# Keyzah- Training a thinking dog



## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

Keyzah has shown some awesome skills in puppy deductive reasoning. The very first time I introduced her to the clicker, in one short 5 minute session she would sit on her own to earn a click/treat. 

Second day: I had her little plastic step out and she would sit, but not always get a click. She would then try to figure out what will make Mr. Clicker do his thing and click so she could get a treat. As she whipped around the living room she bumped the step <click> she stopped dead in her tracks and sat wagging her tail. Her tail hit the step <click>. In less than a minute she would race over to the step and gleefully put both feet on it and turn to look at me as <click>. Then she would get a click sometimes for touching the step and sometimes for sitting. She would happily try both to see what would trigger the <click>

Third day: She immediately sat and got a click. Sat again and didn’t get a click but this time I did not have the step out (Jethro had kicked it under the futon) so she raced around looking for it. I had some treats and was working on luring her into a down from the sit…. My hand paid dearly and I had serious doubts that she would learn a down. While working on the down from the sit I noticed she was giving GREAT eye contact so she would earn a click for sitting w/eye contact. I finally stopped the session with just a few barely downs but we ended with a GREAT sit/eye contact. 

Fourth day: No step so we were just working on sit/eye contact/down (which I was prepared to be disappointed with since the last session had not gone so well). Well surprise surprise…. Sit w/eye contact <click> DOWN with eye contact on her very own when the second sit/EC did not get her a click! JACKPOT (lots of treats and a short tuggy party). After her party we went back to work and she got extra treats for down/EC.

Fifth day: Sit with EC/Down with EC/introduce recall….. she was nailing the sit (EC) and down (EC) so as I gave her the treat now for holding the position while I approached with the treat. Then from the down we starting including the “rest” (lay on your side for toe nails, if needed for the vet, grooming etc). I had her in the down and as I calmly gave her treats I lured her into the rest position. And CALMLY gave her a mini jackpot. After a couple rounds with rest she rolled onto her back and stretched her legs out (front and back) I CLICKED and excited applied the command XRAY!







I can see it now, when I discuss XRAYS with the vet she will “hit the ground and assume the position” 

Sixth day: we used all of her previous commands, had the step out for part of it and she remembered the touch AND I added the tunnel. At first she felt the tunnel was a tuggy, or something to pounce on, something to fold up, something to drag around but eventually she learned TUNNEL meant to go through the tunnel. 

With each new thing I introduce her to I use the clicker to mark the behavior but I also say GOOD <insert command word>. She is already associating “commands” with her actions but I am in no way expecting her to SIT every time I say the word etc. But in less than a week she is learning to learn and LOVING to learn. As soon as she comes out for our sessions she races over and if she sees the clicker is out she will slide into a sit like “I’m ready to learn Mom, where’s my treat?” I will eventually wean off the clicker and “GOOD” will be her marker but she is learning at an AMAZING rate and is excited and happy to work. Sessions are once or twice most every day for 5 to 10 minutes and I always put her up when she is still wanting MORE! 

She is “just” 11 weeks old and I am going to need some new stuff to bring to her!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: AmaruqAfter a couple rounds with rest she rolled onto her back and stretched her legs out (front and back) I CLICKED and excited applied the command XRAY!
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Smart puppy - she's going to keep you on your toes!


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

to both of you!


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: Cassidys Mom
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: AmaruqAfter a couple rounds with rest she rolled onto her back and stretched her legs out (front and back) I CLICKED and excited applied the command XRAY!
> ...


Yes, we are in for a fast and furious LONG ride. 

Tonight I started adding "touch" for her to touch my hands with her nose.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

The XRAY command! She is a smart girl who will keep you on your toes and thinking, Ruq!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I love hand targeting to the touch command! That's one of the first things I teach - you can do so much with it. I taught Halo to weave through my legs in about 10 minutes by following my hand.


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

I just saw this thread and enjoyed reading every word of it! If PEOPLE would only understand the power and ability of training using positive reinforcement, they'd be amazed at how much their dogs would learn and would WANT to please them. You're doing so much with a very young pup - things that people who have been trying to force-train their dogs for months often don't accomplish consistently, and then they blame their dogs. 

Your pup sounds delightful and I hope you continue to post about her progress!

Melanie and the gang in Alaska


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

Today we played with Klicky for the 1st time in 4 days. She immediately sat w/ eye contact which is becoming her warm up. In the course of our session tonight we did recall, sit, platz, rest, tunnel, touch (nose to my hand), stool (front paws STANDING on the stool), Xray, and once she put her paws on the stool when she was laying beside/in front if it <CLICK- mini jackpot for the new command- PRAY> She did pray a couple more times that I caught. I think I will work on this to eventually have her down, paws on the stool and nose resting between her feet. It will DEFINITELY take some time to get this reliable but I think it will be fun.


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## DancingCavy (Feb 19, 2001)

Awesome. I seriously want to steal the lil clicker-savvy puppy.







She sounds like an AWESOME dog.

No offense, Risa.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

Wow she sounds like a wonderful pup!!


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: KathyWWow she sounds like a wonderful pup!!


She is!


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

I had to come here for another dose of intelligent, thoughtful, reasonable, positive-based training! We need more stories of Keyzah's progress. I love seeing someone develop a dog's ability to think instead of just forcing a dog into compliance.

The command "xray" is just fantastic! *LOL* I need to file that one away for another time. I've always just told my dogs "roll" to roll onto their sides, but I do like the "xray" much better.

Melanie and the gang in Alaska


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## thaliasmom (May 3, 2007)

Her brother is right with her. He learned "place" in just a few minutes, and sometimes will run and slam himself into the back of the crate when we say it.







He can sit/stand/down/wait like a champ, too.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

While she only knows a couple of them by verbal command we have also added wave, shake and five to her "list".


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

Ohhh almost forgot, started marking the "bow" too. And the bark


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I WISH I could start clicker training Spike.

I tried - really I did. But even when I cut the treat up so each piece was the size of a pin head he STILL spent over a minute chewing and chewing and chewing!









Although I'm NOT kidding about the size if the treat and how long it takes him to eat it I was kidding about not being able to start yet. We started working with it last night ... thanks to THIS thread (it reminded me that I wanted to start with him soon).


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

Today she was doing puppy sit ups with waves and rests.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

Tonight we brought out her step for the first time in over a week, possibly closer to two weeks. I wish I had a video (not enough hands or light) but the look on her face was priceless!!! She tripped over the step, sat and looked at it then me and her expression was like she was thinking, "it shrunk!" I tried explaining that she grew but suffice to say she thinks it is time for a bigger step. 

Tonight we played a new twist on her "behaviors" where I waited for her to do something and then clicked for misc behaviors from sniffing her "wittle step" to putting a paw on it, then two paws, sitz, platz, eye contact, wave...... no verbal or visual clues from me just waiting while she thought, "what will make it KLICK for me so I can get a treat"!!!

Thinking dogs are a blast!


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Smart girl trying to work that Mr. Klicky! And definitely, that step somehow morphed smaller on her, Mom.







She needsa bigger step! Very cute how she tries and searches for the right behavior. Little eager smart girl!


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## Lynn_P (Mar 17, 2004)

You have a very smart little girl there (though she probably isn't so little any more). I love enthusiastic puppies...makes training so enjoyable.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

She is very adament about when SHE thinks a treat is due. But indeed she is SO much fun. I might change her "wave" command based on what she was doing last night. She would sit up and wave both paws. I was thinking about using "wave" for both paws (like they do at pro sports) and using a different word for the one paw wave. I will see if she keeps doing the two paw one or not..... 

She is so much fun!!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: AmaruqShe is very adamant about when SHE thinks a treat is due.


That is JUST like Halo!







I was working on stationary weaving for the first time last night, (I'd only done it while walking before), and if I had her go around each leg a couple of times in a row before I gave her a reward she started this whiny frustrated noise like she was trying to say "I'm doing what you want, WHERE'S MY TREAT?!?!?"


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

Yes, well, I had a girl with a very high opinion of herself and she knew when her performance was "rewardable" in her mind. Once in the ring when I failed to produce, she went to the judge and buried her nose in his pocket up to her eyeballs searching for the deserved payoff! Dang, that was very funny!!!

She was smart like that. You may have yourself the dog of a lifetime there!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

OMG, too funny!!!


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

@ Samba. Keyzah is an amazing pup.


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

She sounds so smart.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

She is working more on mastering her variety of lessons over the past two months and adding one or two variations, like roll over. She really likes her "best" reward of a finger tip of coffee.







Apparently I have good taste in coffee in her opinion because she REALLY seems to like it.







She gets really wound and antsy if I miss more than a day or two of "formal" lessons with her. I think she is just jonesing for treats more than wanting to work. Well maybe not.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Hmmm.. coffee frozen in those mini-icecube rounds as a training treat for a dog.. hmm.. could work!


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

Sounds like Keyzah is doing great!

Have you done "down" with her yet? I don't remember if you metioned that. One of the things that I've found in training with rewards is that the dogs, once they learn "down", tend to drop like a rocket on the command! *LOL* I watch Tazer do that and always wonder why her elbows don't hurt. I say "down" and SMACK! she's in a down in a nano-second, ears up and looking for the reward. Of course, she's at the stage where the reward doesn't usually come immediately but she KNOWS that it will ... eventually ... *L*

Melanie and the gang in Alaska


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

Yes, down is in her repertoire. It is a lot of fun because we mix up our training so it is by NO chance a routine. Sometimes I ask for a command and others I will let her know I have the clicker and wait for her to do something. On these sessions her first two tries are either a sit/eye contact or down w eye contact which has become a "start" to the sessions and she always gets a reward for that the first time. Sometimes we have the wobble board, tunnel and/or her stool out and she will ear treats for doing "something" with any of those or any of her other lessons. She also will occasionally try something "simple" (like sit or down) to ear a click two times in a row. Then you can see her thinking "OK this is not it, what else can I try."

I am thinking about starting to add "articles" for her to down on that will later be incorporated with tracking. Right now though she has an obsession with gloves, especially if they are on my hands.







I am also contemplating adding take/hold/out for retrieving but not using a dumbbell. 

Keyzah is SO much fun. After some rearranging of stuff in the livingroom this coming week Jethro will be going back to basics and re-learning some of this stuff and adding the new stuff that I didn't do with him. Right now there is plenty of room for a rambunctious 25 pounder to fly around but not so much a 65 pounder.


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

I think it's never too young to start shaping a retrieve - I started Trick really early and she had a good competition style (even over a very low jump) retrieve by the age of six months - ALL positive trained!

There's a neat step that we humans take when we transfer from the traditional correction-based training into the positive reinforcement-based training. We learn that we don't have to be control freaks, and that it's not only okay but it's FUN to have dogs that offer many behaviors and who think instead of work robotically. There is truly a huge difference in the dogs and I think in the people too - I've always liked training but my enjoyment of it increased hugely when I started thinking about how to shape behaviors instead of how to force them. 

I do a game with my dogs called "what can you do?". I ask "what can you do?" and then I wait for a behavior - ANY behavior. I reward that behavior. But then once they do it, when I ask again "what can you do?" they have to offer a different behavior. You can see them searching their brains trying to find a new behavior. My old chow, Kylee, was really good at this. She could flip out 8-10 different behaviors one after another, without repeating and not in the same order every time. I think it's a lot of fun and haven't found that it diminishes the dog's ability to respond consistently to commands in any way. It simply pushes the dog to think for themselves instead of only responding to what they're told.

I like this thread, hope you keep posting new Keyzah stories to it!

Melanie and the gang


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## IslandStorm62 (Dec 12, 2009)

I like that game; I'm going to have to steal it and use it with my dog







. 

This game may go a along way in training the thinking dog and getting the dogs better at understanding command words that are used out of the normal context they are used to hearing it in. Like the release word "O.K."; commonly used to release dogs but also commonly used in conversations, as discussed in another thread. I think one of the best examples of this is the dog "Skidboot"; of course his little show was probably developed through a lot of additonal training.


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## IslandStorm62 (Dec 12, 2009)

I am trying to find a thread that was a discussion about the STAY and WAIT Command; do any of you know where that is posted?


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Mocha, I don't know if this is the one you're referring to, but there was some discussion of stay and wait in this thread: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1313682&page=1#Post1313682


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## IslandStorm62 (Dec 12, 2009)

Thanks, I actually found the thread I was looking for.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1330070&page=0#Post1330070

I was primarily interested in the release touch to release from a stay.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

Friday and Saturday gave us opportunities to see how well the training at home is "sticking" and she passed with flying colors. She focused on me in very distracting venues and was happy to show off some of her "skillz" to people she previously met as well as total strangers. She also showed her skills in one place she has visited a couple of times and in totally new venues. 

Link to the full stories


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

This is a great thread. Keyzah is one smart pup! You're going to have to work hard to stay one step ahead of that girl!


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

I cannot get over how incredibly SMART this girl is! 

They were just outside for the "after dinner constitutional" and she was jumping at the door to come in. I went over and put my hand on the door, she jumped. I took my hand off the door, she jumped 2 more times, paused, looked at me through the window and sat with no cue or command, waited for me to open the door and she trotted in like she owned the place!


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Well Mama Ruq, she has THAT all firgured out! Smart, SMART girl knowing how a door works! Apply butt to floor, door opens!







I can hardly wait to hear how many other ways she surprises you as she matures! You may have another bRayne on your hands.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

I probably should have mentioned..... I seldom make ANY of my dogs sit for door access. She is learning that if she does something and it does not work to try something else to get what she wants. 

Have I mentioned lately how much I love this pup?!?!


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## TxRider (Apr 15, 2009)

wow, reading this makes me disappointed I've been so lazy about getting out the clicker (squeaky toy in my case) and working with the girls.

Good work, sounds like your a natural at this as well.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

As listed earlier in this on-going thread, I have been setting Keyzah's foundation quite a bit different than I have with dogs past. Some of this was due to time of year and limitations on what can be done weather (daylight wise after work) etc. Apparently it is working. In her unique foundation training she has learned that:

*Click*- always means a treat- cuz baby is doing an AWESOME job
*GOOD* - is very similar to click but means sometimes a treat but baby still is awesome.








*UT*- means not gonna get a click or good so try something different
*Mighty Fine Girl* means puppy wigglies and is our "training is officially over- Keyzah rocks" and we have a mini party with lots of positive physical contact. She leans into my legs and winds between them just melting as she gets hugs and rib rubs etc. Cuz ya know she is just a Mighty Fine Girl!!

Yesterday was Keyzah's 6 month bday. I got home from work and while the dogs were out I called to make an appointment to have my van's annual State inspection. Then I had planned to take Rayne and Keyzah to a "special" place where Keyzah had not yet been so they could celebrate her half year bday. Well that changed in a hurry when the place I called said "how about now" for my inspection! I was like well OK I will be right there. I tossed Keyzah in the van because I figured it would be a GREAT experience for her as she has not been "down town" that much during the hustle and bustle of the day. I also figured I would rather walk and hang with her than sit around in the waiting room while they inspected the van. Last year Jethro went with me and it was about 30 degrees cooler! First we headed over to the park to stroll around, check out some of the playground equipment and hopefully people. Armed with camera, clicker and treats. The only issue with the camera was I only had a four foot leash with me. Unless she was at the FAR end of the leash there would only be shots of ear canals, nostrils and eyeballs. Keyzah is not one to hang and the far end of the leash so we did get a few pictures (will upload later) but not many. 

Raising Keyzah has been a different experience for me. Jethro came in the spring and the timing was perfect to get him out and about and do a lot of STUFF with him. Keyzah came in mid November as winter weather and short days were on us and there were a lot of limits on what could be done. Just because of the uniqueness of my "life" it dawned on me yesterday that this would officially be Keyzah's first real "walk" on a leash in town. Yep at 6 months. This does not mean that she has not been out and about and socialized it is just "most" folks on this board would be walking their dogs around town from the time they get the pup. I do not live in town. I live in the snow belt. I do not like walking my dogs on winter sidewalks treated with rock salt and such which is not safe for dogs. It then dawned on me that Keyzah has actually had very little leash walking of any kind. A couple times at work and very limited when we went to the parks to play and once in the pet store in Erie. To watch her at the park you would never know it!







She was not as interested in playground equipment (slides and merry-go-rounds) as Jethro and some of the others are but that will come. Winter makes them to slippery to work with but spring is here so she will be a seasoned pro in no time.







She walked at the edge of the park with vehicles of all shapes and sizes driving by. She has of course been exposed to vehicles every day at home but they are generally fewer and further between where I live and they move much faster. She met her first lawn mower and was completely unphased with the noise and commotion across the street. We then snuck back down by the garage to see if the van was in and found that they were working on it. It was up on the lift and Keyzah looked up like "Mom I can see the Mobile Snow Drifts belly!"

I then decided we had some more time to spend so we did another "first" for her. We went on a walk around the block.







I figured it was the perfect time (first walk) to put her different training to the test and teach her good "city" walking manners. I did not care if she was in front of, behind me or on either side of me. She naturally does not pull on her leash much at all. So anytime she had all four paws on the sidewalk she got a click or good. If she wandered into a yard or driveway she got an UT but as soon as all four feet were on the side walk she earned either a Click/treat or GOOD (random treats). Of course more clicks were given at first. Every time I say good she looks back at me because she did not know if a treat would be awarded or not. When I picked up on her doing this regularly I would give her more "good"s and if she looked back and made EYE CONTACT she would get a click. It will not take her long at all to put this all together based on how quickly she picked up on same verbal cues in brand new situations with MEGA distractions (lots of new sights, sounds and scents)! I can see this helping SO much in any formal training that we pursue. At the end of the first leg of the walk around the block I found I was already using way more Good/Clicks than UT's. The second leg there were very few UT's but we had some issues with puppy breaks sticking (she would stop dead in her tracks and I would either bump or stumble into her). Her breaks worked better than mine. By the third leg of her very first walk around the block on leash she was not only having very VERY few UT's but she was actually in PERFECT heeling position (w/o eye contact but her shoulder was right next to my knee- actually more my calf as she is a petite little girl!) and she maintained this position for over 1/3 of the block!







She did all of this with just the three basic markers of her foundation training that we worked on randomly since she came home. 

So we finally get back to the garage and she is pretty tuckered but she was still up for a "Mighty Fine Girl" party! We sat on the bench by the Harley for 5 to 10 minutes as they finished with the van.









Baby girl rocks on!







However, Rayne is still a bit miffed that she didn't get to go out but we will make that up to her.


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