Category: Training People to Train Their Dogs ¤
  Author: Dani Weinberg ¤
   Title: '101 Things to do With a Box' Goes to Class! ¤

One of the things I plan to do in my next big-dog class, very early in 
the game, is to demo and play "101 Things To Do With a Box."  This might 
work really well with puppies who, hopefully, have not yet become too 
inhibited to play the game.  And it's *very* impressive and very easy.  
You can use the game to show people how the clicker marks the moment, how 
reinforced behaviors get repeated, and how shaping works.  You do have to 
spend a few minutes initially conditioning the clicker, but I find that 
dogs get it pretty quickly when there's an actual task to perform.  I 
would choose a very likely candidate puppy to do the demo - a 
high-energy, responsive, curious puppy that has just enough ability to 
focus so that s/he doesn't just wander around the room aimlessly when 
left off leash.  (It will help if you can set up a "ring" of some kind, 
to separate the demo puppy from the rest of the group.)  If you're 
uncertain about the owner, you can do the initial demo with yourself as 
"trainer" and then let the owner jump in at a certain point (once the pup 
is catching on).

After the demo, you might try having everyone play the game using a chair 
or some other accessible object (you don't need to bring in 20 boxes!).  
This, of course, assumes enough space and enough assistants to help you.  
The rules I'd use for this beginner group would be:  

1)  At first, c/t for *any* interest in/interaction with the box.
2)  Once you've got the game going and the puppy is interested, avoid 
clicking for the same behavior twice.
3)  If you see something interesting developing, start shaping towards a 
goal behavior - such as sitting inside the box, or pushing it across the 
floor, etc.

I'd probably start with the demo and then have some discussion in which 
you guide the group to "invent" the basic principles:

1)  Training is all about communication, and the clicker is our 
communication device (in the absence of a common language).
2)  Close observation and good timing enable you to be precise and 
helpful.
3)  Dogs need both information (the CR) and payoff (the PR) in order to 
stay in the game.    
4)  Behaviors that are reinforced are more likely to happen again.
5)  Behaviors that are not reinforced will disappear.
6)  Once the dog understands the game, s/he will learn to experiment and 
you'll have more behaviors to choose from.  

You can start the discussion by asking people what they noticed during 
the demo.  It's OK if they don't invent all of these basic principles.  
Whatever they *do* invent on their own will have more of an impact on 
them than anything you might tell them in a lecture.  And remember that 
this is just a taste, a free sample, so you don't have to cover the whole 
subject.

I think I would avoid luring in favor of letting people see the power of 
working with spontaneous behaviors.  Another thing I like to do in puppy 
class (right away, in week 1) is start to teach loose-leash walking - off 
leash.  I have each team work inside a ring of some kind and simply ask 
the handler to start walking and c/t whenever the pup is close to them on 
their left side.  If you choose your demo team carefully, you'll have the 
pup hardly leaving the owner's side within just a couple of minutes.

Near the end of the class, when the puppies are tired, you might have 
people shape a Down on the mat, breaking the behavior down into its 
tiniest pieces (looking, leaning towards, putting one paw on, etc.).  
That's something the entire group can be doing simultaneously while you 
talk, answer questions, etc.  And what a useful behavior to teach!

Please let us know how it goes.  And have fun!

Dani



Dani Weinberg
Albuquerque, NM
71044.3715@compuserve.com