[nagdu] clicker and scavenging/impulse control

[Tracy Carcione]

Thanks Julie.
I'm saving yours and Rox's messages for continuing study.  I can see that
I'll have to try hard not to be a klutz and drop any food for a while.  
Tracy


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J. via
nagdu
Sent: Thursday, July 02, 2015 11:51 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Julie J.
Subject: Re: [nagdu] clicker and scavenging/impulse control

Yes, it's impulse control that is the underlying issue.  You have the right
idea about the training, but I'd start even smaller.

I'd put food across the room from you, keeping Crocus on leash next to you
out of range of even possibly getting the food.  If he pulls toward the
food, just wait, when there is slack in the leash c/t.  If he doesn't pull
toward the food, then I'd c/t when he looks away from the food.  Think in
terms of braking down the behavior into tiny bits.  What is the least thing
he could do that is approaching the correct behavior?  Once he does that,
what is the next smallest thing he could do that would be correct?  Then you
up the ante and move on to the next thing.  For food refusal the layers or
building blocks or successive approximations might look like this:

slack in the leash
looking away from the food
looking at you
repeat above 1 foot closer
repeat with different, tastier food
repeat with food on the floor, food on the table, etc.
repeat in a different room, outside, at a friend's home etc..

Once he is able to be around food he can't physical get to, I'd move on to
food within reach.  I teach this first  with food in my hand or by
positioning it where I can easily cover it with a hand in a split second.  I
c/t as soon as the dog moves away from the food.  I do not give the training
food as a treat.  I use separate treats that are distinctly different. 
Depending on your particular dog, you may want to start with something only
mildly tempting like lettuce and use amazing treats like his favorite meat. 
Gradually you will increase the attractiveness of the training food and
decrease the treat awesomeness.  In the beginning though make the obvious
choice to be what you have on offer.  You are conditioning him to look to
you in the presence of food and the best way to do this is to program his
neurons that better things come from you.  If you make that connection
strong in the beginning, later your dog will pass up steak on the floor to
get kale chips from you.  I know this sounds insane, but I swear it works. 
Monty dropped a slice of pizza on my foot in exchange for a piece of kibble
and a couple of pats.

Once he is looking to you in the presence of food, I'd work on duration
next.  So far you are c/t immediately when he looks away from the food to
you, now wait half a second before c/t.  Gradually increase the time until
you have the duration you want.  It is important to only increase the
difficulty level of the exercise in one area at a time, distance, duration,
difficulty, do not work with lettuce across the room to steak under his nose
back to back.  If you start out with lettuce across the room, then move it
closer, then switch to steak you need to make the distance further away
again.  The goal is to make the learning difficult enough so that he has to
think and work at it, but not so difficult that he gets super frustrated or
isn't able to be successful.  Making the training opportunity too easy won't
hurt anything, but it won't teach anything much either.

So far you've done food out of reach and food within your control, next I'd
set up food like what is described in the guide dog training blog from the
clicker conference.  You do want to be sure he can't actually eat the
training food though.  So putting the food on the floor with a milk crate
over it or in a plastic container with a lid or something so he can see and 
smell it, but you could intervene before actual ingestion.   I'd start this 
phase with him on leash and the food nearby, but not immediately in your
reach.  On the floor by your feet or something should work.  Repeat the
above, no pulling, looking away, looking at you exercises.  By this time he
is probably going to have caught on to the whole thing and will be skipping
steps.  He might pull for a split second and then look to you or he might
look at you as soon as he sees the food.  that's great, just go with it, c/t
for good behavior.

Next, I'd start walking about with him on leash and food nearby, but still
unattainable.  A training assistant would be helpful at this point, but I
know those aren't always available. If you do have someone willing to help,
it would be their job to supervise the food and prevent it from being eaten 
by covering it or taking it away.    Again, use something not extremely 
tempting at first, lettuce? and work up to more tempting food gradually. 
Keep the distance up at first, so the food is not in your line of travel,
very gradually moving the food closer to you.

The finale of all of this should be a dog who looks to you in the presence
of food, no matter what sort or where.  It will be important to keep the
rate of reinforcement up pretty high at first because this is a difficult 
behavior for him with a lot of history.   If he does get food while you are 
out and about, it will set you back some in the training process.  I know it
isn't possible to put your life on hold while you work on this though.  I'm
currently working Jetta through a dog distraction/reactivity issue and while
I'd love to never put her in a situation where a dog gets too close or barks
at her, the reality is that other people take their ill behaved beasts for
walks and I can't predict when or where they will be.  You just have to do
the best you can do and realize that it will take time, perhaps a lot of
time.

Short bursts of training a few times per day works best.  Commercial breaks
during your evening TV program is good.  I'd work on it for no more than 5
minutes at a go maybe 3 to 5 times a day or more if you can.  Typically I
notice progress in the first couple of days or week, then it seems to go
slowly after that.  It helps me to keep a training log for planning, but
also to look back and realize that I'm making a lot more progress than I
thought.  Getting discouraged is my biggest hurdle.

HTH
Julie 


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