The Project - Day 6 and HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL

We didn't do any training outside of class today and because class was a bit more chaotic than usual, we didn't get to do as much there as I'd hoped. 

We started class by sharing Gimme's 1 Year Birthday celebration with everyone at class.  All the doggies got a goodie bag and all the humans got blueberry muffins.  Gimme is not quite sure that is how a birthday is supposed to go - she thinks they should be bringing her gifts and not the other way around.  Once we got home, Gimme got to enjoy the rest of her birthday celebration.  Its hard to believe these guys are a year old today.  It seems just yesterday that I was getting on an airplane to bring her home.  Its been a wonderful year and I look forward to many more.  Gimme enjoyed a special birthday dinner and then got a new birthday toy.

Apple - back into a box, back feet only

We did a short session of this and Gimme went right to it.  She very quickly got to backing in and so I'm thinking the problems last night may have been from it being too close to the wall.  At one point she had to show me just how clever she could be... so she went over in front of her safe place crate, barked once to get my attention and then very deliberately stepped one back foot in and waited expectantly to see if I would be adequately appreciative.  I laughed a lot, but sadly for Miss Gimme she did not get a click and a treat. 

Orange - get onto a small perch with all four feet

We did a few quick repetitions of this at the end of class.  Out of 10 reps, she only backed on once. 

Grape - dead bug (on back, feet in the air)

I didn't ask for this, but Gimme did offer it to me once when she didn't think I was transitioning quickly enough from one thing to the other.  She didn't seem bothered by the cement, though I expect she wouldn't want to do a lot of repetitions on it.

Peach - head under a chair

Unfortunately the chairs there are all folding chairs, so they have bottom rungs and funny sides.  Gimme was interested in the chair, but didn't seem comfortable with it.  I decided to wait until she is more solid on the behavior.  If I have to, I'll take one of my extra chairs and leave it there for the next three days of class.

Melon - push cube with nose

We got a couple of really nice pushes with the cube on the floor and my hand not on it.  I jackpot those when they happen and there are a few more each time.  I do find that if I leave the cube down too long that she goes back to foot interaction.  Ursula was concerned that it might be too aversive to Gimme for me to pick up the cube when she paws at it.  So she suggested that I stop the training on a good nose touch/push and toss a few treats and then pick up the cube when Gimme is turned away.  It seems that about the third or fourth interaction without my hand on the cube is when the feet start to come into play.

Interestingly... our very last attempt at this, she pushed with her nose and as her foot started to come forward she pulled it back.  I clicked that and scattered half a dozen treats while picking up the cube and resetting to another behavior. 

Again an explanation of tertiary reinforcement is going to have to wait.