[nagdu] clicker and scavenging/impulse control

[Tracy Carcione]

Thanks Rox.  This is pretty clear.  The bit I don't get is:  I have food in
my right hand.  He turns away from it.  I click.  And then I put my right
hand, with the food, by his face so he can take the treat?  That seems a bit
confusing to him, about when he can take the treat.
I'll have to think about how to contain the tempting food.  Krokus will, and
has, eaten the bag, or made a darn good go at it.

We frequently pass a public trash bin that is tempting to him.  It sounds
like I should be c&t-ing when we pass it without diving.  

I have a GL, and he is better with it on, though not perfect.  He had minor
surgery 2 weeks ago to remove a cyst from his neck right where the GL goes,
so I have left it off so the wound can heal.  But I put it back on today,
and he did do better.
I will still work on food refusal.  He knew it when I first met him, and it
was great.  I'd like to get back there.

Thanks for your advice and encouragement.
Tracy

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of The Pawpower Pack
via nagdu
Sent: Thursday, July 02, 2015 11:23 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: The Pawpower Pack
Subject: Re: [nagdu] clicker and scavenging/impulse control

Tracy,
I would first start with food in your hand. Clicking when he turns away from
it, even a little, and clenching your fist around it and pulling it away
when he tries to grab.  Once you have 10 reps of 10 with him ignoring it in
your hand, put it on your knee.  You will want to keep your hand close to
your knee in case he tries to go for it, if he does, cover the food.  
Again, work until he will ignore the food 10 out of 10 on your knee.  Then
move it to the floor by your foot.  
Once he ignores it when you are sitting, you can try with it on the ground I
would advise you to use something stinky, like tuna, and put it in a baggie,
so even if he grabs it, you have a couple more seconds to get it away from
him.  You can also have and additional cue of the sound of him touching the
bag before he gets it. 

In the mean time, do you have a head collar for him, like a halti or
newtrix?  I would use that.  And a basket muzzle if you relieve him in
public places.  
I have struggled, and continue to struggle with Soleil on this issue.  I
keep nose off the ground at a very high rate of reinforcement.  So for
example, I know she loves to scrounge and sniff around lamp posts.  She has
learned that if she walks on by, I will give her something good.  I do this
fairly often because there are times when she will ignore food and I won't
know it.  So I want her to understand that the majority of time, she will
get good things for ignoring something she finds very rewarding, and have
build up enough good associations that when I don't, she will ignore it
anyway.  
You can use his regular food for this training.  Instead of giving it in his
bowl, you can use it to train. 
@Let me know if this is clear as mud. I might need to drink more tea before
explaining things next time! 


 Rox and the kitchen Bitches: 
Mill'E, Laveau, Soleil
Pawpower4me at gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone

> On Jul 2, 2015, at 9:59 AM, Tracy Carcione via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:
> 
> OK, I've been reading the blog Rox sent, and it has a section on 
> impulse control!
> 
> It sounds like what I would do is put some food on the floor, far from 
> me and Krokus, but where he can see it.  Then I c&t for not going for the
food.
> If he goes for the food, I catch him, turn around, and take him far 
> away for
> 10 seconds, then we come back and start over.
> 
> Gradually, we get closer to the food, over a period of days or weeks, 
> I guess.Have I got this right?
> 
> Since I can't stop working him in the meantime, and NYC is a garbage 
> dump, will my efforts be ruined by him picking up junk when we're out, 
> and is there anything I can do about that?
> 
> This is pretty exciting, especially if it works.
> 
> Tracy
> 
> 
> 
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