Robin discusses Retrieve

Every person needing a service dog has uniquely personal needs.  Obviously Robin needs Dilly to be her arms and legs and one of Dilly's primary mitigating behaviors is the Retrieve.

But "The Retrieve" has many meanings and many variations.  For Dilly.  And for Robin.

TYPES OF RETRIEVES

by Robin Jackson

We've added a new type of Retrieve, so Dilly now has a total of 8. I'll put the new one at the top of the list, so you can skip the rest of the note if you're only interested in what's new.

Regards,

Robin J.

8. Out of sight Retrieve into a named basket in a known location. His previous Basket cue involved my placing a basket near me (a context cue), or pointing to one he knows like a trash can, then pointing to the items to be put into the Basket, then saying "Basket."

With the new cue, the basket is always the big brass tub I mentioned, always in the family room. I hand him an item, he takes it into that room and puts it in that basket. I don't have to be in line of sight of the room or the basket. Cue is "Delivery."

1. Default Retrieve. Used for only one thing, his leash. If I drop it, he picks it up and gives it to me. No cue required, just the leash hitting the ground. This gives him a default behaviour in case we're out and I ever dropped it. We hardly every use it, but we do train it as a refresher.

2. Generic Retrieve. Used all the time. I point to something, say "Get it," and he brings it to hand. It can be up to about 15 feet away. Any type of object, from credit card to cane.

3. Out of Sight Retrieve of a Named Object in an Unknown Location. Used all the time for my purse (Purse) and his bowl (Bowl). He will locate the object anywhere in the house and bring it to me.

4. Out of Sight Retrieve of an Unknown Object in a Named Location. Used daily for the mail. The mail comes through a slot in the garage and falls into a box on the floor. The garage is down a step so I can't get there in the wheelchair. Cue is "Mail Call." He goes to the box and brings me whatever is there, even though he's obviously never seen the items before.

5. Retrieve into a Basket. Used frequently, for everything from picking up crab apples on the sidewalk and putting them in a pail to putting laundry in a basket. He gets items I point to and puts them in the available basket. Cue is "Basket."

Dilly generalizes perfectly to new items, but needs a little practice with each new "basket" to be sure the cue applies. But other dogs I know don't have any issue with this, it just seems to be one of his quirks. It only takes 3 or 4 times with a new "Basket" before he's confident with it.

6. Area Search. Used frequently. When there are several objects in an area and I want him to bring me just one of them, I start the search. He nose touches each object. If it's not the one I want, I give him a Keep Going cue. If it is the one I want, I say That's It! and he brings it to me. I use Ding! as the cue to start the search.

This keeps me from ending up with a lapful of things I don't want on the way to the one I do.

7. Match to Sample. I hold up one shoe, he gets the matching one out of a line of shoes when I say Ding! to start the search. We're not using any special cue for this, just the regular area search. It speeds things up when we're getting, say, the pair of black shoes out of a line of 4 pairs. Once he brings the first one using Ding!, I can show it to him, repeat the Ding!, and he'll go straight to the matching one.

So:

leash dropping - default Retrieve

"Get it" and point - generic Retrieve

"Purse" - out of sight Retrieve of a named object from an unknown location

"Mail Call" - out of right Retrieve of an unknown object from a named location

"Basket" - Retrieve into a nearby container

"Delivery" -- Retrieve into a known container in a known out of sight location

"Ding!" - area search

match to sample

p.s. Kathy Sdao talks about a dog she once saw who could be shown a photo of an item, then go in the next room, find the item, and retrieve it. Wow! (her reaction, also) Because dogs are nonverbal, we often underestimate their capabilities, and I think Retrieves often demonstrate that clearly. So I try to be very precise in thinking about how I am going to communicate to the dog what is needed, that is, what is different about this behaviour from another one. 

p.p.s. I've also mentioned this before, but my new favourite clicker protocol for training a working assistance dog type retrieve is the one in Sue Ailsby's new Training Levels books, available from her website. I also like THE CLICKED RETRIEVER, but Ailsby's works with household items in household settings, and THE CLICKED RETRIEVER is focused on hunting dogs and dog sports, so that one's mostly dumbbell work. Shirley Chong has a good one page protocol that seems especially good for dogs that are reluctant to take the item to begin with, but it's not as detailed as the other two. And the How of Bow Wow DVD has a great short visual demonstration for those who need to see it and not just read it. Barbara Handelman also has a protocol in her DVD set, but that's considerably more expensive than the others. I'm sure there are other good resources as well. 

The main point is just that once you have a basic Retrieve, you can modify it in many different ways to get new practical behaviours.

One of Lily's Seizure Alert mitigating behaviors is to retrieve the dedicated phone from under the desk in my bedroom and bring it to me by the attached handle.  To Lily "Phone" means that single phone and we review the behavior often.  As long as there is one exterior door ajar, Lily will retrieve the phone from as far away as the yard.

Recently I have been challenging her to open closed doors in order to get to the dedicated phone.  Thanks to suggestions by Eileen and Marge, she will jump obstacles, go under beds or chairs to get to and return with the phone.  Thanks to Mike Stewarts premise "Own the eyes" associated with saying her name and waiting 3 seconds to deliver the cue, she is able to process the cue more readily.

Other Retrieves that Lily does on a regular basis: pick up her toys and put them in her toybox, find and retrieve the keys ("keys"), default pick up of a dropped leash (and cued as well), pick up objects that I point to ("get it").  She regularly brings her food dish after meals, cued or not, and holds until the release cue, "Thank You".  She is not trustworthy with fragile items - credit cards, raw eggs - but I trust her to pick up a knife.

Yet to learn:  match to sample.  That would be helpful.  And Robin's "Ding" concept would be as well.  There are always new challenges to enhance the usefulness of a service dog.

This and That

We've been taking the jump out to the Marina and incorporating it in play, in Retrieve, in Level 4 Focus (Look!  Hup!), figure 8s.

Finally bit the bullet and bought a Bosu at Target.  It fits nicely under Lily's pause table.  That's an added bonus!  I have partially inflated it and am playing shaping games with it with Lily.  Standing and sitting, primarily.  All 4 on the Bosu.

Continuing to build Paws Up duration w/trees and PB.  More often than not now it's flat pads on the tree trunk.  I'm going to find other people's stucco walls to smear the PB on......maybe on base, BP, elsewhere.  Although it hoses off easily, I must admit.

We've returned to the alley with my sidewalk chalk - drawing out the Bullseye and Ray diagrams for Front practice.  The alley is a wonderful place to train because the distractions are alluring and always changing.  Plus it's right outside the back gate.

Lily's seizure alert training blog has been moved to its own location, separate and apart from our other blogs.  There are many wonderful people assisting us in this work and referring to it - both as contributors and as coaches.

Lily is wearing her harness/vests almost all the time now in our public work.  Even with the Synvisc injections making my knees pain free, I find myself relying more and more on Lily for counter balance.  She has figured out the counter balance and now just automatically switches mode.  So glad to have the new vests.  I am going to have the shoe repair sew Velcro on the Web Master so that I can add the Ruff Wear pockets.  I'm still looking for the right patch indicating Emergency Medical Information.

We are both enjoying working on L4 Focus.  It's a fun behavior.  We've moved to Step 2 with Look! Get in the car!  Look! Go thru the door!  Look!  Jump the jump!  Lily is easily picking up the arm cue to the Left and to the Right.  At some point in the future I will add the Left and Right cues, but I for the moment, I want to keep the Focus training "pure" and train by the Levels.

I'm really impressed by the training done by Wildrose Kennels - Gentlemen's Gundogs.  The pictures of the dogs all on tables in the open while the trainer washes his car has inspired me.  The self-control exhibited by all the hunting dogs is truly impressive.  And the work they do with their young puppies equally inspirational.  What a class organization!  Rachel Thornton - you are truly blessed.  Thank you for inviting Lily and me to your next DAD weekend at Wildrose.

Training Plan for Seizure Alert

Alert Behavior:  gentle, but persistent tug at my clothing

Cue:  presentation of seizure scent odor activates the tug; "Thank You" (Retrieve release cue) ends the behavior

Comebefores:

• Target L1 Step 4 Comeafter
• Lily removed clothing
• Target  L2
• Retrieve  L3
• Left Side/Right Side (Steps to Service)
• LL   L1 - 4
• SDW

Step 1:  Nose target clothing
     a) Twofers
     b) Nudge clothing

Step 2: Carefully take clothing in mouth

Step 3: Gently tug on clothing
Step 4: Add a temporary verbal cue:  Poke
Step 5: Introduce captured seizure scent
Step 6: Build in duration and perseverence

• "New cue (scent)/ Old cue (verbal)/ Get Behavior/ Reward"
• Drop old cue.  
• Present scent.  Dog tugs clothing.
• Hide scent on body.  Dog tugs clothing.

Modification:  The modified alerting behavior will be a demanding, persistent, attention-getting nose Touch on my torso.  "Carefully take clothing in mouth" was very challenging for Lily to accomplish without occasionally catching my skin and that caused me to re-think the behavior.  The plan now eliminates Steps 2 and 3.  LS 6/27/2012

Comeafters: (generalize after completion of each step)

• Lily performs the behavior in the following circumstances:
• left side or right side
• Lynn seated, standing, reclining, moving
• vested and not vested
• daylight or in the dark
• in any location
• leashed and off leash
• in the midst of distractions
• people
• other dogs
• (same Comeafter criterion as other Levels behaviors)
• in the presence of her own worst nightmare!

Retrieve Level 4: Emergency Phone Retrieve

I have been working on adding Distance with Lily's Emergency Phone Retrieve.  She understands the softly given cue (Phone) from as far away as the landing.  Perhaps it is running up the half flight of stairs that revs her up.  Perhaps it's just her built in antenna telling her that it's Retrieve so it is a fun game.  Whatever the reason, when Lily must go from outside the bedroom wing to get the dedicated EP, her enthusiasm causes her to "forget" to carry the phone by it's handle.

She eagerly does the EPR.  BUT......from a distance, she reverts to carrying the phone in her mouth.

In an emergency, that won't matter, but for the sake of her training, I really want the phone carried by its handle.  If we can master that skill, then I theoretically can also cue her to retrieve a ringing phone.

So....what do you do when you run into trouble?  Take the chain apart and work on the individual behaviors.

Yesterday we reviewed Retrieve Level 3 Step 3:

• where to hold the object 

and Step 4:

• moving to get the object
• moving with the object in her mouth
• how to carry the object: no mouthing, quiet mouth

It is Lily's responsibility to remember that this particular object is to be held by the strap.


This morning, we went "back" to Retrieve Level 4 Step 3:  The dog lifts the article off the floor.  And then, because she will have to lift the phone off the floor as it rests under the desk in the cradle, we train lifting from floor first then from the cradle.

Lift from floor



Lift from cradle

Now it's time to begin to let Lily take a step or two with the phone strap in her mouth.  No cue.  The click (or "yes") tells her when to release.  Lily is so responsive to the click, the video captures Lily letting go of the phone in response to a poorly timed "yes".

Also, the close up video showed me a few occasions where it looked as though Lily was holding the phone in her mouth when she actually was holding the tight part of the strap with her front teeth.

First, lift from the floor and then step.

Then lift from the cradle and step.

Stationary, move.  Stationary, move.

THE MISSING LINK:  A controlled approach

Now, I expand Step 4 by increasing the distance that Lily must travel to get to the phone without increasing the distance she must carry the phone.  My thinking here is to teach self-control and focus on the approach.

We're almost at the point where I will have to begin moving myself - when I begin extending the distance Lily must carry the phone.  First, though, I want to build in "the missing link".

CRO: L II Distance Work

It's a beautiful day and we have been indoors all weekend.  So a trip to the Marina seemed in order for  pure "dog pleasure" - running and sniffing - and then, some distance work on CRO L II behaviors.

It's just Levels Distance work with a twist.

Instead of hauling a jump along in the car, I took 2 of our new cones and one of Jan's poles.

First, Figure 8s over a jump.  Just doing multiples because she will!  And seems to enjoy it.....

Then send Lily out over a jump to retrieve an object and return over the jump.  For CRO she will have to return to either heel or side position, but for today over and back is the criteria.  Have never done this before, either direction.

Finally, go out to a target 6 to 10'  from the handler and down.  New location, new surface, new target.  So many new variables, so  I cut back on the distance.  By now, Lily is tired and we decide to call it a day.  I want to do more work at home on "There" without any forward motion.  It's a Drop on Recall with the addition of a target,  but I have changed the cue from Wait to There.  Eventually it will be "ThereDown", "ThereSit", or just plain "There" (and remain standing).

Eyeglass Retrieve (for Marge!)

All this week we have had houseguests.  Day before yesterday, unbeknownst to him, Ron dropped his reading glasses and continued walking.

Lily got up from her mat, walked over and picked them up by the earpiece and followed after him, glasses held carefully in her mouth.

Emergency Phone Retrieve

The Emergency Phone Retrieve has always been Shayla's job.  Even with Lily as my Service Dog, the phone retrieve in the house remained Shayla's job until her final day.

For as long as I have had Shayla, there has been a "dedicated" cordless phone under the desk in my bedroom.  Only Shayla used it.  It always remained on the charger and Shayla would unfailingly retrieve it, on cue, from anywhere in my house or yard.  And strangely enough, even though Shayla and I would maintain the training on the emergency phone, Lily never touched it.

The time has come for Lily to learn the job.

I will train this only in my bedroom since this is where the phone will always be.

This emergency behavior, although it is a retrieve, has its own cue, "phone".

Lily must learn to remove the emergency phone from the cradle.  And she must learn to not disturb the cradle or the adaptor cord.

For our first session, Lily will learn to retrieve the phone on cue.  And she will learn to take the phone off of the cradle.

Lily already has a strong retrieve.  I will expect her to carry the phone gently in her mouth and to hold it until I either click or give the release word, "thank you".

Comebefores

Step 1

Step 2

I expect that we will stay on these two steps for quite a while.  I want Lily to have a clear understanding of the cue "phone" and what the object is.  I want Lily to have a quiet hold of the phone, no matter how it is placed in her mouth.  And I want to build some quiet duration into her hold.....all before having her carry the phone (even a step or two).  We will continue to lift and deliver quietly.


Practice

Coaching points by Marge:  (thank you, Marge)

 I see what you mean about the quiet mouth when she is near you.  In looking at the first video, it appears the last 2 holds in the clip had lower jaw movement.  I wouldn't click those.  I the last video, I counted 4 or 5 trials where she mouthed or re-gripped the phone.  Each one earned a click.  If I were training this, I'd -

• take it off cue.  The behavior is not reliable enough yet to have the cue associated with it.  The environmental cues of the clicker, treats and phone are enough for now.  I wouldn't want mouthing associated with the cue.
• I'd take the pick up off the floor and the docking station out of the picture for now.   All the dog would have to do at first is hold it and then hold it and walk with it.  I'd add the pick up last.  So, if I were going to back chain it, I'd start with the dog holding it just if front of me until she could do that for x number of seconds in 9 out of 10 trials.  Then, I'd hand her the phone while she was one step away.  Then she would walk one step and give me the phone.  Then 2 steps.  I'd look for 9 out of 10 trials at each step.  I would decide ahead of time what my criteria is for a click and what will be a no-click moment (any mouthing or re-grips).  When the dog could carry the phone across the room (after I hand it to her) without mouthing, I would probably start with a pick-up off an ottoman rather than the floor.  I'd get my 9 out of 10 successful trials and then gradually move to the floor and ultimately, the docking station.  For a dog that already has a retrieve, those steps will go quickly.  All the carrying practice comes before that. 

All that said, if I were training this behavior, I could take my time with it because I don't need it.  If I did need it, and need it in a hurry, I'd put a strap around the phone and teach Pride to carry it by the strap/handle so I wouldn't have to worry about him crunching the phone. I could probably get that relatively quickly and reliably.

Your observations are invaluable.  What you are seeing and what you are telling me is to take this retrieve behavior and teach it step by little step; follow the Levels; teach it from the beginning.  I hear you!

Training during Half Time

What a wonderful trick!  Lily has been picking up small items (like coins) for quite a while and she knows to put objects into containers, so the foundation is there to learn this trick.

 I trained it by first getting her to put a large item into a large bowl and then a smaller and smaller item until she was putting a coin in there, then I reduced the size of the container little by little until she was putting it into a tiny glass, then I put tape across the top of the glass to leave a large-ish slot and then finally the piggy bank! 
Sian

Half time:  Arkansas and LSU.  Time to train Lily's new trick.  The video above is the finished behavior.  Now let's see what we can do training in "real time" before the second half begins.
  

After "sleeping on it", we see what Lily retains from yesterday.  I think she's got it!  And much more controlled, too.

TRAINER DECISION:  Is this good enough?  Or do I want to take it further?  And......why?

Retrieve/Carry

This video has been trouble.  The first 3 sessions literally disappeared in the transfer from the camera to the computer, which is disappointing because we began with Step 1 Level 3 Retrieve.  I want to use the leash and then the nylon handle of a tote to teach Lily to carry something for me.  We are working on Carry using the plastic dumbell right now, but I wanted to see how she controls her mouth with the soft nylon leash.

The first session was taking the leash, holding the leash, which she was able to accomplish with no mouthing.

Here we begin to move a step or two with the leash in her mouth.  When she walks beside me, she is mouthing the leash.  When I ask her to hold it, she does not "chew" on the leash.  When I have her take a step or two toward me, she holds it relatively quiet in her mouth.

Holding the leash, Lily will Sit and Brace while holding it quietly.  Then I ask for Step    , pick the leash up from the floor and hand it to me.  OK.

This is a small tote.  The plastic dumbell is inside to give just a little weight.  This is different yet again.  The swing of the bag is disconcerting, but Lily holds is still and can even take a step or two.

Now we try walking just a few steps at a time.  Hold the tote and Sit.

Walking 2-3 steps.  Then I take the tote, give a treat, and offer the tote again.

The Flips are good coaches and give me a chance to see where we are and where to begin - back at the beginning using the leash and using the tote.  More to come.

Retrieve: Level 3

Step 1

Step 1: Comeafters

Step 2: Building Duration

Step 2:  Adding the cue

• "When she can keep her mouth on it reliably for five seconds, you can start telling her that the cue is Get It."

Step 2

Step 2: Comeafters

Step 3

• The Splits

Step 3

Step 3: Comeafters

Step 4

Step 4: Comeafters

Step 5

Assisting in UNDRESSING

Shaping the PULL behaviors.