Yay! Finished writing all Steps to Success Levels Cards!

Whoohoo! I did it! Quite a job, I have to say. I’m glad it’s done, but it was well worth the effort.

As you can see in the picture above, I now have all Steps to Success Levels, divided into 5 cards per behaviour per Level.

    Level One: 5 Behaviours (excluding Homework)
    Level Two: 14 Behaviours (excluding Trick & Homework)
    Level Three: 15 Behaviours (excluding Homework)
    Level Four: 11 Behaviours (excluding Homework)
    Stimulus Control: 5 Tests

I have also made cards for Stimulus Control, as that is something very important I keep forgetting, and when I want to do it I’m not sure how. So, I found some ideas from Sue Ailsby - I think I found them on the TL List - which made it all very clear for me. This is what’s on the Stimulus Control cards:

• TEST 1: Give the cue several times in a row and then give a different cue. If the dog Downs even though you said Sit, that’s a mistake.
• TEST 2: Give a different cue several times in a row and then give the cue you’re working on. If the dog Sits instead of Downing on that last cue, that’s a mistake.
• TEST 3: Give the cue, and if it is a position, re-give it. If the dog changes position, that’s a mistake.
• TEST 4: Toggle back and forth between the cue you’re working on and another cue several times. Then give a third cue. If the dog toggles to one of the first two cues, that’s a mistake.
• TEST 5: Toggle back and forth between the cue you’re working on and another cue several times. Then say a word that is not a cue. If the dog does anything resembling a known cued behaviour, that’s a mistake.

Thanks Sue!

This is the first time I have something that I can refer to while I’m training, that I can take everywhere I go. I’m so excited to start using these! It will definitely make for much more structured training. Less - unintended, but still - lumping!