Collies : Masters at Laser Focus

Collies : Masters at Laser Focus by Kay Laurence | Collie Public , Seeing with New Eyes When we ask the dog to Be Collie and use all their inherited instincts, part of that package is the exclusion of stimulus irrelevant to that intense predatory focus. Which is partly why once they tip over into Collie Brain nothing can seem to break through. This is call "multisensory integration gating’…. The brain stops processing certain types of sensory information through the prefrontal cortex because the prefrontal cortex is expensive for energy and the brain has ‘decided’ that type of information is not going to help with this Collie Brain task. All the processing power goes on the task in hand BUT because the prefrontal cortex isn’t receiving the signals the dog is not consciously aware of those signals. We might also say that a dog that is easily distracted by non-working events is unlikely to survive - they do not get to fulfil the kill process. Hungry dog. We call these games but to the dog they are work, or intense predatory behaviours in Collie style (minimal biting). This can be your best friend when you are faced with a situation that is heading to Collie Brain, such as approach a passing jogger. A short game of Mouse as you walk by will mask the dog seeing the Collie Brain opportunity. We would not want to use it for long periods or as a long term solution, but it is important to understand that when you ask them to Go Collie, see the ball, anticipate the work, then it “seems” they no longer lose it to Collie Brain. But without the stimulus of Go Collie, the Collie Brain will come back fast. Do not be fooled. This "multisensory integration gating’ is temporary and dependent on the visual stimulus, or anticipation of the well learned events. A dog walking up to the field to play a Go Collie series of games is in an anticipatory state and can seem to ignore the Collie Brain stimulus. Our Pet Brain Repertoire will override the fully relaxed, sofa sleeping guy. This is not usually an issue unless we keep them on the Pet Brain Repertoire for too long or too often when we want them to relax. I always set a rule about when Pet Brain Repertoire is going to happen and it is never in the evening when we are settling down to watch TV or I am at the computer. Be clear about the PBR opportunities as this rule will also need to stand for Work-Games, otherwise you will be plagued by the continual demand for collie games 24 hours. That means you turn over in bed to find your face stuffed with a soggy toy. Practising Pet Brain Management This is the long term travelling

companion. Asking the Pet Brain to Manage the Collie Brain. Alongside looking at many different environments when Pet Brain needs to be in charge, you will also be asking for Pet Brain to be an integral part of Collie Brain, your Go Collie Games. You can see at the end of the Which Brain video, I show you how to insert Pet Brain Cues into Go Collie dopamine rewards. This needs to be handled thoughtfully so that you can blend the two brains together. Mostly it is about the visual stimulus that trigger Go Collie Games, temporarily hiding it from view, asking one Pet Brain Repertoire and rewarding with Go Collie, rather than food. Not only are we looking for Pet Brain Repertoire practise in many places, but also Pet Brain Repertoire getting peak dopamine pleasure with the anticipation of Go Collie Games. Practise means: Regular on a daily basis as often as possible So familiar that hesitation or uncertainty is forgotten, we want the dog to feel total pleasure for your PBR. It is confidence and competent. Small doses of Go Collie introduced with the chase or catch the food Integrating single PBR into the Go Collie games If we let the Go Collie games continually roll without any Pet Brain Management it can quickly become as unmanageable as Collie Brain - this is where we hear the terms “addicted to tennis balls” “obsessed about squeaky toys”, and my particularly teeth itcher: “she is too herdy”. Long term we want a blend of the pleasures and dopamine for exercising a healthy Collie Brain but with good Management from Pet Brain. It may seem a tall order but it is a very enjoyable journey travelled with a great friend. You will see the very best of your collie, let them Be a Collie, but have confidence that it will be under good management Todd (on the right) is intently watching Zip. Usually this does not bother her, but we can see in this picture that she is a little tense. The situation can flip around quite quickly and she will work him and make sure he knows what it is like to Be The Sheep. This Game (who is Sheep today?) seems mututally pleasing. It’s Not Training A carefully planned learning pathway, paced to suit that particular learner for their life ahead. Read More A Road to Nowhere When familiarity is stripped away we seek recognisable signposts that will take us back to comfort and security. This is survival instinct. It is worth listening to as it keeps us alive. Read More Dogs are Born To Learn We can build tremendous learners when we get beyond the idea that “dogs are trained”. Read More Building A Generous Future Maybe it feels like a doddle b

ecause my life with her wasn’t one of competing against who she is, trying to mould her into something else, or even just worrying about the potential fallout of every decision I made. Read More A Day of Learning A no-training day does not mean he gets a lazy day lying idly in the sun. Learning is still happening and this is significant and important for his development. Read More Don’t Let Them Learn Becoming aware that we share our lives with premier learners, dogs, is about saving you frustration, despair, anxiety and endless hours further down the road. Read More Location is Their Cue We begin teaching the dog to go to a target, such as a mat or platform and in this process our focus is on the outcome – the dog can place feet on the object or settle down. But at the same time this learning is happening the dog is also noting the location: where this is happening in this room, in the house, relative to the food-machine (you). Read More Duration: sustaining movement Continuing and maintaining a specific movement Read More Luring: Hand lures Learning the skills for clear communication with hand-lure: collect, engage, follow, feed. Read More Not all lures contain food “the direct use of the reinforcer to elicit the behaviour” This should always be foremost in our mind, in that many alternatives lures are available. Read More No room for mechanics If your ambition is to have good mechanics in communication to animals then you may find yourself blocked into a tight corner Read More One dog watching The other dog working or ….how to train the spectators to quietly rest and watch whilst you work, play, teach a single member of the group Read More Submit a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Comment * Name * Email * Website Δ