# Success With Stupid Problem



## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

I wrote and received a lot of helpful suggestions with how to get my Dutchie's ears erect while heeling. His ears were pinned back against his head during heel exercises only.

I decided to start with the most simple suggestion first and proceed from there.

I liked the mouse squeaker and one step at a time ideas. :-k

I started with one step then reward first. No luck! I would try to take the first step and immediately the ears wound pin back. 

Then I combined the mouse squeaker with taking the fist step. I was partially successful and was onto the eventual cure. :neutral:

I combined the one step at a time idea with a high value treat (hot dog) in my mouth. One step and then spit the treat. Two steps then spit and so forth. :-D 

Bingo it worked. I can heel now and treat at the end. =D>

Thanks everyone for the help! \\/


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Glad to hear it!


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

Good news, Lee. Glad I could be a partial help to you. Every time I use my squeaker my dogs mug me.:lol:


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Howard Knauf said:


> Good news, Lee. Glad I could be a partial help to you. Every time I use my squeaker my dogs mug me.:lol:


The thing that was taking place with the squeaker, Howard. was I had to keep squeaking it often to keep his ears erect.

Once I saw the success I had using it, I tried to think of something that would intrigue him full time. 

I used treats before trying to get his ears erect, but apparently not what he considered high value.

He loved the hot dog and the ears stayed up longer. The rest was easy.

Like Jeff said, it maybe was a stupid issue to waste training time on. But I just hated his ears pinned. It became kind of a obsession wit me.


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

Here's the way I look at it. Just because it's not the "normal" type of training, why let it go. The neat thing is that you identified an issue, devised a plan, then trained the dog. I'm sure he had no idea what you wanted out of him but you changed a behavior, and likely created more focus in the meantime. Good stuff.

Howard


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Ain't it amazing how a dog's whole attitude can change when it starts enjoying the work! ;-)


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Starts with the handler's enjoyment


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Gillian Schuler said:


> Starts with the handler's enjoyment


Yeah, I like hot dogs too!


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## Jenn Schoonbrood (Oct 31, 2008)

Great success, Lee! Keep in mind that if you employ marker training successfully, you can control everything from the dog's nose to the tip of his tail. Open mouth, closed mouth, tongue in or out, tail up, down, wagging, or not. It's all a matter of defining criterion.

When you make ears up a criteria of the exercise, for instance, you begin to train and reward differently.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Jenn Ruzsa said:


> Great success, Lee! Keep in mind that if you employ marker training successfully, you can control everything from the dog's nose to the tip of his tail. Open mouth, closed mouth, tongue in or out, tail up, down, wagging, or not. It's all a matter of defining criterion.
> 
> When you make ears up a criteria of the exercise, for instance, you begin to train and reward differently.


Hey Jenn - I'm still old school and mark verbally or with food. I had a big problem originally with the ears up exercise. It was difficult to mark accurately because they were going up and down too quick.

I was getting all screwed up and inadvertently marking at times when the ears were down.

It was not until I started with hot dogs that they would stay up long enough to mark properly.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

_It was not until I started with hot dogs that they would stay up long enough to mark properly._

W h a t! You put hot dogs in their ears [-X [-X [-X


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Gillian Schuler said:


> _It was not until I started with hot dogs that they would stay up long enough to mark properly._
> 
> W h a t! You put hot dogs in their ears [-X [-X [-X


As my kids say "my bad".


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