[nagdu] Command Warm-ups

Mon May 26 19:47:43 UTC 2014

Kristen,

Clicker training is positive-reinforcement-based. It's come to mean 
applied operant conditioning using positive reinforcement in general. 
The clicker itself is a tool to capture behavior, letting the dog know 
it has done what you want and that a reward will follow. So, you ask 
your dog to sit, click when its butt hits the ground, then give a treat. 
Rewards don't have to be food, but can be petting, praise, whatever the 
dog finds rewarding.

Changing to positive training and handling methods can require a mental 
shift in the human, since you are focusing on the behaviors you want and 
paying no attention to the behaviors you don't want. By substituting 
wanted behavior for an unwanted behavior, you essentially phase out the 
unwanted behavior.

That's where the "touch" command others have mentioned comes in. It's a 
good way for a blind person to know she has the dog's attention, to 
begin with. It requires the dog to do something other than what you 
don't want it to be doing -- sniffing, staring at that squirrel/cat/dog, 
etc. It also enables you to use a simple hand signal to redirect the 
dog's nose, and where the nose goes, the dog follows.

Another benefit is that, since the dog is looking for the reward for 
doing what you want it to do, it will offer behaviors, and you can 
reward the ones that you want to keep with a click and treat. Bingo!

I'm really glad more of the training programs are implementing clicker 
training over the correction-based methods of the past, since it is much 
less stressful for the dog and fosters a positive attitude in both 
partners. It's more fun for everyone involved. /smile/

That's not to say there is no negative reinforcement involved for 
outright rebellion. It's more a matter of making the unwanted behavior 
unrewarding (as opposed to simply not rewarding it), then rewarding when 
the dog gives you a wanted behavior to replace it. The "time out" people 
have been discussing in another thread is a good example. It's no fun 
just standing there doing nothing, not even getting in a good sniff, so 
it's a negative experience. Walking on is a positive experience, so the 
dog becomes more interested in doing what will result in moving along. 
You can adapt methods of negative reinforcement to the dog and 
situation, using it to communicate more clearly than with the 
all-purpose leash correction and a single word for "no." In fact, I 
almost never say "no" to my headstrong creature, instead using the 
command for what I want her to do that she is not... "Leave it" for 
sniffing, followed by "forward," for example. So I'm telling her I want 
her to get her nose off the ground, then that I want her to keep moving 
forward. Then a click or praise as I feel her comply. If she's in super 
sniff mode, I find the "time out" works better than anything else to 
make her reconsider her wicked ways.

That's all pretty general, I know. Getting started with basics like sit, 
down, stay is really, really simple and good practice. Switching the 
dog's frame of mind requires some repetition, but once you get the 
"lightbulb moment," the sky's the limit. /smile/

Tami

On 05/26/2014 12:12 PM, Kristen via nagdu wrote:
> Tami--
>
> What exactly is clicker training? They're beginning to use it at KSDS
> but didn't yet when I trained around a year ago.
>
> I live in a small town as well, so I know how it takes a little extra
> effort. Yes, playtime definitely helps and gives him a chance to release
> energy.
> --
> Kristen
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tami Jarvis via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Mon, 26 May 2014 11:41:10 -0700
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Command Warm-ups
>
> Kristen,
>
> I do random short basic obedience sessions with the dogs throughout the
> day, just asking for a sit and maybe some down or stay, just to keep
> them listening to me. If they are not wanting to listen to me that day,
> I will do longer more formal sessions and do some sessions in the yard,
> etc. Mitzi gets bored with obedience, but my husband's mutt likes and
> needs the repetition. Mitzi takes part for reasons of her own, and it
> does seem to do something for her work.
>
> With Mitzi guide, I did regular refresher work on one aspect of her work
> or other for a year or two after she started working. I use clicker
> training, so it was just a matter of reinforcing whatever it was I
> picked to focus on. This helped me more than her, I think, since it kept
> me focused on her and following her lead. Now it's habit, but it took me
> a long time to learn to go with her and listen to what she was telling
> me instead of acting like I knew what was going on.
>
> I added a few commands to deal with working situations, like "under" to
> get her to go under chairs/tables/whatever. I hadn't thought of that in
> her original training, but someone told me about it, which helped a lot.
> I also use "stand" and/or a hand gesture when it's time to get up and go
> again. She would rather get up and go than lie around waiting for humans
> to do whatever they think is so important, so using "stand" worked more
> to keep her in place until I was ready for her to go than to get her up.
>
> These days, I do refresher training -- which still serves both of us --
> on a more or less regular basis. Part of that is because we don't get
> the regular meaningful work out here in the small town, so we need to
> put in some extra effort to keep our partnership functioning. Calling it
> work isn't entirely accurate, though, since it's still just a matter of
> paying attention and reinforcing this or that more than usual.
>
> Interactive play also helps our partnership a lot, since it's a fun way
> to be listening to each other and responding to each other's signals.
>
> hth
>
> Tami
>
> On 05/26/2014 10:19 AM, Kristen via nagdu wrote:
> Hi everyone--
>
> How often do you do obedience with your guide, practicing and reviewing
> commands? Also, how long do you spend on it, and what particular
> commands do you go over?
>
> When I was in training with Corvette last summer, they had us reviewing
> commands every morning. I've done it sporadically over the school year,
> as I thought he was doing well and had his commands down. Now, I began
> taking him outside every morning for the last few days to warm up. I
> feel there are some commands he could be more familiar with (maybe he's
> forgotten them or just being lazy), and this has seemed to let him know
> that I am in control and not to tug in whatever direction he chooses.
> (For example, if I am walking outside and he sees cars, he will
> immediately tug that way, wanting to get in one as fast as he can to
> leave. Another thing with Corvette is trying to get him out from under
> things, such as desks, restaurant tables, and out of the car. He's
> become a little stubborn, wanting to stay put when I'm ready to leave.)
>
> If he has forgotten or slacked on a command, any recommendations on how
> to reteach or develop new ones?
>
> Thanks for any suggestions/input! The school I attended, KSDS, has lots
> of documentation; however, none of which is in Braille or an accessible
> format. I would like to have this, as he is my first guide, and we're
> still getting used to everything. I'm going to a retreat there this July
> to hopefully help us fine tune a few skills.
> --
> Kristen
>
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