Clean Run Magazine - August 2008 - 62

Moving Averages Now, instead of reinforcing every two macaronis, you are going to reinforce an average of two macaronis. So, the first time you might go down the line and reinforce two, three, and one macaroni. The next time you would do three, one, and two macaronis, then one, two, and three macaronis, and so forth. Two examples of clicking an average of every two macaronis are shown in Figure 7. Knowing when to move on to the next level is tricky, but here is a rule of thumb: When you go from reinforcing every two macaronis to reinforcing an average of two macaronis, your dog’s enthusiasm and confidence in the weaves will start to increase. When you get to the point next, because you would have data to where your dog has leveled off in his tell you when it was time to do so and performance and either reached the you would have elegant reinforcement performance you would like or is no schedules for the weaves that could consist longer improving, move on to the next of an average of 100 repetitions. I would level and start reinforcing an average of bet big money that weaves trained that three macaronis. way would be incredible. I hope someone Note that very few of us, me included, sit does that experiment someday, but it sure down with a pen and paper, graph our won’t be me, and it won’t be 99.9% of you dog’s behavior, and frame a scientific handlers who are reading this, either. protocol for weave pole reinforcement 7 schedules. If you did run the weave poles as a scientific experiment, you would know Example 1 exactly when to move from one level to the Piggy Pointer: If your dog is not progressing, chances are you have become too predictable in your reinforcement schedule. Try writing your reinforcement schedules down on a crib sheet and take it into the training ring with you. Since you should not be doing more than a few reps of the weave poles with your Pigs Fly dog, this will not be too big a burden, even for the most laid-back of trainers. Getting a friend to click for you is helpful, too. Example 2 Clicking an Average of Every Two Macaronis Click and feed the dog at the position indicated by each arrowhead. Here is an attempt to give you a practical protocol that most people can understand and use. What it all boils down to is this: ● Teach the macaroni. ● Reinforce every macaroni. ● Reinforce every two macaronis. ● Reinforce an average of two macaronis. ● Reinforce an average of three macaronis. From there, if you are organized and meticulous, you can keep charts and reinforce an average of four, five, or even twenty macaronis. If you are not organized and meticulous, do your best to keep reinforcing as randomly as possible and gradually thin the reinforcement schedule; reinforce after a higher and higher average of repetitions. As long as you are not predictable and can keep the dog guessing about where his treat is coming, the system will work. Next month, we will discuss how and when to move on to doing all 12 weaves as one obstacle and tidying up your dog’s weaving style. Even a Rhodesian Ridgeback can beg to do the weave poles—When Pigs Fly! D Zulu completes the poles on the way to qualifying at her first agility trial. Jane, a breeder of Bull Terriers under the Madcap prefix, has put 17 performance titles on three different Bull Terriers and is one of only three people to have put an AX and AXJ on a Bull Terrier. Her passion is helping people who have been told that their dogs “just have an attitude” or is incapable of learning. She never trains for mere compliance—she teaches her students how to shape a dog that vibrates with happiness when training. She teaches both at her home and at Positive Motivation Dog Training in Belvidere, New Jersey. Contact her through her website, www.madcapbullterriers.com, or at janekillion@yahoo.com. 62 Clean Run | August 08

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Clean Run Magazine - August 2008

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