Impulsive Exhilaration during Commands/Tricks

What method are you using to train? Free shaping?

My aussie gets very excited when we free shape with a clicker. He throws behaviors at me very fast. sometimes it is hard to slow him down so that we can build off of something. I love the creativity he has though so I'm learning to work with it. I have to break things down in to smaller steps so that he doesn't jump from one trick to another - if that makes sense. The clicker is really useful for this because it catches things faster than I could by speaking.

Jewlieee

What method are you using to train? Free shaping?

Yes; but instead of a clicker I'm just using vocal praise or if it's a new trick I break a treat into small bite size pieces.

Jewlieee

The clicker is really useful for this because it catches things faster than I could by speaking.

This is the exact reason why I've been researching clicker training. I feel like if I can associate the click to praise it will catch her in the moment faster than my voice can which would then hopefully produce less impluse spasms.

Jewlieee

I have to break things down in to smaller steps so that he doesn't jump from one trick to another - if that makes sense.

I have tried to have her perform at a slower pace. Typically let's say we're working on a new trick or command (and she knows it so she begins to get excited) I will give her the first command then she will get very "creative" like you said and try a bunch of different things verses following my one strick command (as if she knows my pattern so she just goes through all the motions before I direct her).

Currently if she does this I look away and wait for her to settle. This can sometimes take up to multiple times and over quiet a period of time.

I'm thinking about getting her into local agility so she can have a fun activity that I know she'd love; but I'm not sure how well she'd do with her lack of focus/direction... hmmmm...

Sorry if I'm stating the obvious here but dont forget to wear those pups out before training. Burning off extra energy can make a tremendous difference.....at least with my girl it does, lol!

 I have the same problem with Woobie.  The words "Wanna Work?" regardless of how tired he is cause him to be hyper.  He paws me or barks like crazy and won't wait to listen to the commands.  I've tried (with limited success) to teach him "Wait" and reward that.

I also just decided to channel the hyperness into flyball.   

BCMixs

 I have the same problem with Woobie.  The words "Wanna Work?" regardless of how tired he is cause him to be hyper.  He paws me or barks like crazy and won't wait to listen to the commands.  I've tried (with limited success) to teach him "Wait" and reward that.

 

 

I also just decided to channel the hyperness into flyball.   

   I have the power of doggie mind reading.... here is what goes on in Woobie's mind when he sees the clicker....

 pant pant pant PAWSPEAKSPEAKTWODOWNPAWOTHERPAWDOWNSPEAK.....

what does Mommy want????  PAW PAW PAW PAW SPEAK SPEAK SPEAK SPEAK

JUMP UP JUMP UP JUMP UP SPEAK SPEAK SPEAK SPEAK SPEAKKKKKKKK!!!!!

Choke! 

He gets so excited once he finally gets a treat, he inevitably inhales it and chokes!  LOL!

I think he's part Sheltie too with all the barking!

 

lol too funny.

 I highly recommend a clicker over verbally trying to catch the behavior on a really fast dog like that. I don't think of it as being hyper but rather a very fast thinker. As in always moving on to the next thing..fast fast fast fast fast. Some people think that it is really hard to train dogs like that (I've been told that this is a problem with poodles sometimes, they are very fast thinkers), but I like it. If you really learn to watch the dog you can watch it figuring things out. And with a clicker you can catch to thought/action the very moment it happens. You just can't be fast enough verbally imo. Once you and the dog get on the same wave length the dog learns to listen for that click, and anticipate it even.  So it'll try something, then look at you, try something else, then look at you. if you click you can literally see the light bulb go off.

The other reason the clicker is better for this type of dog is the clicker always sounds the same. Your voice will change every time you say the word "good!" or "Yes!" and the dog will pick up on that. The click though never changes so it's easier for the dog.
 

 Oh yeah, I agree completely.  The clicker is the only way I'd get him to sit still for more than 2 seconds when it's in my hand!  He is way too smart and way too fast.  Now if only I could channel that into a fast sit or a fast down outside.  :)  He's super fast and trying too many things at once inside the house, but when we're outside, he's too hyperaware and getting him to sit or down out in the big scary world is a whole other story.  The fact that he won't take treats outside in the open doesn't help either.  During our last walk, I managed to get 2 ball park frank chips into him and I think it's only because he saw Indie eating them.  Our last trainer called it "crack addict syndrome" like the crack addicted babies whose systems are way too keyed up and can't focus on anything for more than a nanosecond.  I think his fearfulness makes him that way outside.  Trying to transition the motivation for the clicker from the inside to the outside has just been SO frustrating that I gave up for a few months over the holidays because *I* needed the mental break from not making any progress.

CT for just sitting there and LISTENING to me or WAITING for the command has helped.  Some....  

Thanks for all the awesome advice! I'm happy to know that I'm not alone and Kayla is just a very fast thinker. Going to look into purchasing a clicker & book right away... I think with more research and learning on my behalf I will feel more comfortable with this tool.

If you're free-shaping or teaching a new behavior you shouldn't be using commands (you only introduce the command when you are 99% certain she can and will perform the "finished" behavior) and it is perfectly correct for your dog to happily throw behaviors at you- just wait until she hits one that is remotely close to your final behavior and then mark it. If on the other hand she is "throwing behaviors" at you after a command, what you have is either a trick that isn't on cue yet or you've accidently rewarded a behavior chain- she truly thinks she's supposed to spin, wave, bark, down and then sit whenever you say sit because you've always rewarded this chain. If she does anything other than sit when you say sit, don't reward.

mudpuppy

If on the other hand she is "throwing behaviors" at you after a command, what you have is either a trick that isn't on cue yet or you've accidently rewarded a behavior chain- she truly thinks she's supposed to spin, wave, bark, down and then sit whenever you say sit because you've always rewarded this chain. If she does anything other than sit when you say sit, don't reward.

Yes! I do believe this is the problem... my fault entirely since we have food-praised all the new tricks.

Example: Back when she learned "roll-over" I made her "sit... good girl... down... good girl... roll over! *treat*" And I think doing "chains" like this really is throwing her off. I've tried to mix it up. By saying roll-over first, then dance, then sit; but now she looks confused and just does them all at once.

I do believe marking & clicking right after each behavior will break this "chain" affect. I'm going to stop using food during commands and tricks too. Because now she won't even "come" unless she's got a good enough reason to.

Overall she's a very smart dog and for the "most part" listens... but as you can clearly see lately has now shown these "hyper" patterns so I have clearly gone wrong in the training and need to start a new method.

Aside from the "chain" issues she does get very very excited knowing that we are about to do tricks (and lately agility). She enjoys doing them so if I say the word "tricks" she'll spaz out!

I'm going to keep you all updated on her behavior once I begin clicker training... hopefully you can all correct me if/when I am doing something wrong (it will deff be a new technique for me).

yeah. I once accidentally taught a dog that when I went and got a dog cookie, the dog was supposed to down, bark, sit, roll over, wave, and then get the cookie. Since I'd shown her the cookie before asking for stuff, she obeyed zero commands unless shown a cookie first. Two big mistakes to avoid- hide the food, and try not to reward behavior chains you don't want.

For a while, I had accidently trained a retrieve to a particular spot, the computer chair. One time, I was making dinner and Shadow was giving me signals that he wanted to train because that means treats. I said kong and he got the kong but stopped. I said retrieve and he took it to the computer chair.

To give an update...

The clicker is ummm... amazing?! She LOVES it! Wags her tail constantly during training.

With the clicker it TOTALLY slowed her down. Yesterday we got "Sit" "Down" and "Roll-Over" without any hyper spasms or rushing to the next step. The boyfriend is home sick today and he said he's going to pratice with her all day (ha... we'll see how that goes, he'll probably just play Call of Duty 4 online all day... lol).

Thank you so much for the clicker idea... its just... amazing!