Teaching Ranger K-9 sign has a lot in common with teaching my children to speak. Sometimes it takes a parent to see/hear the very subtle differences. We took advantage of the proximity of the point and shoot with video ability to record some video during one of our unscheduled language lessons.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33350160@N02/5639592562/in/photostream or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4ZUkk-JAdE As I watched them later I realized that while to me the distinction between how Ranger signs cheese and chicken is fairly clear it might not be to someone else watching the video. Just like a child learning to speak Ranger isn't always very precise about his "diction." When I'm asking him to identify cheese I see a more pronounced bend to his leg and the leg not being lifted as high. Chicken shows a less pronounced bend and his leg is lifted higher. In watching the videos I'm also reminded that I have higher expectations for the form of the sign than my daughter does. I was very pleased in watching the video to see that even though her signed question, "What is that?" was actually signed as "Is what that?" Ranger was still able to understand the question and respond appropriately. http://www.flickr.com/photos/33350160@N02/5639520152/in/photostream/ or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCju8OWOK6Q
When we moved from cheese and chicken to toy it was obvious that we haven't been using the toy sign much lately. I was amused to see him run through all three food signs in an effort to get the toy. I also wished that I'd had a clicker so that I could have marked his correct use of the toy sign before he switched to the food signs again. In the video I could see a couple of times when he started to lift the right paw but instead signed with the left. My sense is that he does know toy but that lately he's been rewarded so much for food signs that they have become his default choice. Ranger will be getting to play with the bear of squeakiness (yes it is a silly name) and other toys a lot in the days to come with a variety of edible treats mixed in. http://www.flickr.com/photos/33350160@N02/5639552782/in/photostream/ or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X12_tGo_7rM
In the meantime I'll lament the fact that we would be in a position to video on a day when there's laundry everywhere and plenty of other mess. Not that I'm ever a good housekeeper but I don't always have laundry baskets and boxes for outgrown clothes all over my living room.
Ranger
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Communicating
For reasons I haven't yet fathomed Ranger greets our Schwan's delivery guy with wild exuberance. He is the only one who receives this kind of greeting from Ranger. He does bring treats which he gives to Ranger but he doesn't give them to him until Ranger is sitting politely. When Ranger jumps on him all he does is step back then when Ranger sits he fishes in his pocket for a treat. I haven't tried to retrain Ranger from this behavior because I think that secretly the Schwans delivery guy enjoys being the only one for whom Ranger goes crazy. And perhaps that's the reason Ranger does it. Even though he doesn't get an overt reinforcement there's a covert one that I'm not recognizing. That's neither here nor there. I wanted to mention what I saw during our last transaction. Ranger greeted the delivery person with his usual exuberance, including jumping on him. Then he immediately sat and started rapidly signing Food over and over until the treat arrived. He's definitely embraced the idea that the lift and set down of the left paw means food.
We've been working with him on the signs for Chicken and Cheese. My goal is to get him to the point where there is a general category of chicken and the same for cheese. I may be making progress. When we were at Naturally 4 Paws I noticed the treat they were about to give him was labeled chicken so I asked Ranger what it was. He signed Food. I asked what kind of food and he signed Chicken. The clerk was so impressed she had the other staff watch while he did it again. Of course later when I asked Ranger to identify a toy he was excited about he immediately signed Chicken. I asked him if he thought it was food and he switched to the Toy sign. We haven't asked him to use the Toy sign a lot lately but we have been working Chicken and Cheese. The stuffed corduroy bear with lots of squeakers was a huge hit with Ranger so I'm sure he'll find ample opportunities to use the Toy sign in future.
We've been working with him on the signs for Chicken and Cheese. My goal is to get him to the point where there is a general category of chicken and the same for cheese. I may be making progress. When we were at Naturally 4 Paws I noticed the treat they were about to give him was labeled chicken so I asked Ranger what it was. He signed Food. I asked what kind of food and he signed Chicken. The clerk was so impressed she had the other staff watch while he did it again. Of course later when I asked Ranger to identify a toy he was excited about he immediately signed Chicken. I asked him if he thought it was food and he switched to the Toy sign. We haven't asked him to use the Toy sign a lot lately but we have been working Chicken and Cheese. The stuffed corduroy bear with lots of squeakers was a huge hit with Ranger so I'm sure he'll find ample opportunities to use the Toy sign in future.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tail Waggin' Tutors at the Library Today
Today Ranger and I went to the Poulsbo library so he could listen to children read. I'm really pleased by how well he's learned the routine. Rather than use the main door and possibly run into people with allergies or fear of dogs we've been asked to enter through the French doors that open directly into the children's section. The walkway leads to the main doors and the path to the French doors isn't immediately obvious but as Ranger took a step past the path I reminded him "Our door." And Ranger immediately turned and headed down the path to our door.
When we arrived there were no children waiting so Ranger was visiting with the Children's Librarian. As we were talking and Ranger was getting his tummy rubs twin boys came and were interested in reading to Ranger. I asked Ranger to get up and told him we needed to go to our space. He jumped to his feet and headed for the corner where we set up for reading time. I asked him to wait while I shifted the furniture around to make room for him--he's a big guy. Then I spread his blanket on the floor and told him to get ready for listening. He trotted over to the blanket and lay down. The boys were very impressed that Ranger did everything I told him to. Their Mom wanted to know how long it had taken to train Ranger like that. The answer is that we've had him for three and a half years and have worked on his training nearly every single day. I went on to say that while we do train pretty much every day it isn't all formal training and that for Ranger it's fun time for interacting with his people. After Ranger had listened to a Lego firefighter story the boys began asking me questions about Ranger's gear. He wears a pair of bandannas around his neck when we visit one is his red Therapy Dog International bandanna the other is the blue PAWS Buddy Brigade bandanna--one bandanna isn't quite long enough to go around his neck and still allow me to tie it without getting a lot of his fur caught in the knot. By sewing the two bandannas together it makes it long enough that I have a better chance of not tying him into the knot. We talked about how he knows that if I put his "uniform" on he knows that he's going to work and that he knows if he's not wearing his "uniform" he's off duty. We looked at his ID card which really impressed the boys and talked about how it says he is not a Service or Assistance Dog and what the difference is between a Service Dog and a Therapy Dog.
After they left there wasn't another child waiting to read so Ranger and I hung out in our corner and practiced some of his tricks and then I was just petting him, running my fingers through his fur. About this point a little girl came to show Ranger the pictures in her book. I was still running my fingers through his fur and hit a snag. Apparently I pulled a little hard trying to work it out as Ranger yelped and jumped up. The girl was very startled and kind of afraid but when I asked her if she'd ever yelled ouch when her Mom was combing her hair and explained that what Ranger had just done was to yell ouch she was fascinated. They finished looking at the pictures in her book and she held her hand out to Ranger so he licked it. I'm not sure what she expected when she gave him her hand but Ranger had no doubt what to do. It was pretty cute listening to her giggle because his tongue tickled. Please, note that part of Ranger's equipment is hand sanitizer. However, when I offered it to them her mother said they'd just go wash her hands in the bathroom.
Ranger and I had a long talk with the Children's Librarian as we were getting ready to leave. Some of her colleagues at other branches have been asking about the program and she wanted to know what kind of training the dogs have and how people go about getting their dogs registered. All in all it was a good day of educating.
When we arrived there were no children waiting so Ranger was visiting with the Children's Librarian. As we were talking and Ranger was getting his tummy rubs twin boys came and were interested in reading to Ranger. I asked Ranger to get up and told him we needed to go to our space. He jumped to his feet and headed for the corner where we set up for reading time. I asked him to wait while I shifted the furniture around to make room for him--he's a big guy. Then I spread his blanket on the floor and told him to get ready for listening. He trotted over to the blanket and lay down. The boys were very impressed that Ranger did everything I told him to. Their Mom wanted to know how long it had taken to train Ranger like that. The answer is that we've had him for three and a half years and have worked on his training nearly every single day. I went on to say that while we do train pretty much every day it isn't all formal training and that for Ranger it's fun time for interacting with his people. After Ranger had listened to a Lego firefighter story the boys began asking me questions about Ranger's gear. He wears a pair of bandannas around his neck when we visit one is his red Therapy Dog International bandanna the other is the blue PAWS Buddy Brigade bandanna--one bandanna isn't quite long enough to go around his neck and still allow me to tie it without getting a lot of his fur caught in the knot. By sewing the two bandannas together it makes it long enough that I have a better chance of not tying him into the knot. We talked about how he knows that if I put his "uniform" on he knows that he's going to work and that he knows if he's not wearing his "uniform" he's off duty. We looked at his ID card which really impressed the boys and talked about how it says he is not a Service or Assistance Dog and what the difference is between a Service Dog and a Therapy Dog.
After they left there wasn't another child waiting to read so Ranger and I hung out in our corner and practiced some of his tricks and then I was just petting him, running my fingers through his fur. About this point a little girl came to show Ranger the pictures in her book. I was still running my fingers through his fur and hit a snag. Apparently I pulled a little hard trying to work it out as Ranger yelped and jumped up. The girl was very startled and kind of afraid but when I asked her if she'd ever yelled ouch when her Mom was combing her hair and explained that what Ranger had just done was to yell ouch she was fascinated. They finished looking at the pictures in her book and she held her hand out to Ranger so he licked it. I'm not sure what she expected when she gave him her hand but Ranger had no doubt what to do. It was pretty cute listening to her giggle because his tongue tickled. Please, note that part of Ranger's equipment is hand sanitizer. However, when I offered it to them her mother said they'd just go wash her hands in the bathroom.
Ranger and I had a long talk with the Children's Librarian as we were getting ready to leave. Some of her colleagues at other branches have been asking about the program and she wanted to know what kind of training the dogs have and how people go about getting their dogs registered. All in all it was a good day of educating.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Therapy Dog vs Service Dog vs Pet Dog
Ranger, as I've mentioned before, is a Registered Therapy Dog with Therapy Dog International. He is not a Service Dog although the training and expectations for behavior are similar in many respects. He is also a Pet Dog. There are legal distinctions between all of these. Service Dogs, by law, are allowed in any public space that their humans can go. Therapy Dogs do not have the same legal right to be anywhere their humans are; Therapy Dogs can only go where they have permission. Pet dogs are even more limited in the places they are allowed to go; pets can only go where an open pet policy exists.
Yesterday, I was at one of my favorite thrift shops, Value Village, and noticed that there were several dogs in the store, these were all small purse sized dogs and none of them were wearing anything to identify them as Service animals. After seeing my third dog in the shop I decided to ask when I checked out--maybe Value Village was actually a dog friendly venue. If so then, Yah!, one more place I could safely take Ranger so that he's exposed to more places where he has to behave. And to be honest more convenient for me if I can take him out for a hike then stop and shop on my way home without having to be mindful of the weather or where I park. I try very hard to be mindful of condition so I don't like to leave Ranger in the car unless it is very overcast and even then I'll only leave him until the temperature hits 60 degrees F. If it is sunny I try to park in the shade and again the 60 degree rule applies. But, getting back to my story. As I was checking out I asked if Value Village was a dog friendly establishment commenting that I'd seen several dogs that day. I got the standard "Service Dogs are welcome" and a lot of complaints about people bringing in their dogs who then urinate or defecate on the floor and the owners don't clean it up. I said I was asking because my dog is a registered Therapy Dog and I'm always looking for more places I can take him.
"Oh, Service Dogs are fine," they said.
"But he isn't a Service Dog he is a Therapy Dog, the difference is that by law a Service Dog can go anywhere I can but a Therapy Dog can only go where he has permission," I try to explain.
"If you need him you're welcome to bring him in," comes the response.
"I don't need him, but his job is visiting so I'm always please, when I can find a place he's welcome so I can keep him in practice," I say trying to explain further.
"Sure, you can bring him for socialization," they respond.
"I should mention that he's a big guy about 90 lbs." I add.
"No, problem. You can bring your Service Dog," I'm told.
Frankly, I was surprised at how little understanding of the distinctions there was. I'm not sure that there was enough understanding to give me informed permission to bring Ranger shopping with me in Value Village. I probably won't until I've talked to them further and made sure they understand that they can say "No."
I'm sure the lack of understanding is partly due to the very open way the law is written in the great state of Washington. Here there is no requirement that a Service Animal be identified in anyway, the animal doesn't have to wear a vest, cape, bandanna, tag or anything else. If the human partner declares the animal is a Service Animal the shop owner/manager/staff must accept that.
I've noticed, however, that people who are using a Service Animal because they need the assistance the animal provides are careful to identify their animal with a vest, cape, or bandanna. When he's working Ranger wears bandanna identification, we also carry an official identification card with his photo and he has a easily spotted yellow tag that identifies him as a Therapy Dog. You can see it in the photo below.
I try to make sure he's wearing his full compliment of tags when he's out in public but I sometimes forget. He wears his county dog licence, rabies vaccination tag, Canine Good Citizen ID tag, ID tag and his "I am a Therapy Dog" tag. In addition we've attached all his tags to longer clips so they don't get hidden by his coat. It really isn't that hard to do and yet I noticed a couple of the dogs I saw yesterday weren't even wearing collars much less tags.
So what I'm wondering is why, since the actual partners of Service Animals already do, we can't change the law to require that a Service Animal actually wear some form of identification. If nothing else it would force unscrupulous people who just want to bring their pet shopping with them to actually plan their deception and buy some form of Service Animal ID. It might cut down on some of the idiots whose thoughtless misuse of the term Service Animal give those who genuinely depend on their assistance a bad rap. What do you think?
Yesterday, I was at one of my favorite thrift shops, Value Village, and noticed that there were several dogs in the store, these were all small purse sized dogs and none of them were wearing anything to identify them as Service animals. After seeing my third dog in the shop I decided to ask when I checked out--maybe Value Village was actually a dog friendly venue. If so then, Yah!, one more place I could safely take Ranger so that he's exposed to more places where he has to behave. And to be honest more convenient for me if I can take him out for a hike then stop and shop on my way home without having to be mindful of the weather or where I park. I try very hard to be mindful of condition so I don't like to leave Ranger in the car unless it is very overcast and even then I'll only leave him until the temperature hits 60 degrees F. If it is sunny I try to park in the shade and again the 60 degree rule applies. But, getting back to my story. As I was checking out I asked if Value Village was a dog friendly establishment commenting that I'd seen several dogs that day. I got the standard "Service Dogs are welcome" and a lot of complaints about people bringing in their dogs who then urinate or defecate on the floor and the owners don't clean it up. I said I was asking because my dog is a registered Therapy Dog and I'm always looking for more places I can take him.
"Oh, Service Dogs are fine," they said.
"But he isn't a Service Dog he is a Therapy Dog, the difference is that by law a Service Dog can go anywhere I can but a Therapy Dog can only go where he has permission," I try to explain.
"If you need him you're welcome to bring him in," comes the response.
"I don't need him, but his job is visiting so I'm always please, when I can find a place he's welcome so I can keep him in practice," I say trying to explain further.
"Sure, you can bring him for socialization," they respond.
"I should mention that he's a big guy about 90 lbs." I add.
"No, problem. You can bring your Service Dog," I'm told.
Frankly, I was surprised at how little understanding of the distinctions there was. I'm not sure that there was enough understanding to give me informed permission to bring Ranger shopping with me in Value Village. I probably won't until I've talked to them further and made sure they understand that they can say "No."
I'm sure the lack of understanding is partly due to the very open way the law is written in the great state of Washington. Here there is no requirement that a Service Animal be identified in anyway, the animal doesn't have to wear a vest, cape, bandanna, tag or anything else. If the human partner declares the animal is a Service Animal the shop owner/manager/staff must accept that.
I've noticed, however, that people who are using a Service Animal because they need the assistance the animal provides are careful to identify their animal with a vest, cape, or bandanna. When he's working Ranger wears bandanna identification, we also carry an official identification card with his photo and he has a easily spotted yellow tag that identifies him as a Therapy Dog. You can see it in the photo below.
So what I'm wondering is why, since the actual partners of Service Animals already do, we can't change the law to require that a Service Animal actually wear some form of identification. If nothing else it would force unscrupulous people who just want to bring their pet shopping with them to actually plan their deception and buy some form of Service Animal ID. It might cut down on some of the idiots whose thoughtless misuse of the term Service Animal give those who genuinely depend on their assistance a bad rap. What do you think?
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Ranger the Mooch
As a registered therapy dog Ranger makes regular visits to a local nursing home. Visiting the locked ward today (dementia patients) one of the patients was just finishing breakfast. Ranger indicated strongly that he wanted to visit her first. I knew he wanted to mooch whatever he could so I started him visiting on the other side of the room. Later when I noticed she had finished we went back to visit with her. There were a couple of bits of whatever she'd been eating--sausage would be my guess--left on her plate and the plate had been pushed toward the middle of the table. Ranger walked over and sat politely for some petting which the resident obligingly provided. Then before I knew what was happening she picked up the smaller bit of leftover and fed it to Ranger. He sat there eyeing the larger bit of leftover breakfast clearly hoping it would come his way, too. The resident told him he couldn't have the big piece but he continued to hope. Never once did he sign food. We moved on to another resident and visited with them for a bit and continued to make the rounds returning to the first one when she indicated she wanted us back. Apparently she wanted us back so she could give Ranger the last bit of her breakfast. Note to self: remember this is the dementia ward and the residents aren't predictable and don't remember what you told them or what they said seconds ago. We definitely need work on the leave it command--not so much him minding as me remembering that we have this tool.
Visiting the nursing home is taxing work on many levels but the smiles make it all worthwhile. There's nothing quite as sweet as seeing an old lady who was sitting dejectedly in her wheelchair smile all over her face when she starts petting the dog or watching Ranger settle comfortably next to another wheelchair, lounging against it while a woman chatters away to him about how he's so gorgeous and such a good dog. It's also fun to see staff drop whatever they were doing to come pet Ranger. Or the deskbound staff invite him to stand on their desks as they lean across to pet him. There was also a very tiny Asian lady who was fascinated by Ranger. She'd never met a dog so big. He probably weighed as much or more than she did. I very much enjoyed watching the guy emptying the trashcans grin all over his face when he met Ranger. His English was pretty limited but my impression was that he couldn't get over what a big friendly dog Ranger is. I didn't recognize the language but I think that's what he was saying. I was also entertained by the Activity Director getting Ranger cup after cup of water from the water cooler. He was thirsty and really appreciated the water but I had expected to get it for him. Still I enjoyed watching her give Ranger cups of water because it was clearly giving her so much pleasure. Some of visting is a bit bittersweet listening as residents describe the dogs they once knew and how much they miss them or watching the one woman fade from recognizing Ranger as himself to identifying him as her dog Skeeter or the gentleman who struggled to find the words he was losing because he wanted to describe what a beauty Ranger is. He wanted to tell me what a beautiful coat Ranger has with the black frosting on his brown fur but needed me to supply the words coat and fur, such common easy words and yet ones he could no longer find. Still, it's good to watch Ranger clearly enjoying himself doing what he loves best, meeting people and getting them to pet him. And it's a good feeling to know that we brightened some days even if just for awhile.
Because this kind of visiting is taxing work the other gal that had her dog visiting with us brings treats that her dog gets at the end of the visit. When the treat bag came out Ranger's bottom hit the floor and his left paw whipped up and down in a very clear sign for food. I'm wondering why in the first instance when the food was slow in coming he didn't sign and in the second case when it the food was practically on it's way he still signed. Could he recognize that the resident wouldn't have understood the sign and the other therapy dog partner could understand it? Interesting to speculate.
Visiting the nursing home is taxing work on many levels but the smiles make it all worthwhile. There's nothing quite as sweet as seeing an old lady who was sitting dejectedly in her wheelchair smile all over her face when she starts petting the dog or watching Ranger settle comfortably next to another wheelchair, lounging against it while a woman chatters away to him about how he's so gorgeous and such a good dog. It's also fun to see staff drop whatever they were doing to come pet Ranger. Or the deskbound staff invite him to stand on their desks as they lean across to pet him. There was also a very tiny Asian lady who was fascinated by Ranger. She'd never met a dog so big. He probably weighed as much or more than she did. I very much enjoyed watching the guy emptying the trashcans grin all over his face when he met Ranger. His English was pretty limited but my impression was that he couldn't get over what a big friendly dog Ranger is. I didn't recognize the language but I think that's what he was saying. I was also entertained by the Activity Director getting Ranger cup after cup of water from the water cooler. He was thirsty and really appreciated the water but I had expected to get it for him. Still I enjoyed watching her give Ranger cups of water because it was clearly giving her so much pleasure. Some of visting is a bit bittersweet listening as residents describe the dogs they once knew and how much they miss them or watching the one woman fade from recognizing Ranger as himself to identifying him as her dog Skeeter or the gentleman who struggled to find the words he was losing because he wanted to describe what a beauty Ranger is. He wanted to tell me what a beautiful coat Ranger has with the black frosting on his brown fur but needed me to supply the words coat and fur, such common easy words and yet ones he could no longer find. Still, it's good to watch Ranger clearly enjoying himself doing what he loves best, meeting people and getting them to pet him. And it's a good feeling to know that we brightened some days even if just for awhile.
Because this kind of visiting is taxing work the other gal that had her dog visiting with us brings treats that her dog gets at the end of the visit. When the treat bag came out Ranger's bottom hit the floor and his left paw whipped up and down in a very clear sign for food. I'm wondering why in the first instance when the food was slow in coming he didn't sign and in the second case when it the food was practically on it's way he still signed. Could he recognize that the resident wouldn't have understood the sign and the other therapy dog partner could understand it? Interesting to speculate.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Begging for bites with the food sign.
It is amazingly sweet when Ranger signs food when he's trying to mooch a bit of whatever I'm eating. Yes, I admit it I share my food with my dog. He's allowed to look soulfully at whatever I'm eating and quietly indicate that he'd like some too but he's not allowed to be an obnoxious beggar. Lately, he sits politely watching me eat looking soulfully at my food and if that doesn't work he signs food. If I can be permitted a bit of anthropomorphizing, it's as if Ranger thinks I didn't understand the soulful gazing and so he needs to make it clearer by using our shared language of sign. Of course he gets something to eat when he asks like that just not always what I'm eating. I don't share my expensive dark chocolates with him because they aren't healthy eating for him but, truth to tell, I seldom share them with anyone else either ;-). He did, however, get some tiny pieces of steak last night.
He's beginning to use the sign for cheese more often but still clearly prefers to use the more generic food. He's definitely liking the variety of cheese and chicken treats he's getting as we try to establish categories of cheese-ness and chicken-ness.
Meanwhile, I have a new favorite photo of Ranger.
I actually sent this one and one other to Patricia McConnell as an entry in her "your dog on a bookcover" solicitation. I think Ranger would be lovely on a bookcover. Here's the other photo I submitted.
He's beginning to use the sign for cheese more often but still clearly prefers to use the more generic food. He's definitely liking the variety of cheese and chicken treats he's getting as we try to establish categories of cheese-ness and chicken-ness.
Meanwhile, I have a new favorite photo of Ranger.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Polite Greetings
One of Ranger's very favorite places to go is Naturally 4 Paws. Most of his food and treats comes from there so we are there quite often and Ranger, of course, gets lots of attention and treats every time we have him with us. I noticed on our visit today that he has added something to his usual polite behavior as we check out. For a long time the routine was that when we took our purchase up to the counter to check out he would put his paws up on the counter and lean across so the staff could pet him then he would get down and sit to wait for his treats. This routine is repeated many times during the course of check out. After we started teaching him K9 sign I noticed that if there was a delay in the treat delivery part of the routine he was signing food. Today I realized that now when he sits he immediately signs food every time. It's become part of the routine. I wonder if he's actually asking for his treats or if it has become a superstitious behavior in this context. I'm going to assume he is asking because it is appropriate usage in context. I love catching him using his words. I'm going to have to take a video camera with me one of these days and try to capture him using his words.
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