4 Bricks Targetting (body Awareness)

Mutt

Mutt

Experienced Member
So Mazzel and I have been working on a body awareness exercise.
The goal is quite simple: targetting 4 bricks with all four paws, very good for his body awareness.
I just wanted to show you guys our session(s) (Mazzel always enjoys these kind of things) :)
 
Mutt

Mutt

Experienced Member
I can't really give you an exact amount as it has a lot of 'groundwork' (backup, hind etc.) in it, which he already knew and made it possible for him to be more aware of his movements. But this specifically took 5/6 sessions :)
 
Dlilly

Dlilly

Honored Member
Mazzel is a really nice looking dog! He has a nice solid body and pretty markings. I really want to hug him, he seems like a nice dog to hug. :)

WOW, this trick always impresses me! I'm going to show this video to my friends… :D
 
Mutt

Mutt

Experienced Member
Thank you :)

@Dlilly,
Thank you, Mazzel is indeed a handsome boy if I may say so myself ;) and he loves to cuddle (thinks of himself as a lapdog :D).
 
brody_smom

brody_smom

Experienced Member
Where else do you see yourselves going with this trick? What other types of tricks would benefit from having this kind of awareness? Just wondering, as it took such a lot of work, it would seem like something that could be a big pay-off in terms of making learning other things much easier. I know some tricks are kind of dead-ends, but are fun just in themselves (like the "make the face" trick meganmotley posted):).
 
Mutt

Mutt

Experienced Member
Ooh it didn't take that long (I kept the sessions short).
Why I teach this:
- tricks such as side legs lifting etc. Are easier if the dog is aware of its body
- just for fun
- it is a real thinking exercise
- I think itis beneficial for every dog to have body awareness and it pays off in sport and such as I believe it can reduce injuries as the dog is more aware of what its doing.
 
brody_smom

brody_smom

Experienced Member
Mutt said:
Ooh it didn't take that long (I kept the sessions short).
Why I teach this:
- tricks such as side legs lifting etc. Are easier if the dog is aware of its body
- just for fun
- it is a real thinking exercise
- I think itis beneficial for every dog to have body awareness and it pays off in sport and such as I believe it can reduce injuries as the dog is more aware of what its doing.
Click to expand...
We are working on the elephant walk, and I can tell Brody is still not really aware of what it is that he does that gets the click. He will be "successful" for a few clicks, then if I try to raise the criteria (i.e., one more step before the click) he will try something completely off the wall, like biting the stool. When have I ever clicked for that?! Last time, he ended the session by picking it up and dragging it away! Any tips on helping him be more aware of his back legs?
 
Mutt

Mutt

Experienced Member
brodys_mom said:
We are working on the elephant walk, and I can tell Brody is still not really aware of what it is that he does that gets the click. He will be "successful" for a few clicks, then if I try to raise the criteria (i.e., one more step before the click) he will try something completely off the wall, like biting the stool. When have I ever clicked for that?! Last time, he ended the session by picking it up and dragging it away! Any tips on helping him be more aware of his back legs?
Click to expand...
Do you lure?

I think this will work
Stand in front of the dog as he has its paws on the stool). Than move around the stool while facing the dog (in the beginning you might have to move a lot before dog will move just a little), naturally the dog will follow the movement with its front and the back will follow). Work on this (first clicking for only small steps of the dog) untill you can make multiple cirkels with the dog before clicking.

Independent:
Put the stool next to the dog (a few feet away) and ask the dog to put his paws on it. Naturally the dog will face you after doing this (front paws pointed at you). And will therefore move its hindpaws. Position the stool so that the dog will move its hindpaws to face you. In front of the dog for example (while you are standing behind the dog).

Am I explaining it clear? Otherwise I can film it if you want (with Boef who doesn't know this trick fully yet and with whom I am at this stage ;)).

Good starting exercises (from easy to hard)
- front paws on a object
- back-up
- the first exercise I described
- back-up on an object
- put one hindleg on a big object
- lift hindleg
 
MaryK

MaryK

Honored Member
brodys_mom said:
We are working on the elephant walk, and I can tell Brody is still not really aware of what it is that he does that gets the click. He will be "successful" for a few clicks, then if I try to raise the criteria (i.e., one more step before the click) he will try something completely off the wall, like biting the stool. When have I ever clicked for that?! Last time, he ended the session by picking it up and dragging it away! Any tips on helping him be more aware of his back legs?
Click to expand...
LOL well that's one way to end a trick! Seriously though, Ra Kismet has a wee problem with 'back end awareness' and what we're working on is to do 'peek a boo' then, this is hard to explain, I keep one foot firmly in place and just use it as a pivot, while walking the other foot around in a circle, with Ra Kismet still in the peek a boo position. At first he was just sitting the moment I started to move, or diving out backwards but he's finally starting to realize he has a rear end and will now stay between my legs and actually walk around.
 
MaryK

MaryK

Honored Member
Mazel sure is one big cuddle bug, I just want to hug him heaps. Love the trick and will definitely work on this with Ra Kismet. Thank you for the video.:)
 
brody_smom

brody_smom

Experienced Member
Mutt said:
Do you lure?

I think this will work
Stand in front of the dog as he has its paws on the stool). Than move around the stool while facing the dog (in the beginning you might have to move a lot before dog will move just a little), naturally the dog will follow the movement with its front and the back will follow). Work on this (first clicking for only small steps of the dog) untill you can make multiple cirkels with the dog before clicking.

Independent:
Put the stool next to the dog (a few feet away) and ask the dog to put his paws on it. Naturally the dog will face you after doing this (front paws pointed at you). And will therefore move its hindpaws. Position the stool so that the dog will move its hindpaws to face you. In front of the dog for example (while you are standing behind the dog).

Am I explaining it clear? Otherwise I can film it if you want (with Boef who doesn't know this trick fully yet and with whom I am at this stage ;)).

Good starting exercises (from easy to hard)
- front paws on a object
- back-up
- the first exercise I described
- back-up on an object
- put one hindleg on a big object
- lift hindleg
Click to expand...
First, I taught him "paws up". He learned it very quickly, generalized it to several objects like an ottoman, coffee table, chair, books, bottom step, second step. No problems. To get him to walk around the little kitchen step I use for the trick, I first tried luring his head with his paws up the same way I taught "spin" or "roll over" with the treat right in front of his nose. This worked okay, but he was turning his head too much before his feet started to move. I tried shaping, but he would just move two steps one way, then two steps back because I was standing still and he wanted to be facing me. So I started moving around, clicking for every couple steps, then increasing gradually until he would go all the way around the stool. But if I don't move, neither does he. Should I just keep doing this for a few sessions, then go back to shaping to see if he offers it? (When I tried shaping after luring, he did things like biting or scratching the stool, and then he started putting his back feet up on it.)
 
Mutt

Mutt

Experienced Member
brodys_mom said:
First, I taught him "paws up". He learned it very quickly, generalized it to several objects like an ottoman, coffee table, chair, books, bottom step, second step. No problems. To get him to walk around the little kitchen step I use for the trick, I first tried luring his head with his paws up the same way I taught "spin" or "roll over" with the treat right in front of his nose. This worked okay, but he was turning his head too much before his feet started to move. I tried shaping, but he would just move two steps one way, then two steps back because I was standing still and he wanted to be facing me. So I started moving around, clicking for every couple steps, then increasing gradually until he would go all the way around the stool. But if I don't move, neither does he. Should I just keep doing this for a few sessions, then go back to shaping to see if he offers it? (When I tried shaping after luring, he did things like biting or scratching the stool, and then he started putting his back feet up on it.)
Click to expand...
Yep you are doing good so far :).
It's normal that the dog will first move its head alot before using its hindlegs,
 
brody_smom

brody_smom

Experienced Member
Mutt said:
Yep you are doing good so far :).
It's normal that the dog will first move its head alot before using its hindlegs,
Click to expand...
So what kind of hand signal or prompt would you use to get him going once he has the idea of what I want him to do? If I use the spin motion, he hops off the stool and spins on the floor.
 
brody_smom

brody_smom

Experienced Member
Okay, so I've moved on from him circling while looking at me as I go around the step. I was getting dizzy! I started staying in place and just holding the treat directly above his head with one finger pointing down, drawing a circle with that finger. After each quarter turn, give the treat, then half, then full turn. Then fade the lure and just use the pointing finger in a circle. Add the cue, "go around". So far, so good!
 
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