Clean Run - June 2017 - 44

Training Behaviors with Collar
Cues: Transferring that Behavior
to a New Cue
Any behavior that is easily cued via a
collar cue can be easily put on a different cue, commonly a goal verbal cue.
Replacing one cue (the contact collar
cue) with another cue is requires the
process of preceding the existing cue
with the new cue. The challenge for
the human is to consistently provide
the new cue (which means nothing to
the dog) just before giving the existing
cue that the dog responds to. The handler should reward the dog for each
response to either cue ("new" or "old").
A new cue can be verbal or visual but
must be consistent each time it is presented to the dog. It is often helpful for
to first practice new cues without the
dog around, to ensure consistency in
sound and/or appearance.
The human instinct is often to give the
new cue at the same time as the existing cue, which blurs the dog's ability to
notice, much less learn, the new cue.
The opposite problem is putting too
much time between the new cue and
the existing cue. Both applications are
not very effective.

The process is new cue then existing
cue, with a clear moment between the
two cues with no information. That
moment between the cues is about
1 second of time, no more. There is a
very cool aspect of swapping to a new
cue with effective timing: the dog tells
you when they grasp it, by responding to the new cue prior to the collar
cue (existing cue) becoming active. It
is the short moment in time between
the new and old cues that give the dog
time to respond. Continue to follow the
new cue with the old cue until the dog
consistently responds immediately to
the new cue, and reward the dog for
responding to that new cue.
u Watch this video to see examples
of training a new behavior with collar
cues and putting them on goal verbal
cues at https://youtu.be/xxLtXl_Dnaw
or from the June 2017 playlist on the
Clean Run Magazine YouTube channel.
u There are two videos that show
examples of using the collar cue tool
to progress behaviors already trained
or help progress behaviors in process.
View them at https://youtu.be/
nzl-FneyCNM and https://youtu.be/
S_bNAtWf72c or from the June 2017
playlist on the Clean Run Magazine
YouTube channel.

General Considerations/Imparts
When I use the collar cue tool to teach
a new behavior, I rarely use it longer
than a few repetitions or in a few training sessions. I use it to jump start a behavior and once it assists me in getting
some click/reward repetitions, I remove
the leash. Training continues via normal shaping methods with clicks as my
power communication tool.
Upon deciding to use the collar cue
tool to train behavior, I first "warm up"
the dog's collar cue response with some
repetitions of click/reward for directional collar cue responses. After ensuring
the presence of excellent collar cue response, I then apply it toward my goal
behavior.
Day-to-day use of the collar cue tool
commonly applies to management behaviors where the leash is on my dogs
(e.g., leisure walks, vet visits, road trip
breaks from the car).
I even occasionally play some collar cue
games with my dogs just for the fun of it.
Keep the fun in the collar cue game and
it will be a tool to use! D

Michele Pouliot has worked 42 years as a professional guide dog trainer for the largest guide dog school in North America. Prior to entering the guide dog field, she
studied under Linda Tellington Jones and Wentworth Jones, becoming a professional horse trainer. Since 1970, Michele has successfully competed in many dog and
equine sports. Since 2006, she has been involved in canine musical freestyle, winning 5 international competitions and achieving 10 championship titles. Michele's
discovered clicker training in 1999 and has been responsible for bringing clicker training to guide dog programs throughout the world and was honored by her peers
with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.Michele has been an admired member of Karen Pryor's faculty since 2007, teaching at Clicker Expos in the USA and Europe.
For more information on Michele see her website: http://michelepouliot.com.

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Clean Run | June 17

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - June 2017