LEVEL 3: Trick (shaping Back Up)

1. Sit down.
2. Click any motion of any paw.
3. Click any paw motion that isn't forward.
4. Click only backward paw motion.
5. Click two paws moving.
6. Click two paws moving backward.
7. Click a back paw moving.
8. Click a back paw moving backward.
9. Then three paws moving backward.
10. Then four paws.
11. Two steps backward.
12. Three steps
13. Ta Da!

ADDING THE CUE

When the dog is moving backwards readily

AND moving until you click

you can tell her what the behavior is called.

VEST: Level 6

VEST: LEVEL SIX

Vested/Non Vested

The vested dog demonstrates a 5-minute Service Dog Walk, followed by a non vested 5 minute Loose Leash Walk, followed by another 5-minute Service Dog Walk.

DISCUSSION

1. Consider that the vest is the cue for the SDW, and the leash alone is the cue for LLW. You have your SDW and LLW behaviors, now you're attaching the cue and making sure she understands how the cue predicts the behavior.

2. Do a little LLW – she should have a good grasp of this by now. 

3. Then stop and put on the vest. 

IMMEDIATELY start clicking for the SDW. As you would give her a certain length of lead to ask for LLW, and back up if you don't get it, give her a much shorter lead – BUT STILL LOOSE – for SDW and back up if you don't get it. 

4. Click all the criteria of the SDW – closer to you, in position. Work a bit of Left Side and Right Side, getting into position, changing sides.

5. Now stop again and take the vest off. Give her a good rub, get her back legs dancing, get her to play with your hand a bit, stretch – things you'd feel like doing when you got out of your work shoes if you were a dog. 

6. Then stand up, be sure your posture is loose and relaxed, give her more lead, and saunter through the park a bit. Reward infrequently, using your voice click (YES) instead of the mechanical clicker, and when you do reward, be sure that it's specifically for LLW – NOT looking at you, NOT in Heel or Side position.

7. Put the vest on again, and revert to SDW mode. 

Your regular walks can include Chutes and Ladders SDW – for example, 5 minutes of LLW, then 1 minute of vested SDW. 5 minutes of LLW, then 2 minutes of vested SDW. 5 minutes of LLW, then 2 minutes of vested SDW. Etc.

Work up each of the behaviors for this Level. 

Work them privately, then publicly. 

Next, put them together in private. 

When you're ready, test them.

VEST: Level 4

VEST: LEVEL FOUR

Vested/Non Vested

1. In the company of free-play dogs, the dog will spend 5 minutes vested, performing appropriate behaviors. 

2. The vest and leash are then removed, and the dog spends 5 minutes with the other dogs. 

3. The vest and leash are then replaced and the dog spends another 5 minutes working.

DISCUSSION

Again, we're working on teaching the dog appropriate behaviors when dressed and undressed. 

The aim to pass this Level is that the dog is fully capable of working when vested in the presence of free-play dogs, both when first arriving on the scene, and after having playing with the dogs. 

The only way for her to understand the difference between dressed and undressed is to practice. 

When we come home from a vested outing and I take off my dog's vest, she's immediately free to romp and find toys. When I take off her vest when we're out somewhere, I generally give her a good hand-scrub or bum scritch and a whop on the side to let her know she's off-duty.

Another good way to speed along the process of understanding involves kids, if your dog likes kids a lot. I use the vested dog as an aid to explain to children that a vested dog isn't available for petting. Once in a while, though, we find ourselves sitting near a child who's behaving very, very well but obviously desperately wants to pet the dog (doctor's office, for instance). After a few minutes, I'll ask the parent if it's OK, then tell the child that s/he's being so good, I'll undress the dog for a minute so they can talk. I take the vest off, give the dog a scritch and an OK, and let her talk to the kid. After another minute or two, I call the dog back over, put the vest back on, and ask the dog to lie down.

The bottom line on this behavior is simply that "vested and non vested" are simply the way life works, like when the sun shines, you wake up, and when it's dark, you go to bed. 

The more you concentrate on appropriate behaviors for each, the faster the dog will figure out the difference and, once she does, you'll see a whole different dog when she's in Freedom Dog Mode.

Work up each of the behaviors for this Level. 

Work them privately, then publicly. 

Next, put them together in private. 

When you're ready, test them.

VEST: Level 3

VEST: LEVEL THREE

Vested

Leashed dog spends 15 minutes with an assortment of people. 

The dog will maintain decorum and respond to trainer's cues to Sit, Stand, Down, and Go To Mat.

DISCUSSION

This is milling-about-before-the-dinner-party behavior, or standing-around-talking-during-cocktail-hour behavior. There is NO leeway here for the dog to interact with people. 


The dog is vested. Dressed. This is her first introduction to the idea that when she's vested, she's working, working for ONE person, and totally invisible to anyone and everyone else. There's no soliciting attention, no obvious hoping someone else will feed her, no begging or pawing or even staring at other people. 


The other people will be trainers. They will NOT solicit the dog in any way, and there will be no other dogs present to distract her. 


If in doubt as to what the dog should be doing, think of the description of a vested dog from the Introduction: 

"She maintains the trained behaviors she uses at all times, but she doesn't talk to strangers unless that's part of a task. She can relax but she's always ready to work. She ignores other dogs, children, squirrels, and gum on the sidewalk. She's On Duty. She's focused. And she's sedate. She's a poster pup for Service Dogs everywhere."

EASY BEGINNINGS

1. Work your dog up to 15 minutes of decorum – lying at your feet, responding to occasional cues to Sit, Stand, Down, and Go To Mat.


2. Work her past 15 minutes – to 20 or 25. This is a good set of behaviors to work on while watching TV or reading.

3. Change your location several times. 

4. Arrive at training class 15 minutes early and build up your vested attitudes there. Continue them as other people arrive.

5. If this is a problem, set up a situation where only one or two other people will arrive. Continue to work your behaviors with distance and time appropriate to a party.

6. Build up the number of people as the dog gets comfortable with doing her jobs.

Monkey In The Middle will help if she's very unbalanced.

***Bear in mind this Level behavior is not about teaching the dog to assume positions. *** 

 * She's already learning those in other areas. * 

This behavior is very specifically about teaching her what it means to be dressed in her uniform.

And what does it mean? 

* It means ZERO possibility of reinforcement from anyone but the handler. 

*It means ZERO chance of playing with dogs or chasing squirrels or getting your tummy rubbed. 

* It means BIG chances for reinforcement from the handler. 

* It means "indoor voices" and "indoor behavior".

Work up each of the behaviors for this Level. 

Work them privately, then publicly. 

Next, put them together in private. 

When you're ready, test them.

BMO: Before Moving On: Level 3

LEVEL 3: BEFORE MOVING ON

ZEN
The dog stays off a treat in a stranger’s hand for 30 seconds, 1 cue only from the stranger. The cue for this behavior is a neutral NO

BMO
Get as many people as you can to play stranger Zen
 Children
 Adults
 Big guys
 Small women
 People of different cultures
 People wearing different clothing, hats, turbans, uniforms

WATCH
Dog finds the trainer’s face and holds eye contact for 30 seconds one voice cue only. There will be no distractions

BMO
Work up to 30 seconds of hard eye contact
 In every room in the house
 In the car
 In the driveway
 In your backyard
 In a parking lot
 Be creative
 Put a favorite toy on the floor and work toy Zen with eye contact up to 30 seconds, then release him to get the toy

COME
The dog comes from 40 feet away with one cue only, through milling people. The dog may come from a Stay or held by someone else. This behavior must be done with no food anywhere in the room.

BMO
 Add more people but not interaction
 Add interactions but people stop interacting the moment trainer calls

DOWN
The dog Downs from a Sit on one cue only from 10 feet away.

BMO
 In the crate
 On his mat
 On the car seat
 In the trunk
 On cement
 On a grooming table
 On grass
 When your back is turned
 When asked by someone else

SIT
The dog Sits from a Stand on one cue only from 10 feet away. There must be an immediate response to the cue. This behavior must be done with no food or clicker in the area.

BMO
Take the show on the road after putting staches of treats here and there so dog knows that anytime you ask for a behavior you can follow with a treat
 In the house
 In the car
 At the mailbox
 In the park
 Down the street
 Be imaginative

DOWNSTAY
Dog Downs and Stays while the trainer walks 20 feet out, stays for one minute and comes back. One cue is allowed for the Down, and one for the Stay. There will be one mild distraction. This behavior must be done with no clicker or treats in the area.

BMO
Use as many distractions as you can
 Stay Zen; put treats on the floor while he is doing Stay
 Pull toys
 Other dogs
 Other people
 Open doors
 Food dishes
 Squeaky toys
 Tennis balls
 Be imaginative
Remember that when you make it harder, make it simpler

SITSTAY
Dog Sits and Stays while the trainer walks 20 feet away and back stays for 30 seconds, and comes back. There will be one mild distraction. Appropriate cues.

BMO
Start each from scratch.
 Different directions
 Different locations
 Different distractions
 Different distances
 Different times

LEASH
Dog maintains a loose leash walking 40 feet in a straight line, on cues, one distraction.

BMO
 Different locations
 Different distractions
Is the distance you have to back up getting less?
Are you noticing you have to go further back for some distractions, and only give a one-step-back reminder for others depending on how attractive each one is?

RETRIEVE
Dog takes and holds two objects in his mouth (one at a time), one of them metal, one plastic.

BMO
Work on getting a quiet mouth by keeping your hand on the dowel to control where and how the dog is holding it.
 Dog keeps dowel directly behind canines
 Dog hold dowel steady
 Quiet hold
When the dog understands that a quiet mouth and a continuing hold are what make the click happen:
 Take hand off the dowel for an instant and put your hand on again before clicking
Before you click try:
 Moving your hand around the dog’s head
 Tap in the dowel
 Pull on it a bit
 Dog hands on dowel until you click

CRATE
Dog enters a crate on one cue only and remains quietly for one minute with the door closed.

BMO
 One minute duration with you out of the room
Put the crate in different locations and do the above
 Outside
 Different rooms
 In the car
 In a parking lot

GO TO MAT
Dog goes 5 feet to the trainer’s jacket from 5 feet away, on one cue only, lies down, one cue only and remains Down without fussing with no additional cues for one minute. This behavior must be done with no treats or clicker anywhere in the area.
BMO
 Move the mat around the house
 Use different mats
 Use low tables
 Hammocks
 Clothing
Remember when you change one thing make everything else easier: if you change the place use the same mat, if you change the mat put it in familiar place, lower the distance and the time

HANDLING
Dog eliminates on cue. Tester should allow no more than on minute for elimination to begin after the first cue is given. To pass, this must be demonstrated on two different surfaces (grass, cement, pavement, gravel) The cue for this behavior is GO NOW, HURRY UP

BMO
 Vary surfaces

JUMP
The dog jumps onto a pause table half the dog’s height, and Downs on it on cue. The cue for this behavior is HUP
No BMO Listed
 Be creative
 In the car
 On a bench
 On a sofa


STAND
Dog Stands from Sit on one cue only. Note this behavior is done with the dog beside or in front of the trainer. This behavior must be performed with no food or clicker in the area.

BMO
 Give the cue when you are standing
 Give the cure when you are sitting
 When you’re facing dog
 When dog is beside you
 Change rooms
 Change distance from treats
 Say “yes” instead of clicking to mark the behavior

STANDSTAY
Dog Sit-Stays for examination – a touch of the head and withers by the tester.
BMO
 Different people
 Men
 Women
 Children
 People dressed differently
 In boots
 Funny hats
 Women in long skirts
 More of a examination
 More distance between trainer and the dog

LEFT SIDE
Dog follows eye contact while the trainer pivots to the left
BMO
 When feeding before putting the dish on the floor, turn you back, when dog comes around and makes contact put the dish down
 When you are doing something that might result in something good click for contact
 Everywhere
 All the time
 Where ever
 Whenever

RIGHT SIDE
Dog follows eye contact while the trainer pivots to the right.
BMO
Same as left side

TARGET

The dog rises, puts his forepaws on the trainer, and holds the position for 30 seconds. This behavior must be done with no clicker or treats anywhere in the area. The cue for this behavior is PAWS UP. The cue to get off the trainer and put four paws back on the floor is EXCUSE ME.
BMO
“Work Monkey In The Middle frequently so he understands the difference between enthusiastic obnoxious jumping on people and the trained Paws Up Behavior.”

DELIVER

Trainer sits with a hand palm-down in lap; on cue he dog puts his muzzle under the hand and nudges. This behavior must be done with no food or clicker in the area. The cue for this behavior is SAY HELLO.
BMO
 Right hand
 Left hand
 In different positions on your lap
 On you knee
 On the couch

SURFACE

Dog confidently walks over a floor grate.
BMO
Ask for different behaviors on different surfaces
 Sit
 Down
 Stand
 Retrieve

DISTANCE

Dog goes around a wheelchair 4 feet away on one cue only. This behavior is done with no food in the area.
BMO
 Different poles/objects
 Different directions
 Different locations
VEST
Leashed dog spends 15 minutes with an assortment of people. The dog will maintain decorum and respond to trainers cues to Sit, Stand, Down, and Go To Mat
No BMO Listed

ON THE ROAD
The dog passes the Level One tests for another trainer in a new location
No BMO Listed
 Be creative different trainers, different locations

Cathy

BMO: Before Moving On: Level 2

ZEN

The dog stays off a treat in the trainer’s hand for 5 seconds and off a treat on the floor for 10 seconds. The trainer does not appear to guard the treat to keep it safe. The cue for this behavior is a neutral NO

When you have hand Zen for 10 seconds and floor Zen for 20 seconds chain the two together.

BMO

Examples might include:

¨ 10 seconds hand Zen x5, then 20 seconds of floor Zen x5.

¨ 5 second couch Zen with 1 second floor Zen

¨ 5 second floor Zen with 2 second hand Zen

¨ Practice Zen in different locations, with different distractions.

¨ Inside

¨ Outside

¨ In the car

¨ Be creative

If there is trouble with any part of the chain go back to individual parts separately then chain them again.

WATCH

Dog finds the trainer’s face and holds eye contact for 10 seconds with no more than two voice cues. No body language or touching other than looking at the dog. This behavior must be performed with no food or clicker in the area. The cue for this behavior is WATCH

BMO

¨ Use Chutes and Ladders to increase the time always wanting eye lock. Start again for a glance away.

¨ Add distractions such as wiggling your fingers, opening your hand near him

¨ Change positions; sitting, standing, lying down

¨ Change locations; different rooms, in the car, in the yard, by the pool, at the door,

¨ Always ask for eye contact before beginning to work in a new location or situation.

¨ The Game doesn’t start without eye contact first

COME

The dog comes from 40 feet away with no more than two cues (voice, body language, or hand signal). The dog may be left on a Stay or held by someone else. The dog must come close enough to catch without moving.

BMO

¨ Call from different locations

¨ Call facing different directions (back to the dog)

¨ Call while you are sitting down, lying down, walking around

¨ Increase the distance

¨ Increase the number of distractions

¨ Increase the intensity of distractions

¨ Grab him on different parts of the body as he comes

¨ Put on and take off the collar before treating

¨ Wait for eye contact

¨ Cue a sit

DOWN

The dog Downs from a Sit on one cue only. The trainer may use the dog’s name to get her attention before a voice cue. This behavior must be done with no treats or clicker anywhere in the area.

BMO

¨ Switch to another form of payment, tossing a ball, back-scratch, happy dance, something the dog wants, A LIFE REWARD

¨ Move away from treats, leave them on the counter or different room. Don’t have treats in your hand or pocket. Say “yes” for correct behavior.

¨ Reduce the frequency of rewards

¨ Ask for down in different locations

¨ From different positions

¨ Use a voice cue one time visual the next... switch things up

¨ Where can your dog down? on the contact board, in the road, on the table, in a wading pool, on wet grass, in the dark...

SIT

The dog Sits from standing on a voice cue only

BMO

¨ Change locations

¨ Change direction, in front, right side, left side, behind. behind your back

DOWNSTAY

Dog Downs and Stays while the trainer walks 20 feet away and back. The cue for this behavior is STAY

BMO

¨ Move in different directions away from dog

¨ Be in different places and positions when it is time to click; left, right, behind dog, sitting on a chair, on the floor, squatting, clapping your hands, spinning around, singing a song, doing a happy dance, stamping your feet

¨ Trip as you leave or return

¨ On the way back, walk around, or over the dog, change directions.

¨ In the dark

SITSTAY

Dog Sits and Stays while the trainer walks 20 feet away and back. The cue for this behavior is STAY.

BMO

¨ Do the “stay dance” - move to the left, right, clap your hands, wave your arms, do jumping jacks, turn around

¨ Start moving away, (remember when you make one thing harder make everything else easier)

¨ Change the location

LEASH

Trainer stands in one spot with the dog on a loose leash. The dog keeps the lead loose for 60 seconds with one distraction. The trainer may NOT talk to the dog. This level is about testing Loose Leash as a default behavior.

BMO

¨ Practice LL everywhere, don’t ever let the dog pull you.

¨ LL go in the direction the dog wants to go but tight leashes go away from where the dog wants to go.

¨ Allow plenty of time to get places

RETRIEVE

Dog nose-targets four different objects including a pen, a spoon, and a crutch.

BMO

¨ If you can touch it the dog can touch it. Have the dog touch everything.

¨ Ask dog to target any frightening object this give confidence and ability to control world

CRATE

Dog enters a crate with no more than two cues (vocal, body language, and/or hand signal), and remains in the crate while the trainer closes and re-opens the door, no vocalizing or pawing. The cue for this behavior is GET IN.

BMO

¨ Move the crate to different areas in the house.

¨ Put the crate in the car

¨ Feed in the crate and leave the room while he is eating

¨ Have a special treat or toy for use only in the crate

¨ Put the crate by your bed and have dog sleep in it

¨ Change crates

GO TO MAT

Dog goes 5 feet to get on a mat, dog bed, hammock, or pause table, 2 cues only - two voice cues, or a voice cue and body language, etc. The cue for this behavior is GO LIE DOWN

BMO

¨ Click any indication of sitting or lying down on the mat

¨ Move the mat around the room but move slowly in small steps first

¨ Put in a different room and train from scratch

¨ Put the mat on a pause table or place off the floor

HANDLING

Dog allows the trainer to handle her ears, tail, muzzle, and feet. This may be done on a table or on the floor.

BMO

Ears:

¨ Look in ears

¨ Poke around in ears with your finger

¨ Clean gently with Q-tip

¨ Lift ears up, pull ears down

¨ Fold ears over eyes

Tail:

¨ Lift it up

¨ Pull it down

¨ Pull it straight out behind

¨ Hold it at the tip

¨ Hold it at at the base

¨ Wag it

¨ Express anal sacs

Paws:

¨ Pull them forward

¨ Pull them back

¨ Pull them out to the side gently

¨ Wash them with a wash cloth

¨ Dry them with a towel

¨ Scissor the hair between the pads

¨ Cut the toenails

STAND

Dog Stands from Sit or Down with no more than two cues - two voice cues, or a voice cue and body language, or body language and a hand signal, or voice cue and hand signal, etc. The cue for this behavior is STAND.

BMO

Change the positions where the dog is standing/facing

¨ In front facing your right hand

¨ Facing your left hand

¨ With the dog beside you

Change where the dog is stands

¨ In the street

¨ On a table

¨ In the car

¨ By the bed, or chair

¨ Under a table

¨ Next to a table

¨ In different rooms

¨ At the park

¨ At the vets

¨ In the dark

Change your position when you ask for a stand

¨ Sitting

¨ Behind the dog

¨ In front of the dog (back to the dog)

STANDSTAY

The dog remains standing without moving her feet for 10 seconds. This exercise may be done beside the dog or in front of her. The cue for this behavior is STAY

BMO

Where can your dog Stand/Stay?

¨ On your right side

¨ On your left side

¨ On a grooming table

¨ On the contact board

¨ On the stairs

¨ In each room of the house

¨ On the front porch

¨ In the street

¨ In your car

¨ In the dark

TARGET

The dog rises, rests her forepaws on a wall, and holds this position for 10 seconds. The cue for this behavior is PAWS UP.

BMO

Once the dog Targets on the wall for 10 seconds duration, do things while he is standing up.

¨ Put on the collar

¨ Take off the collar

¨ Snap on the leash

¨ Take the leash off

¨ Put on a bandana

¨ Brush him

¨ Hold a paw

DELIVER

Dog targets a palm-up hand in the seated trainer’s lap. Dog must be able to target the left or right hand, whichever is palm-up. The cue for this behavior is TOUCH.

BMO

¨ Target either right or left hand, whichever is facing the dog.

¨ Target the hands in different rooms

¨ Target the hands while your are in different places

¨ Sit in/on different things: a stool, a bed, a wheelchair, a short wall or planter,

¨ Target in the dark

SURFACE

Dog confidently walks end to end on a flat board raised 3 inches off the floor. This behavior must be done with no food or clicker in the area.

BMO

Put the contact board in different places

¨ Different rooms

¨ Outside

¨ Facing in different directions

¨ Walk the board starting from different directions

¨ Put something small under the middle of the contact board so that it teeter totters slightly as the dog moves forward

¨ Have the dog pause on the board, stand a moment and then move forward again

¨ Raise the board higher off the floor

¨ Tilt the board so one end is higher

¨ Use the board as a ramp to a table or chair or a bed.

DISTANCE

Dog goes around a walker from a distance of 2 feet with no more than two cues. The cue for this behavior is GO AROUND.

BMO

Using a pole somewhere you and your dog pass fairly regularly, randomly ask

¨ The dog to go around it as you pass it

¨ Stay with you on your side as you pass it

¨ Do it on the right side

¨ On the left side

¨ Coming from different directions

¨ Use different objects

¨ Use bigger objects

Is it easier for the dog to go around the same object in a new location or a new object in the old location?

Linking L1 and L2 Behaviors

Now the fun continues:

Using the 5, L1 behaviors, the 18, L 2 behaviors and the endless number of before BMOs challenges, link behaviors together. Start with two behaviors. You might initially start with a c/t for each behavior but eventually you want to just c/t at the end of the link. Gradually increase the number of behaviors in a link. This is like “puppy push-ups”. You can link behaviors at home, outside in the yard, on a walk, in a parking lot, or when you are doing different things around the house. Don’t forget about different surfaces, with different distractions, like at night in the dark. The possibilities are endless and only help strengthen the behaviors as well as preparing the dogs for what is to come.

Cathy