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Teaching Focus

121K views 145 replies 80 participants last post by  sanjo 
#1 ·
Could you give me your secrect training advise for the Focus or Watch command?? I know it was posted earlier but maybe I'm just dumb and can't find it.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/12_help.gif
 
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#2 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

Here is the latest post I made concerning teaching focus. My suggestion is to teach with food initially, but remember use whatever motivator works for your dog.

[ QUOTE ]
Here are some of my suggestions for teaching the watch command. I hold my hands to my side with a treat in each hand. I like to confront the problem of using food as a lure right away. Make sure your dog knows that both hands have a treat in them. The dog will probably nudge the hands. He may stare at your hands. However, eventually he will look up at you. When he does mark this behavior with a single word. This word is your secondary reinforcer. I use the word GOOD. I say it as soon as I get eye contact. At first the eye contact will be fast so be ready. Then reward him after the GOOD. This will take lots of repetitions, but it will get that focus on YOU not the food. Some people suggest luring with the food by moving it to your eyes, but then again you have to remove the food at some point and it becomes more difficult. I like to make the dog think and this way he has a choice and must use his brain. I attached some training photos below.

Teaching Focus


More Teaching Focus. Notice my training partner holding her hands out to her side (her hands are full of Ham) and the dog is still focused on her.


Here is a photo of generalizing the focus to everyday activities.


Here are some heeling shots.


Here is my daughter and training partner heeling with a toy.


I hope this helps and if you have more questions you can PM me as well. Good Luck!!
One more thing about this exercise, after a week or so you should try this exercise with the food bowl, going outside, and also with toys. Generalize the command to any and everything. What you are really teaching is that if the dog looks at you good things happen. Basically you become the center of his universe.



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#3 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

Had not heard from you in awhile bama!!! Hope all is well!
 
#4 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

Hi Kathy!

Dad is working on his new kennel for his new dogs. He is not on the board much now. I tell him to post when I think someone needs his advice. I think he checks the board at work but not often. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/13_puppy.gif
 
#6 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

Hey Gabby, I was wondering about him. You guys are some of my favorite people on here.

Hope the kennel turns out great and he will have to post pictures.
 
#7 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

Hey Gabby ask your dad to check out 2 posts I made up in chat. One is older and titled "Now I've Done It Big Vent" and the other I just put up tonight titled "I Don't Know What to Do." I actually could use his input.

Thanks!!
 
#8 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

[ QUOTE ]
Excellent! Thanks so much!! lol, how did you get such a great heel??

[/ QUOTE ]

Gabby is a heck of a trainer!!! I just watch her most of the time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/05_biggrin.gif

We start with focus and then move to the heeling and other commands. Having the dog think you are the source of all good things makes teaching other commands easy. Good Luck!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/18_thumb.gif
 
#12 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

What is most challenging, depending on the dog, is teaching focus when there are distractions. Initally, it won't take much to distract some dogs.

If the dog is a rescue, it's possible that this is the most difficult thing to teach because eye contact in their previous life may have brought on bad things. For example, "watch me" was one of the most difficult commands for my GSD to learn. I had to spit cashews from my mouth at him because he was the king of the "side glance", so he didn't have to look you in the eye.

Companion thread:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/ubbthread...p;page=0#786290
 
#13 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

I love it. I have been working on these Focus suggestions since the thread started. Now to put it to use tonight at class!

On a down/stay Buddy flops over to sniff the floor mat and is not watching me. When the instructor tells us to Sit our dog with or without voice command I have to wave my arms (behind the teacher's back and she usually catches me) to get Buddy's attention Yoo hoo LOL Very embarrassing, on our 3 yr of class! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/04_redface.gif

~Anne
 
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#15 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

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Bama, I love the pix. You have really captured the focus so well. Your dog is just oozing concentration on your daughter. You must be very proud of them both.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll second that! Good job! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/18_thumb.gif
 
#16 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

Thank you all for the nice comments.

Check out the focus in this video.

This is my daughter during her BH routine at our club trial. She got a standing ovation as she came back for the critique. The judge and all the spectators were quite impressed. I think she is really doing well! (PROUD DAD /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/01_smile.gif)

Gabby & Olex BH
 
#17 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

VERY impressive! Way to go Gabby! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/18_thumb.gif
 
#18 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

[ QUOTE ]
I think she is really doing well! (PROUD DAD )


[/ QUOTE ]

From the little bit of the video you posted.. She did a FANTASTIC job!! She looks like a pro.. better then some of the adult routines you see.

G-burg /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/01_smile.gif
 
#19 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

OUTSTANDING!!! You need to post more pictures of your daughter and her accomplishments.. I agree with Leesa.. her performance is a lot better than a lot of adults I have watched. Kudos Gaby!!
 
#20 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

Wow, impressive, Good job Gaby!!!! Jayda (so far) really has amazing focus for being only 4 months old. She will just stare at me. I put her food down and she stares at me until she gets her release. I've gotten a quite a few compliments on her focus. Now the tough part to is continue and retain that with her. Any tips on retaining that as she gets older? She has to "watch" before she eats, to get a treat, before she goes outside. Any other suggestions?
 
#21 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

Just keep up what you are doing and remember to be FUN, FUN, FUN. As some dogs mature the focus may decrease, that happened with my Mal. I need the focus because of Schutzhund heeling so I had to add some corrections for just disobeying, but as soon as that focus is back you MUST be HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY. Again, I only ask for this kind of focus during heeling because I train for sport.

Thanks Everyone for the nice comments.
Here are some more pics of Gabby & Olex heeling. Pretty nice, job overall. I lost most of her BH routine video. Here sit out of motion was great she got 56 out of 60 (highest BH score in the trial)and the ding was a handler mistake she forgot an about turn.





 
#23 ·
Re: Hey Bama Lorne

Bama Lorne!! Good to see you!
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/05_biggrin.gif

Great pictures and video, andI must say Gabby is really growing up! I guess I have been here for 3 years now /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/10_eek.gif

I think my goal in life is to be as good as Gabby /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/18_thumb.gif



 
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