WTG Dash

On weds as usual we had training. As you may have read in previous posts I've been working on arousal and stimulus control work with him as whilst he focuses perfectly when it's his turn to run, in between he gets very excited and overaroused watching all of the other dogs run.
We've been working on mat work and teaching a high variable reinforcement schedule (for duration and distance) to this behaviour. ATM he's successful at a VR schedule of about 60 at home. We've also been working on sheepball games to teach focus which he is really getting the hang of. Because of the type of WSD that he is, he instinctively works a real distance away and has a very strong eye which meant that he was less likely to flank to more subtle body cues from me. I've been teaching him to work in a bit closer (for the purpose of using the game in an agility setting) by working with him initially on the full length of his double ended lead on a small concrete basketball court near us. I've been clicking and reinforcing him for offering me behaviours such as facing me (12 oclock position) and the ball at my feet, right flanking (which he was offering me more) and I've gradually been able to capture him flanking to the left and click and reward it. Where he was offering me a really strong "eye"/stare behaviour, I've also been able to teach him to lie down and "watch" his (sheep)ball and remain in that position with the ball in front of him whilst I walk behind him or around the court. He'll now only move when I release him. Having been successful at the basketball court I've been able to integrate this into our walks with him offlead. I had to lower the reinforcement criteria quite a lot to start with, as previous to starting to do any sheepball training I had always, without thinking about it, rewarded him for offering me distance by throwing his toy when he faced me at a distance. This meant that I had to do a few sessions with him on his double ended lead, before progressing to working him offlead and marking and rewarding any flanking and the other behaviours as I did in the initial stages. In the initial stages on walks and prior, I often needed another equal or higher value toy to "swap" so that he would offer me the previous one that he had been working until reinforced. We've managed to phase this out on walks, purely through repetition of the game so that he'll now just offer me the original one once he has been released to the ball or reinforced. He still needs the additional toy at training though as it is a more exciting environment that I am yet to proof to.

In any case, this week at training I was really chuffed with him. He worked his socks off and focused really well on his mat and without even looking at the other dogs running. He was also able to work on tricks whilst we were waiting for our turn outside the school (previously he hadn't really been able to focus on this as he was so fixated on the other dogs running and the equipment). About half way through we were even able to do sheepball work offlead in the school with other dogs working around us. Total focus!

Just goes to show that the phrase "Great dog, shame about the handler!" is so true!