and forth.  On the same days that we sat and got closer and closer to the street, I was also doing the same process from inside the car.  I would sit in the car next to the street, then with a small open window, then with the van door open then next to the car, etc.  It probably took 2 weeks to have Willow comfortable enough to walk past in a focused heel, sit at traffic lights unfazed. 

This was a training focal point but in addition to this we were also putting much time into obedience, focus and tricks at home in the regular training plan. 

I must say I found it very rewarding to find a situation where Willow was scared or insecure and watch her build confidence through my efforts.  

Mike Stewart told a story before we even had Willow at the DAD Conference in July 2010 and that story made a huge impression on me for many different training reasons. Looking back I realize that the most general benefit that I received was the knowledge that I could take information from a gundog training plan and use it in the city. That realization has helped me to listen and adapt stories from all different types of trainers, training methods and unrelated dog sports for my dad training plan.

Mike told the story of a seasoned gundog falling through the ice on a pond during a retrieve and due to the trauma of the experience many different components had to be rebuilt with confidence in the dog. 

A confident dog can loose confidence in 1 mishap and need to be rebuilt. An insecure pup can be trained to be rock steady using the same incremental approach. Most dogs are a combination of strengths and weaknesses that through training are made beneficial for our purposes. 

Dog Alerting to Two T1

Willow Wonka (3 year old) is showing her high(bow) and low(wave) alert signals. In this video, Willow had alerted to Adam at school from the main floor of the school. Adam's classroom is on the second floor, 2 doors down from another T1 child.

The family friend and T1 schoolmate has arrived at school and is down the hall in a separate classroom. The child has entered school for the second class period after Adam and Willow alerted to her high upon entry. Within 15 - 30 minutes of the other T1 child's arrival, Willow begins to alert to a low which indicates I should go upstairs and check.

This video is taken of Willow walking from one child's class to the other and indicating what she finds. Alert one has a 7 yo girl with a BG of 340 and the second alert is Adam's classroom where he is 77.

Lynn, if we had not been discussing this very topic, I probably would not have taken the time to video. It is a really good training problem for me to address because I will need to create a behavior that Willow will offer when I ask "is it Adam?" as we will be in school all year twice a week enjoying the company of the other T1 family.

Although Willow could be handled by Adam at his school, we have chosen to have Willow handled by us. Our training plan provides for distance alerts and minimal interference to the class. Adam has a phone which he is allowed to use for text to us. I rarely enter a classroom as Willow can alert from outside of the door and then I can ask questions and give instructions as needed through text.

Arriving at school, Adam had a BG of 158 and a CGM reading of 156. One hour prior to this video and 30 min after arrival, Willow offered a distance low alert. We confirmed the low outside of his classroom again. Then asked him what his CGM said? CGM 100 arrows down, so without a BG making the assumption he was in a fast drop, Adam had a 4 gram tab and 45 min later at the change of class his CGM and BG reported 100. Her alert from outside the classroom door allowed him to be very subtly managed without disturbing the class and remain asymptomatic.

Q&A:

Yes, these dogs can be trained to alert on multiple people.

Willow alerted on me when she was 10 months old accurately and ever since to highs. I have steroid induce highs when I treat my asthma.

Willow alerts accurately on Holly's little girl Lexie every Monday and Wednesday when we sit together at school. Usually Adam and Lexie are opposite in the BG range and willow can give different signals for each or touch the right one. 

The biggest question to alerting to two different diabetics is whether the dog is really alerting to diabetes at all or just a reactive dog getting cued by meters and verbals... 

I know that I saw Willow alert to other people at WR. Obviously you knew it wasn't Adam, since he wasn't there. But if he had been - what then? Would she only have alerted to him? 

If we have given her permission to alert on another person, when Willow is near another diabetic for a brief period time, she always checks Adam first then checks the other and indicates correctly. If she has been with both in the same room she will start to go directly to the correct person most of the time but sometimes she still checks Adam first.... When we would visit my dad in the Assisted living she just went to the right person when asked who. I might be brining Adam with Willow to CA, so I can show you how it works with a room full of T1s.

And did you see Sarah's picture of two meters side by side the other day? Each was different. One was pointing down. The other pointing up. My first thought went to HER!!! What to do first? And then I thought of Ruby. Same question. 

That was so sad what she posted... At first I thought it was equipment error and she was asking for help with calibration then when she clarified I was so sad for her, for them and heart sick for all of these kids. Ruby will be fantastic when she understands her job. It will be more opportunities for reward... 

Train a different alert/s for each child immediately comes to mind. But also..... There are many possibilities to train tricks but we always need to remember that these dogs are smelling / sensing something we don't understand. There could be metabolic events occurring with each child and a BG meter is not the accurate final say. Instead of complicating the issue for the dog it is important (in my opinion) to make the task simple. The dog must now know that her job is to alert the supervising adult to a potential issue that will need observation and possible intervention. The dog could legitimately alert to a high but the parent knows whether there is insulin on board and at the same time the other child could have a high that is coming down from exercise or about to go and exercise... there are 1000s of situations where the dog alerting is only valuable as a heads up. 

Franks situation comes to mind as well. If 2 dogs for one person works, I wonder what would happen w/2 dogs, each to its own person. 

Absolutely, possible for 2 dogs each to their own... as long as each is very clear on the feedback not to reward for alerting to the other... but then it would be possible to have one dog miss and the other not alert because it was shutdown... I would want to have both dogs alerting but have the dogs bonding in other ways to their person, so alerts were not missed. I love having multiple dogs all working to out do the other at any given moment.

Faith's bloodwork history (and Adams) are a far far cry from what Dorrie is going through right now. Faith has had Ruby since she was 18 months old and Ruby was fully trained, needing only the training to assimilate into her new home (sarah's sleeping issues where she had to teach Ruby it was ok to get off place for an alert). Dorrie is seeing health benefit but it will be slower bc Luke is a different age and Jedi is a self train pup.

Your final question is a real conundrum, isn't it? 

I have always believed that at the very minimum these dogs provide health benefit to the T1 because they initiate additional BG checks. Every time a t1 checks, information and usually a health happens. So having a dog even a untrained, immature, or fake dog might get someone who checked 4 times a day to check 10, 15 or 20. Now if there are too many false alerts the person will go back to their old ways but initially it is useful. 

OK! Would you please explain further a couple of things that are not clear to me? How do you "give permission"? 

With Willow if she alerts to a random stranger when Adam is no where around I tell her to leave it. If we are with another t1 I will ask her to check them and then if she alerts, she will tend to alert on that person when we are together and in the future. If we are with someone and I have allowed her to check them and she alerts and the person is not treating their diabetes in an effective way, then I will tell her to leave it rather than continue to deal with an impossible situation.

What do you say and do when Willow alerts? 

When she alerts I sometimes ask her "should we check?" or "what is it?", or "ask Adam "what his monitor says" or a combination of that... I try to ask the first question and mix up the other questions, so nothing is a cue for a signal... I notice everone tends to talk to the dog after an alert. It is reinforcing to the dog to alert and then have attention... many leave the dog on place and purposely interact during alert opportunities. 

Is that in itself the reward? Yep 

Is it part of the alert itself? Yep 

Does the dog GO TO the person that it is alerting to? The dog figures out who is the most rewarding and alerts to that person... Kurt is more rewarding at night, so willow goes to him. I am more rewarding in the morning and afternoon and when in public, so she comes to me. I tend to sleep through alerts at night and am exhausted in the evening... the dogs know us pretty well. 

Yes, these dogs can be trained to alert on multiple people.

Willow alerted on me when she was 10 months old accurately and ever since to highs. I have steroid induce highs when I treat my asthma.

Willow alerts accurately on Holly's little girl Lexie every Monday and Wednesday when we sit together at school. Usually Adam and Lexie are opposite in the BG range and willow can give different signals for each or touch the right one. 

The biggest question to alerting to two different diabetics is whether the dog is really alerting to diabetes at all or just a reactive dog getting cued by meters and verbals... 

Chain of events... dog alerts tells adult or adam we ask "if we should check may ask adam "what does your monitor say or dog "what is it then go do a BG if cgm is a good number if cgm says good number but there are arrows or if it is creeping in a direction that the dog said was already there... cgm says 135 and dog says high or dog says low and cgm says 80 (both these are technically good numbers but the dog is ahead of the meter and very little insulin or carbs will stop a problem.. does this make sense if cgm corroborates, then the dog gets reward if bg does then dog gets reward if there is a conflict then we set timer for 10 min and recheck and watch and dog waits for reward... the dog is alerting to something we just don't know what yet 

 Chain of events... 

dog alerts with bringsel? 

tells adult or adam we ask "if we should check may ask adam "what does your monitor say or dog "what is it is this where dog indicates w/either her low alert or her high alert behavior? then go do a BG if cgm is a good number 

cgm = meter ??? 

if cgm says good number but there are arrows or if it is creeping in a direction that the dog said was already there... cgm says 135 and dog says high or dog says low and cgm says 80 (both these are technically good numbers but the dog is ahead of the meter and very little insulin or carbs will stop a problem.. does this make sense yes 

if cgm corroborates, then the dog gets reward if bg does then dog gets reward what kind of reward? food? praise? toy? any of the above? if there is a conflict then we set timer for 10 min and recheck and watch and dog waits for reward... the dog is alerting to something we just don't know what yet 

Thank you, Laurie. This is so helpful to me.