Clean Run - June 2017 - 65

Zen Bowl Step 8:
Add duration.

Troubleshooting Step 9
Now that the bowl is in sight and you start
working it towards the floor, there is a chance
your dog may try to get the food before the
release. If this happens while the bowl is still in
your hand, say nothing. No verbal corrections!
Just gently lift the bowl out of reach and pause
for a second. Then re-set by walking around,
and go back to holding the bowl higher or
behind your back again for several repetitions.

Repeat Step 7 exactly the same way, only
now start waiting a second or two longer
before saying the release. It is helpful to
actually count out your duration criterion in your head. Don't just wing it. One
full second can be broken down into four
syllables: "one-one-thou-sand," or you can
recite the alphabet "a-b-c-d..." What you
want to do is set a range to work within
where your dog can be 100% successful,
and then bounce the time around within that range. For example, if your goal
is four seconds, for first repetition you
might count to two seconds before releasing. On the next repetition, one second.
Then three seconds. Then two seconds.
Then four seconds. Then back to one second again. Remember to only say the release cue if the dog is perfectly still. If you
see any fidgeting at all, reduce duration.
Note: Some dogs need you to start with
quarter second intervals to begin with,
not full seconds. If you wish to add an
official stay cue to the sequence at this
point you can. Many people find it easier
to remember to release if they've said
"stay" first.
It should go something like this: down -
"stay" - duration (one-one-thou...) - release cue - dog pops up - bowl appears.

Zen Bowl Step 9:
Introduce the bowl as
a distraction.
Over the course of several days, and approximately 10 to 20 ten-treat training
sessions, you should have done somewhere between 100-200 repetitions! This
stuff really adds up! Now you are ready
to bring the Zen bowl out earlier in the
sequence as your first distraction.
It should go something like this: down -
"stay" - hold bowl at shoulder height ini-

Once the bowl is already on the floor for any
length of time, however, and the dog goes for
it, do your absolute best to bite your tongue,
and let him have it! You heard me right. The
worst time to correct a mistake is the moment
it happens. The best thing to do is let it go
this time and trust in the power of your
reinforcement history. Then set more do-able
criteria next time. Remember, you and your dog
should have already done 100-200 repetitions
correctly. One mistake at this point is not going
to make the world come to an end. Do not
attempt to block the dog off the food!
Step 9: This step can be a little tricky for
some dogs at first because up until now
the bowl appearing has been a part of
the movement cue that means "reinforcement is available." So go through
the progressions slowly and be very
mindful of your mechanics. Even with
the bowl held out at shoulder height or
lower, keep the cue-then-move pattern
distinct for the dog.

tially, then progressively lower - dog holds
position/gives eye contact - release cue -
then bring bowl to floor near your foot.
Like duration, bowl distractions can also be
"bounced" in terms of difficulty. The progression might look something like this:
1. Bowl at shoulder height

An extremely important aspect of release
cue training is to ease into the self-control
work without pressure, excessive use
of negative punishment, or any kind of
conflict between you and the dog. If there
is even a whiff of frustration, make things
easier, so that you keep that all-important
reinforcement history strong.

4. Bowl held at shoulder height
5. Bowl moved up and down 2 inches
6. Bowl moved down 12 inches
7. Bowl almost placed on the floor
8. Bowl moved up and down 6 inches

2. Bowl moved up and down 3 inches

9. Bowl placed all the way on the floor
for 1 second

3. Bowl moved up and down 6 inches

10. Bowl moved up and down 6 inches

A release cue is a signal that simply means "move to reinforcement."
The reinforcement might be a treat toss, a toy, Zen bowl, permission to eat a meal,
permission to go sniff the "pee mail," or a cue to do another behavior.

June 17 | Clean Run

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