Berners On Track, Week One

Each Saturday I will present the week’s plan for our Berners On Track class here on the Blog. I am doing this for two reasons. First, it allows more people to be engaged and that builds community around those who are actively working dogs in this class. Second, it is just an easy and convenient place to post informative content.

In addition to the Saturday blog overviews, we are using a Facebook group called Berners On Track and a YouTube channel with the same name.

Those signed up for the class will be receiving invitations to the Facebook group but since auditors are welcome in this class, you can request membership in that group via Facebook or by emailing me (sontag.bowman@gmail.com).

Our specific objective for this week is for all dogs to be skilled at running a straight 15 - 20 yard food track. [Note: I am terrible at judging distances and so am randomly picking that range. The point is that it is short and straight]. A video will introduce this and be posted tomorrow (Sunday). Suzanne and her puppy, Sadie, will be helping and so the video is guaranteed to be adorably fun.

The hope is that everyone (in the class — not everyone in the world!) will post a video of their dog running the straight, short food track on the Facebook group page by next weekend — or if a video is not possible, we will get a report about progress.

To get started, everyone will need easy-to-chew treats (for the dog — human treats are optional), and a small covered container — you can use a cleaned Altoids tin. You want the container to be low to the ground.

Treats should be small, easy to spot, and light enough to stay on top of whatever cover is on the ground. Heavy treats fall through grass (or snow) and the dog then spends too much time snuffling around for them. Tiny pieces of cheese can work and so does popcorn or goldfish crackers. You will need A LOT of whatever you use.

Your covered food container is a jackpot for the end of the track and so put something amazingly different in there. I like to do two tracks at this stage, and so double everything.

You will not need any articles — we train articles separately (there is a video about that).

A harness will be needed but not at this stage — a collar and leash are fine.

Optimally, you will do these training tracks 3 - 4 days this week. It will take maybe ten minutes per day — plus the time getting there/back.

Where to Track: Find a location that is not well-used — public parks are generally a bad idea. Industrial parks, churches, or businesses often have grassy areas that can work — you want grass that is not long, or better yet: snow! You do not need much space at this point so it should be relatively easy to find a location for these baby tracks.

Again, a video will walk you through the steps — watch for that tomorrow.

A couple more things…

Least Trainable Units (LTUs): I mention these in the material that accompanies the glove video — basically, this means we consider the micro behaviors associated with a desired end behavior, and train each of those intentionally and separately. Think Baby Steps.

Elements of Tracking include age, length, cover, turns, articles - and reinforcers.

At this point the TD cohort is making things so so easy: No age, super short length, super easy cover, no turns, no articles — and heavy reinforcers.

The LTU we are working on is simply getting the dog to follow a track, and we will do that using food. Easy Peasy for a Berner!

Here We Go

The end-of-the-semester plus the rather time-consuming episodes of As the Progesterone Rises put me a bit behind schedule but at long last we have the details and schedules for the two (free) online classes for our Berner community.

I am excited!

The two classes are for very specific populations - they are not general training classes (although I may do those this summer). Therefore, read over the following to assess whether either (or both) of these classes will work for you between now and May, and if you feel excited by the description — and have the 1 - 2 hours a week to be an engaged participant — I hope you will join us.

Class One: On Track

What: An online class to train a Berner to pass an AKC Tracking Dog Test in Spring or Summer of 2020.

When: January 4 - May 4

Who: Working Spots are for those who want to prepare a Berner for a Spring/Summer 2020 Tracking Test (including TDX).

Those interested in just learning more about tracking may audit the class.

How: We will utilize videos, discussion, written material, and a private Facebook group for this class. You will need to devote 1 - 2 hours each week to this class (TDX folks will need more time for track aging, of course).

Cost: None.

To sign-up: Send an email indicating your interest to sontag.bowman@gmail.com with ON TRACK in the subject.

Class Two: The Edge

We do not have this much snow — this is from last year!

Background: Dog training is a misnomer. Working with a dog is so much more than putting behaviors on cue.

The dog is actually a furry invitation to be a better human being — to become a more skilled communicator, a better collaborator, and a kinder and smarter person.

A dog allows us to see our Inside Self — the person we are when the only ones looking keep our secrets. But this reflective nature of a dog is also an invitation because it invites honesty, self-reflection, and transformation.

Therefore, a dog is a strange combination of teacher, therapist, and ongoing self-improvement podcast. The lessons we can learn from — and through — a dog have broad life applications. Think of dog training as a sort of Life Coaching and it will transform you — and your dog.

That is the explanation/premise for this online group experience that I am calling The Edge.

The Edge in canine performance events develops from working towards clearly articulated goals in the context of a confident, collaborative, effective – and ethical -- relationship with our dog.

The key ingredients are:

 Clarity: We can only arrive at a destination when we choose one.

Communication: Mind reading is not actually a thing.

Collaboration: Who wants to exist under a dictator? #team

Confidence: When you got this, you got this.

Integrity: Always and in everything.

What: An online community/class to help humans achieve specific performance goal(s) with a Berner.

When: February 1 - May 1.

Who: Those who want to prepare a Berner for a Spring/Summer 2020 performance event.

To foster openness and trust, this is a closed working community and not open to auditors.

How: Each week will require an hour or two of time. We will use articles, podcasts, videos, worksheets, journaling, and discussion as learning materials (and the dog, of course); a Facebook group will be utilized to hold all this together.

Cost: None.

To sign-up: Send an email indicating your interest to sontag.bowman@gmail.com with THE EDGE in the subject.

Giving Tuesday: Two Amazingly Free (online) Training Classes

The Holidays are here!

There was a Dog Secret Santa exchange going around on social media and so I decided not to do ours this year — too many Secret Santa programs dilute the fun.

That said, I have two situations that could use Holiday cheer. It is Giving Tuesday and so if you want to be involved in a special one-way “giving” Secret Santa, send me an email (sontag.bowman@gmail.com) and I will give you details.

I was overwhelmed (in a good way) by the interest in an online training program and have been contemplating the best way to proceed; I have decided to offer two separate courses.

My primary interest is helping humans be confident and effective (and fun) when training and showing dogs. Therefore, that will be the focus of one four-month course beginning in early January. It is free. Let’s call it The Edge.

The second class will also begin in January — also free. This class will be geared for people getting a dog ready for a Tracking Test. Let’s call that class On Track.

These are free online courses for members of the Berner community. We will use videos, a private Facebook page, written content, etc. to create a collaborative learning experience that will support individuals in achieving their goals.

I will need to limit involvement to people who are actively training a Berner (or two or three) for performance events. We may allow auditors, however, to come along for the ride. Start date for both courses will be January 2.

Interested folks should send an email to sontag.bowman@gmail.com with the subject PUT ME ON THE LIST and the following info included in the email:

1. Your Name

2. Intro to your wonderful dog(s) (picture optional but preferred)

3. Which class you are interested in and a brief “why?” (Yes, you can do both)

4. Working spot or possible auditor?

Additional course descriptions/plans will go out to people on the list in mid-December — this will allow individuals to decide whether to confirm their spots before we actually start the two classes.

This is going to be seriously fun — and effective.