What is a training loop?
1. You can find the link to Alexandra Kurland's blog here. You can also use google to find other great resources and examples of her loopy training with horses!
2. I mentioned in this video that when I'm sitting/low to the ground, the dog is prepared to offer behavior. This happens naturally because when my dogs are puppies, I start shaping sessions on the ground with them. Here's an example of a shaping session.
2B. This also means that I have to teach them that when I'm standing, they should wait for cues. I refer to this as "standby". Here's an example of a standby session. In this session, she is being reinforced for standing and making eye contact and waiting for her cues (in this case "get" meaning to chase down that tossed treat), instead of offering a lot of behaviors.
Action item:
Take a look at your last three training videos. Can you define the pieces of the loop? Do you notice any unwanted behavior?
Make some notes and continue on to learn how to modify your loops to clean things up and maximize your progress.