[nagdu] Finding Certain Things

Sun Jan 29 23:19:10 UTC 2012

thanks Tami. It sounds like this will take a lot of work and patients but
I'm definitely ready so I hope Princess is too lol.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Tami Kinney
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 2:25 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Finding Certain Things

Hannah,

By the time Mitzi and I got to "find a seat" we had built up a foundation
for that for a year or more... So our method by then was what we had worked
out and makes no sense to anyone. /lol/

For Princess, I would suggest starting simple by building on what you
already know and are using in terms of how you give commands and reward her
for following your commands.

For the find part, teach her one object by name, reward her for indicating
the object, etc. While you are praising for the behavior of indicating the
object, add "Good find the X," and repeat it, to reinforce the concept of
"find."

Then you can add in a new object and do the same. You can begin asking
Princess to find Object X or Object Y. That way, she can begin to learn that
the word find means to locate a thing that you name and let you know its
location. So she will begin to generalize.

For finding a seat, I would start with a specific seat in a specific place
that you frequent. Since you know it is there, you can concentrate on
communicating to Princess that you want her to use the new "find" 
behavior for that seat. I ended up using Mitzi's nose to find the seat, so
when she stops to indicate a seat for me, I put my hand on her topknot and
follow the nose. /smile/ She will also sometimes nudge my leg with her body
to let me know we're there and I should move a certain way to sit down
without embarrassing her. /lol/

Anyway, once Princess is regularly leading you to that seat you already know
on the "find a seat" command, you can start using the command while locating
some other seat. Then praise her for assisting you when you find it! When
you can tell that she has caught on with that level of generalization, you
are on your way!

Through this process, you will also be learning from Princess, so by the
time you are both ready to learn to find a seat on the bus together, then
find a seat in the restaurant where you are meeting your friends, then find
a bench where you and your friends can sit and relax during a walk and so
on, each step along the way will become more natural. /smile/

It takes time, but it's all part of the process you are about to start
called team-building. /smile/

Tami

On 01/29/2012 10:18 AM, Hannah Chadwick wrote:
> Thank you Tami! So did you have a certain method of teaching your dog 
> how to find a seat?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> Behalf Of Tami Kinney
> Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2012 10:06 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> 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
>>>
>>>
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