Archive for Goals & Planning

Follow Up to Dog Trainer & Cobbler’s Children

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Monday, October 24th, 2011

YouTube Preview Image  This is a follow up to Friday’s note on my Dog Trainers and the Cobbler’s Children comparison. Please read that article first.

Going into the weekend with my own ‘plan’ really made for a fun and successful trial for both me and my dogs. So what was my plan you ask?  Well, in a nut shell:

  • I wanted focus from my dogs during our runs (focus on the handling cues and obstacle criteria they’ve been taught). In return;
  • I promised myself I would focus on 1) providing clear handling to my dogs and 2) maintaining the obstacle criteria I’ve trained them for.

By working on what I HAD trained, I could easily overcome the anxiety I was having on what I had NOT yet perfected (the weaves) and it was easy to obtain a measurable and well-deserved success.  So let’s take a look at some of the runs I had with my dogs.

The first one above is with Zulu.  Some of the positives:

  • A nice stay at the start.
  • He left the start line only when released.
  • He read the rear-cross to the #3 jump nicely and drove down to the tunnel when indicated.
  • He read the remainder of the crosses really well and took every obstacle in front of him.
  • He had nice speed and showed a willingness to work (without a toy or treat on me).

As expected, I also learned a few things too!

  • Initially I wasn’t happy about the knocked bar. But after reviewing the tape, I can see he generally clears the jumps with plenty of room, so I’m not going to worry about that at the moment.
  • No surprise, he really doesn’t understand the weaves yet.
  • I’m LATE on my front cross cues!

Next, let’s take a look at one of Ru’s runs with a video below.

Some of the positives:

  • A nice stay at the start line.
  • She remained in place until released.
  • Came back after her momentary ‘visits’
  • Drove to the tunnel as directed
  • Got her weave poles!!!!
  • Great speed and enthusiasm!
More things I learned!
  • I need to practice the release and motion maneuvers at the start line.
  • I need to continue to work on the concept of ‘stay with me, we’re a team’ with Ru.
  • I’m REALLY LATE with my front crosses!

So while I did make my goals and I celebrated them all weekend, it’s now time to move forward and address a few of those weak areas. I hope you enjoyed the videos as much as I enjoyed the runs : )

 

Happy Handling!

 

Lisa

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Categories : Agility Videos, Dog Articles, Dog Training, Goals & Planning, Handler Articles, Handling in Agility, Our Dogs, Rouge - Dalmatian, Zulu - Border Collie

Agility Lessons Learned From TSA

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

Recently I had a ‘pleasurable’ weekend with the fine TSA folks at the airport. I travel a lot (3-4 times per month) and can always tell when new TSA agents are on the job. So I knew immediately that this trip was the first day for the majority of the crew.

The Situation

It started like this…My hubby and I, like usual, walk up together to the security podium. My hubby hands the TSA agent both tickets with each individual drivers license on top of the appropriate ticket (just like we always do). I park my happy little feet in the exact same spot the person prior to us had been standing.

The TSA agent first, freaks and says “Oh NOOOO! One ticket at a time!” and quickly hands back one ticket and one matching drivers license. Next, he chastises me with an “Oh…you…you need to be back (6 inches) to the front of the podium.” Ahhh…okay…

Where Did I Go Wrong?

After taking a small step backward, I look around for the directional signs I may have missed which stipulate the expectations of my new TSA agent. Hey, maybe they adjusted the rules since I’d last flown (3 days earlier). No surprise, there were none. Nothing on the podium that says “Stand Here”, nothing along the maze-like route directing me to be front and center and certainly nothing that says “One ticket at a time” (after all, it is customary for traveling groups/families to approach together). NOTHING!

Next, I check the ground for the magical piece of tape indicating the appropriate position where I am to stand and/or not cross prior to being given permission. Again, there was nothing.

I can’t help but think (in order):

  1. I’m confused…the rules just changed…
  2. How the heck am I supposed to know what my newly-hired-TSA pal expects from me when he wasn’t even courteous enough to tell me ahead of time?
  3. What a jerk for not telling me his expectations in advance.
  4. What a real jerk for chastising me on something I couldn’t possibly know.
  5. This person is in a position of authority????
  6. I don’t have faith in his abilities; and
  7. That’s unfair and I’m a little mad at that!

The Lesson Is…

So you’re asking yourself, what does the TSA have to teach me that pertains to agility? The answer is…fairness and consistency.

Let Me Explain…

If I do the exact same steps every 3-4 days for 3+ months (that’s how often I’ve been traveling and interacting with the TSA) and my actions have always been met with full acceptance, it’s reasonable to understand that I’ve come to believe my actions fully meet the TSA expectations.

Now think of me as your dog…if you (the TSA agent) has accepted certain behaviors from your dog for a period of time and then suddenly, without notice or retraining, changes those expectations (say at a trial) and then chastises said dog for not following the new-out-of-thin-air-rules, the dog is potentially going to feel the same way that I did.

How Can I Prevent Being ‘Unfair’ To My Dog?

  1. Plan ahead. Know before you train and/or practice what you want.
  2. Criteria is your friend. Understand, train and expect the same behaviors from your dog.
  3. Be Consistent. Don’t let your Criteria slide, even just a little.
  4. Be Fair. Don’t change the plan without first retraining it.
  5. Reward It! If you like what your dog is doing, reward it often and with quality. Make it clear you LIKE what they did.

So let’s learn from the TSA about what NOT to do and let’s all agree to treat our dogs better than the newbie-barely-trained TSA agent treated me on my last trip.

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Categories : Dog Training, Goals & Planning, Travels
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Criteria – How To Train It

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Monday, May 24th, 2010
This is the 4th Blog in the Criteria Series. Below are links to the previous Blogs.


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Thanks to the worksheet in Blog 3, you should have your criteria established and are excited to start training. There’s just one question left to answer…how to train it!
The question of ‘How to train it?’ is sort of like asking ‘How to loose weight?’ There are a ton of options, theories, myths, opinions, science and experience out there and deciding a course of action can be a head-spinning challenge.
I like to keep things simple, so personal experience has taught me:
  • Agility should be fun for me.
  • Agility should be a game for my dog (fun).
  • Ultimately, I want my dog to be responsible for performing the trained action/goal automatically or with one cue from me (consistency so the dog knows how to earn rewards, which equals fun).
  • I want to focus on rewarding the correct behavior (fun) instead of managing or threatening them if they don’t do it (not fun).
  • Life is hectic and I want to be efficient and have quality training time with my dogs (fun) vs. inefficient quantity time (not fun).

The Art of Rewards
As a dog trainer and especially a dog trainer in Agility, I’ve taken the luxury to train all sorts of ways and have tried almost every method out there.


When it comes to training a new skill, hands down, I can say with confidence that a reward for correct/wanted behaviors works the absolute best in a criteria-based training program. The best part? It fits with a simple, precise and successful training/showing lifestyle!


In Blog 3 I mentioned that our job as Trainer to The Dog is to:

  • Teach our dog the skill or job
  • Impart information
  • Instruct to improve performance
  • Attain a required level of  knowledge or skill

How we do that is purely optional.


However, when I think back on the mentors, teachers and trainers I’ve had in life, those that supported, encouraged and had my best interests at heart are the ones I remember the most and the ones who taught me the most (or was it that I was more willing to listen more?)…after years of success, trial & error, I’ve learned that it IS simple to be all of those things to our dogs.


Dear Dog – Criteria is GOOD!
Remember when I mentioned in my last few Criteria Blog posts that dog training is about the dog? Well, a reward system of training embraces that mantra. When I’m training one of the criteria steps defined in my worksheet, I start out using:

  • Treats for…
  • Rapid reinforcement as a way to tell my dog “Now THIS is exactly what I want and when you do that step, GREAT things come your way.” My time at Chicken Camp (Day 3) really helped to reinforce this.
  • I spend a ton of time reinforcing (i.e. making a positive impression)
  • I’m NOT stingy with treats. Actually, as fast as I can hand ‘em out, I do.
  • I don’t move to the next step until my dog is doing the current behavior, independently, 80-100% of the time!
Once my dog is solid in the behavior I’ve reinforced, if appropriate I work to quickly:
  • Take myself out of the equation by adding movement (of my position) while feeding/rewarding my dog.
  • Look for an opportunity to toss food between my dog’s paws so I don’t have to walk to/from my dog.
  • Add a release word.
  • Make reinforcement variable.
  • Often I won’t jump in to help my dog because I want them to think things through and take responsibility and pride in their actions. Why deny my dog the feeling of accomplishment and pride when they figure out and get rewarded for a task? However, I may help them follow through when they make a move in the right direction and I will always reward in position and default to rapid reinforcement to help celebrate with them.
  • I don’t move to the next step until my dog is doing the current behavior, independently, 80-100% of the time! (Sound familiar?)

For each step in my Criteria Planning Worksheet I start all over with Treats For….(see above) and progress through the steps listed above as appropriate. It’s really that simple and my dogs love the game that I’ve created.


It’s good old Operant Conditioning at its best. It’s proven, easy and works GREAT with a criteria-based training program.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Lisa




 

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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Goals & Planning, Handler Training
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Criteria – Planning Worksheet

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Monday, May 24th, 2010





Welcome to Criteria Blog #3.


This is a continuation on a discussion about the use of criteria in dog training. Here are links to the two previous blogs which will bring you up to date for this entry.


Blog Discussion 1
Blog Discussion 2
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Here is some great advice:


Make a goal you can be confident in and invest in the steps that lead to criteria.


To help myself and my clients, I created the Agility Criteria Planning worksheet* to the left. But before I talk about how to use the worksheet, there are a few important points to remember in order to make a criteria based training plan successful.

CIDT (Criteria in Dog Training) should be:
* a specific and consistent standard for a particular action/goal
* a clear yes/no judgment as to whether the criteria was fully met. Criteria is very clear cut. The dog either does the expected criteria or it does not. There are no excuses, no points for ‘but he tried’ or ‘it was my fault’ and no worries if they don’t do it. With that said…

Remember, our job as Trainer to The Dog is to:

* teach our dog the skill or job
* impart information
* instruct to improve performance
* attain a required level of  knowledge or skill


Criteria – Plan It!
I’m a huge subscriber to the theory that a little bit of planning goes a long way in time management and training efficiency. So when it comes to planning my criteria, I use the worksheet* attached as a way to guide me through the thought and training process. While I’d love to share all of the details and tidbits of the worksheet in this blog, I’ve chosen to focus on just a few highlights. (For information on how to view the full 2-page sheet in detail, please e-mail me.)


Planning – Where to Begin (at the end…)
In my last Blog post, I mentioned that the place to start criteria planning was by deciding exactly what the end behavior was going to look like – from the dog’s point of view. This is the information that goes in the top box of the worksheet.


Once the end behavior is known, I go to the next section where there are several lines available for planning each SMALL physical step a dog will do that will ultimately lead to the final goal/action listed in the top box.


A couple of tips:

  • Focus on the physical actions of the dog during planning & training
  • Think small steps the dog will do and be rewarded for (and don’t be stingy with treats!)
  • Start with a sterile environment. Once the behavior is solid, then you can move to proofing (another form I’ve created)
  • Don’t move on to the next step in training until your dog is offering the current step 80-100% of the time independently
  • Are you Shaping or Back Chaining? As the worksheet indicates, if you start training at #1 you’re shaping. If you start training at #8 you’re Back Chaining
  • Did I mention don’t be stingy with treats and to reward, reward, reward?

Have Criteria…Now What?
Now you train it. But how do you train it? Stay tuned for the next Blog post.

* While I have made considerable additions/changes on its relevance to dog training, the base of this worksheet (sometimes seen as a stepping ladder via Terry Ryan of Legacy Canine) has been around for decades and used by scientists, students and researchers. (I wish I could specifically remember the exact resources, but I at least wanted to give a nod to those unknown authors).

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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Goals & Planning
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Criteria – What Is It? and CIDT (Criteria in Dog Training)

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

 

Welcome to a discussion on Criteria – Blog 2
(Here is a link to Criteria Blog 1)
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Last week I did a blog post introducing the concept of criteria in dog training. Today I’ll talk about some of the specifics of Criteria.
CRITERIA/CRITERION – WHAT IS IT?
The general definition of Criterion according to Wictionary on-line is – A standard or test by which individual things or people may be compared and judged.

 

Ah, compare & judge…for me, those are scary words that conjure up bad memories from high school (icky). However, lucky for me and you, we will be our very own criteria makers (yeah!) and the best part is that the criteria we decide upon will be from our own ultimate agility dreams!

 

 

BEGIN – AT THE END

 

If during a discussion about agility I asked you “What ONE thing could your dog do that would make you feel more confident, secure and positive?” What would you answer? Would it be a stay at the start line? A perfect 2-on-2-off contact performance? An instant down on the table?

 

 

Until you can identify what it is you want your dog TO DO, you’re going to be stuck dealing with whatever haphazard action they give at that moment. So, before you go out and train, make a firm decision as to what you want the end result, or criteria to be. Now is the time to ask yourself, “What do I want that end action to look like?” I encourage you to dream, dream, dream and to think beyond what you may believe are ‘limits” (within yourself, a dog, the environment, etc.).

 


 

Once you’ve got the vision, write it down!

 

I’VE GOT A DREAM…

 

Now that you’ve got a dream, you need a plan…to move you toward the criteria.

 

 

A plan without criteria is the equivalent to winging it. It’s hoping for the best and waiting to see what really happens. It’s like rock climbing for the first time without safety gear. You’ll expend a lot of physical energy and mental worry about the ‘what-if’s when all that was needed was a lesson on how to use the safety gear (or criteria) for peace of mind.

 

 

Why have Criteria? Mainly because they are confidence builders that let handlers and dogs say “I recognize this and I know EXACTLY what to do!”
CRITERIA – IN DOG TRAINING
There are criteria, and then there are Criteria in Dog Training (CIDT).  In dog training the definition of criteria is altered slightly to encompass the end result, the end behavior or the final product – from the dog’s point of view.

Specifically, criteria will generally be based on the dog’s body position relative to…well, something! Sometimes it’s the handler, sometimes an obstacle, sometimes it’s a verbal or physical command, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Successful Criteria in dog training is focused so:
  1. The criteria are relevant and relates to the DOG
  2. The criteria are kept simple. After all, a laundry list of wants for one behavior usually isn’t necessary or realistic for handlers to train and maintain.
  3. Ultimately, the dog (and not the handler) will be responsible for independently performing the criteria presented in each agility scenario (and yes, depending on the scenario the handler may give cues to initiate predefined criteria).
To summarize, while I like to joke and say “It’s all about me”, the truth is in the land of criteria, it’s all about the dog and I am the mere translator.

I’ve created some Criteria Planning Worksheets for my clients to help in the mechanics of deciding on and working toward their predefined criteria. I’ll be sharing some of that form in my next blog.

 


Criteria Blog to be continued….
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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Goals & Planning, Handler Training
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The Best Kept Secret in Dog Training – Criteria!

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (1)
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
I was in the process of writing a blog post questioning WHY dog handlers don’t give the concept of predefined Criteria the attention it deserves…when it dawned on me. Have they ever been told of the need for planned Criteria? 

So for the heck of it, I did a little surface research to see if Criteria is mentioned in common training definitions.

GENERAL DEFINITION OF TRAINING*
First, I looked up the general term ‘Training’ and found two relevant, accurate and interchangeable definitions for human & dog training. The definitions are 1) “acquiring of skill: the process of teaching or learning a skill or job.” 2) training is an organized activity aimed at imparting information and/or instructions to improve the recipient’s performance or to help him or her attain a required level of knowledge or skill.


While there were some great key words used, the word Criteria was no where to be found.

DEFINITION OF DOG TRAINING*
Next I looked up the term Dog Training. Dog training is defined as – a standardized program of training for dogs calculated to give owners mastery of their dogs at all times.


OK, I can’t help the sarcasm and getting a little off topic here, but REALLY?!?! That was the best definition Websters & Wikipedia and other referral sources could come up with? I’ll have to devote yet another blog post to this topic called ‘What IS Dog Training’ . But back to the current topic…again, no mention of the word Criteria.


READING BETWEEN THE LINES
While the word Criteria was not specifically used in any of these definitions, words like… 

  • Process – a series of actions directed toward a specific aim
  • Instruction – a spoken or written statement of what must be done
  • Skill – A skill is the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both
  • Knowledge – all the information, facts, truths, and principles learned throughout time
  • Calculate - to consider a situation carefully and decide what is likely to happen
….were used. So the question all dog trainers should be asking themselves is “How do I come up with a process? How do I give instruction? How do I teach a skill? How do I share the knowledge of what I want my dog to do? And how can I calculate what my dog is likely to do?”


THE HOLY GRAIL OF DOG TRAINING – CRITERIA
All of the above (Process, Instruction, Skill, etc.) uses Criteria as a means to obtain the wanted outcome. Think about it, Criteria is the necessary base to train specific behaviors. Need further proof, how about all of the pros use it (agility, baseball, football, etc.) so why shouldn’t you?


Give Criteria some thought as it deserves attention when it comes to dog training. As a little tidbit, something to remember is that in dog training, Criteria is a bunch of small little steps that ultimately make up a specific end-behavior.


I’ll be writing more about criteria, but in the meantime, ask yourself “Can you define what the expectations are for your dog in a factual and logical manner? Do you have a clear and concise blue print to work or train by?.”


If you answered ‘No’ then you need to add Criteria to your tool box. Not sure how? Well stay tuned for more on Criteria!


*On-line references used: Websters, Wikipedia & Encarta
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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Goals & Planning, Handler Training
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A Training Plan/Log – Intro

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

My husband and I joined a gym a while back and I’ve been working toward getting back in the groove of working out.  I like free-weights & weight machines, but I don’t have the desire to remember all of the weight numbers or reps I’m working at for each of the machines or exercises I do.

Sounds lazy, I know, but several things come into play 1) I don’t want to reinvent the wheel each time I return to a machine, 2) I often change up my workout plan/exercises based on my goals (who can remember what poundage I did last week), 3) I have both daily, weekly and long-term goals (i.e. lots of numbers & information to already track in my head)  and more importantly, 3) I just want to plug my ipod in, veg out and then get on with my busy day.
To help me track it all and to free up my mind to focus on the tasks at hand, I bought a cute & small pink sparkly covered note pad.  The sparkles were a bit of an indulgence, but hey, gotta have some fun while sweating!  With this book, I can track the type of exercise, the weights & repetitions used on it and more.
You might be wondering what this has to do with Dog Training.  Well, all of the points above are true for the time I spend with my dogs.  1) Not reinvent the wheel, 2) often change plan/exercises based on goals, 3) daily, weekly & long-term goals, and 4) I just want to be in the moment with my dog.
Over the next several weeks, I’m going to discuss the Training Plan/Logs that I use and I’ll share a few of my goal sheets as well.  I’ve spent the last 5 years on this plan and you’ll have an opportunity to help me finalize a few things that I’m sure will be helpful in your life as well.
Stay tuned…
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Goal Set for What You CAN Control – Article

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

Originally sent on July 10, 2008: The below is a portion of a Lanny Basham newsletter that is relevant to Agility and so I thought I’d share.

While the main topic was about the Miss Texas Competition, the points are relevant to any competition. Enjoy!
Lisa
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…Our clients were all told before the competition the same thing:
Goal set ONLY for what you can control!
You cannot control the outcome of a competition. You cannot control who the judges will chose in the end. But you CAN control your attitude about your performance. You CAN control your actions during the week and your performance in each phase of competition. Most importantly you CAN control your training.

Competitors in most sports seems to train easy and compete hard or they train hard and compete hard causing them to over-try. They have it backwards. You need to train HARD, put in the hours, the effort, the sweat to know that you did all you could before the competition to be the best you can be. When the competition arrives – RELAX, HAVE FUN and just enjoy the ride. Trust that all of your hard work in training was enough to carry you to your goal.

If you compete in a subjective sport or you are in a competitive business environment that is subjective remember that what matters most is did you give a performance that lives up to your potential? If so you cannot ask for more, if not, why not? Did you truly train hard enough to excel – did you out train your competition? Did you really relax and trust your training? Did you have a mental program in advance and did you follow it? Did you write in your Performance Analysis daily? Were your circles in balance?…

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