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| Jack says, "Yo." |
I noticed after Jack arrived that he's still a bit taken when Ronda walks away to go to work, but his recovery time each day is improving. He no longer whines nor does he spend a lot of time in the window watching for her like he had before. Instead, once I closed the door and released him he greeted Emma and went about finding a toy to play with. This shows that Jack is learning Ronda can leave him behind and his world won't crash around his ears. He's trusting she'll return.
Ronda's doctor believes that if Ronda could work from home, where she can manage her pain by doing stretches and manage her exhaustion by not traveling to and from work, would be best for her. They are in the process of working with her employer to gain approval. Once that happens Ronda will keep Jack with her during the day and bring him over to me only a couple of days a week for advanced training.
Yesterday Ronda and I talked about the various tasks she would need Jack to do for her and what ones w e can train now in the event she may need them in the future. The "just in case" tasks would actually not be tasks for Ronda, but tricks Jack knows until such time Ronda needs them.
Why do training beyond what Ronda needs? I have a similar condition to her and knowing my spine would continue to worsen I anticipated Max would need some skills I didn't need when I taught them, but would when my condition worsened. It turned out my condition worsened at a faster rate than expected and those "just in case" tasks were suddenly tasks I needed on a regular basis.
There is also the fact that somedays what may be a trick turns into a task when exhaustion and pain prevent normal function. I would rather add extra skills to Jack's training than not have one she may need in an emergent situation.
As a result, we went over a list of tasks and have determined the ones Jack will learn are:
RETRIEVE BASED TASKS
- Bring portable phone to any room in house
- Bring in groceries - up to ten canvas bags
- Unload suitable grocery items from canvas sacks
- Fetch a beverage from a refrigerator or cupboard
- Fetch food bowl(s)
- Pick up dropped items like coins, keys etc., in any location
- Bring clothes, shoes, or slippers laid out to assist with dressing
- Unload towels, other items from dryer
- Retrieve purse from hall, desk, dresser or back of van
- Assist to tidy house or yard - pickup, carry, deposit designated items
- Fetch basket with medication and/or beverage from cupboard
- Seek & find teamwork - direct the dog with hand signals, vocal cues to: retrieve an unfamiliar object out of partner's reach, locate TV remote control, select one of several VCR tapes atop TV cabinet, other surfaces
- Use target stick to retrieve an indicated item off shelves in stores retrieve one pair of shoes from a dozen in closet
- Use laser pointer to target an item to be retrieved
CARRYING BASED TASKS (non retrieval)
- Move bucket from one location to another, indoors & outdoors
- Lug a basket of items around the house
- Transport items downstairs or upstairs to a specific location
- Carry item(s) from the partner to a care-giver or family member in another room
- DEPOSIT BASED TASKS
- Put trash, junk mail into a wastebasket or garbage can
- Deposit empty soda pop can or plastic bottle into recycling bin
- Assist partner to load clothing into top loading washing machine
- Dirty food bowl [dog's] - put into kitchen sink
- Put silverware, non breakable dishes, plastic glasses in sink
- Deliver items to "closet" [use a floor marker to indicate drop location]
- Deposit dog toys into designated container
- Put prescription bag, mail, other items on counter top
TUG BASED TASKS
- Open cupboard doors with attached strap
- Open drawers via strap
- Open refrigerator door with a strap or suction cup device
- Open interior doors via a strap with device to turn knob
- Answer doorbell and open front door with strap attached to lever handle
- Open or close sliding glass door with a strap or other tug devices
- Shut restroom door that opens outward via a leash tied to doorknob
- Close stall door that opens outward in restroom by delivering end of the leash to partner
- Shut interior home, office doors that open outward
- Shut motel room exterior door that opens inward
- Assist to remove shoes, slippers, sandals
- Tug socks off without biting down on foot
- Remove slacks, sweater, coat
- Drag heavy coat, other items to closet
- Drag laundry basket through house with a strap
- Drag bedding to the washing machine
- Wrestle duffle bag or other objects from the van into the house
NOSE NUDGE BASED TASKS
- Cupboard door or drawers - nudge shut
- Dryer door - hard nudge
- Stove drawer - push it shut
- Dishwasher door - put muzzle under open door, flip to shut
- Refrigerator & freezer door - close with nudge
- Call 911 on K-9 rescue phone - push the button
- Operate button or push plate on electric commercial doors
- Turn on light switches
- Push floor pedal device to turn on lamp
- Turn on metal based lamps with touch-lamp device installed - nudge base
PAWING BASED TASKS (some dogs prefer it to nose nudge)
- Jump up to paw elevator button [steady dog if he tries it on slippery tile floor]
- Operate push plate on electric commercial doors
- Close heavy front door, other doors - jump up, use both forepaws
BRACING BASED TASKS (no harness)
- Prevent fall by bracing on command if the partner needs help recovering balance.
- Steady partner getting in or out of the bathtub
- Pull up partner with a strap [tug of war style] from floor to feet on command, then brace till partner catches balance
HARNESS BASED TASKS - Mobility Assistance
- Brace on command to prevent ambulatory partner from stumbling [rigid handle]
- Help ambulatory partner to climb stairs, pulling then bracing on each step [rigid handle or harness with pull strap may be used to assist partner to mount a step or catch balance]
- Pull partner out of aisle seat on plane, then brace until partner catches balance [harness with a rigid handle and a pull strap, or pull strap only]
OTHER KINDS OF ASSISTANCE IN CRISIS
- Bark for help on command
- Wake up partner if smoke alarm goes off, assist to nearest exit
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TASKS (Sample)
- Operate push button device to call 911, an ambulance service or another person to help in a crisis; let emergency personnel into home and lead to partner's location.
As you can see, Jack has a lot to learn, but all of that is a combination of Retrieve and Target - amazing how such a long list can be broken into two simple concepts. The movement and bracing tasks are all based on Lazy Leash and Stay. Again, what an amazingly simple way to look at it.
Yesterday in Emma's blog I mentioned I was in fact not teaching Emma a separate cue for Stay in relation to sitting, standing and doing a down. Why? In this case, the dog remaining in a stationary position when placed in any of those positions is vital to the balance of the person using the dog. If Ronda is standing at the checkout counter and looses her balance and needs Jack to assist in her suddenly, she won't have time to ask him to stand and then stay and then brace. Thus, his stand when stationary will be a default brace for his and her protection.
So, for Jack and Emma the cue Stay will relate to when their handlers leave their line of sight and the handler does not want them to change position. The wait cue for both dogs will mean for them to remain where they are, but they are allowed to change position; therefore if told to wait in a certain location the dog can sit if standing, lay down if standing or sitting, but not leave.
Today I start another portion of Jack's future service dog work - Target. Alternating Target and Zen in different parts of the day or different days will prevent confusion for Jack while he learns the difference between the two. Jack is learning quickly and has finally started to get into the game when we train and his stamina with training has increased as a result.
Today I had hoped to get more training outside to expand his understanding, but the rain is coming down in sheets and I am certain I heard a neighbor building an Ark. I suspect today's training will all be held indoors as a result.
Today's Lessons:
Target
Jack is working on Level 1: Step 1 Target. In this step Jack is simply asked to touch my hand with his nose. I present the hand and he is to reach out and touch it for the click. He quickly got the idea the last time we did this lesson that he was making me click when he touched me. I can time my click very well with this particular lesson and thus communicate to the dog that he's making me click. It was the first time I had seen Jack realize I was, indeed, paying him for his actions and he was in control.
Today he was once again soft and tentative with his touches, but soon I was getting near nose mashing firmness with them. He's a bit worried about my hand over his nose, so I want to continue working on him targeting my hand until he will target it no matter where I put it within a circle around his face.
I am not moving my hand more than a couple of inches from his nose most of the time and occasionally just far enough he has to stretch to touch it. Once I see him moving to touch I will move forward to him taking steps to touch my hand with his nose.
Jack is close to passing this step, but he doesn't know it in his bones just yet and I want to wait and ensure he's solid on the concept before pushing him forward.
Down
Jack is working on Level 1: Step 1 Down. Today Jack was ready to eat when I started our Down lesson. With phone calls and household chores, Jack ended up with less than half of his morning and afternoon food in his belly. He was hungry and willing to work for whatever I wanted to get the kibble. I am discovering something about Mr. Jack, he has verbal cues attached to Sit and Down before we got him, but not the hand cues. I am uncertain why he was not trained the hand cues, but it makes life so much easier for me. I can show him the hand cue and then say the verbal cue and then click for the behavior, thus saving an bunch of the "this is how you do it" training I had to do with Emma. I am still doing some early luring until I see him recognize what I asking for and then I say the cue and get the behavior - funny how his mind works.
He was previously taught Down, but not in a clear fashion. As is typical with most pet trainers, he's heard Down when jumping and Down to lay down and Down to get off of something. Since this confused the dog (one cue for multiple actions) Jack does not have a clear understanding of the cue, which is fine, we are about to change it.
I was listening to Ronda and she says, without thinking about it, Down when Jack jumps on her. I talked with her and asked if she wanted to teach herself to say off or teach him a new cue work for laying down. She choose the later - for two reasons. One, she was certain she would forget on a regular basis and confuse the cue and second, his name is Jack. Imagine saying, "Jack, Off" in public when cuing him!
So, now that I know he knows the cue I am training him the new one we agreed too. He is learning Flat as his down cue. First I clearly paired Down and the hand cue to get him to understand what I was asking for and then started to pair Flat and the hand cue. In short order he was doing a bit of thinking and then giving me a down behavior.
Jack is coming along nicely. We'll continue to work on pairing the hand signal with sit and down and the new down cue with the down behavior.
Teaching Jack To Eat
Though I have not mentioned this in this context before, it is part of his learning process. Jack is in early stages of learning to communicate with me and Ronda and this means a large part of his day is learning to be out of my way when I am walking toward him in tight spots, coming when I say his name, trying the behaviors I ask when training and eating when I offer food in his bowl.
Jack was free fed prior to us from what we can understand. Neither Ronda or I free feed our dogs, and it's for much the same reason; Dachshunds. Dachshunds will eat themselves sick if free fed and will become dangerously obese if free fed, so we provide the amount of food (both kibble and treats) they need to maintain their proper weight during the day. Just because Ronda has four big dogs and one Dachshund and I have one big dog and two Dachshunds doesn't change the fact that we'd both have 600 pound Dachshunds if enough food for a large dog was out all day long.
Another factor is Jack and Max are working dogs. We both need to know when they need to eliminate and be able to provide a proper place for that process. If a dog is eating all day long they are also eliminating all day long. For both of us, Jack and Max need to relieve themselves on a schedule so we don't have accidents while working.
Jack, unlike Max, has not learned how to ask to go outside. Max was older when I got him and would hold himself until bursting, Jack does not. Today I missed an outside time with Jack and he lifted his leg and released a torrent of urine on my DVD rack.
This accident was my fault and thus I take full blame for it. Jack though would be in a world of hurt learning to hold his bladder and bowels longer if I didn't teach him to eat by the time he was finished training for his job.
Since he was free fed he believed the bowl would stay down and he could wander about and take bites out of it as he desired. This was our clue that he was free fed. It's not a bad thing, just not something that works for a dog who is in training or will be working.
To solve this I have been giving him the last 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food in his bowl. Today is the first day he ate the entire amount without leaving his bowl. Each time I did this he would take a bite and then wander off and chew while checking out the other dogs. My dogs were more than willing to move in, but I cued them to stay away and then would pick up the bowl and put it up and not offer it again. It was the end of our training day and if he didn't eat what I put in the bowl he was done for the day.
He got the idea. If you don't eat when offered, you don't get to finish what is there. He's now eating the food offered when it is offered and not giving the other dogs a chance to snatch and grab food - which will help Ronda keep her Dachshund lean and will make feeding him each day he goes to work easier in the future.
Observations
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| Jack told me that this was his best side. |
Jack is learning to communicate, but is still very concerned about my not being close by when he's with me. When out in the yard it takes him a long time to move from my side and decide to do his business. Even though today has been a rainy and cloud shrouded day, I have been doing laundry and the temperature outside is not chilly and therefore my house got up to 80 degrees inside. I put the gate up at the front door and opened my door and when I put the dogs out I stayed in the house with the gate up between us. Max, Attitude and Dieter quickly did their business and returned, even Emma did her business straight off and then shot out into the yard to play. Jack stayed on the porch and finally, after almost 10 minutes, left the porch and went to finish urinating. This need to know where I am at all times will abate with confidence and better communication, but for now he's a bit worried about his role in my home.
He is standing up for himself more though. He's telling Emma more often to stop yanking his ears and getting her to calm with him. They enjoy being close together and tend to lay touching when resting. He's also told Max a couple of times to stop pushing him around. I do spend a lot of my time ensuring Max is not bullying him and that he's not pushing Max's boundaries when Max has something of value - but in general Jack fits in the home well and there is very little dispute in the house.
It won't be long before Jack gains his footing with the new routine in his life and really starts to shine.
Level 1
|
Zen |
Target |
Come |
Sit |
Down |
| Step |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
Level 2
|
Zen |
Come |
Sit |
Down |
Target |
| Step |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Focus |
Lazy Leash |
Go To Mat |
Crate |
Distance |
| Step |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Jump |
Relax |
Handling |
Tricks |
Communication |
| Step |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Level 3
|
Zen |
Come |
Sit |
Down |
Target |
| Step |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Focus |
Lazy Leash |
Go To Mat |
Crate |
Distance |
| Step |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Jump |
Relax |
Handling |
Retrieve |
Communication |
| Step |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Level 4
|
Zen |
Come |
Retrieve |
Target |
Relax |
| Step |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Focus |
Lazy Leash |
Go To Mat |
Crate |
Distance |
| Step |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Handling |
Communication |
|
|
|
| Step |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
