The Labraventures of Carbón, Spanish (ex-) foster dog extraordinaire

[Cath]

What have you got Carbon standing on @Emily_Babbelhund

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

What have you got Carbon standing on @Emily_Babbelhund

It's a turned over drawer with a sheet on top. @Beanwood 's invention for a training platform.

 

[snowbunny]

Great stuff! I'll let Donna give you the training feedback you're after, but one comment I would make is that the click should be seen as a promise and always followed by a reinforcer. If you screw up and click at the wrong time, that's your bad.... he should still get his reinforcement for the click. No exceptions: click = treat

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Great stuff! I'll let Donna give you the training feedback you're after, but one comment I would make is that the click should be seen as a promise and always followed by a reinforcer. If you screw up and click at the wrong time, that's your bad.... he should still get his reinforcement for the click. No exceptions: click = treat

Good reminder, thank you. I got a lot of feedback from Donna last night during our live session, but that's one she didn't mention. I'm still such a wild clicker, even after nearly a year of SD training.

She did say maybe I should go back to verbal cues instead of the clicker, so maybe that was her way of saying, "Mmmm...put down the clicker, Emily".

 

[Lisa]

I was just going to mention that! Is there a reason you don’t say “stand” to help him realize this is a specific behaviour different from “sit”? Does the final result have to be all hand signals?

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Is there a reason you don’t say “stand” to help him realize this is a specific behaviour different from “sit”? Does the final result have to be all hand signals?

He doesn't have a verbal cue for stand yet because he is still learning stand. Our trainer's process is that you don't even start to teach a verbal cue until you are absolutely sure he knows what it is (or as she says, "Until you'd bet $100 on it"). I'm already introducing the hand cue as it also serves as a prompt - for the moment he looks at it like nose touch. Eventually (hopefully?) he'll realise that a nose touch is fingers pointed down and the stand is fingers pointed right.

At the moment he's just trying to figure out how to get the sausage and he loves standing on the box. "Stand" hasn't really got into his brain. That much was pretty obvious when I tried to fade the box and got everything EXCEPT a stand. I was rightly chastised for trying to fade the box too soon. And for using too high value treats (sausage) that make his brain melt. So it's back to the box and with carrots or Cheerios instead of deeeleeecious sossige!

Poor Carbon.

 

[M.F.]

I find your videos inspiring. They give me ideas for training Snowie. Downside is he now insists on training every evening... because of the treats, obvs!

I do love those super sped-up tail wags you get Carbon to produce!!

 

[kateincornwall]

Carbon has achieved so much , thanks to his wonderful Mum , bless him x

 

[Selina27]

And for using too high value treats (sausage) that make his brain melt.

That's interesting, I'd never have thought of that!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

That's interesting, I'd never have thought of that!

Me neither! I thought I needed to use the highest value treats I had for training sessions but apparently not. Our trainer even suggested using head massage instead of treats.

I could hear Carbon inside my head: "Oh dios mio, the horror! The horror! I do not want massage, I want deeleeecious SAUSAGE!".

So I compromised and told her I'd try cut up carrots or Cheerios. I mean there's a line that shouldn't be crossed, right?

 

[M.F.]

That's interesting, I'd never have thought of that!

Me, too. But makes so much sense. Sometimes when walking Snowie, he sticks with me the entire time cos he wants the treats. I don’t see much point cos he should be enjoying the walk, not desperately waiting for treats. Now I understand! I need to think of low value treats now.

 

[Beanwood]

Interesting re: varying the value of treats. I vary the treats depending on whether we are having a training session where I am shaping or capturing a behaviour, vs: where I need a really strong reinforcement history, or need to trump the environment. For example, shaping both paws on a box for Otter, I am using very small treats with high frequency. When working on recall, turn or scatter, I use very high value treats. Large pieces of chicken or sausages to get that really strong response to the cue.

 

[Selina27]

he sticks with me the entire time cos he wants the treats.

No, that doesn't happen here !

need to trump the environment.

This though, happens a lot

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

My beloved pillow hoarder.

 

[snowbunny]

I love how he’s always under covers. My lot will not tolerate that at all!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

I love how he’s always under covers. My lot will not tolerate that at all!

Isn't he funny? Honestly he acts like a Bodeguero (or a chihuahua). Maybe it was growing up with Paul? He landed like this (in the photo) because I'd brought his blanket in from the living room to go to bed. He jumped up on the bed so since I couldn't spread the blanket out with him there, I just tossed it on his head and then went in to take my shower. I came out and this is what he looked like. Right in the middle of the bed with the covers and ALL the pillows! Come one, señor, how about sharing?

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Oh, and I get the evil stare of death if I don't hold up the duvet when he's ready so he can dive under. I'll think he's settled on the outside of the covers and he'll stand, shake and then just stand and stare until I do his bidding.

Of course I love it.

 

[Stacia]

I love the way @Emily_Babbelhund our dogs can tell us what they want, merely by a look

 

[Boogie]

They have us well trained

 

[SwampDonkey]

Monkey butlering at its best