Pivot Session (Patreon)

This is another early pivot session. Please view the previous post if you haven't seen that one yet.
A few things I wanted to point out:

1) Notice how throwing the reset cookie across my body helps the puppy come back and automatically pivot in the direction I'd like them to pivot. Placement of reinforcement is incredibly valuable for setting up the next rep.

2) Notice how he is weaker on the right side pivot as am i because I don't practice right side as often (even though I should). It's really important to me at this age that he doesn't get frustrated, so I switch to significant luring of the right pivot at the end to help him both be successful, and get the mechanics down of the pivot. I find that showing them the physical body mechanics can be really helpful before switching to shaping the behavior (making it their idea where they are more likely to hold onto the info).

After watching this video, one change I would make is to start the next session with the right side pivot so that he's attempting that behavior when he's most fresh/least tired, and doesn't have the history of the left side pivot already under his belt for the day.

Overall though, he's picking up on the skill really quickly! Keeping sessions short is really important here because it is a physically demanding skill. After a few more training sessions of introing the skill so he had it in his repertoire, I take a significant break from practicing the behavior to wait for his body to develop further, especially after noticing his hind end conformation isn't the best (he's a bit cow-hocked). I start to pick it up again at just around the 5.5 month mark (once I got home from my trip out West).

Filmed: Nov 20, 2024