One pot with kibble.
Sitting on Ottoman holding the pot in front at Nad's nose height, chin, nose touch, c/t from pot
8/18/12
SESSION 1:
Set 1: 10 Reps - 10/10
Set 2: 10 Reps - 10/10
SESSION 2:
Set 1: 10 Reps - 10/10
Set 2: 10 Reps 10/10
8/19/12
SESSION1:
Still treating from pot.
Set 1: 10 Reps - 1&2 Hold in front, 3-9 move towards ground, 10 held up again. He did start to paw when it would go to the ground and then quickly change to putting his nose on it.
Set 2: 6 Reps - 6/6 - Treating from hand (still tossing treat) went back to holding pot in front. I quit after 6 reps as he got distracted from something outside.
SESSION 2:
Set 1: 10 Reps - started with pot in front and again lowered to ground. I sat on the ground with it. whenever he pawed first, i would raise it.
8/19/12
SESSION 2:
Had to move to bedroom as it was quiet. One scent pot with kibble. Treating with a higher value treat from hand.
Set 1: 10 Reps - 10/10 - you will see in the beginning that Nad is a little confused as to whether what is asked of him has to do with the clicker on the floor or the pot. He quickly figures it out.
When I compare your 2 video sessions to the scent pot video by MultiAnimalCrackers I see one big difference. Nad is resting his chin nicely on the lid of the pot; in the training video, Barney has his nose on the lid of the pot (where the scent is most accessible).
ReplyDeleteWhat Nad is doing is exactly what I saw in Syn. He's doing a trick. He's doing it well. Unfortunately, the trick isn't scenting, the trick is putting his muzzle on the pot. (he could smell what's in the pot from 10 feet away if he knew what he was doing. )
ReplyDeleteThink of scent like colour. You've been presented with a cow, a dog, a squirrel, and a tractor. Which of these things is not like the others? You would, of course, pick the tractor. Right!
Now you are presented with the tractor, a car, a motorcycle, and the cow. Which of these things is not like the others? You would, of course, pick the cow. Wrong! How can you get this wrong when you got the tractor right? Did you forget what we were doing?
Your category was wrong, that's all. I didn't tell you that the cow, the dog, the squirrel, the car, and the motorcycle are all black and the tractor is green.
Nad is looking confidently and cheerfully at the trick of putting his nose on the pot and isn't even thinking of what the pot smells like.
Stop practising this trick, it isn't getting you anywhere.
Put Nad 5' away from you. Put a treat on the floor. Tell him to find it. Reset to 5' away.
When he understands that, start moving the treat around - first, 6" from where it was last time. Then a foot, then 3', then 5 feet, so it's not always in the same place.
When he understands that, instead of putting him 5' away, put him out of sight of you placing the treat. Start from the beginning.
WHUT, when he's running into the space to find the treat, put the treat somewhere very close where he can't see it. Tuck it behind a table leg, or put it on the seat of a chair when he was thinking it would be on the floor.
WHUT, you'll see him using his nose to help him find the treat. He'll be actively snuffling. You'll be able to see the treat smell grab him by the nostrils and pull his head down to it. It's SO cool.
WHUT, put the treat in one of your scent wheel containers. Go back to the beginning and work forward again.
WHUT, go back to the beginning but now ask him to park his muzzle on the container before you click or reward. Now finding the container containing the scent earns him the right to park his muzzle, parking his muzzle gets a click.
Et voila.
This is SUCH an important development of THE foundation behavior for testing the scent! Good for you, Jan, for your persistence. Thank you, Sue, for your insight and guidance. Your work is the basis for all that is to follow.
ReplyDeleteYes, Sue, a BIG thank you! I know that once Nad 'gets' what it is I am asking for, it will be there....it's just getting that totally new concept across to him.
ReplyDeleteI think it's like breathing, you just don't think about it so it isn't something you would think about being 'asked' to do.
Thanks!!