Lesson 5 Week 1

What I said,
" I felt that we were having trouble with the cik/cap. Tibby would just go back a forth around the pole and not go all the way around it. As it usually happens, when I turn the video camera on Tibby starts to do the trick! She only performs for the camera LOL!"



Then I said,
"We have taken some steps backwards in the heeling/perch. Tibby is now back to doing just a few steps in one direction and then a few steps in another direction. I broke her! It sort of frustrating for both of us.
The only trick she really likes is the cupboard door slam. *sigh*"

Then Silvia said,
"Well yes, cik&cap is going really well now! Few more sessions to get more fluency and then you can name it. When did the problem with the perch start? Before you started to work on her coming to the leg? I think things will make much more sense to her when you put yourself into the picture and start clicking for touching you. It’s never good when things gets frustrating… – I think at this point, it’s better to lure as to get frustrated! And since she clearly understands shaping by now, we can cheat a little with this one – try to lure her to do enough steps on a perch to touch you and reward that and after few sessions of rewarding for touching only (no steps in between anymore) – and naming it! – fade the lure into a hand signal and then minimalise that one too. It should be easy as she learned the bahaviour by shaping first, we’re just helping with the final touches – Definitely better as getting frustrated over it!"

Then I said,
"I was still practicing Tibby going around the perch and I started rewarding for left and right turns around the perch. Then Tibby just went back to small steps in one direction and then in the other direction. I will try to use a lure this next week and see what happens.

I can tell Tibby isn’t as excited about the perch, because after a few tries of back/forth movement she will do 2o2o on the perch. She will wait a little bit to see if this is what I want and then she will walk away. She does this even if I am using her favorite ball as a reward.
I just want her to be excited about it again!"

Then Silvia said,
"Sure! As I said, it’s better to help some as to get frustrated over it!"

Also, as a side note I translated for one of the other students. I knew my Spanish would come in handy someday.

Mireia said, "Ok, I’ve put it in Spanish …

En el 8 hacia atrás, accidentalmente cuando empecé a trabajarlo, al intentar pasar Obélix por debajo de las piernas y al ser el tan grande, le pisé la cola a Obélix y ahora no soy capaz de reconducirlo, ya que cuando llega la posición de empezar a pasar por debajo de las piernas se aleja de mi por si le vuelvo a pisar… como puedo arreglarlo?????"

And I translated, "She said that when she was starting to train the figure 8 she accidentally stepped on Obelix’s tail, because he is very big. Now when she tries to get to the position to have him pass beneath her legs he gets scared, because he thinks she is going to step on him.
How can she fix this?????

Just thought that was fun :)