Well, this is not so much as a blog entry...but a question for anyone out there reading this.
When you try to train 101 things to do with a box (or without the box) how does people usually do it?
1- is it one session=one different behavior?
2-How many sessions per day?
3-Do you shape the behavior until you get something you had in mind, or go along with whatever the animal shows you and then build from there?
4-When does the animal start giving you novel behaviors?
If anyone can give me more info or knows about research or books that would outline this better I would appreciate it.
Thanks!
Internet chatter has made 101
Internet chatter has made 101 Things a bit of a muddle. The name is used for both shaping with a novel object to teach basic shaping and for a variability game. One is great for novices, the other is a very advanced concept, and they should never be blurred!
The original 101 Things With A Box was a game just to develop the concept of shaping. Start by clicking any interaction with the box (or other cheap prop!), and then choose one offered behavior to develop. With a novice animal, I recommend switching props or environmental setup when you decide to go for a new behavior, so that it doesn't frustrate the learner who was certain he had this figured out...!
I recommend additional cues and constraints when playing a variability game, which is not suitable for novice learners (and not that great for novice trainers, either, for a number of reasons I can't cover in a short comment).
Happy training!
101 things to do with
1 session = 1 behavior, however it si not alwasy the one I planned (if they offer something cute early on I have been known to go in that direction
2 depends on how eager the learner is - with my personal dogs it's usually constrained by my free time!
3 Depends on my goal - am I working on my shaping skills, or the animal getting comfortabel offering behaviors - if the later, I kind o f "go with it" if they offer something cute
4 looking at it coul dbe considered a novel behavior if your dog has never been rewarded for looking at a box.
If your goal is novel behavior, don't spend too long on any one behavior, try switching behaviors that are beign rewarded every couple sessions, if you have a motivated animal
I think they start offering stuff when they understand that they will not be punished (no! Ah! that sort of thing counts!) for it, and that there is a reward and not a cost to trying new stuff...
Melissa
www.gonetothedogsagility.blogspot.com