Monday, May 25, 2009

Little Girl's Training Update

B and I are working on "Put 'Em Up!" I point my finger gun at her and she puts her two front paws up in the air.

We started out targeting to get her jumping and putting her paws in the air. Shaping played an enormous role in this behavior - we started out with what resembled a shark attack out of water. LOL! She was constantly biting the end of the target, so we had to ditch that quickly. I knew she was good at high five so I figured if I stood up and asked for a high-five but held my hand out of reach, she might still try to give me a high-five. BINGO! I C/T until the behavior started to resemble her stretching up in the air.

Next, I had to change the hand signal. In order to do that, I started whipping my hand out from behind my back, still giving her the flat palm used for High-Five. When she was reliably responding to that cue, I would flash the flat palm (expecting the behavior) then VERY QUICKLY flash the new hand signal, the pointed gun. Each time, I would give her the cue she knows and then the new cue. That way, she's performing the behavior as the gun is pointed at her. The timing had to be sharp, but it worked marvelously!

Then came the verbal cue. When she was reliably responding to the "quick draw" hand signal, I inserted "Put Em Up!" This took place beautifully - I credit B mostly because she too damn smart!

I made a huge error the next time around: I was just sitting around and pointed the gun at her and said "Put Em Up!" I got nothin'. I tried again with no verbal cue. Nothin'. What's the difference? I was sitting!! B started to get so angry at me because she had no idea what I was asking! She started to grumble and howl at me...lol. Okay, okay!!! I'm sorry!!

Now, we're working on me asking her to sit, stay...then I walk away and quick draw shouting "Put em up!" and she pops up with paws in the air.

wish us luck!

E

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