Reply To: Chris (access until November 15, 2014)

[Alana McGee]

Hi Chris

First, we see you have submitted your quiz for Lesson 1 and we will grade it once we have seen video/ pictures of the completed assignments for this lesson. Your scent solution should have arrived, and we would like to see what you will be using as tools and containers as part of this course. Please post a picture or list of your training supplies that you have gathered. We would also like to see some additional video demonstrations of your clicker training mechanics. Perhaps you could demonstrate that (with a short video) with a sit, down and basic recall so we can confirm that the minimum behaviors for successful progression in this course are reliable.

In response to your questions above:

1) Not a problem. Both behaviors were allowed and rewarded and she chose her favorite. She isn’t wrong and now has a trick! Start over and work on this with your clicker mechanics. It would be ideal to give the behavior a different cue/ label (and a different hand position) such as a vertical hand (perpendicular to the floor) for the nose touch vs a palm up (parallel) to the floor for a shake, and then withhold reward until she offers the desired behavior, or a behavior that is close. We call that shaping. These two video may help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWSJVwZybwo

Post a short video after you practice this for a few days.

2) As for the teaching of leave it, this will be easier for your instructor in person to explain as they will be working with you on a regular basis on these techniques, and seeing how this is progressing, and we do not want to interfere with their lesson plans.

3) Right now the idea is to keep sessions short, 5 minutes max (less is just fine!) spread throughout the day, depending on your schedule. Most of her meals can be delivered in this manner as part of a training scenario. Take into account her food intake during these times.

Do at least 3 to 5 mini sessions a day, not to exceed five minutes. If you can work it into your schedule you can do up 9 of these mini sessions a day. Any time you have a few free moments you can work on any number of the basic obedience or truffle related behaviors. A session could last 30 seconds. It doesn’t need to be long.

Do not have all 5 to 9 sessions a day revolve around the same behaviors. Vary what you work on throughout the day. Do not repeat the same training scenarios more than 2 or 3 times a day (if you did opt for the 9 mini sessions a day).

For scent imprinting, do not exceed twice a day (less than 5 minutes each time). When practicing behaviors directly related to truffle odor you will want to use HIGH value rewards.

You can work on multiple different cues/commands in a session.

If Daisy does not offer the behavior you want after you say the cue for the behavior you ‘reset’. This means repositioning and trying again. For example: You hold out your hand for Daisy to offer a touch. Instead she shakes (hits it with her paw). You pull you hand back in and reset. You then re present your hand in a slightly different position. See the videos posted above. Your local trainer should also be able to help you with the mechanics of this and provide input.

For truffle hunting some of the basic obedience behaviors that are helpful include: Touch (nose target), sit, down, and recall.