puppies inside: training games

Showing posts with label training games. Show all posts

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Relaxation with a twist

Chippewa

March 30, 2015

This is only our second time back to the prisons together since September. Tammy and I still have our routine down. On the drive up we brainstormed how we'll execute Tammy's lesson plan:

puppy presentation
paperwork (Tammy) / meet & greets, handler's exams, questions (me)
group discussion
relaxation protocol
exercises with treat delivery and impulse control using a ground tether
obedience practice for all and In-For-Training (IFT) assessments for FLDs Bandit, Andie, Adell and Teysen
rally course, ladder and distractions exercise (teams) / finish IFTs (Tammy and I)
"blind" touch
musical chairs
Bandit's good-bye

It always amazes me that we manage to get through the entire list.

After the puppy presentation Tammy takes care of the paperwork with Rial. I circle the room to practice meet and greets and handler's exams. I ask each team, "Tell me something good about your puppy and then tell me something you are struggling with." Their answers should drive the group discussion, but there are no big issues.

Everyone in the room is interested in hearing an update on FLD Ashley. The black lab returned to Leader Dogs for the Blind in December for formal training and now she's ready to move into an "advanced" level. At the next step she'll be matched with her new partner. (No one knows it yet, but Ashley is destined to be matched at the end of April.)

Tammy starts off with a twist on the standard relaxtaion protocol. Normally the puppies sit, down or stand in heel position with the handler standing during the exercise. Tammy instructs the handlers to stay seated. "Tell your puppy under," she says, "or have your puppy lie down at your side."

A light colored golden retriever and a yellow lab are lying on a tile floor in between the legs of two men. The first man with the golden is weraing green pants and the second man is wearing maroon pants. Both puppies are looking up at their handlers (who are mostly out of view).

FLDs Andie and Diesel look at their handlers like they are thinking, "What are you doing? We usually do this with you standing up!" The idea of trying this while sitting is to simulate situations where their handlers are sitting, like at restaurants or meetings.

Four men are seated on lunchroom stools. The man on the far left is sitting up and looking at the other three, who are bent over at the waist and touching their toes. There are three puppies lying on a tile floor beneath the men. The puppy on the far left is a yellow lab and is looking back at his handler, the next puppy is a german shepherd and his facing out, the third puppy is a light colored golden retriever and he is facing out too. Three of the men are wearing with t-shirts, the third man is wearing a maroon sweatshirt.

The seated relaxation protocol has the handlers do things like touch their toes, turn to the right or left, stamp their feet, or cross their legs. The puppies stay in position throughout the entire exercise.

With the relaxation protocol finished, Tammy puts me to work demonstrating the treat delivery and ground tether exercises, and helping her with the IFT assessments. I'm too busy to get any photos, but once the music starts for musical chairs I am free to shoot away.

In this game, there are chairs for everyone. When the music stops, the men must sit with their puppies "under" the chairs...last puppy down is out!

A group of men and their puppies cirlce around two lines of light blue plastic chairs. A woman wearing a grey t-shirt and blue jeans is on the far left.

Tammy's CD has dog-themed songs, like "Who Let the Dogs Out?" and "How Much is that Puppy in the Window?"

A low shot of a golden retriever/lab mix puppy walking toward the camera with a loose leash and looking up toward his handler. The man handling the puppy is only visible from the waist down and he is wearing the blue prison uniform. There are a few men sitting down on the right side.

FLD Henry keeps a nice loose leash and a keen focus on his temporary handler.

Now the men are sitting on the chairs with their puppies "under" the chairs facing out. The woman is in the background on the left side.

The music stops...who is out?

A low, close up shot of a small stuffed weiner dog in the foreground and a larger black lab puppy walking by trying to sniff the stuffed dog. In the background on the right side is a german shepherd puppy also looking at the stuffed dog, being held back by a man wearing a white t-shirt and blue prison pants. The black lab is being held back by a man wearing a white t-shirt and blue prison pants. The lab is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana.

I set a distraction down for the puppies. FLD GeeGee is very interested in "Travel Deacon," as is FLD Chance in the background.


We have a winner! FLD GeeGee is under her handler Ro before FLD Chance hits the tile under his handler Eric.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

We work

September 12, 2014

Baraga

Tammy got the group working on our September skills right away.

A man wearing the blue prison uniform and a blue knit cap is standing on the left facing the camera. His hands are at his side and he is holding a leash in his right hand. A small yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy is sitting on his left side. Another man, wearing blue prison pants and a long-sleeve white t-shirt is standng in front of a door with a window in it. His right hand is in his right pant pocket, and his left hand is holding a leash attached to a young yellow lab puppy that is lying on the tile floor on his left side. The puppy is facing the man and is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. A woman wearing blue jeans and a grey sweatshirt with a treat pouch around her waist is standing on the right with her back to the camera.

Tammy leads the group in the relaxation protocol. Corey is handling FLD Henry; Bart is handling FLD Farley.

An african american man wearing blue prison pants and a white long sleeve and glasses is standing facing the camera with a small golden retriever puppy sitting on his left side. The man is looking down at the puppy and the puppy is looking up at him. The man's hands are hanging down at his sides. The puppy's leash is lying on the tile floor attached to his collar. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana.

P and FLD Gage have great focus during the relaxation protocol.

Two men are sitting on opposite sides of a steel lunchroom table. The man on the left is wearing blue prison pants and a white long-sleeve t-shirt, his left elbow is on the table and his right elbow is resting on his right knee, his hands are clasped. The man on the other side of the table is wearing the blue prison unform and his resting his folded arms on the table. A third man is standing to the right, but his head is out of the picture. He is wearing blue prison pants and a white t-shirt. He also has a blue surgical glove on his left hand. His right hand is holding a leash attached to the collar of a young yellow lab, which is moving toward him from left to right.

FLD Farley is interested in the blue glove that his raiser, Steve, is wearing. Teammates Bart and Paul look on as Steve asks Farley to get into heel position.

A closer shot of the man standing, with the man sitting at the table with his arms folded. Now the yellow lab pup is just about to sit at the man's left side, his nose is reaching up toward the man's left gloved hand.

Steve demonstrates how FLD Farley can't keep his eyes off the glove. I show the team how to work on impulse control with Farley so he can ignore the glove.

Six puppies are lying down along a wall on the right, all but one are facing left. Opposte the puppies are a line of men dressed in blue prison pants and white t-shirts. The men are sitting or standing and looking at the pups.

Here the puppies demonstrate a nice down/stay.

We head out to the yard to do the CGC and IFT assessments. I am so busy helping Tammy that I don't get many photos...but FLDs Axel, Bear, Copo, Dax, Eco, Farley, and Gage (the puppies eligible for the CGC) are all successful.

A man dressed in the blue prison uniform is standing on the left, but he is only visible from the waist down. He holding a leash to a small yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy that is standing on his left side. Both are facing the camera, but the puppy is looking at an older black lab that is being walked by from the right.

FLD Henry stands calmly as FLD Bear and his handler walk by during the loose leash walking portion of the IFT.

Tammy decided to add a tic-tac-toe game after the group CGC and IFT assessments. Lots of fun and good training!

An outside shot on cement with a white brick building in the background. A group of men are standing in the background with their backs facing the building. There are nine cream colored plastic chairs set up in three rows of three like a tic-tac-toe board. There are two men sitting in two chairs in the first row (furthest from the camera), one man in the middle seat in the middle row, and one man in the far right seat in the last row. The men sitting have puppies with them.

Tammy designates two teams - "sit" and "down." The game is played like tic-tac-toe, but the puppies on the sit team have to sit for the duration, or they are out. The puppies on the down team have to hold a down or they are out. This is a fun game that challenges the raisers and their pups to hold position in spite of the distraction of other puppies and handlers walking by.

Three men and their puppies are sitting in a row. The man on the right has a german shepherd, the man in themiddle has a yellow lab, and the man on the left has a golden retriever. The puppies should all be lying down, but the only one that is is the golden retriever! There is a man in the background on the left standing with a black lab sitting at his left side. The men are all smiling.

Unfortunately, two of the "down" team puppies don't want to hold position. A row or diagonal of puppies on the same team must hold position for at least three seconds after the last pup is in position. As you can see, only FLD Gage with P stays down. Steve and FLD Farley (middle) and Chad and FLD Dax (right) are disqualified and the game goes on.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Gone shopping

June 20, 2014

Chippewa

There is more in store. (Pun intended.) Tammy lines the teams up as we did in Baraga last month. This will be an "outdoor" mall in the yard. The handlers pick up their pay - a sealed envelope of kibble and treats - grab a plastic shopping bag, select a balloon, marking pen and dog treat, and pay the cashier $1.72. All while managing their puppy.

There are a group of inmates standing in line next to a wood picnic table, with their puppies sitting nearby. From left to right is a German Shepherd, a black lab, a yellow lab, a golden retriever and a chocolate lab. There are other men standing in the background looking on. They are outside in the prison yard and the brick wall of the unit is behind them.

Long line at check out.

Standing in line, juggling pay envelopes and grocery bags, staving off strangers who want to pet their puppies, is a new experience for these puppy-raising teams. The puppies seem more at ease than their handlers, who struggle a bit with how to hold the leash and bag and still count out money, although every puppy is interested in the exchange of edible cash.

A golden retriever is sitting next to a wood picnic table, peering at his handler's hands. The handler, on the left, has a handful of kibble in his right hand and is taking bits out with his left hand. The puppy's leash is around the man's left wrist, as well as the handle of a plastic shopping bag. On the table is a ripped open envelop with kibble spilling out and a silver dog bowl filles with bits of kibble and a milkbone. The "cashier's" arms are hlding the bowl from the right side. In the background are the legs of two men dressd in the prison blue uniforms.

FLD Drummond watches intently, no doubt hoping some "cash" will fall.

The photo is taken from a low position looking up at two men and a black lab around a wood picnic table. Both men are wearing the blue prison uniforms. The man on the left is reaching to the puppy's collar with his right hand. The man on the right is African American and is leaning ove rthe table with an envelop in his right hand.

Abe does a convincing job as cashier. He even supports FLD Sammy's collar while Ro counts his kibble.

Upon completion of the transaction, the teams blow up the balloons and work together to draw faces on them. The puppies are exposed to something new - there are no balloons in prison.


Cory strains to blow up a balloon. Will it explode? His puppy-raising teammate, Cody, and FLD Bravo look on.

It starts to rain, so we gather in a small classroom to finish up. Tammy puts me on the spot. I have to declare a "best balloon face." I visit each team and take pictures. One drawing is artistic, one is creative and another is funny. Most are smiling faces. Two are puppy faces; one even sports a Future Leader Dog bandana.

I am not happy about having to choose one over the others.

It seems a simple exercise, but I'm learning there is more at stake here than meets the eye.

When selecting inmates to join the puppy-raising program, the prison sets the criteria, not Leader Dogs for the Blind. The prison also assigns the men to teams and selects the primary raiser for each puppy. The men are held to higher standards than other prisoners in the unit and are taken out of the program for any infraction, no matter how slight. We see new faces almost every month.

The men are waiting. I look from team to team. I think about a decision RUM Steve made in Baraga when a German Shepherd puppy joined their ranks. The pup was assigned to a calm, quiet and not-so-arrogant inmate; a different choice had the potential for conflict within the unit.

If I choose that one, I think, his head will swell. If I choose that one, the others will think it is because I am partial to his puppy. If I choose that one, will it cause discouragement among the rest?

Six men are holding up white balloons with faces drawn on them. Four of the men are standing behind a table with four light blue plastic chairs upside down on the top of the table. The fifth man is behind the table too, but is sittin down. He has his left hand on the shoulder of a golden retriever who is sitting in front of him. In the background behind this man is another man holding a ballon up high.There are a few more men behind the group, not very muc in view. The are in a room with white brick walls.

The judging.

Suddenly it comes to me. I choose a "new" guy, who has been quiet and polite, always open to our suggestions and helpful to the other teams.

A man with glasses wearing a white t-shirt is standing on the left holding a white balloon in his right hand. His forearm is full of tatooes. In the background to the right is a man dressed in the blue prison uniform.

Eric holds up the winning balloon.

The room erupts in applause. An inmate standing close to me says to his teammate, "That's great she chose him, instead of someone who would let it go to his head."

Whew!

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Shopping spree

May 15, 2014

Baraga

Now for the surprise. Tammy had handlers and puppies make a line. "You are going shopping!" she said.

At one end of a long lunch table we staged sealed "pay" envelopes - bits of kibble were pennies, small milk bones were dimes, mallow bones were quarters and large milk bones were dollars. Each envelope contained a different amount. Shoppers would take a plastic bag in which to put a balloon, a dog treat and a marker. At the other end of the table was a "cashier" who would charge the shopper $1.72 and deposit the money into a stainless steel dog dish.

Handler's had to manage the pay envelope, the shopping bag and their puppy!

Five men dressed in the prison blue uniforms stand arond a steel lunch table. The man on the left, wearing a blue baseball cap, has his fingertips on the table with a silver stainless steel dog bowl in front of him on the table. The afrcan american man standing opposite him is looking down at a white envelope in his hands. A yellow lab puppy is sitting to his left looking up at him. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and his leash is hanging on the ground. Three men in the background are watching the dog. There are white plastic shopping bags on the table.

"Cashier" Black waits for Mondo to pay for his goods. FLD Axel sits like he expects to be paid too. Mondo's teammates, Beno and Steve (on the right). watch in the background while next-in-line Harvey shops with FLD Copo.

Two men dressed in the prison blue uniform with blue baseball caps are standing on either side of the end of a steel lunch table. The man on the left is looking down at a stainless steel dog dish whcih he is holding in his hands. The man onthe right is holding a white envelope, reaching into it with his right hand and holding a plastic shopping bag and leash in his left hand. A black lab puppy is sitting on the tile floor next to the man and looking up at the bag. There are other men and puppies in the background.

Black holds the dog-bowl-till while Harvey counts out his dog-treat-cash. FLD Copo looks on. "That will be $1.72, sir," Black says.

The same man is standing to the left with the dog bowl. This time he is looking at a different man standing opposit from the table on the right side. The man on the right is reaching into the white envelope with his left hand. He is standing on the leash of the black lab puppy that is sitting on his left side looking up at him. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. More men are in line in the bacground, and one man on the far right is wallking by smiling at the men standing. There is a white plastic bag on the table.

Ricky is the first handler to figure out that stepping on the leash is an easy way to secure his puppy while counting out his dog-treat-cash. (I "tagged" him for that!) FLD Bear sits nicely at his side.

There are five men sitting on the lunch table stools to the far left. They all wear the prison blue uniforms. The first man has a german shepherd puppy lying at his feet. Two men are standing opposite each side of a long lunch table. The man on the far right is african american and he is holding the leash of a golden retriever puppy, who is standing and facing theman. There are three men in the far background. There are plastic bags on the table and a stainless steel dog dish. There is a wall-sized mural in the background on the left, a paining of a mountain lake scene.

Handler Nico does not have exact change. He gives Black two-dog-treat-dollars and asks for change back. A nervous Black used a marker on his hand to figure the math. FLD Harper wants to know if he can have the change.

The fun wasn't over. After paying for their goods, handlers returned to their seats with their puppies and the other members of their team. Tammy's instructions? Blow up the balloon and draw a face on it.

An african american man dressed in the blue prison uniform draws on an orange balloon with a green marker. He is on the left facing another man dressed in the prison uniform on the right. The man on the right is holding the orang e balloon.and looking down at it.

Mondo and Beno work together to draw a face on their balloon.

A group of five men dressed in the prison blue uniforms are sitting around lunch tables. The african american man in the middle agains the wall that has windows is tying a red ballown. He is looking down at it smiling. Three men around him are looking at him and the fifth man, an african american, is in the back to the far right and looking to the right. A golden retriever puppy is standing with the two men in front and looking eagerly at the red balloon. A large yellow balloon is resting on the table top in the foreground.

Nico has a hard time tying off his balloon. FLD Harper wants to help.

Four men dressed in the prison blue uniforms sit around a lunch table. The man on the right is holding a yellow balloon in his left hand on the table and looking at it. The man on the left has his left elbow on the table and is looking at the balloon. The two men in the background are looking at the camera and smiling.

FLD Dax's team hold up their yellow balloon, but the face is hard to see.

Two men in the prison blue uniforms sit on either side of a lunch table. There are three other men sitting at the table behind them. The man in the front on the right side is holding a green balloon with a face drawn on it and looking at the camera. He is wearing a blue baseball cap. The man on the left in front has his left elbow on the table and his eyes are closed. There are some cups and things on the table between them.

FLD Copo's team hold up their balloon face.

A close shot of three men sitting at a lunch table looking at a black lab puppy who is standing between two of the men. The man on the left is touching the puppy's back with his right hand and smiling down at the puppy. The man in the background in the middle is african american and is looking at the camera. The man on the right is leaning toward the puppy, holding a blue balloon with his left hand, his elbows resting on his knees. The lab has his nose to the balloon, he is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana.

FLD Bear checks out his team's balloon. This team won the face drawing contest. Oh, didn't I tell you it was a contest? FLD Bear got a new Nylabone!

FLD Axel's handler, Steve, remarked that the shopping spree gave him a new appreciation for what outside puppy raisers go through when they are out and about with their Future Leader Dogs. He said it was challenging to handle the bag and the money and everything while still handling the puppy!

Up next...more training in the yard.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Outside simulation

April 11, 2014

Chippewa

One thing that stands out during the dice game is how the teams root for each puppy, even if it isn't their own. When Tammy asked Eric to heel FLD August through the cones a second time, it felt like we were in a baseball stadium, the batter facing a 3-2 count with two outs and bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to win or lose the game. A proud Eric nodded to the cheering crowd as August rounded the last cone for a home-run performance.

As the last team tosses the dice it is about noon. Inmates assigned to clean the lunchroom hover outside the door. Tammy has more tricks in her training bag and the raisers want to keep working, so we move out to the yard. Piles of snow linger yet the sun is shining and the temperature is quite pleasant.

WAITING ROOM GAME

The set-up.

Tammy asks for five chairs; she sets two facing the door to Pike Unit and three in a row behind them facing to the side. This game will simulate a visit to a busy doctor's office. Eric and Dave sit in the two chairs. I sit in the middle chair of the group of three with a notepad and pen. A squeaky toy is staged a bit beyond.

The task.

The handler and his FLD will enter the "waiting room," maneuver around the waiting "patients" and take a seat next to me. Hopefully, he will settle his puppy before I hand him the notepad and pen. I will give three instructions.

Write down your puppy's name and number.

Write down your name.

Write down one thing your puppy has taught you.

After writing, the handler will exit with his puppy, passing by the squeaky toy.

The challenge.

Of course, nothing goes easy. Those of you who raise puppies on the outside will recognize the scenario. As the team approaches the waiting room, Tammy acts much like many people in the general public. "I know I'm not supposed to," she squeals, reaching out, "but I just HAVE to pet your puppy!" She encourages Eric and Dave to do the same. By the time the handler reaches me, the puppy is wound up and not interested in going "under" the chair. Surprisingly, most of the puppies care less about the squeaky toy.

A tall, african american man is standing in the distance in the middle of the photo, near a set of double doors, one of which is open. He is wearing the prison blue pants and a long sleeved white t-shirt. He is looking down at a yellow lab which is sitting on his left side looking back at him. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The man's right hand is in a fist at his chest and his left hand hanging at his side is holding the leash. In the foreground are two men sitting in light blue plastic chairs, facing hte first man. The man on the left is wearing a white t-shirt and has a ponytail, his hair is grey. The man on the right is wearing a green sweatshirt and is bald. There is a woman standing far on the right, half out of view. She is wearing dark glases, blue jeans, a grey t-shirt and purple hoodie that is unzipped. It is very sunny out.

Josh gets FLD August's attention before braving the waiting room gauntlet. Eric (left) and Dave (right) are August's raisers, so this will prove exceptionally challenging. In the end, Josh does a great job keeping the pup's focus on him.

A clsoe over-the-shoulder shot of a man wearing a white t-shirt and blue pants. The man is on the far right side and half out of the frame. He is sitting and holds a notepad on his right knee and is writing on it with a pen in his right hand. His left hand is supporting the notepad and a leash is looped around his left wrist. A yellow lab is standing at the end of the leash in front of the man, facing away and to the right. The puppy is wearing a blue bandana. They are on cement and there is snow piled up in the distance. The sun is casting a dark shadow from the dog.

Churchard writes his answers to my three questions while hanging on to FLD Ekco's leash. Managing the puppy while trying to write (and remember the questions) proves to be the biggest challenge to the men!

Playing games makes it easy to forget that all the while the puppy is being trained to maintain a loose leash, generalize cues like "under" or "sit," and ignore distractions. The waiting room game in particular points out to the inmate raisers what outside raisers deal with every day when socializing their puppies. Strong obedience skills make these situations easier to manage.

As if to prove that point, Tammy has the group do one last loose leash heeling exercise.

A group of men and puppies are walking from side to side amongst each other. The man in the middle in the foreground is wearing the prison blue uniform and is walking to the left. He is holding the leash with both hands near his waist, a black lab is walking on his left side. In the background is a man in a white t-shirt and green pants waling to the left with a small german shepherd. The woman in a grey t-shirt and purple hoodie is in the very background standing with her hands on her hips near a red brick wall.

Tammy has the group divide into two and face each other. In a series of planned steps, she has the teams approach and retreat with their puppies until they can walk closely by and swap sides. Then she has half the group sit their puppies while the rest weave in and out among them.

Coming up, time to say good-bye...

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Training games!

Tammy's training games make "work" fun for the handlers as well as the puppies. First up, the "contraband" dice game we played at the Baraga Correctional Facility.

A bald man with a goatee wearing green pants and a white t-shirt has just tossed a pair of six inch dice. The dice are out of focus in mid-air in front of him. His left hand is holding the leash of a young german shepherd puppy, who is pulling to the right toward a small black lab. There are two other men sitting on the right side. The first man, wearing blue pants and a white t-shirt, is holding the leash of the black lab, who is standing between his legs looking at the german shepherd. The man's right hand is reaching toward the puppy's chest. The man on the far right is wearing green pants and a long sleeved white t-shirt and glasses; he is looking down at the puppy and he has his left leg crossed over his right leg at the ankle. There are several other people sitting behind the man standing.

Doug tosses the dice, but FLD Chewy is more interested in FLD Ashley.

The same man is now in mid-jump of a series of 10 jumping jacks. The german shepherd puppy is now sitting on his left side looking up at him. The puppy is wearing a blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The people sitting around behind him are watching.

Now FLD Chewy seems curious as to why Doug is jumping and flailing his arms.

A different man, dressed in blue pants and a white t-shirt has just thrown the same dice, which are caught in mid-air by the camera. The man is holding a leash at his chest with his right hand and at his waist with his left hand. A golden retriever is sitting at his left side looking up at the dice. The puppy is wearing a blue Future Leader Dog bandana. There is a woman dressed in blue jeans and a grey t-shirt with her arms on her hips behind and to the right of the man. Another man is sitting down on the far right. He is wearing the prison blue pants and a green sweatshirt. His arms are folded on his chest. A golden retriever is lying down underneath him.

Matt throws the dice and is amused at FLD Harper's intense attention.

This man is now in mid jumping-jack and he is looking down at the golden retriever, who is looking back at him. The woman standing behind is smiling at the pair. The photo now shows two men sitting on the right side, the same man with the golden, and the man with the black lab, who is also lying niced under him. There are two other women sitting down directly behind the man jumping.

Good boy, Harper!

A different man is in mid jumping-jack with his feet off the floor and his arms spread wide. He is the one wearing blue pants and a green sweatshirt. A golden retriever is sitting at his left side looking up at him. Another yellow lab is standing in the foreground, looking toward the man and golden retriever. The lab is being held by a leash and is wearing a blue bandana. There is an orange cone in front of the golden retriever and a pair of large six inch dice on the floor too. Three women are sitting behind the man and one woman, dressed in blue jeans and a grey t-shirt with her hands on her hips, is standing behing and to the right.

FLD Drummond keeps close watch on Scott, who is in mid-air doing jumping jacks. Lucky number seven has been rolled several times and the task is: "Sit your puppy while you do 10 jumping jacks." I'm not sure, but I think FLD Ekco is the interested puppy in the foreground.

The woman dressed in jeans and a grey t-shirt is standing on the left side of the photo, looking to the right. A man wearing blue prison pants and a white t-shirt and is bald, is standing in the middle of the photo with his arms at his side. He is looking down to the right at a yellow lab that is sitting on a tile floor. The puppy's leash is laying on the floor next to her, attached to her collar. She is wearing a blue bandana. There are two large six inch dice about to come to rest on the floor in the foreground. The man with blue priosn pants and a green sweat shirt is sitting on the right side with his arms crossed on his chets. Ther eare three women sitting on chairs behind the others.

Churchard and FLD Ekco wait for the dice to land.

The bald man in the white t-shirt is squatting down facing away from the camera on the right side. The yellow lab is coming toward him, dragging her leash, her right front paw is crossing in front of her left paw. The man in the green sweatshirt sitting in the background is bending over to pet the golden retriever that is lying onf the floor beneath him. There are three more men in the background sitting in a row on stools attached to lunch tables. All of their faces are out of the camera's view. They are all wearing white t-shirts, one is wearing green pants, the two on the right side are wearing the blue prison pants.

The task this time is a recall across the room. Even though Churchard has only had FLD Ekco for two days, the pup comes to him when he calls. And ignores the dice distractions and all the other puppies!

A man wearing the blue prison pants and a white t-shirt is walking by some orange cones on the tile floor with a yellow lab, who is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The man is looking down at the puppy with his right hand in a fist up high on his chest. The puppy is slightly in front of the man, looking up at his hand. The leash is fairly tight. There are six men sitting on the lunchroom table seats in the background, all are wearing white t-shirts and blue prison pants, except one man has green pants. There are three black lab puppies underneath three of the men. The puppy on the far left is standing, the other two are lying down. There is also a chew toy on the floor in front of the puppy on the right.

Eric and FLD August's task is to loose leash heel through a series of orange cones. It appears that Eric might have a treat in his right hand, which could be causing August to swing in front of him. Tammy has them repeat the exercise because the leash was a bit tight; she knows they can do better. And they do!

A man dressed in maroon sweat pants and a white t-shirt is bending over toward a golden retriever that is standing in front of him, facing him and away from the camera. The man is holding out a green plush toy to the puppy and holding the dog's leash with his left hand. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a black body harness. There is an orange cone just visible in the foreground. There are three women sitting in the background but not quite visible, and the woman in jeans and a grey t-shirt with her hands on her hips standing behind the dog, but she is only visible from her shoulders down.

Morrison offers FLD Bravo a plush toy to "take" as part of his task. Bravo isn't sure and has to be coaxed to take it. The pup readily "gives" the toy back to Morrison when asked.

Coming next - a game that simulates a real-world situation....

Monday, June 9, 2014

Ignorance is no excuse?

April 10, 2014

Baraga

I confess. I am an accomplice. Last night I helped Tammy dream up and number 11 tasks for a training game.

During our session the next day, Tammy reaches into her magic bag of training tricks and pulls out a pair of six-inch cardboard dice. RUM Steve, standing in the background, arms folded, immediately states, "Those are contraband."

Tammy freezes, contraband burning her hands. "We didn't know!" doesn't cut it, does, it?

Tammy explains the premise of the game...that it is training for the puppies on many levels...the handler will have the puppy sit while he throws the dice, which then becomes a moving distraction for the puppy, something it will encounter in the working world...the number on the dice will determine what task the team will perform, things like wiping the puppy's feet, "giving" and "taking" a ball, loose leash walking around cones...doubles means the dice thrower will do the indicated task and throw again...

Tammy offers to get rid of the dice and move on to the next exercise on her never-ending list.

RUM Steve grins his Cheshire grin and waves her off. "Go ahead," he says.

A woman dressed in a green t-shirt and blue jeans is standing on the left side in front of a grey cabinet. A man dressed in the prison blue uniform with glasses just threw a pair of six inch dice. He is holding the leash of a golden retriever in his left hand. The golden is sitting on his left isde, leaning and looking at the dice. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. Two other men dressed in the prison blue uniforms are standing behind and to the right. At the bottom right corner is the head and front paws of a black lab puppy, wearing the same blue bandana. The puppy is lying down on the painted cement floor and looking at the dice.

The dice are tossed. FLD Bravo watches keenly - as does FLD Bear from the sidelines.

The man that was holding the leash of the golden retriever has set the leash on the floor and is now doing jumping jacks. The golden is lying down and looking up at the man. There is an african american man dressed in the prison blue uniform standing in the background watching. Someone's knees are just visible to the right side of the photo.

The task? Do 10 jumping jacks with your puppy in a sit, down or stand.

A young black lab puppy wearing a blue bnadana is walking away from the camera toward a man that is squatting down in the background and to the left. The man is wearing a dark blue fleece jacket and blue pants. He is calling the puppy toward him, his left arm is resting on his left knee and his right hand is tapping the painted concrete floor. The puppy is dragging his leash past two large dice on the floor. There is also a small orange cone on the floor behind and to the left of the man.

FLD Bear's task is a recall across the room past distractions.

A man dressed in the prison blue and orange striped uniform is squatting on the left side of the picture, he is holding the leash of a young yellow lab in his left hand, whcih is resting on his left knee. The lab is lying on the concrete floor facing the man to the left. The man is holding a yellow tennis ball in his right hand in front of the puppy's nose. The puppy is looking at the man and not the ball.

FLD Axel must "take" and "give" the tennis ball.

An african american man is doing jumping jacks to the left of a a young black lab puppy. The puppy is wearing a blue bandana and his leather leash is draped to the floor. The puppy is facing away from the man and looking to the right. Two other men are standing in the background to the right. Another man is sitting on the far right side, half out of view.

FLD Bear thinks jumping jacks are boring.

A man dressed in the prison blue and orange uniform is squatting down on the left side, facing right. He is holding the leather leash in his left hand, which is attached to the collar of a small black lab puppy on the right. The puppy is standing facing the man, with his head down and mouth open, about to take or give a yellow tennis ball to the man's right hand.

FLD Copo readily takes and gives the ball.

A man is half-kneeling on the painted concrete floor on the left side of the photo. He is wearing the prison unform and is looking down at a small german shepherd puppy lying on the floor in front of him and to the right. The man's left hand is wiping the left rear paw of the puppy with an orange rag. The man's right hand is holding the lower jaw of the puppy, whose mouth is open. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. There is a yellow lab puppy in the far background at the top right of the picture, lying on a mat next to a man's leg.

FLD Dax isn't too sure about having his paws wiped!

When we leave for the day, RUM Steve makes sure the contraband leaves with us. They do not remain in Unit 8.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Something good, something to work on

April 10, 2014

Baraga

Puppy counselor Tammy starts our session by asking, "Tell us something good about your puppy and then what you've struggled with and need to work harder on."

Many of the team members said their puppies were quick learners, but there wasn't much talk about "my puppy sits so fast or comes whenever I call him." No. Instead, the guys eagerly shared how the puppies have improved morale. "Everybody smiles and says 'hi' to the pup," one said.

The men reported positive changes in themselves.

Problems? "They were the usual ones," Tammy said.

FLD Bear's raisers said that meet & greets, especially with women, were difficult for the young lab. We reminded the guys that emotions travel down the leash. Last month by the end of our meet & greet exercise, Bear stayed calm even when I approached him like an over excited stranger. "Perhaps you are getting too excited when women are around," I suggested. The room erupted with laughter.

FLD Copo's raisers said that other dogs are a hard-to-resist distraction. "Last month that was Axel's problem, remember?" Tammy said. We talk about proper puppy play and limiting interaction.

A yellow lab puppy is sitting on a brown carpet mat between the knees of a man who is squatting down behind him. The man is wearing an orange long sleeved t-shirt and blue prison pants with an orange stripe. He is touching the puppy's head with his left hand and his right arm is resting across his right knee. He is looking at the puppy. A second man is sitting on a stool attached to an octogon shaped table. He is also wearing the prison blue uniform. He is african american and is wearing glasses. HIs right forearm is resting on the table and he is reaching behind his left leg with his left hand.

A thoughtful Beno and Mondo with FLD Axel.

A closeup shot of a man bending over a black lab puppy. The lab is lying on a brown carpet mat. The man is cradling the lab's head in his hands and pulling the pup's face toward his. The puppy's eyes are closed. The man is wearing a dar blue fleece jacket and the prison blue pants with an orange stripe and white tennis shoes. The man is looking intently at the puppy.

Ricky and FLD Bear - can you feel the love?

The rest of our training session to come...in pictures.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Monday, July 7, 2014

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Monday, June 9, 2014

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

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