[nagdu] Finding Certain Things

Sun Jan 29 21:34:26 UTC 2012

Nicole,
Just out of curiocity, if you give treats to your dog every time she does
something well, wouldn't she always expect treats when you ask her to do
something?

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Nicole B. Torcolini at Home
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 11:20 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Finding Certain Things

I always follow the click with a treat. I don't go around clicking for
myself, so Lexia only hears it when it is for her. It works really well. She
likes it a lot, and I think that it makes her work harder to learn whatever
it is. When I am training a new command, I stop clicking before I stop
rewarding. After Lexia has demonstrated that she understands the desired
behavior, I stop clicking but continue using treat rewards. For how long I
use treat rewards depends on how hard the command is, how well she is doing,
and how often we do it. If it is something that I don't do very often, but I
need her to remember it, I will reward.
    Finally, just rewarding for a good behavior that has been identified
before is not a good idea. Dogs care about what is happening at that moment.

If you reward for something that the dog is not familiar with, you could be
rewarding for anything in the last few minutes.

Nicole and Lexia
click clack

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tami Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 10:05 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Finding Certain Things

> Hannah,
>
> With Mitzi, it took me longer to figure out how to teach her to find a 
> seat than it did for her to figure out that I wanted her to find a seat. 
> So I have no idea what it was she was actually using to generalize. I get 
> the impression sometimes that it annoys her when things don't go smoothly,

> so she saves me the trouble of hunting all over for stuff so she doesn't 
> have to put up with me... Or she just wants to show off how clever she is,

> especially if she has a nice audience to be impressed by her cleverness. 
> /lol/
>
> Also, I just praise for a behavior when the dog offers it, or provide some

> other form of reward, so then the dog knows the word or words and that I 
> am impressed. /smile/
>
> The clicker is a great tool for capturing a specific behavior. So once the

> dog (or whatever critter) associates the click with the reward, and the 
> award with approval, you can use the clicker with or without treat 
> reinforcement. Some clicker trainers disagree and always follow with the 
> treat. I think a lot depends on personal preference and the animal being 
> trained or reinforced. I start with constant food reward following the 
> click, then gradually phase into the Las Vegas style of reinforcement. But

> I will also use praise and other forms of reward in addition to the click 
> itself. Now I use the clicker for echolocation, since I finally figured 
> out I'd been doing that anyway. I feel pretty stupid for clicking my cane,

> but... It helps. What Mitzi thinks of my clicking for my own self instead 
> of for her, I have no idea. I think she is just happy because I am less 
> difficult with the added orientation tool. She performs differently when I

> have a clicker in hand, and she seems happier, so... Whatever works for 
> us, I guess. /smile/
>
> Keeping to what you are learning now and getting solid in that as your 
> bond with Princess deepens over time and in your real world life after you

> graduate is a very good plan. /smile/ Thinking ahead to the future doesn't

> hurt, but I think it's neat that you're also aware of how to work towards 
> that future instead of leaping ahead too far too fast. I had to learn that

> myself by beating myself firmly over the head to keep from over stressing 
> Mitzi in my impatience. Or myself. /smile/ Now that we are both where I 
> wanted us to be in our relationship and work and partnership, it was worth

> all the patience and practice. /smile/
>
> Tami
>
> On 01/29/2012 06:54 AM, Hannah Chadwick wrote:
>> Pilot does not teach their dogs to find chairs or trash cans which are 
>> two
>> very important things I would like my guide to know how to find; I 
>> wouldn't
>> want to sit on someone's lap lol, and it would definitely be great if my 
>> dog
>> can find a trash can for me to deposit her poop after picking it up lol. 
>> So
>> far I believe that all the dogs are taught to find a curb when 
>> approaching
>> the street or stairs.
>> They don't do clicker training either, but it sounds to me that clicker 
>> is a
>> great way for the dogs to learn; I am interested in looking in to it once

>> I
>> bond with Princess more.
>> I've heard and observed that poodles are definitely very smart, but not 
>> all
>> chairs look alike so wouldn't that make it difficult to ask them to find 
>> a
>> chair?
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of marilyn
>> Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 5:15 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Finding Certain Things
>>
>> Hi Hannah,
>> GDF teaches there dogs the find command. All we do as guide dog users is
>> enforce what the dog is already taught. Anna can find seats, trash cans ,
>> elevator, steps , doors and etc. just by telling her. If its a place your
>> going back to and there the first time , pat what it is name it , give 
>> her a
>> treat and tell her find it. Then give your dog  lots of praise. I am out 
>> in
>> the field a lot going to different buildings that I have never been 
>> before
>> from my job and she is great finding things. It can be confusing for the 
>> dog
>> if there are lots of door or elevators. I have had that happen in the NY
>> State building.  I also use the command find the way a lot. When leaving 
>> a
>> place we back track our steps .
>> Marilyn and Anna
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Hannah Chadwick"<sparklylicious at suddenlink.net>
>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2012 3:24 PM
>> Subject: [nagdu] Finding Certain Things
>>
>>
>>> Hey All,
>>> I was just wondering what your experiences have been in terms of
>>> teaching your dogs new commands such as finding things - an empty
>>> seat, trash cans, doors, etc. I have heard that it is possible to
>>> teach your dog to find certain things, and I'm definitely interested
>>> in doing that once I get settled with my dog.
>>> Cheers, Hannah
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nagdu mailing list
>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nagdu:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/t21114%40optonline.
>>> net
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> nagdu:
>>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/sparklylicious%40suddenli
>> nk.net
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> nagdu:
>>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast.net
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/ntorcolini%40wavecable.co
m 

_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/sparklylicious%40suddenli
nk.net