Gotta zoom!
Ricky
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
tRicky T-Day!
My friends Johann and Gracie posted their "take off sock" trick last week and it looked like so much fun that I wanted to try it! Mom thought it would be another good lesson for us in shaping a trick. In our first session, mom said "yes" and treated me for touching the sock with my nose, then for touching it or almost biting it with my mouth. And then she tried to only say "yes" if I grabbed it (even ever so gently) with my mouth. During our second session, mom finally got smart and put the sock on VERY loosely (only really on her toes) and then upped the ante by only saying "yes" if I pulled on the sock and eventually only when I pulled it off! We edited a lot of video out - we didn't want you to sit through 8 minutes of me just touching the sock or digging or lying on the floor. It is exhausting to learn tricks this way - having to think on my own! I much prefer being told or shown what to do! In the next session mom is going to use an even smaller sock. BTW, my shaping treats are cheerios - they are good for me because I get the reward but it's not a treat that excites me so much that I can't think straight! The other interesting thing about this sock trick is that I love socks - I have one that I tug on all the time. But you'd never know it from how cautiously I approach this sock on mom's foot! You would think I never tugged on anything before in my life! I know, weird!!! What can I say?
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7 comments:
From OREO:
You are getting treats for doing this? Every morning, I do the same thing and get yelled at! All I hear is, "Oreo stop it" or "Oreo leave my foot alone".
Hope my mom realizes now that this is treat worthy behavior!
Goo job learning your new trick Ricky! I liked when you pulled the sock off and got a big ol' jackpot of cheerios. Yum!
Ricky! Oh my goodness that was funny! You could see your brain working on that one. And when you figured out that taking the sock OFF was the key, well no stopping you now!
Oh no.....I hope your mom hasn't created a sock monster now !!!! We have one that lives in our house and it is always 'stealing' dads socks and taking them outside where it leaves them under the tree. You are so smart to learn it that quickly
Tank woo fur sharing that!
I doubt I'll be adding that one to my bag of T's!
Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
You did so good with that sock Ricky! I bet you just didn't want to bite your Mom's toes. hehe!
It does be hard to think of tricks by yourself, but it gets easier the more you do.
Ooh, I just love watching dogs "thinking" and working things out during free-shaping! Ricky did so well! Love the jackpot bit too. Ludo is right - it gets easier the more you do it - the dog gets more confident and quicker and more "savvy" at doing things to earn treats! :-)
I've certainly noticed that with Honey - when we first started, she spent a LOT of time staring blankly at me whereas now, the minute she sees the clicker & treats, she is throwing moves and tricks at me in a frantic frenzy! :-)
Hsin-Yi
Nice job Ricky!!!! We had to start with the sock just on Mum's toes, and then she put it further and further on her foot. You did so well!!!
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