(VICT) training success
- From: "The Pawpower Pack" <pawpower@xxxxxxx>
- To: <vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:04:40 -0600
I've written here many, many moons ago about my now retired ten-year-old dog
Bristol. Bristol was program trained with corrections. I have been trying to
teach her to retrieve for years. Her puppy raisers must have put the fear of
god into her because she exhibits several signs of stress even when I use
positive methods. She will never voluntarily take something from my hand, and
I have tried everything in the book. The up side to this, I guess, has been
that she has never put her mouth on anything that wasn't strictly hers but
honestly, I'd rather have a dog who maybe puts her mouth on things that I'd
rather not or even put teeth marks in things and be able to teach her using
positive methods than a dog who is so afraid that she won't touch anything. I
really feel bad for Bristol'; look up learned helplessness in the dictionary
and you'll see her smiling face.
Tonight I was doing work with Mill'E, my five-year-old golden and at the end I
was closing my bait bag and tossing it around the room because that is one of
her favorite games ever. I noticed Bristol becoming really interested in this
game I was playing with Mill'E. I put Mill'E on a down stay, and tossed the
bait bag after closing it tightly.
I didn't say a word, and Bristol hesitatingly walked over and stared at the
bag. She looked and looked and looked at me and looked at the bag. I didn't
say a word just made happy faces, and what do you know, she picked it up and
brought it to me. I practically squeezed her to death. I tossed it a couple
more times and then called it good. I also was doing hand targeting with her
and she is starting to follow my hand around. It took forever for her to
understand the click and to really dare to try and do behaviors that were
different.
I know this is a small thing but honestly I am proud of my old lady.
We'll keep working at it. I am not training it as a service task but I'm
hopefully showing her that she doesn't need to be afraid of trying new things.
Oh and I'm teaching Mill'E to wave; this is fun!
I love operant conditioning!
Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
Bristol, Gracy, Mill'E
"Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and
every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence." ---Mourning
Dove [Christine Quintasket] (1888-1936) Salish
Pawpower@xxxxxxx
windows messenger: Brisomania@xxxxxxxxxxx
AIM: brissysgirl
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