Day 3 - I learn my aim and my timing suck

OK, I think perhaps Beaker has a limited attention span for repetition -- I think tomorrow I will start timing sessions at 1 minute or so then break.

Today we switched to "hold bumper in mouth" ... I have a talent for clicking just a hair too late, I wonder if that is because I am reacting to the dog's about to drop the bumper.

Were doing good (up to a 2 second hold), not too much mouthing, but eventually transformed into "paw at bumper" -- and well the toss bumper on to cat trial didn't go over too well (with the cat) either.

Day 2

OK, again I am reminded of how strong early reinforecement is.... had several good "pick up bumper" trials, which then morphed into "lie down with bumper" were the early ones just flukes or did it get boring? of course with duration built into the "lie down" behaviour, it means that it's hard to wait out (I have started the turning away for 5 seconds as a "no, that's not it" cue).

(Note on cat clicker training -- maybe with the one cat, but with the cats who have to sniff everything for 15-30 seconds before eating how do you clicker train them anyway?)

So, seemed to be getting WORSE as time went on... am I lumping? Should I train "wander around aimlessly" and "pick up bumper" separately? If I try to increase criteria, I seem to get "lie down must be part of this" if I leave it easy, lie down is part of it... hmmm ah well I guess I'll work on something else moving (like spin) this afternoon.

Oh good saved by the bell (or the telephone actually)... off to think again../

Armchair Training (day 1)

Day one - Armchair training. (in theory as I'm off for the next few weeks recovering from surgery, I can get some actual training spurts in).

OK, what to train, in theory I'm sitting around doing nothing recovering from surgery, I've farmed one dog out, so have only one to train... hmm and I've been saying I need to work on shaping

I know, put dog toy in basket (did I mention I'm a lumper). Oh, the laundry baskets are downstairs, oops, hmm what else, oh there's a rusted cookie tray (don't ask), that will do. Clicker-- I know there are 32 (or at least a dozen) in the house, why can't I find one... Oh look the cool one that makes all the neat sounds....

OK, toy, treats, dog, clicker, here we go.... lets see, step one, pick up toy. 3 repeats, good, oh, oops the toy is apparently better than the treats as the Beaker monster has retreated to her lair to chew on the toy.

Off to find a new toy. Oh, that one should work (bumper), it doesn't squeak. Ouch (note to self, raising right arm above shoulders is painful, who put that toy there anyway).

Ah, I see "what last paid" and "default behaviour" are very strong. Despite not having trained article indication (down with chin near article) for months, that's what I'm getting. Ok a few trials and we've got "pick up toy and look hopeful"...

whoops, need to take a really quick bathroom break.... hmm still some treats on coffee table, ok, classic ending of treats on floor, cat and dog munching treats (note to self, didn't I say something about clicker training the cat that won't leave me alone when I'm clicker training the dogs)...

More later (which turns out to be tomorrow)