Tag Archives: Sue Ailsby’s Training Levels

“Testing Through” the Levels

Posted on November 24, 2014 by eileenanddogs

The whole post in three words: Don’t do it. Start at the beginning. I’ve mentioned before that I use Sue Ailsby’s Training Levels as a guide for training my dogs. The Levels comprise an organized method for teaching your dog. The … Continue reading →

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Posted in Dog Training | Tagged | 15 Comments

8 Common Dog Training Errors: Cautionary Tales

Posted on September 17, 2013 by eileenanddogs

As the great trainer Bob Bailey says, training is simple but not easy. The principles are very simple and straightforward, but actually applying them in practice can be very difficult. I’ve mentioned many times that I am not a professional … Continue reading →

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Posted in Dog body language, Dog Training, Dogs' perceptions, Generalization, Human and dog misunderstandings, Multiple dogs, Stress Signals | Tagged , , | 45 Comments

Dog Faming: Zen on the Move

Posted on September 9, 2013 by eileenanddogs

Pictures of dogs exhibiting self-control while covered with or surrounded by cookies, dog biscuits, or hot dogs are popular ways people Fame their dogs. You can see plenty of them on the Dog Faming FaceBook page. And here is Paisley doing … Continue reading →

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Posted in Dog Training, Treats, Zen/Leave it | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Level 1 Breakfast

Posted on July 1, 2013 by eileenanddogs

Those who have read for a while know that I use Sue Ailsby’s Training Levels to structure my training. For you new folks: go check them out! They are a great resource if you are training your dog on your … Continue reading →

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Posted in Cues, Dog Training, Generalization, Treats, Zen/Leave it | Tagged , , , , , | 25 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: Bopping the Wall

Posted on April 3, 2013 by eileenanddogs

This is a video follow up to one of my more embarrassing posts: “Lumping It: A Public Service Announcement.” In that post I described, and showed in the video, how I repeatedly raised my criteria too quickly when trying to … Continue reading →

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Posted in Dog Training, Fun, Generalization | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

There is Hope: One Trainer’s Journey from Liverwurst to Kibble

Posted on April 1, 2013 by eileenanddogs

Recently on a dog training Yahoo group, a trainer wrote about needing to use hot dogs and lunch meat to train her dog. She was dismayed that her dog wouldn’t work for kibble. She asked the group if she was … Continue reading →

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Posted in Dog Training, Reinforcement, Training philosophy, Treats, Why Use Positive Reinforcement? | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

But How Do I Tell My Dog She’s Wrong?

Posted on March 27, 2013 by eileenanddogs

This is a common question for beginning clicker trainers. First we learn the rudiments of marker training: that if we mark and reinforce the behavior we want, it will increase until we can eventually put it on cue. But at … Continue reading →

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Posted in Behavior Science, Dog Training, Operant conditioning, Punishment | Tagged , | 17 Comments

Halfway Through Madeline’s 1,000 Treat Challenge: Clara is Relaxing!

Posted on February 26, 2013 by eileenanddogs

Wait ’til you see this! Clara and I are halfway through our 1000 treats for Madeline Clark Gabriel’s  1,000 Treat Challenge and I couldn’t be more pleased with our progress. The behavior I chose for Clara’s 1000 treats and structured training is … Continue reading →

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Posted in Dog body language, Dog Training | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Training Levels: Making it My Own

Posted on February 22, 2013 by eileenanddogs

One of the very cool things about Sue Ailsby’s Training Levels is that they are extremely structured but also completely individualizable. The Levels provide a method of learning to communicate with your dog and teach her concepts, in the guise … Continue reading →

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Posted in Arousal, Cues, Dog Training | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Madeline’s 1,000 Treat Challenge: Starting Week 2

Posted on February 11, 2013 by eileenanddogs

We are now starting Week 2 of Madeline Clark Gabriel’s  1,000 Treat Challenge. If you are late to the party, be sure and read my original post, or at least watch my “before” video. The behavior I chose for Clara is Relax from … Continue reading →

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Posted in Dog body language, Dog Training | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments