The first 3 months

On 1-20-01 Jaus learned the sit command in one short session

On 11-22-01 Jaus started to learn the sit up and beg trick just for fun, and the down command- still working on housebreaking...UGH!

WOOHOOO on 11-25-01 he demonstrated he knows down....now for stand ,that ought to take a grand total of 2 minutes ({him}"I get a treat for just standing here?...naaa theres GOTTA be a catch!-{me}Yeah there IS...you gotta stand STILL for more then 5 seconds......{him}awww MAN!"")

12-12-01     Jaus just did his first retrieve in a store among many distractions and continues to do so in a variety of public places.- Finally got housebreaking going in an orderly manner.
Jaus now knows (at 11/1/2 weeks)- sit, down, come, retrieving articles, a vaguely orderly walk on the loose leash, how to crate, getting in the car in an orderly fashoin as well as waiting to be given permission to leave the car and then doing so in a pretty orderly manner, how to take treats nicely from ones hand, how to take a position between my legs and counter when in a store, and sitting up and begging, he also knows the words for outside, his food, going in the car somewhere, and to do what elminating he needs to do. I still ,as all do with pups, encounter problems such as I don't want to, I don't feel like it, I'm done now...we are working on the concept that he doesn't make that decision.

We are still working on a solid stand, a stay, letting me pull his lips back to examine his teeth without moving, and a more refined position when on leash, better balance during his sit up and beg trick, a speak command, a be quiet command, ignoring food on plates/ in childrens hands/ or any food that he is not given permission to eat, staying off of the couch he is now big enough to get up on, and not running out open doors and gates (I am convinced all kids were born in a barn), also he is learning street safety after a near miss with a truck..THAT will NEVER happen again.

Jaus has successfully learned to retrieve just about anything and everything at home and in public....so now begins refining that skill, the first specialized skill he will learn as a service dog. We are now working on going and getting an item across the room that is pointed to and is just laying there passively and has been for god knows how long( no prey drive goin on in this situation at all). We are also working on him touching (in a group of items) an item with his nose and awaiting a positive response to let him know that the item he is targeting is the requested item. We will also shortly begin work on names of items...starting with Ball....so that he will know I am requesting that item, knows what it is, and will search out that item and bring it to me, even if it isn't readily able to be visually located in the immediate environment (great for getting meds)- this will extend to the phone, remote, purse, his dropped leash..and many other articles. (gotta do SOMETHING with him...he is retrieving EVERYTHING....dirty undies from the bathroom when I have guests and all...in the pursuit of praise or a treat). He has also been learning to rear up and put his feet on my lap on some retrieves.....this serves a twofold purpose...first it sets in his mind that he must hold onto the item and get it to my hand before it is a proper retrieve worth reward no matter what he has to do to accomplish that...also it teaches him to hold items in his mouth as he puts his paws up on higher surfaces...helpful when I teach him to assist with laundry and also helpful in any situation where I need him to grab something up on a counter or give something to someone over a counter.( Guess I better teach him to drop things in a bucket or container I guess). He also has had recent experiance carrying things for a little distance as he is walking with me.

One of Jaus' favorite games is tug of war...this I have encouraged with one rule..he must cease immediately on command and let go. This I will now begin shaping into a behavior to open doors (ie- dryer, fridge) this will be done using a rag or towel or rope on the door which he will grab and pull till it opens (or closed- like the front door)...very simple and straightforward- I may teach him, to open the front door...but not till he can be trusted more.

I have learned one rule in my training years...watch what behaviors you discipline and how hard....the stupidest behaviors may be wanted later or needed......unless I am rock solid positive that I won't want or need a behavior later I don't discipline it...instead I teach early a command that means you aren't in trouble or bad...but you need to stop now. And I encourage and mark with a command every offered behavior that could even remotely be a task...even if it looks like simple play...for tug of war the command is PULL...this will be used later as I have already said. This is not about supressing your dog.....but helping him be the most and the best he can be...which just happens to include redirecting and modifying certian behaviors. Don't STOP your dog from anything- modify, redirect..but never stop. The best way to actually "stop" a behavior is put a name to it and reward it as a command..you can THEN teach the dog not to do that behavior because it knows what you are referring to when you tell it to stop...without punishment in most cases (and even if you do have to lightly discipline...the dog knows its because he performed the behavior without command or didn't stop it on command- NOT the behavior itself), and without the adverse conditioning that will lose that behavior forever. Personally I'd rather put behaviors "in the bank" for later possible use rather then losing them forever and finding I need them.

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