Matching

Counting isn't progressing as I hoped. I think that the dogs are looking to me for some sort of cue and that I have confused them. There are times when they seem to be getting it but other times not. I should have kept better records.

I am going to try something different - matching symbols. I have created three pairs of matching symbols - circle, triangle and plus symbol. I will rerecording the Talking Symbols and try to see if the dogs can match the symbols. I am also going to try to be more careful and make sure that I am not confusing the dogs. Perhaps even using the Manners Minder so that they are not watching me so much.

Counting

I have been trying counting with my dogs. I recorded "one", "two", and "three" on different Talking Symbols. I put a piece of paper in each of them with large dots on them corresponding to the recording. First I put out each symbol individually and the number of objects on the symbol. They I asked how many? Clicking and treating when the dog touched the symbol and the symbol played its message. Now I have been putting out more symbols (at first two and sometimes three). I have been changing the positions of the symbols as well as I don't want the dogs to be choosing the symbol based on location. I have gone back to just putting out one object for now. Once they seem to be touching the correct symbol most of the time I will go to two objects and then three. Not sure when I should try a different set of objects.

A couple of interesting issues I have been having is my older sheltie Spice (almost 13) is rapidly going from one symbol to the next. Good exercise for him but not what I want. If a dog touches the wrong symbol should I just wait and click when the right one is touched or should I say "too bad" and have the dog sit and re ask the question? I am worried about the dogs developing a pattern or not really looking at the symbols and just touching them at random. I sometime remove the extra symbols so that they are able to get it right and break the pattern of touching multiple symbols. Things brings up something I am struggling with. I think that I often tend to make things easier for my dogs - perhaps too much. This may have resulted in them not thinking enough and not dealing with failure very well. I also may be expecting the dogs to learn quicker than they are and I need to be more patient.

Spice was better tonight and not going from one symbol to the next as much. I also thought that Taari was also better tonight as well. Both were touching the correct symbol more often. I have to be careful with Taari because she may find the Talking Symbol rewarding in itself.

More Silent Signs

Today I continued working on getting the dogs to target the correct coaster. At first I started with only the coaster with the picture of the game on it. Then I added a blank coaster. Both dogs were pretty successful in the morning session so in the afternoon session I decided to switch games. They were also successfully pawing the coaster of the other game. Next I added a blank coaster. Sometimes helping them out by pointing to the coaster. In the evening session I decided to have the dogs go to a mat and then I would release them with okay. Taari seemed to be less successful. Then I noticed that she was looking at both coasters and when I released her she frequently went to the one she was looking at. I realized why this was happening as that is what I expect when I do gambling work with her. So I now have to be careful and make sure that she is looking at the right coaster when I release her. She did start to release herself and go to the correct coaster. I am not too worried about her releasing herself because she was picking the right coaster and was not waiting for me say "yes that is the right one".

I haven't added the question yet as I am unsure if I want the question to be "Which game do you want?" or "Which game is this?"

One problem I am having is making sure that they touch the coaster with a paw. This is where I think that the talking signs would help. I would wait until I heard the sign talk (i.e the dog would have to hit the sign and cause the recording to play). There would be feedback to the dog that they had touched the sign appropriately - it would speak the word or words associated with what they touched. I would also not be confusing the dog by clicking it for a bad paw or not noticing when they did hit it. (Aside - I can see that a Chicken Camp would help with my skills.)

Silent Signs

While waiting for the for the talking signs I decided to work on getting Spice and Taari to paw a coaster with a picture on it. I went too fast at first and have back tracked so I will describe what I am now doing.

1. First I started with a "blank" coaster and worked on their pawing technique (clicking and treating for a good paw on the coaster).
   
2. Then I printed a picture of the Dog Tornado Game and put it on a coaster. I put the Tornado Game between my feet and held it so that they couldn't try to play the whole Tornado Game. Then I put the coaster nearby. I pointed to the coaster and when they pawed it I clicked and put a treat in the Tornado Game.
   
3. Eventually I stopped pointing and they were pawing it on their own.

I will repeat 3 and maybe 2 if needed in more sessions. After that I think that the next step is to do the same with the Dog Brick Game.

Happy Holidays

I would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays.

I haven't been posting lately because I have been busy. I have been doing some strength exercises with both Spice and Taari. I know that I need to do more and continue with Spice's physiotherapy. I haven't been doing as much as I think I should be doing. It has been too cold and too icy to do much walking with Spice as well. I am worried about him in the cold and slipping and hurting himself. Taari and I have been training about twice a week in an unheated facility (groups class and practice time). Today though it is too cold and the roads are not very good so we didn't go. Instead I will be shovelling a path for the dogs in the backyard - yes we got that much snow. I may try to take some pictures later today.

I recently joined a Animal Learning Concepts yahoo group and I am quite excited about trying out some of the things people have been doing. For example teaching their dogs to count. First though I need to brush up on my clicker and shaping skills so I am teaching my dogs other things. I am teaching Spice to touch different items with his left and right paw. Taari is learning to put all four paws in a box. I am decreasing the size of the box. Eventually I will try a muffin tin.

It was recommended that I work on shaping with Taari as she needs to deal better with failure and also needs a confidence boost.

Spice loves to be trained. So much so that the 12.5 year old normally reserved sheltie is whining in his crate wanting his turn.

I am looking forward getting the Nina Ottosson games I ordered from Clean Run. Here is a video of one of them. Hopefully they will arrive before I get back from trip to see my family so that I can try them out over the holiday break.