O.k., homework for everybody this time. This is a short section from the new Tricks DVD. You need to first teach 3.b part of this trick and then please tape the start of 3.c trick and post it here - I would like to see as many different dogs as possible solving the problem of how to get a hold of a bottle on the floor. Happy training and thank you for your help.
 Silvia Trkman is known for bringing every dog, from her first dog on, to the very top of the sport. Her dogs are known for great speed, tight turns, running contacts and long and injury-free careers. Silvia is in agility since 1992 and is– 3x World Champion (with two different dogs)
– 5x European Open winner, with 4 different dogs (Lo, La, Bu, Le)!!!
– National Championships podium and World Team member with every dog she’s ever had – National Champion for 22-times (with 5 different dogs of 3 different breeds) – World Team member for 19-times (mostly with at least two dogs at the time – sometimes four π ) |
I agree it is fascinating that they come up with it. I was also amused by Shiva’s *very* first idea to try to give it to me “we used to start with the item in HER hand” -- she seems to be thinking π
Yes, La and Bi did that first too: “here you go”. Only Bu decided to directly find a solution on her own, but I’m thinking now that maybe it’s easier to pick it up and get a hold of it if they’re doing it with two legs: harder balance-wise, but easier coordination-muzzle-paw-wise. So yours are definitely doing GREAT!
INTERESTING: does Bu ever try to give you “things” ? I’m asking because autistic children do not ever “give” items to other people while normal children go thru a phase where they offer/present stuff all the time….
Yeah, she is pretty typical autistic π She will fetch me toys if asked to as that’s one of the exercises she has learned. She will only bring it back when asked, though, normally she will take her toy and go lie down next to the tunnel with it…
I’m trying out this one with Terra. He is at 3b but he is not nearly holding it up himself. He is also a La-type-crazy-dog and is offering a hunded things at once :D. I find it pretty hard to get him to hold it since he is so hectic and can’t just sit still withe the bottle. He too prefers the sit up position and using both paws, I haven’t got any one paw action so far… Also, he is convinced that he needs to hug my hand, not the bottle. Well atleast he has a very tight grip (on my hand XD). I’ll try to make a vid tomorrow.
Maybe it would be easier if you first start with a pole, so that your hands can be further away? That’s actually 3a part of this trick, it makes holding a bottle much easier. But then, the important thing is too have fun, no big deal if it takes some sessions longer!
Not the greatest quality, but you can see little Spur is holding the bottle! This was session four. First two sessions were learning to grab a pole. Then next two sessions were with the bottle that is wrapped in fabric for easy gripping. I think he gets it pretty well. Next will be teaching him to pick it up himself and put it in his arm. He does seem to prefer one arm, but has offered the other on occasion and I reward for that, too. He even offered a couple times with both arms. π
The MinPins are still working on the pole. I probably rewarded too many times for pawing it, so I have to undo that and reward for a still paw now. You said that might be an issue. They are SO frantic and quick!! π
Wow, he sure holds it nicely and firmly! I hope you post his first session on picking it up too, would be good to see some more one-arm-techniques! Pawing is still better as a still paw on a pole, then they tend to simply add duration to holding it on a pole… Let them scratch on it and see if you can click when they by accident slide to the side. You can also click if they miss the pole and go by its side with a paw, that’s a good start too.
Well, we didn’t work on this at all until yesterday and this was our first session asking him to pick it up. He wants to do it lying down, but I am clicking for that anyway and hoping I can get him to do it sitting soon enough.
And this is Roscoe, the crazy MinPin. I see I am not as patient or easy with him as I am with young Spur (Roscoe is 12). He is SO frantic at times I try to be careful not to reward the frantic pawing, but maybe I should have rewarded a bit more. And the one time he really grabbed it I should have jackpotted more. I did give him a big handful, but it was too quick. He’s SO smart and quick I bet in the next session he will have it down pretty well.
Great! They’re both thinking in the right direction! Very smart, very cute! Thanks for posting!
Yes, I guess you are right. Here is…….sorry it’s blurry…….session 2 with crazy Roscoe. He’s SO enthusiastic about this trick!! I think he’ll have this one fluent by one more session. Very fun trick!!!
On to drumming!
Ha, ha, he sure is enthusiastic! And VERY quick! Too funny! π
We are in the 3a stage with a pole. I also started teaching Tibby to beg a couple days ago. Yesterday she wasn’t interested in working at all, so we had a little set back, but today she was great!
What did I change? Me!
I have to act crazy and run around with her squeaky toy after each click/treat. She was much quicker at learning things and had a great excited attitude. Whew! I got a work out with all the running around!
Ok, so you didn’t ASK for 3a videos, but hey we all need encouragement π My dog finds it easier to move into begging position from a sit as he takes the object. Maybe because he can’t hold a beg for long. No single-leg offers or firm grip yet, but this is only the first try. I added to my PC II homework “learn how to edit video” but actually this is not a bad angle for this (advice on how to rotate them appreciated π
VERY good for a first try!!! You will be at 3c in no time! π If he can’t hold sit up, then going for one leg would be better, though. Did you try with a pole? It’s easier to get one leg on a pole!
Spur, looks awesome with his bottle hold!
Here is Griff’s attempt at the Hold the Bottle Challenge. This was session one with teaching him anything for this trick. I think I missed steps 3.a and 3.b and jumped right to 3.c. Can anyone fill me in with what steps a and b are? I think one of them is having him wrap his paw around an upright jump bar?
Well, the process on a video is 3a π 3b is holding an object independently and 3c is picking it up and getting a hold of it. You’re on a good way, looking forward to see 3c video too π
I don’t think my video is coming through, here is the direct you tube link: rel="nofollow ugc">
Lol π
“no we’re not doing handstand right now” What a great doggy π
Just started with 3c. It lookes much easier than it is when you try π Ben holds the bottle/teddy bear really nicely in a sit up position, he has a very good balance and he can also do it with one paw. But when I started to ask him to pick up the bottle and hold it he decided it is so much fun to play with it around the room and he loves bringing it to me… and it’s even self-rewarding, who needs food when there is a “toy” to play π The problem with him is that he would take ANY object as a toy and play with it and then he would try really hard to convince me to throw it for him so that he would fetch it π We’ll keep on trying, though π
Yeah, different dogs, different challenges… π Have fun!
Nina what kind of bottle are you using? Pepper knows what he has to do but I think the size of the bottle is causing him problems.
Thanx Tanja
How about Danone little yogurts? For Le, Activa yogurt bottle works too as it’s pretty narrow in the middle π
Activa is the one we have now. I’ll buy something smaller like Danone.
With Ε aja on the other hand I have a different problem, as you can imagine π
And I guess they’ll have to pay you a few % off their sales π
Yeah, I should also get % on Crocs and fake-Crocs sales! π π π I almost promote them for teaching shoe walking!
Is even a 1.5l bottle too small for Ε aja?
With Ben I actually use different bottles and objects, experimenting a little. Activa is really great like Sia said, because it’s narrow in the middle. But for Ben a little bigger bottle works better than very small ones, so I think Activa is perfect for him, I also tried with Fructal smoothie bottles but they are too small, Ben prefers Activa because it’s longer and it’s easier for him to put it in his mouth and then touch with a paw.
Tanja: I think Ben’s problem is 1. he wants to play with the bottle and 2. I tought him to pick up the bottle from the floor and hold it in a sit up position, it was a trick he learned some time ago and now he keeps offering that, I will try to shape from here, but we’ve only had two sessions so far and Ben eats VERY little, so I’ll post a video when we get a little closer to the result :), now we’re still at the beginning of 3c