Back-chaining

JazzyandVeronica

Honored Member
When you're teaching a trick or a behavior with multiple parts...and you're back-chaining...

do you train only the first behavior until it's perfect, or once there is a rudimentary understanding of the first behavior, do you go on to the second, third, etc and then link them together - perfecting as you link?

I'm teaching V. a multiple step trick and I think focusing solely on 1 step at a time is boring to her...but while the first step isn't hard and she gets it...it isn't flawless and performed in it's entirety without prompting yet either...

any thoughts either way...is there a "right" way to go about doing it?

 

JazzyandVeronica

Honored Member
A trainer friend of mine gave me the same advice on another forum. Actually she recommended doing it that way to keep the dog's interest. V. and I are working on a multi-step trick and I have been following the advice and working on all 3 behavior chains at the same time and it seems to be going really well!
 

MaryK

Honored Member
I always teach Leaf a few new tricks at the same time, otherwise she, like Veronica, get's bored stiff! I've found that once she has the general idea of what I want, then we move onto perfecting each trick. Even with that step, I don't spend too long on the one trick, otherwise 'ho hum Mom haven't YOU got it right?" seems to be her attitude *YAWN* so boring!:sleep:
 
Top