I’m having trouble figuring out which talents can be trained concurrently and how many days I can anticipate to dedicate to mastering one skill.
All dogs learn differently, but are there any examples available? An agenda showing your training sessions for day 1, day 2, week 1, month 1, etc.
All I’ve noticed so far is that “each dog is different,” as if individuals don’t want to talk about their own experiences.
My dog will be able to provide the behavior in response to both a verbal and physical cue after five or more baiting sessions, lasting roughly 15 minutes each. Before he can consistently offer the behavior based solely on a vocal signal, there will likely be another 15 sessions. I would add that if you teach one skill at a time, you’ll have a better sense of how quickly YOUR dog picks things up and can adjust to their learning speed. But as long as they are not prerequisites, you can teach as many subjects concurrently as you choose. I taught the attention part (look at me) and the heel posture independently for my attention heel, and they worked well together.
I spend 10 to 15 minutes a session on average. To start my dog in training mode, I use commands that she is already familiar with. I work a new trick next, try it twice, then return to a tried-and-true trick before trying a new one again. If she doesn’t succeed three times in a row, I don’t let her give up. I attempt to close with a fresh, effective trick. I then give in to her every desire for the following few days using that tactic. Do the item first if you want food; if you want to go outside, do the same thing. There’s no strict timetable or plan to adhere to; instead, follow your dog’s aptitude and desire. Make them feel successful
My dog enjoys being trained. Usually, I serve him dinner and give him a 30-minute after-work session until he finishes all of his kibble. If he could go forever, he would.
During the ‘proving’ phase, I usually attempt to start with one or two tricks at a time, and then we work on another trick. Usually, once he figures out the latest trick (which leads to proofing), I have to think up a new one within a few days. He hasn’t learned a new trick for too long, and even after training, his brain doesn’t appear to get enough physical stimulation. After that, we go through his previous tricks in a random order, and I attempt to think of interesting ways to alter them.
We began with the standards because he was a rescue and didn’t seem to have received any formal training. After two months, he was practically up to speed on the list I had created when we first adopted him, so we went on to more adorable activities and agility drills. These days, it’s more intricate practical skills like putting things away or retrieving them and shutting off lights.
Whoa! You must have the best relationship with your dog. Working with him sounds like so much fun. Although I adore intelligent dogs, your dog seems to belong in the gifted program. He’s challenging you to keep thinking up new ideas! What kind of animal is he?