Lyra's focus on dogs - part 2
Lyra is progressing well with her dog and movement fixation. Indeed, she's doing much better than I would have expected, which means I have to be careful not to push too quickly or to be disappointed by setbacks.
She can play tug with her ball while another dog chases a ball, as long as I keep her engaged from start to finish.
In this video, you can see how I'm encouraging her to push me for attention - if she pushes into my space I will immediately turn to her and reward that behavior, both verbally and by playing with her toy. Demanding attention from me when another dog is present is a huge step for her.
If she stays focused on me when I throw a toy for another dog, I make a big fuss over her.
If she watches another dog and then refocuses on me, I'm even happier. That tells me she made a choice to stay with me/wait her turn rather than to chase the other dog. At the very end of the video you see this clearly; she watches Raika run after her ball and then turns to me to play tug. Happy moment indeed!
Sometimes I push too hard and I lose her. In these cases, I have to wait until she settles back in a bit before playing. Note that I do not throw toys for the other dog when Lyra is in "circling' mode. That would guarantee failure.
4 comments
I forgot she had a problem working around other dogs, so I guess it’s gotten better. her current attractions tend to be more generic – the intensity of the environment, or dead silence. both do her in:)..
very nice game and a very good training, like it. regards Karin
Interesting that when you look at either the ball or Raika when you toss the ball, Lyra sometimes loses focus on the game. When you are looking at her and toss the ball, she is right there.with you.
I was curious how it was coming with Lyra’s focus on other dogs? Have you made more strides in being able to keep her engaged while other dogs are fetching?