Handler Works on Loose Leash Walking Figure 8s with Byxbee (Patreon)

Hey Ya'll! 

First, a HUGE shoutout to Eve who graciously allowed me to use her video, both in the public LLW video and here on Patreon with my instruction. It takes a lot of courage to be coached on a public platform, especially when this video was not originally intended for public use, and simply a way for Eve to see her training progress.

Side Note: TAPE YOUR TRAINING YA'LL! When you watch yourself train, you will be able to identify areas for improvement, and half the time, you'll save money on a trainer ;) 

I thought it would be helpful for you all to hear my feedback. Oftentimes, when someone like a trainer has done something a ton of times, as a viewer, we miss the little nuanced bits that make the training seem to flow more effortlessly. So in this video I hope that you can gain something from my little micro-adjustments that I make with Eve as she trains. Note here that Eve is a friend of mine, so the instruction here is a bit less formal and more colloquial than if I were working with a regular client ;) 

Other important info: Byxbee had already done a session of Engage/Disengage game (video coming soon) and a Figure 8 Session with me, so we're working with a bit of a tired little pupper. Overall, they do so awesome together!

Okay, on to the video. First, I asked Eve to put multiple treats in her hand for this exercise to make the treat delivery more expedient. However, this isn't something Eve did often up to this point, and my suggestion somewhat messed her up a bit. We'll be working on human mechanics in our January Deep Dive (including managing multiple treats), but know that a lot of the dropping of treats at the beginning is due to my poor suggestion, and not Eve's ability to deliver food :0) Also, Byxbee is learning how to take treats and chew them ... so there's that! LOL

Things to look out for: 

- Notice how Eve does a really nice job of putting her treat hand back up to her belly button after each rep to encourage Byxbee to look up at her instead of follow a luring hand. 

- Watch how we use Byxbee's strong hand-touch skills to re-focus him, speed him up, and generally eliminate the need to pull on the leash to keep him moving. A strong hand-touch is your friend and most dogs find it fun! 

- Watch her hand touch and treat placement. They are at her leg, making it so the dog doesn't need/want to forge ahead, because we're developing a reinforcement zone at her leg. Feeding across your body with your off-hand or ahead of your leg can cause a dog for forge ahead, or across your body which can cause a tripping hazard. 

- 2:35 Eve makes the adjustment from many treats in the hand to marking and rewarding one at a time. This is a much better solution for her. DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS AND CHALLENGE YOUR TRAINER! They are just people, they are not Gods. If you have a way that will work better for you, ask about it. They may have a reason to ask you to do it a certain way, and if they do, they will tell you. Notice how Eve gets more accurate and is able to speed up once this adjustment to her typical reinforcement pattern is made! 

Alright ya'll, hope that video of me working with Eve on this pattern was helpful. As you saw on the public facing video, Eve and Byxbee are really rocking their loose leash walking. But it all starts at home. There is not substitute to putting the foundation work in! 

Happy Training Ya'll!