What are Bridges?

[George Bailey]

A Bridge is a marker which tells an animal it is correct.

Bridges are supportive and give information. and are usually (but not always) auditory.

The two main types of bridges are the Terminal Bridge and the Intermediate Bridge. The later was developed by Kayce Cover and is an amazing teaching tool. Kayce holds a Masters of Education and a BA in Animal Science; you can read about her here:
http://synalia.com/about/

Single marker (TB) methods primarily tell the animal end of exercise, while the IB gives you the ability to support the dog while it is on the path to the correct behavior as well as work in cycles appropriate to the dog. This results in much more fluidity in learning and eventually in the relationship as there is no interrupt in behavior. It is invaluable in teaching duration.

With SATS training, we teach the Terminal Bridge (TB). This is the sound �X�, initially associated with food
�X� is used because it is short, crisp and clear, and not often heard. Other sharp sounds, such as �G� or �K� are good, too. The word 'yes' is not good because it lacks crispness.
Food reinforcements immediately go to a variable schedule, which increases the importance of the bridges. They can become a primary motivator, along with touch or physical motivators such as food, toy, movement, or access to something the animal desires.
The dog usually understands the Terminal Bridge in three trials and is ready to progress.

The Intermediate Bridge is a cycle delivered to help the dog on the path to the desired behavior; TB �X� IB �xxxxxxxxx� TB �X�. It is delivered rhythmically and in an eight beat count for a full cycle, or less for a partial cycle as needed. Here is an audio of bridging:
YouTube- Bridging with ggggG SATS® Kayce Cover

For more information, videos, discussion lists, complete directions on conditoning the bridges, and more, Kayce's website is:
http://synalia.com/

Julie K

[Dansgrizz]

So what can i use these bridges for? how will these help in the training of my dog? Since ive used positive training up until now... can i switch over to using bridges and targets?

[George Bailey]

This _is_ positive training, Dan, but it is based upon the support of cognizance, participation, and support rather than physical motivators delivered on a one behavior with the expectation of one reinforcer schedule. It gives you many more tools and options with which to communicate with your dog.

Julie K

[Dansgrizz]

Bump bump ... For the new kids in town. Make it easier for them to fine. ;)

[Leon]

On step one the terminal bridge. When you present food while saying your bridge word, wont the dog associate the word with food or treats?

[DeidreM]

Bump bump ... For the new kids in town. Make it easier for them to fine. ;)

Of course it will, that is what "conditions" the "X" and gives it significance! The bridge then becomes a secondary reinforcer which many animals recognize as offering much opportunity for other kinds of rewards such as to engaging with us 1 on 1, havinng the opportunity to explore new horizons, learn new things, take pleasure in a job well done. Marking a moment in time or marking a particular location using a TB and target gives clear information and that alone is invaluable and gets rid of a lot of wasted energy.

[DeidreM]

Oh I replied to the wrong message. Did you catch that?

On step one the terminal bridge. When you present food while saying your bridge word, wont the dog associate the word with food or treats?

[Leon]

How long should i practice step one, or how do you know he gets it. I say "X" while i show him the treat, then say it again while i offer it to him, then again as he puts it in his mouth. I have been doing it for 2 days once or twice a day.

Can i use the "X" when ever he does something good or should i use it only when i tell him something and he does it?

[George Bailey]

How long should i practice step one, or how do you know he gets it. I say "X" while i show him the treat, then say it again while i offer it to him, then again as he puts it in his mouth. I have been doing it for 2 days once or twice a day.

Can i use the "X" when ever he does something good or should i use it only when i tell him something and he does it?


You're done conditioning the bridges, Leon! This is the only time we use a one to one ratio, it goes variable after that, and duration is immediately built in with the intermediate bridge. I think people don't understand how fast this all happens since the perception of dog training is that we must use repetition.

Yes to your second question, use it when he does something you like whether you asked for it or not. Example: dog looks at you--- X!

Julie K

[Leon]

Ok for something positive i can use "X". What about correcting is bad behavior? Like if i catch him peeing on the floor?..Do i just use a stern NO, pick him up and take him outside? And how or does he associate NO with being bad?

[DeidreM]

Ok Dan you put your question so simply, I'll give you a few
real simple examples of how you can use bridges to define something. Targets can be used in very sophistocated but accessible ways to both human and dog. If you think about it long enough, you'll see exactly how to put it together. Has anyone sent links to some basic info on using bridges and targets?
This is going to be coloring book illustration not a handbook on how to trainfor Shutzhund using SATS!

My goal: On recreational walks I want my dog to stay on the edge of a bike path (left or right) and do no zig zagging across the path.
Rememberthis is recreation not associated with guide dog harness work. Though a dog may already be fluent in understanding directionals, that animal may not realize the dangers of a moving car or bicycle when not working or off leash.

Concepts of left and right need to be introduced. This can be done any old place, in the living room, on the spot.
You can do this a number of ways by teaching left and right ear, then asking for left or right ear; left hip, right hip then asking for one or the other; using finger or pole targets to demonstrate and get a dog to follow a target left or right.

I take my dog and walk her along an edge of a path and name it "path X." I tap my foot to point out the surface of the path.

I walk my dog into the grass and name it grass, X, grass.

I trace an edge left of me and my dog and name it "left."
I turn myself and the dog around and follow the edge with it onn our right, I name that "right."

All concepts are taught in pairs like this.

I give my dog line and ask her to show me grass. If the animal moves over an inch and contacts the grass; she gets a TB "X, grass!"
I ask my dog to move back on the path and start an intermediate bridge if there is time as she moves back to the path "xxxX, path!"

I name a bicycle coming in the distance.. "bicycle xxxxxx" as bike approaches big "X" as it crosses our path and resumption of the intermediate bridge "xxxxx, gone!" as the bicycle fades out of range.
As you can see the bridging marks a segment of time, an event, a particular moving object, the point at which it passes then moves off. Using this way of marking objects and events, you can teach your dog to watch for joggers, bikes, or cars coming up behind you. You can then define what you want your dog to do in relation to those things such as : stop stay still, get off the path, on the grass, jump out of the road and onto the snowbank.

Once you start building vocabulary in this way your dog will consciously begin to alert to these things and you can either train for a specific response or be flexible on the spot. (Dan, This sort of naming and bridging can help with things your dog is fearful of or needs to learn about. Acknowledgeing that you see what the dog sees, and giving it a name and bridging appropriately can go a long way to help your dog overcome the fear and mystery of it all.)
My guide dog could safely go out on a 35' flexi and sniff to her heart's delight while I walked up a bike path or sidewalkless country road or along a grassy or wooded an embankment. . I didn't have to worry about her zig zagging all over the place tripping up people or bikes or roller bladers. I used my cane to cover any obstacles at my feet and her line gave me information about where she was. and whether or not there was anything between us such as a tree. If something were coming at us and she were close she would pause and wait When first training for this,initially if my dog were trotting or investigating up ahead of me, to reinforce her staying out of the way or even her alerting me that something was coming, I asked her to come back to a 2 finger target.

Deidre thinking: I hear a roller blader coming,, is my dog out of the way?
Deidre:"Here" and I present a 2 finger target at my side. As my dog comes flying back to touch the target I issue a stream of "xxxxxxxxxx" and have her follow the hand target back into a position at my side. When she contacts the target, she gets an emphatic "X!"
None of this was necessary once the dog knew she needed to stay either onn the edge of the path or go explore in the grass. It was her choice if she cared to return to me but she always always paused if she were on the edg of the path. Sometimes if I sent her out wit someone else she'd give them a dirty look if they asked her to return to her side when she was well out of the way. This dog was more than capable of putting 2 and 2 together and knew what was needed and when.
I taught my dog to "retrace" with sighted help by bridging for every move in the right direction to free herself. No way I wanted to be continually climbing up in heavy bushes to untangle her.
Dpoing this kind of stuff made it possible for me to take my dog on recreational walks just off busy streets or a big local parks or through fields or wherever I wanted to go. As I moved she moved and we could cover a lot of ground that way. Even on a flexi my dog could run way up a mountain embankment investigating what she liked within the limit of the line which was long enough for her to do plenty of leaping and trotting.
Dan, I sure hope this is not hopelessly rambling and unhelpful for your purposes. I'm trying to give easy examples of how bridging can be used. It can be used for everything. For example, using an intermediate bridge is the best tool I know for building duration. And in time the bridging is faded once the animal understands the context and protocol for what you want.

[Dansgrizz]

Thanks deidre this was helpful and extremely informative giving me a much better understanding of bridges. I fear I am going to look crazy walking saying xxxxxxxx X! All the time with my dogs LOL

[Leon]

Lol...same here. I was embarrassed to say it when people are around..i bet people are like...what is he doing...let the poor pup go potty.

[DeidreM]

Thanks deidre this was helpful and extremely informative giving me a much better understanding of bridges. I fear I am going to look crazy walking saying xxxxxxxx X! All the time with my dogs LOL

Dan the "splendid one!"
I'm catching up.
No, Dan it won't be forever that you will need to mark an event with continuous intermediate bridging, but if you do it inthe early stage of teaching new things, you will see how invaluable it is. I'll do a little summary of the many applications of the intermediate bridge after I see what else has been posted here lately.

[Dansgrizz]

Thanks deidre, can't wait!

[DeidreM]

Here are some of the clasic SATS applications of the intermediate bridge. Hopefully pointing out some of these things will begin to show how the ib is a sophistocated though easy tool to use.
Right off the ib encourages the animal and is invaluable in tracking progress which in turn accelerates progress.
It refines cues and transitions such as circle around my stationary body where I stand or float in the water and head back to a station on the shore. In that example it should be clear how it helps extend distance.
The ib extends duration in the most spectacular way. I found this to be one of my biggest boons when teaching my dog to hold on a station or object.
The ib reduces latency because you are focusing on the training event together and the bridge links you.
Reduces errors, supports self-correction and gives an early warning of error:
An early warning of error as when you cease the bridgeing to let the animal know it's gone off track. If you have used your bridges correctly from the outset, your animal will know instantly that ceasing the bridge means to resume what he or she was doing before you ceased bridging.
Example: you are working on building on a hold on an object when teaching an animal to retrieve. The dog makes the grab, holds the object in mouth for 2 or 3 counts then spits it out. You stop bridging, and while you are still holding the object which you have not let go of completely, the dog realizes it has not gotten the TB so grabs the dumbell again and holds with you starting the bridging again giving a TB soon after. Voila, job done. This worked sure fire for me along with telling my dog up front how long I wanted her to hold "ok Mare you are going to hold 1 2 3 4, x x x x." When I did this it was like magic, she performed exactly having understood the signal. Don't forget to follow your ibs with TB's when appropriate. If you have kept your trials short as when building duration on a hold, make sure yu don't make the job too long at first.
The ib can anchor an animal Through distractions and Through changes such as vet procedures or in approaching formerly difficult triggers or anything wich requires asserting a higher level of self-control than the dog is used to. No food is used in most of these situations. It's not counter conditioning we are talking about.
The ib does indeed intensify Focus and Efforte and speed by modulating it and by the mere fact that it connects you like a live current of electricity!
It can define a physical boundary or an event such as an approaching car or bicycle or thunder following the lightening.
I taught my dog when she was on a 30 foot flexi to retrace around trees and bushes using a bridge and sighted help to cue her when she was heading in the right direction to untangle herself. It wasn't long before she put this together - understood the concept and knew what to do without any further coaching whatsoever.

Enough?

[DeidreM]

I'm having difficulty with how to navigate this site using a screen reader. I just lost a post on another thread.