Front Leg Lift Duration II: Video

First part is here.

Session 3:
Today was not as pretty. Session one had a lot of incorrect offered behaviors and a very low rate of reinforcement (ROR), 13 clicks in 2.5 minutes. But, more relevant with duration behaviors... the training was not flowing well, after one response he was NOT giving another right away. We got a lot of other behaviors for a period of time and then paw swipes rather than holds.
You will see a lot of freezes... that is offered stillness not 'non responses'. He's really good at offering stillness, especially with his head. The tail is usually a give away from times where he's not responding and where he is offering stillness.

Session 4: Much better!
15 clicks in 65 seconds. Sometimes I would click 2-3 times before his foot went back to the ground! We have duration.
From where we left off on Session 3 (...maybe 1-2 seconds), to Session 4 was a HUGE leap. The start of Session 4 is on the video, right after I get him in position, the video starts.



And of course, we worked on this after looking at the AKC obed and agility invitational results for Friday/Saturday. We should be working on those skills...not foot lifts and leg lifts.

Training Plan: Front Leg Lift Duration: Video

Last night, Megan and I talked about leg lifts. Bailey has front leg lefts with duration. Griffin has back leg lifts with duration. And we both didn't know how to train the other one!

We spent a while talking about our training plans and I actually put it into action today.

Griffin is learning to do a front leg lift with duration, and Luna to do hind leg lifts with duration.

Final behavior: Indicated front leg is held up until cued to put it back to the ground. Ideally at least 30 seconds.

What we have now: Either front leg can be lifted on verbal cue of Foot. Left leg will be lifted on a visual cue. He does actually offer an untrained duration leg lift when he is expecting a reinforcer, esp after giving an item. I've worked to decrease that because it's usually NOT wanted!

Steps:
- Get offered leg lifts at all, reinforce for the raising foot. I may cue it 3-5 times before getting it offered. It's a behavior fairly well on stimulus control.
- If foot is held up longer than 'average', reinforce.
- Or if the duration is all about the same... click for the second leg lift and then the first for a few reps and then second....
- Add duration up to about 8 seconds.
- After the 8 seconds, cue sit or stand. Reinforce for complying. This will be our release/stop of the leg lift.