Category: Shaping

Trick dog training: fetch anything to hand (part 3)

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January 18, 2024: wallet, phone and rice-filled beer/soda cans

We started today playing another round of 2-toy fetch with the rice filled cans. As before, I just picked one of those up in the street – I’m not even sure what kind of drink used to be in the dark one; I don’t think I’ve seen it in stores. It’s pretty though and it has a cool name: París de Noche. Anyways, this is to say: the streets are filled with food and toys. What a life for a dog (and their human)!

Since this went so well, I then added a rice-filled can to our fetch-anything-to-hand game! I’ll use the rice-filled can for practice (no danger of exploding) and eventually swap it out for a “real” can. That one’s gotta have beer in it just because.

For today’s fetch session, I used my wallet, the phone and one of the rice-filled cans. I love how in the first rep, Chai is so fast that I don’t even have time to put the wallet on the floor! Loving that confidence!

Starting at 00:54, you can see that the 2-toy session has worked its magic: Chai is now confidently picking up the rice-filled can! The wallet is the easiest to pick up and the phone is the most difficult. I keep interspersing easy objects to keep Chai’s confidence high.

Now let me transfer over our lists of easy objects and goals from the last post … I’ll modify; I’m happy with the keys as they are for now.

Fetchable-object goals:

Wallet, credit card (D), keys, phone, beer can, bank bill, full plastic bottles, coin, 2 types of mugs (D), leash handle (D), retractable leash (D), keys, silverware.

Easy-objects list:

  • 20-peso bill (Jan. 9, 2024)
  • Spoon (Jan. 10, 2024)
  • Fork
  • Knife
  • Coin (Jan. 12, 2024)
  • Keys (Jan. 11, 2024 & January 14, 2024)
  • Glue stick
  • Empty spray bottle
  • Wallet (Jan. 17, 2024 & Jan. 18, 2024)
  • Rice-filled can (Jan. 21, 2024 & Jan. 22, 2024 & Jan 23, 2024)

Next session(s):

  • Lickable stuff in porcellain mug and on its handle.
  • Use rice-filled can as easy object to build confidence and get practice – just in case the actual beer can explodes!
  • Keep the phone in the game; alternate between floor and puzzle mats.
  • “Gimme” cue!

January 21, 2024: woohooooo for porcelain mugs!

I played a third cup game today. I didn’t have peanut butter, so I used something a little less sticky: yogurt. After I had stopped filming, Chai eventually picked up the cup (I just left it on the floor) and carried it to the couch. Over the course of about 15 minutes, she dropped it off the couch four times, it made noise falling on the floor or on the treadmill, and Chai jumped after and picked it back up, taking it up on the couch again. No footage of the couch action, but here is a snippet of Chai enjoing her yogurt cup:

Because I had observed her like this and saw her interact with it on the couch (trying to chew and lick it some more), I decided to put it into today’s object fetch session … and it was a huge success!

Notes on this session: I’m interspersing an easy object – always the first one on my check list (see above) – with difficult and/or new ones. Because I know the mug is difficult, I go back to the rice-filled can after the first successful rep (00:06). There was a little hesitation about first picking it up. After the rice-filled can rep, we are ready to take another stab at the mug (01:12). Chai is more confident about it this time! I probably could have done more than the one mug rep here but I wanted to reinforce with an easy object and switched back to the can again after a beautiful single mug rep (01:19). The mug rep at 01:24 is difficult – but look at Chai working confidently at finding a way to pick it up! Superpuppy!

Next session(s):

  • Maybe another cup game before the next session?
  • Two-toy game with credit cards.
  • Keep using the rice-filled cans as an easy object to build lots of confidence (in case later the real beer can explodes). No liquid-filled cans yet!
  • Get some more phone reps under Chai’s collar.

January 22, 2024: credit card, rice-filled can, phone and porcelain mug!

Today, I repeated the first two cup games (no video). Then, I played the two-toy game with an expired credit card and some other plastic card I don’t need. Chai did great picking them up off the bed (easiest surface) and the puzzle mat. She could only pick the credit card up from the floor – and that may be because at that point, it had been chewed and bent in such a way that it wasn’t flat against the floor anymore. The other plastic card still was, and Chai didn’t manage to grip it until I added a piece of heavy tape to its sides (the tape is about 1mm thick). Chai was then able to grab it off the floor.

I then did a session of 3 difficult objects interspersed by a single easy one – the beer can. I couldn’t resist the temptation to try the card right away, and Chai was SO good! Only problem: I forgot to hit record. I did a second session, and that one got recorded:

January 23, 2024: no video, but a great session

Chai did really well on 3 reps with the rice-filled can (easy object) followed by 3 reps of the mug (twice lying down, once standing up), followed by one more rep of the can. I used the “Gimme!” cue every time, and for the first time, I didn’t set up the puzzle mats (the training picture Chai is used to) but just the floor. I’ve lowered the amount of food Chai gets for each successful rep in this session as well.

I’ll do one more session like this where I’ll include one porcelain mug rep with the mug turned upside down – this is the most difficult position because Chai needs to topple it over (almost impossible on the slippery floor without puzzle mats) or pick it up by the handle. Note to self: have some more sessions of mug game #1 on the floor (not on the puzzle mats) before asking Chai to “gimme” an upside down mug!

I also want to do a similar session with the phone, getting it from the floor 3 times in a row, and then I’ll cross phones as well as porcelain mugs off the “fetchable-object goals” list and move them to the “easy objects” section.

In terms of the can: I plan on doing one more session with the rice-filled cans, and then I’ll intersperse the “real” can at room temperature once. In a subsequent session, I’ll intersperse the real can at fridge temperature once. For now, I won’t use the same “real” (bubbly-liquid-filled) can more than twice to keep the danger of exploding cans low.

Next session(s): re-read today’s notes; focus on mug, phone and can(s).

January 24, 2024: porcelain mug in all positions – check!

We started the day with mug game #1. Chai did really well, picking the mug up at the handle every time! Then, we did a session of “Gimme!” Since the session below went so well, I’ll move the mug to the “easy objects” list!

The next session involving cans will have a REAL can at room temperature interspersed! Woohooo! Let’s do it!

I wanted to finish the phone challenge so I could move phones to the easy object list too. However … no luck. Not yet. I want 3 pick-ups in a row without Chai or me dropping the phone, and she dropped it one time. The good news: we got a fun easy-object rep in with the fork!

The lists – updated

Fetchable-object goals:

Wallet, credit card, keys, phone, beer can, bank bill, full plastic bottles, coin, porcelain mug, thermos mug, leash handle, retractable leash, keys, silverware.

I’ve crossed off the porcelain mug (and split out the two mugs) and removed my “E” (easy), “M” (intermediate) and “D” (difficult) predictions – they have turned out to be wrong more often than not!

Easy-objects list:

  • 20-peso bill (Jan. 9, 2024)
  • Spoon (Jan. 10, 2024)
  • Fork (Jan. 24, 2024)
  • Coin (Jan. 12, 2024)
  • Keys (Jan. 11 & January 14, 2024)
  • Poop bag roll (Jan. 24, 2024)
  • Wallet (Jan. 17 & Jan. 18, 2024)
  • Rice-filled can (Jan. 21, & Jan. 22 & Jan 23 & Jan. 24, 2024)
  • Porcelain mug
  • Highlighter

The porcelain mug has been added to the easy-objects list, and I also put the highlighter back on now that it’s been a while since I’ve used it. The easy objects I want to rotate through next are bolded.

Next session(s): repeat phone session with butter knife as the easy object (no need to video) OR do a 3-rep can session: rice can, real can at room temperature, rice can. Definitely video the latter one!

We went with the cans session next! The dark can is the rice-filled one and the Modelo (the white can) is a “real” beer can at room temperature. It’ll now go in the fridge so I can do a fridge-temperature session next! Superchai!

I wonder if the reason Chai dropped the rice can twice in the video above is that I’ve used cans SO much lately (to build resiliency in case the beer can explodes) that she isn’t being careful about it anymore.

Next sessions:

  • 3x butter knife – 3x phone – butter knife
  • Rice can – fridge temperature beer can – rice can (if successful, take a can break!)

… turns out I don’t have a butter knife (that’s the knife I’d have Chai pick up). So our silverware will be limited to forks and spoons (I could have sworn there were knives and I had trained with them, but oh well). Instead of the knife I had planned to use as an easy object, I used the glue stick together with the phone. I didn’t get the phone 3 times in a row – it is still difficult. I won’t cross it off my list just yet. However, I’ll take the knife off the list and replace the glue stick with a poop bag roll. (Let’s be honest: how often do I use glue sticks? Almost never. How often do I use poop bags? Every day. Having Chai pick them up when I drop them is going to be much more useful.) She already loves carrying these rolls around, so it was easy to just plug them in with the similarly-shaped glue stick. I’ll also take the empty spray bottle off my list above because the spray bottle that used to be empty is in use now and no longer empty.

While Chai ended up handing me the phone successfully, I’ll only cross it off once I get it three times in a row without either of us dropping it during the hand-over. (I don’t mind earlier drops, but I want Chai to target my hand well with all the objects.)

Next sessions:

  • Rice can – fridge-temperature beer can – rice can (record and, if successful, take a can break!)
  • 3x Highlighter or poop bag roll – 3x phone – highlighter or poop bag roll

CHAIARY – TRICK TRAINING: GETTING A fetch TO HAND VIA THE ONE OBJECT IN ANOTHER TRICK (part 1)

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Once Chai knows how to place objects into different containers, my hand will become just another container! Let’s see how we get from A to B.

October 12, 2023: first session of adding my hand to a familiar container

Nice start! In our next session, I’ll start with my hand in the bowl and then only offer my hand.

October 13, 2023: a lovely coin session!

I’m happy with today’s session!

October 17, 2023: Hand me a coin, continued!

Next time, I’ll vary the object!

October 26, 2023: I sit in a chair and Chai hands me a coin, tape, toy and toothbrush! Go puppy!

This is looking better and better! Some more generalizing of my body position, the location and the objects (this should also refine Chai’s targeting skills), and then the trick will be ready for a cue! (I’m thinking “Gimme!” or “Gimme, gimme, gimme!” – that ABBA song.)

October 29, 2023: different objects; no bowl to start with!

Chai did great today and understood what I wanted even though I didn’t start with a bowl! First object: the familiar baseball toy. No problem for her!

Second object: a squishy spiky ball. More fun to chew than hand to me!

Third object: the rubber thing that’s on my kitchen faucet. Tempting to chew at first but can then be handed over!

Fourth object: metal spoon. A little difficult to pick up the first time, but once she had figured it out, she did great!

I’ll keep working on this trick once or twice a week. I already have a couple winner objects I’ll keep mixing in: baseball toy, spoon, nail clippers, coin, glue stick. When using any of these, I’ll start using the “Gimme!” cue in the future.

I have a semi-new object (I used it but at an point in our training journey) I want to also use – no cue yet: an onion.

I also want to add the following new objects – maybe not every single one, but these come to mind: nail polish bottle (easy – I think), lime (easy – I think), plastic bottle lid (easy), beer can (medium – I think), mug (difficult to pick up), credit card (difficult), cellphone (difficult), wallet (medium), bill (difficult to not destroy?), keys (medium). No cue yet on any of these for sure.

I want to add a cue to all of the above and then try and get the same result when I’m standing up. Later on, I’d like to teach Chai to hand me objects I drop with the dropping itself being the cue.

October 21, 2023: adding the “Gimme” cue and standing up

Today, we worked with the glue stick, a 10-peso-coin and a spoon:

November 11, 2023

The keys on the keychain were too difficult … I’ll either take off the chain or use a different novel object next time!

January 3, 2023: Picking the fetch-anything-to-hand trick back up after a break!

I only used objects I thought would be easy and didn’t use a verbal cue in this session. I wanted to see how much Chai remembered!

Nice job, little Border Collie! She did really well and remembers the idea!

Notes for the next session:

I’ll use different objects next time – maybe start with the highlighter because it’s easy – and generalize a bit more before adding the “Gimme!” cue again and moving on to more difficult objects. I won’t use the DEET spray again because it probably tasted disgusting and may create aversion to this trick.

January 4, 2024: new objects!

Today, I tried some new objects and the keys Chai had struggled with when they had the chain attached … turns out they are still hard without a chain, as is a full water bottle:

Notes for the next session(s):

  • Keep up the 3-successful-reps-in-a-row strategy before switching objects!
  • Water bottle strategy: start with an empty one and work up to bottles containing more and more liquid (add weight) OR buy two full bottles and play a 2-toy game with them (like I did with the coins) to teach Chai she can pick them up.
  • Keys strategy: turn it into a game to teach her she can pick them up. Maybe 2 sets of keys for a game of 2-toy fetch?
  • Objects I want to eventually work up to (no rush): wallet (probably medium), credit card (probably difficult), keys (difficult), phone (probably difficult), beer can (probably medium after I’ve taught heavy, i.e. full, plastic bottles), bill (easy except for the danger of being ripped to shreds).

January 5, 2024: solving the key chain mystery!

I decided to play with the keys to see if I could encourage Chai to pick them up this way. My original suspicion, after trying with the full-length key chain attached, was that it was the keychain (the size of the object) that made it too hard to pick up. When I unclipped the chain (except for its little end piece) yesterday and Chai still couldn’t pick up the keys, I thought it was most likely the car key (the electronic key; maybe something inside of it smells weird or vibrates in some scary way you bite down on it). I tested this by first only using the keys, and then the keys with the keychain, and then only the car keys … turns out Chai is happy to play with both the keys and the car keys – but NOT with the little end piece of the key chain! Fascinating! I don’t know what it is about that piece, but I’m just going to have her let a say in this and will get a new keychain!

Without further ado – here’s our play session:

And the subsequent fetch session:

Here is a list of the overall fetch-to-hand objects that matter to me and the ones that I’ve already accomplished. Some of them are for fun; some of them are potentially useful service dog tasks if I drop stuff. This list is longer than yesterday’s list. E stands for “I believe it will be easy,” M for “medium difficulty” and D for “difficult.” This is just my suspicion; she may surprise me!

Wallet (M), credit card (D), keys, phone (D), beer can (M), bank bill (easy except for the danger of being ripped to shreds), full plastic bottles (D), coin, 2 types of mugs, leash handle (D), retractable leash (D), keys with new (yet to be acquired) key chain (D).

I’ll put at least one of the above we haven’t yet conquered into each new rotation! Eventually, I want “dropping the thing” to be the cue for Chai to pick it up and hand it to me. Same goes for pointing and “Gimme” if I haven’t dropped the thing. Only the beer cans may go into a more complex trick if I feel like it (open fridge, get beer, close fridge, bring beer …). The phone may be put on a “find my phone” cue if I feel like it – I am very talented at displacing my phone, so this may be neat and more useful (though less fun) than teaching Chai to fetch it when it rings.

CHAIARY – TRICKS: HUG AN OBJECT (part 1)!

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October 1, 2023: Chai’s first two “hug an object” shaping sessions!

Very happy with how today’s sessions went!

Notes for next time:

+ Take turns standing and kneeling myself.
+ Only click for paws on the respective outside of the pole (to eventually get up to pole between paws).
+ When appropriate, select for paw curls around object/reinforce duration; whatever makes more sense depending on what Chai offers!

October 2, 2023 – a tiny bit of duration and paw curls

Today’s two sessions! I’m now trying to select for paw curls on either side and have stopped clicking for paws on the “wrong” side of the pole. Catching those curls is difficult though – Chai is moving fast!

October 7, 2023: back to shaping after a break!

After taking a few days’ break from shaping, we picked back up with the “Hug an object” trick. In this session, I get quite a lot of variation to select from! I end up clicking the jump-hug once or twice because it’s the first time I get both paws, but then stop clicking it because Silvia has warned us: we don’t want a dog who ends up leaning on the object, but a dog who sits and hugs it independently. You see a bit of confusion in Chai when I stop clicking the jumps. I still have to say: love the variation! Maybe next time, I’ll start out with a sit.

October 10, 2023: 2 sessions!

2 sessions today! We started from a sit.

Session 1

Session 2

October 11, 2023: getting nicer hugs with the pole close and feeding in a sit!

Silvia’s feedback “Very cool! Just yes, put the pole close to her chest so she can’t lie down. If she still does, reward so high that she needs to get up first to get the reward. In general, reward higher if getting a down – and lower if getting sit up.”

Based on their feedback – today’s video:

October 14, 2023: duration!

Silvia suggested I aim for duration next. This is tricky with this behavior because Chai doesn’t offer duration. I wondered whether I should try and shape it the same way I shape duration on a hold with a chompy dog: wait out 2 or 3 re-bites before clicking and hope the dog eventually figures out that they might as well simply keep their mouth closed for the time it would take to open and close their mouth 3 times. I went into today’s session with the plan on feeding every 3rd paw sweesh past the pole. But Chai totally surprised me and gave me duration right on the first try!

The cut in the video is me re-loading my hands with food. Chai didn’t immediately offer the same behavior again, so I counted 3 paw swabs … after a little messiness, she gave me duration again though! WOW! I was so excited I took it and fed all my treats even though she was half-way leaning on my arm. Go puppy! We are getting somewhere!

October 16, 2023: duration gets hard again

I asked Silvia what to focus on when getting messy duration as above. Here’s their response:

“Great – should be easy from here on!!! Just continue like this, focusing on duration. Once you have that consistently, start looking for firmness of the hug – pulling the pole away gently and rewarding for resistance.”

It wasn’t easy for Chai today though: at first, she tried leaning against the pole. I seem to have communicated that that’s not what I want, so she kept sliding off instead … I realized it was partly because she was too far from the pole, but when I try to get dog and pole closer together, Chai has a tendency to scoot backwards, away from it. The video below shows some messy communication between Chai and me!

October 17, 2023: back to looking for deep single-paw hugs

Silvia’s feedback on my last video:

“[L]looks like she is actually confusing it with “sit up with support for front feet”… So maybe focus some on getting just one paw first. Reward lower to encourage that. Look for nice, deep 1 paw hugs to clean up the behavior some before going for duration again.” 

Silvia sees what I see, too. I’m surprised they expected the behavior to smoothly progress from the previous video – that speed of understanding is not what I’m used to with my dogs. I wonder if Silvia typically gets this much understanding this fast! (Not that I’d complain if I got it; it’s just not what I expect.)

In any case – below is our next attempt:

October 18, 2023: continuing (trying) to clean up deep single-paw hugs

The cuts in the video below are me getting treat refills – this was a single session.

CHAIARY – TRICKS: 4 PAWS IN A BOWL (part 6 of 6)!

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September 30, 3023: a messy session with 2 nice reps

Training plan:

  1. Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
  2. Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”
  3. Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
  4. Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”

Home position: treat hand on thigh.

Today’s session was messy – my head wasn’t in the game and neither was Chai’s balance in the first part of the session. However, (3) and (4) – the last two bowl reps – looked great. Let me show you those so you can see what we are aiming for!

My goal is a session that looks exactly like this one – minus the paw coming out (see the freeze frame in the video above). We’ll get there!

Plan for the next session:

Practice without a dog first; then repeat today’s session – but shorten it to:

  1. Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
  2. Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”

Home position: treat hand on thigh.

October 1, 2023: woohooo! A most excellent session!

Chai nailed this session! The adjustments I’ve made over the last few sessions are paying off: with my treat hand on my thigh rather than behind my back, Chai manages to stay in bowl #5 until the “Get it” marker. By keeping the session short (each bowl only shows up once), she has the stamina to do it all.

I also love how well my different marker cues work in this session. Good choice for this one!

Plan for the next session:

Repeat as above, but move home position of my treat hand behind my back again. This will build a little more duration. Stay at that stage until Chai can stay in bowl #5 until the “Get it” marker with this session profile as well.

The next session!

Because today’s first 4-in session was short and good, I went ahead and implemented the plan for the next one the same day:

I like how this looks. Chai does jump out of both bowls with her back legs, but it happens both times when I’m saying “Get it” (a terminal marker). I’ll count it as a success!

Next session:

+ Repeat just like this one but add the “Four” cue again!

October 2, 2023: adding the “Four” cue

I repeated the same session with the Four cue for both bowls. However, this time, Chai’s back feet came out after every marker. We’ll stay at this stage until I get another session where her paws stay in when I say, “Good” (room service)! (Got video but allowing myself not to edit and share so I get more training and book editing done instead!)

October 10, 2023: back to training after being sick

Wheee, C! This is the first time after being sick for a week that I managed THREE shaping sessions (two hug an object ones and this one)! Slowly but certainly, I’m climbing back out my hole of exhaustion!

More of the same … but this time, I’ll show you a video. As a reminder, the current criteria are:

+ Home position: treat hand behind back
+ Bowl #5: “Four!” cue – 2x “Good,” 1x “Get it!”
+ Bowl #6: “Four!” cue – 1x “Get it!”


We’ll stay at this stage until Chai’s paws stay in bowl #5 until “Get it.” I’ll likely video all sessions, but only show you every second or third one to save on editing time. In any case, I’ll be sure to show you the one we meet all criteria!

October 14, 2023: room service and balancing success in bowl #5!!

Over the last few days, I’ve had daily sessions, but Chai didn’t manage to stay in bowl #5 all the way to my “Get it!” marker. So while I filmed, I didn’t edit these videos – I prefer time spent training over editing! Yesterday, she almost did it – she held her balance until after the second “Good!” Today, she DID it and held her balance in bowl #5 until my “Get it!” (terminal) marker! Woohoo! Video proof of the superstar below:

Session profile of the video above:

+ Home position: treat hand behind back.
+ Transition behavior: blink once.
+ Goal post: stay in bowl #5 until “Get it!”

Notes for the next session:

+ Start with only bowl #6.
+ Single “Good” followed by a single “Get it!”
+ If this goes well, the next session after will have 2 “Good”-s – and then, I will call the trick complete!

October 16, 2023: success with bowl #6!

While struggling to gain her balance at first, Chai found it – and then stayed in bowl #6 until my “Get it!” release! Go puppy!!!

Notes for next session:

+ Same as today, but do 2 room service “Good”s before the “Get it!”
+ Stay at this stage until Chai finds balance right away. Then, declare the trick a success!

October 18, 2023: Chai’s balance improves!

In yesterday’s session, Chai lost her balance after the first “Good” (room service) marker. Today, she made it until the second “Good!” We are – slowly but surely – getting there!

October 19, 2023: duration on “Four” cues in our smallest bowl – marker cue shaping SUCCESS!

SO proud of my superstar! This concludes our “Four” journey! Bowl #6 was the smallest one I aimed for – and Chai just held her duration for 2 “Good”-s until the following “Get it!” Balance queen! Let’s celebrate!

CHAIARY – TRICKS: 4 PAWS IN A BOWL (part 5)!

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September 5, 2023: today, bowl #5 is looking good!

Notes for the next session:

  • Repeat everything just like this one more time to build confidence and stamina.
  • Note to self: remember that the home position of my treat hand is behind my back! Chai can do it!

September 6, 2023: from a little insecurity and wobbliness to beautiful balance in bowl #5!

Session profile:

  • Home position: treat hand behind back
  • Marker cues: good, get it
  • Transition behavior: blink
  • Treat placement: room service 1-2 inches above floor marker
  • Mirror: yes

Chai did really well in the later reps. However, the first one where she offered a sit is a sign of her not being sure she can do it. She also struggled to balance the first few times I used my room service marker (good). So I’ll have one more session just like this one for good measure. Once I consistently get confidence and balance, I’ll re-attach the “Four” cue … and only THEN will we look into going down in bowl size again. Slow and steady wins the race!

Personal win for this session: I remembered my home position (behind back) throughout the video! Go me (I cheer on my students! So yes, of course I cheer on myself as well. Dog lover or dog trainer – I suggest you do the same for yourself!)

September 8, 2023: no more struggles to get started but still finding our balance

Today’s session was good! Chai knew she could do it from the first rep onwards, and I am happy with my timing and feeding mechanics in this session. However, Chai was still a little wobbly in some reps. I’ll stay at this stage for another session or two. Before moving on to re-attaching a cue, I want to get 8 treats – 4 “Good”s and 4 “Get it”s – without Chai losing her balance and stepping out between “Good” and “Get it.” Remember: clear, achievable criteria make our dog training lives a lot easier!

September 11, 2023: balance success!

No video, but 4 + 4 success! Yay! In the next session, I’ll re-attach the “Four!” cue and go for 4 “Good”s and 4 “Get it”s without getting out of the bowl in between again!

September 12, 2023: re-attaching the “Four” cue to bowl #5!

No video – but I repeated yesterday’s 4 + 4 success, remembered my transition behavior every single time AND re-attached the “Four” cue. Go Chai and go C!

Notes for the next session:

+ Take video!
+ No cue.
+ Two good-and-get-it-s with bowl #5
+ Two immediate get-it-s with bowl #6 in bowl #5.
+ End session!

September 13, 2023: success with bowl #6 in bowl #5!!

Wooohooooo! We did it! We’re back to (our new, higher-walled) bowl #6! We will proceed carefully from here on forwards, but I’m already VERY happy with how this is coming along! No hesitation at all about the new bowl in the old bowl! Go Chai!

Notes for the next session:

  • Re-watch this video and then decide how to best proceed to avoid the drop in confidence our last bowl #6 attempt created!

September 16, 2023: good and get-its in bowl #5 as well as bowl #6 in bowl #5!

The plan:

Two good-and-get-it-s in bowl #5 followed by two good-and-get-it-s in bowl #6 insinde of bowl #5. We’re inching our way closer to the goal …

This went really well!

Here’s the plan for our next session:

  1. One good-and-get-it rep with bowl #5
  2. One good-and-get-it rep with bowl #6 in bowl #5
  3. One good-and-get-it rep with bowl #5
  4. One immediate “get it!” rep with bowl #6 WITHOUT bowl #5!
  5. End!

Sneaky AF but I believe that is exactly what we need!

September 17, 2023: bowl #5 and bowl #6

I stuck to the plan I made yesterday! (Behind me, the sheet on the armario you can see in the video? That’s where I wrote down steps 1-4 from above!)

This went really well – I stuck to the plan. However, sometimes, you’ll see Chai step out of the bowl after the “good” treat. I did not expect her to step back in before the “Get it” as I usually would. So – plan for next session: repeat the same steps and insist on Chai staying in after “Good!” Maybe even do more than one “Good” in the larger bowl so Chai doesn’t expect the immediate “Get it” release. Yes – this is what I’ll do now that I think through it:

  1. Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
  2. Bowl #6 in bowl #5 – one “good” and one “Get it” – if Chai steps out after the “Good,” wait for her to step back in before cueing “Get it!”
  3. Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
  4. Only bowl #6 – immediate “Get it!”

I’ll definitely need a cheat sheet for that one!

September 26, 2023 – our first session after getting back from Austria and picking Chai up from the dog sitter’s!

After a break Game and I spent in Austria, I picked right up where we left off! I put a cheat sheet on the armario and did what I had set out to do in my “notes for the next session” above!

Wooohooooo! For the first time E-VER, Chai put all 4 paws in our new bowl #6 (last rep in this clip)! I love it!

Plan for the next session:

  1. Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
  2. Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”
  3. Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
  4. Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”

September 27, 2023 – today, I don’t look at the cheat sheet enough!

Today’s session didn’t go as planned. Not because of Chai but because after writing and attaching my cheat sheet to the armario – I simply forgot to look at it and apparently, my head wasn’t in the game today. It happens.

Note to self: make sure to be fully awake when training and potentially practice without Chai first!

Plan for tomorrow: just like yesterday’s plan, but follow through!

  1. Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
  2. Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”
  3. Only bowl #5 – 2 “Good”s followed by 1 “Get it!”
  4. Only bowl #6 – “Get it!”

September 28, 2023: sticking to the training plan!

This time, I stuck to the plan! Woohoo! (I also practiced all steps without Chai first and labeled the bowls #5 and #6.) These extra steps are like writing cheat sheets for yourself to pass a test: it is the act of having written them that will help you remember the steps rather than the cheat sheet itself. I feel like practicing without a dog and labeling the bowls works the same way for me.

Tip: if you are struggling with timing, mechanics or sticking to a training plan – do a quick session without your dog were your full attention is on your own movements! Trust me – it makes a hell of a difference!

I’m happy with how I handled Chai’s hickups in the video above (getting out of bowl #5 after my “good” marker). The reason I moved my home position back behind my back was that I thought she could hold that duration in bowl #6 – just not in #5. However, seeing how hard this was for her, tomorrow’s session will look similar but different:

I’ll move home position for my treat hand on my thigh and repeat what we did today.

September 29, 2023: changing my home position (treat hand on thigh)

I followed the cheat sheet again today! The new home position helps Chai by cutting down the duration of holding her position between treats. However, she still steps out a few times. I will stay at this same stage until I get zero step-outs between the first “Good” and the “Get it” for bowl #5. This should also resolve Chai being mesmerized by my food hand being visible!

We’ve worked like this before – but she’s still a juvenile dog and juvenile brains are all over the place when it comes to desires and impulse control.

CHAIARY – TRICKS: 4 PAWS IN A BOWL (part 4)!

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August 17, 2023

Session 1:

I’ll implement what I learned in today’s first session in the next one!

Session 2:

+ Feed “Good” to mouth, not on the tape marker.
+ Don’t return treat hand to home position between the two markers.

Unfortunately, the video angle doesn’t let me review my treat hand position.

August 18, 2023

Session 1 …

… was a repeat of yesterday’s last session. Not looking bad at all:

Just a few things I’d like to change now that I can see my hands: if Chai steps out of the bowl after the “good” or before the “get it” cue – wait her out and only feed (or mark respectively) when all 4 paws are in again. I will stay at this level until I get that kind of session. I’ll keep using 6 treats. Note to self: only move on when there are no stray feet in any of the 3 reps!

Session 2:

We need to keep trying for these 3 perfect reps!

Session 3:

Note to self: remember home position in the first rep! On my thigh, not behind my back!

Session 4:

This session showed me how physically taxing 4 in is for Chai now that the bowl is this small. I used to be able to do several sessions of this trick every day, but her muscles fatigue more easily now that the bowl is this small and balancing is getting harder.

August 19, 2023

Today, Chai said no and I listened to her:

Listen to your dogs! Training should ALWAYS be fun for BOTH of you! Unless you’re both all in – call it off, take a break and do something else instead!

I’ll give this trick a 10-day break and then start over again a little easier.

August 30, 2023

My plan: I’d start over with bowl #5 – expect 4 feet in right away – toss 3 “Get it” treats – put a new bowl #6 (with taller walls) into bowl #5 – keep expecting 4 paws right away and end after 3 “Get it” treats for 4 in. Chai didn’t read my training plan though, as you will see below!

The video below has voiceovers for changing things on a fly in the middle of a training session and the importance of listening to your dog!

Notes for the next session

Repeat the same set-up; use “Get it” as a marker every time. 6 treats, no more than one session a day!

August 31, 2023

Loving this session (even though I went over 6 treats!):

  • Chai was fast to offer 4 paws in.
  • I paid attention to my mechanics, did my transition behavior (blink consciously between marking and feeding) consistently and only used the “Get it” marker I had planned on.
  • Spontaneously ending in personal play makes sessions light and fun! Note to self: more of this! Next time, ditch the prop first to avoid confusion.

Notes for the next session:

I’ll go back to “Good” and then “Get it” and a tape marker on the floor (Chai almost sat in one of the reps in this session, so I want to make sure we get consistent standing!

September 1, 2023

Notes for the next session:

  • Keep everything the same, but feed 1-2 inches above my marker on the floor after “Good!”

CHAIARY – TRICKS: PICK UP an OBJECT/PUT ONE OBJECT INto ANOTHER ONE (part 2)

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August 7, 2023

Session 1:

I’m keeping the container the same but varying the objects that go in when I get 2 successful reps with each previous object. In this session, we make it through a paper cup, a roll of tape, a flip flop and a plastic bottle!

I’m also figuring out how to best mechanic my mechanics to make switching objects as smooth as possible. Going forwards, I will toss a “Get it” treat anytime I need to reach over my suitcase (aka kitchen door) to grab another object.

Session 2:

In the session below, I keep the crate the same and stick to our last two objects (flip flop, plastic bottle) and then add two new and smaller objects: a highlighter and a clicker. Chai is being a superstar!

August 11, 2023

Today, I’ll keep the last two (smaller) objects the same but change the container back to something smaller: the water bowl.

Session 1:

Session 2:

Session 2 showed me that the highlighter is more difficult than the clicker. In the next session, we’ll stick to the highlighter and focus on getting it into the bowl consistently!

Session 3:

Woohoo! She’s got it with the marker!! You can really see her understanding in this session: when the unwieldy highlighter doesn’t end up IN the bowl, she picks it up right away and tries again. Go Chai!

My plan for the next session

Move this container around a bit and lift it up higher. Then potentially shape a “deliver to hand” behavior from there … or go down in container size. Or try with the water bowl and a difficult small object like a coin! I haven’t yet decided; all options are exciting!

August 12, 2023

I decided to go with a clicker and a new object – a coin – with the water bowl in its familiar position. Chai did great with the clicker but didn’t see my 10-peso-coin as a pick-up-able object. Even going back and forth between offering the clicker and the coin didn’t do the trick.

After this session, I thought about how to teach Chai to pick up coins. I tried playing the 2-ball game with two coins – and it worked! Soon she cheerfully chased thrown coins through the living room. Notes for the two next sessions: start with another round of the 2-coin game. Take a break; then repeat clicker and coin with the water bowl!

Note to self: put the camera closer to the bowl so the coin is visible!

August 14, 2023

We started out with a 2-toy fetch session, using two 10-peso coins instead of toys! It was informal, playful, joyious fun for both of us. Take-home message for Chai: coins are easy to pick up and fun to play with!


I LOVE how Chai’s toy skills (above) come together with a trick I’ve been shaping to enable her to put the coin into the water bowl in our next session below. It’s a beautiful example of how different tricks and behaviors are connected!

For our next session, I am thinking of using a smaller container for the same exercise. I’ll start out with the clicker and the coin in the water bowl and then switch to clicker and coin in a ceramic bowl (a bowl I haven’t used for the 4-in trick to avoid confusing Chai).

August 31, 2023: our first session in a new location

Returning to this trick after a little break! Since I’m working on the 4 paws in a bowl trick simultaneously, I am creating a contextual difference for the two: one object in another has been moved to the roof while 4-in stays an apartment trick. This is to keep the probability for confusion to a minimum.

In our first session, we needed to shape back up to our last two objects (clicker and coin) in the water bowl: the break and the new environment were too hard to bridge without a little help. But after only a few clicks, Chai was back on track!

For our second session, I did what I had written down the last time we worked on this: I kept the pick-up objects the same but changed the water bowl for a smaller ceramic bowl mid session. I’m happy with how well Chai did!

Notes for the next session:

+ Go down one more bowl size and use my small tupperware treat container.

CHAIARY – TRICKS: 4 PAWS IN A BOWL (part 3)!

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August 8, 2023

I was going to start out with a session of 4 in with bowl #6 in bowl #5 and then remove bowl #5 – but Chai let me know it was too difficult today by lying down. So we ditched bowl #6 and just had a few reps with #5. Look at the lovely conversation we’re having in the video below! Chai is teaching me which bowl needs to be used here.

Next session: start with just bowl #5, then add bowl #6. Slow and steady!

August 9, 2023

Session 1

I started our first session with 2 “Get it” treats and just bowl #5 (and the familiar “Four” cue). I wore bowl #6 like a hat to have it ready to put into #5 right as Chai was chasing her second treat. Then, we did two more “Get it”s with bowl #6 in bowl #5 and ended. She did great! Building back up slowly! No video of this session but will record the next one: I’m planning on starting out with two “Get it” treats with both bowls and then removing bowl #5 and only leaving the smallest bowl. We’ll see how it goes! I am not going to use a cue in the next session.

Session 2

Chai says, “This is too hard!”

I’ll have to think of an in-between step before we try this again … or just repeat today’s session-1-set-up a few more times … I’ll think about this some more to set Chai up for success next time!

August 11, 2023

I repeated the last successful session – and Chai did brilliantly again. Next time we work on this, I’ll do two sessions the same day. The first one will be just like this and the second one start with bowl #6 in bowl #5. We’ll see how it goes!

(The cuts in this video are when I tossed the “Get it” treat under the couch.)

August 12, 2023

Session 1:

For today’s first session, I repeated yesterday’s last session. Chai did great again. (No video.) After a break, we did …

Session 2:

I started out with bowl #6 in bowl #5 from the beginning of the session. Chai quickly realized that this was too hard, so I changed approaches on the fly and shaped things back up this time (rather than removing bowl #6 like I did yesterday). She did great! The cut in the video is when I tossed a treat under the mattress. Furniture! It’s always in the way!

August 15, 2023

Session 1:

I didn’t realize Chai would be thinking of the 1-object-in-another trick! When I realized, I eased up criteria (and briefly messed up my marker cue) and shaped back up to 4 in. Superpuppy!

Reviewing the video, I noticed: I need to focus on my transition behavior so my marker cue and hand movement don’t bleed into each other. When we want to train with clean mechanics, we’ve got many balls in the air!

Session 2:

The plan: start with 4 in – no shaping if she’s able to offer 4 in right away – and then start to shape with only bowl #6 in the same session. Keep it short and sweet – say 8 treats total, max! Remember my transition behavior (blinking). Let’s see how this goes and then take it from there!

This looked good! I forgot my transition behavior half the time, but otherwise, we’re golden! I’ll bring my clicker back out for the next round and repeat the shaping session, starting with bowl #6 (blue) right away. I haven’t been using a clicker when I had one bowl in another, but now that I’m only holding on to one, I can easily keep it steady AND click. So that’s what we’ll do next:

+ Bowl #6 (blue) only.
+ Clicker in bowl hand (practice holding it stable before adding a dog – check).
+ Set up mirror to watch back paws.
+ Remember transition behavior (blink).
+ Shape up from the beginning but do not go for more than 4 reps of all 4 paws in (if we get that far).

The video below is my practice session without a dog. I highly recommend doing this on a regular basis/anytime you switch something up in terms of reinforcement! It will only take you a few minutes (and that includes videoing yourself and quickly reviewing the clip on your phone) – but you’ll be a better trainer for it!

Below is the session WITH Chai I did right after my practice session! I love that very last rep where she tries for ALL FOUR PAWS!

Notes for next session

Repeat today’s last session; see if we get more confidence and then take it from there!

August 16, 2023

Session 1:

I love how this session went!

I’ll give Chai a break and then try starting with all 4 paws in right away for session 2. If she does it, 4 reps is all I’ll ask for in this session.

Session 2:

Chai rocked today’s second session! For the next one, I’ll ditch the clicker and go back to our “Good” and “Get it” routine to build a tiny bit of duration in position. I’ll use 6 to 8 treats total, depending on how things go, and then end.

Session 3:

This was the most difficult session of the day for Chai! I’ll rewatch the video and then repeat the same session tomorrow with home position on my right thigh (like I did here in the last rep) rather than behind my back. This will allow me to deliver the “Get it” treat faster after “Good.” This means I will still be asking for duration – but a little bit less of it!

CHAIARY – TRICKS: PICK UP OBJECT/PUT ONE OBJECT IN ANOTHER ONE (part 1)

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July 31, 2023

We had 5 pick-up-an-object sessions throughout the day. That’s no problem at all for a workey dog, but not what I would advise for a dog who isn’t crazy about training. Train the dog in front of you and don’t overdo it! Stop training while they still want to keep going!

In Chai’s case, this is easy: if I train as much as I have time to, I still won’t hit her limit. That makes her perfect for me. How do I know? As soon as I put out the puzzle mats (they are usually up against the wall, not on the floor), she races there. As soon as I grab my tripod, she starts jumping up at me. As soon as I ask Game to station on her mat, she gets all excited because it’s a predictor of a session for her!

August 2, 2023

The second day we’re working on this!

Session 1: how about picking up this football-shaped toy we found at the park last night?

Session 2: adding a second object since the goal for this is to put one object into another.

I’m using a water bowl here because it looks different from the bowls we have been using for the 4 in trick.

August 3, 2023

2 sessions with the basketball toy and the water bowl!

August 4, 2023

Today, I tried using a larger container the toy wouldn’t bounce out of – and one that we haven’t worked with in a while: box #2 from our 4-in trick. We’ve been using bowls for weeks now, so I hope to get less paws in a box! I’m happy with the results so far!

August 7, 2023

Session #1:

Same object, slightly smaller box I have never used for 4 in:

Session #2:

Same box, switch to a new object mid-session: a paper cup!

I am REALLY happy with how well Chai did today! Go puppy! Is there anything more fun than an operant dog?!

August 8, 2023

Put the baseball toy, a paper cup, a shoe and a roll of tape into the crate! Superstar puppy! doG, I love operant dogs!

Below is an example of Chai saying, “I know I can’t do this so I won’t try. Basic physics, human!” I respect what she tells me. Her communication below is as clear as the one above: she considers one of the two behaviors a solvable riddle and the other one not. Listen to your dog – they know themselves best! Good listening skills on your part will lead to trust and trust leads to excellence.

CHAIARY – TRICKS: 4 PAWS IN A BOWL (part 2)!

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July 26, 2023

Session #1:

Only bowl #4, different angles, no cue. Chai is being a superpuppy!

Session #2:

Only bowl #4, different angles, re-attach “Four!” cue.

I couldn’t be happier with this session! What a good puppy! Short and sweet for the win! (Plus a mirror, tape and a non-slip surface! Chai hasn’t been tempted to sit anymore either!)

Plan for the next two sessions:

+ Start with only bowl #4, no cue.
+ Add bowl #5 into bowl #4, no cue.

July 28, 2023

Since this looked so good, my plan for the next two sessions is:

+ Session 1: only bowl #5; different angles; no cue.
+ Session 2: if I’m happy with the previous session, re-attach the “Four!” cue.

We did the first session I had planned – but it was physically challenging for Chai! I won’t do another one today but repeat the plan for both tomorrow! Below the first session:

Notes for next time:

+ Repeat the last two sessions I planned.
+ Reposition the mirror for this bowl.
+ Make sure I know how to hold the bowl perfectly stable.

July 29, 2023

Bowl #5 was still physically difficult. We did 2 sessions with different treat-toss angles and no “Four” cue. I’ll stay at this stage until Chai has as easy a time with this bowl as she did with the previous one.

For now and the day(s) to come: two short sessions, one treat in position and one tossed at a different angle each time (to build a little duration for holding the position). I’ll always give her a break between the two sessions. Today, the break was playing with Game and a pee loop.

Next time, I might try switching the clicker for verbal markers so I get a better grip on the bowl.

August 2, 2023

Bowl #5. First session – holding the bowl with what is usually my clicker hand; having a better grip on it because I’m experimenting with holding the clicker between my lips! Session two (same video): re-attaching the “Four!” cue and using verbal markers.

This was difficult for Chai! I’ll make it easier by means of changing my home position for the next round: instead of behind my back, I’ll rest my treat fist on my right thigh. That way, I’ll be faster with the second treat (“Get it!”) after the room service marker (“Good”) and Chai will have to spend a little less time balancing in the bowl.

If this looks good, I will move my home position back behind my back in the next session after.

I also did the third session today (no video because I accidentally deleted it after reviewing). Chai did well but I want to work on my mechanics some more. I’ll repeat this and make sure I keep my home position consistent on my thigh and don’t mark “Good” too early. Then, I’ll move my home position back behind my back. However, this will have to wait for another day! Three sessions of “Four” in one day is more than enough!

August 3, 2023

3 sessions with home position on my right thigh! Here’s the third one:


(The cross-blur cut in the video is when I had to refill my treat hand, ended up pulling out a string of poop bags and making a mess.)

August 4, 2023

I was going to do one session with home position behind my back, good and get it, transition behavior blink and then take it from there. However, this turned out to be difficult for Chai today:

Because she struggled quite a bit after the first few reps (struggled with balance, that is – the behavior is clear to her but it is difficult to put four paws in the bowl), I’ll stay at this bowl size for another round. Next time, I will repeat what I just did but keep the session shorter (10 treats total, making for 5 reps). I will also pay special attention to my “Four” timing and make sure I cue when she is about to or has finished eating the previous “Get it” treat rather than earlier than that (as I accidentally did in the session above). For now though – Chai gets a well deserved break! No two physically difficult sessions in a row!

For our next session after a long break, I stuck to 5 reps. Chai did GREAT!

August 7, 2023

Except for the very last rep – cut off because it was preceded by a search for a piece of kibble under the mattress I needed to help with. It took a while and threw us off our game – this session went beautifully! Either 4 (rather than 5) reps are all I should ask at this bowl size OR the escaping treat threw her for a loop. In any case – I’m happy! We’re ready to go down one size!

Bowl #6 – the smallest one!

In the video below, I am working on bowl #6 – my very smallest bowl! – in bowl #5 for the first time. I’m not working on a perfect position and not asking for any duration – I just want Chai to be confident about this new set-up and her ability to squeeze in.

Notes for next time: since this went so well, our next session will be 50% bowl #6 in bowl #5, then ditch bowl #5 and try with #6 only! #6 is my smallest bowl! We’re almost there!