Ziggy learns a trick!

You might not know it, but I'm working toward a diploma of Dog Training from the Companion Animal Sciences Institute.  It might be hard to believe that I, the person who raised Ziggy the incorrigible dog, would claim to know anything about training dogs.  If you met Remi or Noelle, my own two dogs, you would definitely find it hard to believe.  But let's pretend they would be much worse behaved if it weren't for my knowledge and skill.  In fact, if you haven't met them, let's pretend they are all very well behaved dogs!   Thank you.    

For my most recent school assignment, I decided to teach Ziggy how to "gimme four".  It's kind of like "shake", so I think I can claim I taught him two tricks instead of just one.  This was the first time I ever trained a dog using clicker training and shaping.  In the past I have used more traditional methods as well as lure/reward training, but clicker training always seemed too difficult. But it was finally time for me to figure it out, and I must say I was amazed at the results. 

Since Ziggy is deaf, I couldn't use a traditional clicker, so I got a keychain flashlight that would come on whenever a button was held down.  It is the same concept as a clicker but it is a visual sign instead of an auditory sign.  In spite of my poor timing and lack of confidence in what I was doing, Ziggy figured out how to "gimme four" within two 10 minute training sessions.  It's a good thing he's so smart.  Now I'm motivated to teach him some more tricks.  My next assignment with my training class calls for teaching a chained behavior, so I'm going to attempt to teach him to put his toys away in the toy bin.  This will take more than two sessions.  But fortunately he's very smart and very food motivated and we have a lot of opportunity to work on it.    If any of you out there reading this have any advice, I'd love to hear it!  Here is a short video of me working with Ziggy on "gimme four". 

One class finished....

Ten to go! I am currently attending CASI (Companion Animal Sciences Institute) to earn a diploma in Dog Training and another diploma in Shelter & Rescue Work. Today I finished my first class (with an A+, mom!) called Domestic Dog Behavior, and now I have only ten classes left. Next up is the class Principles of Learning and Behavior. I'm also taking a class called Introduction to Shelter & Rescue Work at the same time. It's taking awhile, but I am learning a lot and really enjoying it. If you're interested in learning more about these classes, visit the CASI website. Or if you don't have time to take classes and read a lot of books and articles, you can read the quick version by reviewing the papers I've written here. :-)

Tonight another foster volunteer is coming over to help me give my eight puppies their second dose of dewormer. For those of you who haven't dewormed puppies before, here's a quick (if slightly gross) lesson on how it works. Skip this if you're eating or feeling queasy. Basically the medicine part isn't bad - you weigh each puppy since the medicine is given based on weight, then you fill up the dropper with the correct dose, have someone hold the puppy if possible to make it easier, and give the puppy the medicine orally. If they won't open their mouths sometimes you have to help them. The gross part comes the next day, when instead of just picking up icky puppy poop you have to pick up really icky poop filled with worms. There are various kinds of worms and some look like spaghetti. There - aren't you glad you aren't eating right now?

On a much nicer subject, some of the workers and patients at St. Charles Sports & Physical Therapy held a supply drive and collected donations for Heartland during the holidays. They brought in all sorts of items, and it was such a nice surprise for the animals (and the foster parents!)