Rottweilers Ate My Laptop

Rottweilers. Computers. Cameras. World Domination. Not necessarily in that order.

Rottweilers.
Computers. Cameras.
World Domination.
Not necessarily in that order.

Is this a gender thing or an individual learning styles thing?

by

I mentioned before that Freya and Axel have different learning styles. Since we’re still working through Susan Garrett’s “The Five Minute Formula to a Brilliant Recall,” I am doing the same set of games and lessons with both dogs, which makes the differences a little more obvious.

One of the key points throughout the recall course is building value: making it valuable for the dog to come to me by reinforcing his/her decision to do so with high-value rewards. After a few weeks of this, it seems that I am way more valuable to Axel than to Freya. Looking back on our lives together, this is not a new development. I think I’ve always been more valuable to Axel than to Freya. I wonder if this is a gender thing, or an individual learning styles thing?
[Read more…]

Is there a Learning Style Inventory for dogs?

by

I’ve mentioned in a few prior posts that we’re doing Susan Garrett’s “The Five Minute Formula to a Brilliant Recall.” I’ve mentioned before that Freya and Axel seem to have different learning styles as well.

One thing in particular that surprises me is that Freya is still reluctant to do anything to my right, even when rewarded for being there. Freya will be seven and Axel will be four in November, so I definitely expected both of them to be more accustomed to being on my left in the usual heel position. That’s quite a few years of being on the left, including casual walking, basic classes, show training, showing in American and German-style shows, obedience classes, and rally obedience classes and trials.

Axel was a little confused at first, but with the possibility of a food treat or toy reward on my right, he decided pretty quickly that he would go with the program. I can now call or signal him to either heel or right, which is more useful than I thought it would be.

Freya still thinks it has to be a trick. She isn’t sure why I’d try to trick her after over six years, but she makes it clear that she is not going to be the one to fall for it. We’re still working on it. I still can’t get her to willingly come to my right side unless I create a barrier to my left side with a wall or fence.

I am sure we’ll get past it, as we have almost everything else. It’s just interesting how different Freya and Axel can be sometimes.

(NaBloPoMo | August ’10: 20 of 31)

Random dog training notes

by

After a full week of oppressive heat and humidity, today was a gift with a high of “only” 83°F. It’s been a wonderfully cool and breezy night as well. Not quite cool enough to be “Rottweiler weather” yet, though!

There was one very unexpected benefit to last week’s heat. For our “Brilliant Recall” lessons, I have been aiming to do very short, more frequent training sessions with both dogs. I’ve been trying to shorten our rally and obedience training sessions as well, since I’m not always good at stopping at the right time before boredom sets in, and at a point where we can end on a high note. But the heat guaranteed that all of the outdoor training sessions would in fact be short and sweet.
[Read more…]