What We've Been Doing...

[mewzard]

I've always been interested in service-dogs and the tasks they perform. I've taught Oka to close doors, help with the washing(laundry), pull off socks. Someone put a link to "supernaturalBC"s' video of one dog doing a 2 point sound alert... to alert the owner, then to take her to the source of sound. I thought that was cool, complex and useful in a house hold to teach her. I want to take this to getting Oka to take me to my kids by name, or "show me" things i ask of her (kind of like 'find my keys'). Oka seems to like being a "service dog", she likes useful tasks that involve us.

Anyway...I've been doing this over the past few days or so. Then thought "doh! i should be making a video diary" So i recorded our progress so far in quick stages. I missed out the bit about putting the nose touches to the alarm cue. I think it's interesting how the GSD has come out in this as she keeps wanting to shoulder-barge me if i'm stood up.

( Gosh, please ignore the state of my "dining room"!!!)

 

[tigerlily46514]

WOW! HATS OFF TO YOU AND TO OKA!! This video gives me impression, Oka is really catching on to this very very quickly! WHAT a great cue to be teaching, i've never even thought of this, wow and wow!
Very nice work! Very cool how Oka still came when she was focusing on getting her walk.
How very cool. You just never know, how this cue might come in very very handy.

SO, prior to filming the process,
you rewarded Oka for touching your leg?
and then,
you added in the alarm, is that the order you did these things?

 

[mewzard]

Yup, i think i stuck a small square of paper to my leg to get her to target, then took it off when she got it (Or more accurately when Oka had made it unsticky as she kept pulling it off my leg))
Then I upped criteria for a harder nudge, then got distance from me; so from one end of the room and back, next i got nudges with me in different positions (laying down, standing, crouching).
Then added in the alarm, same way you'd do a verbal cue. Now adding distance to the alarm cue, also finding me around corners (so alerting though i'm not insight), also going past the sound...

Next i need to teach her to indicate the object (i'm teaching a paw touch, as she is lacking in paw skills, also i thought 2 nose touches would be confusing), then to follow her to the object to indicate.

I did notice tonight when i started the "indiction" bit she tried nose touching me - not sure if that was because we have been doing this trick alot or the clock is a nudge cue - i will have to check that out tomorrow.

Found the video!!

Then on to...

 

[southerngirl]

That is really cool . Oka caught on quickly. Great job.
Could you make a video of some of the service dog tasks that Oka can do. I would love to see them also I would like to teach Missy some of these tasks.

 

[mewzard]

I can do that southern girl I've found 4, Don't feel you have to watch the whole of the video's! One she puts stuff in the washing maching, one in the dryer - which is essentually the same thing. I started off teaching her "wash" and "dry" but realised she made no bones about the words, and that i would never stand with a basket of dirty washing and clean washing mixed together... so just taught her "in" as a cue for putting the stuff in. Or her going "in" she seems to get that idea.
Also if you attempt to teach it i would recommend you start with clean washing - at first Oka would try to run off with particularly good washing items (socks or undies).

Tumble dryer:

Washing Machine:

They aren't the greatest videos ever, but they show what she does

 

[Bosun]

Wow! Impressive! That kind of thing takes time and patience and you've done it!

 

[tx_cowgirl]

Great vid!!
Supernaturalbc is responsible for getting me hooked on service dog tasks. ^^ My favorite tricks to train. Haven't done this one yet, I want to though. Great job!