Category: Fun Stuff ¤
  Author: Victoria Farrington ¤
   Title: Choosing Their Own R+ ¤

	One of Dash's impressive behaviors is that after some clicks, I go
through an elaborate routine that means "go get the toy bag, bring it to
me and I'll give you smething terrific."  He loves this, it's a great
game, he'll go quite some distance and do things like jump into the back
of the truck and get it, pull it down from a convenient fence post or
actually track it if I've had the time to drag and hide it.  It's almost
as big as he is, full of squeakies and smelly treats, and I guess by
impressive I meant that it impresses my "clicker skeptic" friends for the
energy he puts into it.  Not only is the food or toy NOT in my hands, it's
often no where in sight and the little wonder has to work to find it--and
to bring it to me.
	Anyway, I've been in a terrible non-holiday kind of mood, we were
out doing errands and we stopped to visit our most skeptical of clicker
friends.  Dash was being very good at not mugging her new puppy, he did
some heeling, the truck was at the end of the field, about 200 ft. away
and I really did feel like showing off!  So I sent him to get his treat.
He tore off to the truck.  He didin't come back.  The truck has a cap, so
we could neither see nor hear him.  Just as I was getting worried and even
wondering if I'd put the toy bag in there today, voila! He appears, and
he's not downcast or disappointed although he doesn't have the toy bag.
In fact, he's ready to go again and setting himself up in heel position,
demanding I give him another shot.  Okay, I went on a bit with some
heeling and a few jumps, clicked, sent hiim to the toy bag.  Again he
disappears but he's not gone quite so long, still he comes back with
nothing and again he's ready to work again.  Hmm.  Does he now find it
reinforcing simply to run to the truck,jump into the back, do...something
and return?  I think not.  So I give him a third chance--which doesn't
happen very often and I follow his mad dash to the truck.
	Oh My.  I had a tin of very expensive English toffees back there.
He has a/pulled off the wrapping paper b/sliced through the heavy plastic
sealing c/pried open the lid with his teeth d/unwrapped...Now this is the
odd part.  He was holding a toffee and at his feet were the wrappings of
exactly TWO.  Does this mean that he restrained his sweet tooth and took
only ONE toffee for each click?  He wasn't the least bit ashamed or aware
he was being "bad."  He handed me the toffee with an expectant look--hey,
you with the fingers, help me out here.  So he was choosing his +R.  I had
a good laugh, wondered a bit and when we came home put a bowl of his
favorite (for the moment) Pupcorn treats in a bowl.  I had him do a quick
series of behaviors, clicked, he ran to the bowl and took...ONE.  Then
turned toward me.  I haven't taught this but isn't it interesting?  Why
isin't he taking as many as he can eat?  My husband said when he strips
the hair off Dash's ears (an unfavorite, heavily reinforced for tolerance
behavior) he puts chicken bits on a plate beside them and when he tells
Dash to help himself, he routinely takes only one bit, then sighs and
waits to earn another.
	Now this part IS clearly off topic but finally put me in the
holiday mood.  Shiva, my hardly ever mentionied "other" dog, has
degenerative cartilage in her hip at only 4 yrs. old so she isn't able to
hike with us anymore.  She always did get tired and grouchy, even before I
did!, and we don't want to push her.  As we're planning some hiking over
the holidays, I decided it might work if my husband and Dash handled the
rugged terrain and I pulled Shiva in a wagon on the bike path at the park
we'll be visiting.  And there by the side of the road today as I passed a
consignment shop was a perfect Shiva-sized red wagon.  (We even have ideas
of teaching Dash to pull it.)  So I stopped, the price was right, I
decided to get her out and see if she liked it.  Oh she did like it,
she loves to be pushed in wheelbarrows, but even more than that she fell
in love..with a neon green ugly UGLY bean bag chair.  I was paying for the
wagon when I felt a tug on the leash.  Shiva never tugs on her leash
unless she's fleeing and this was a small shop, no dogs, I turned around
and she was tugging toward that bean bag.  Amused, I let her climb it.
Aaah, she settled onto it, sticking out her legs, queen of all she
surveyed.  Okay, it was funny.  Time to go.  Nope, not without this.  She
just perched there, looking ornery.  Shiva, please, let's go.  Nope.  I
WANT this.   The store owner gave it to me at half price. It's ugly as
sin, really the most hideous thing that has ever entered my not terribly
well decorated home, it sits like a big toadstool in the livingroom and
she's been climbing up all there day and looking immensely happy with
life.  She's also made it entirely clear to Dash that he will suffer a
terrible fate if he chews, licks, pees on or heaven forbid attempt to take
her throne.  Perhaps it provides some support for her poor little hip.
For whatever reason, I've never seen her so pleased with anything.  When
my husband came home from work, she was torn--should she get up and do the
dance of greeting?  But it was just so nice on that bean bag!  She settled
for a dance on the beanbag.  Silly girl.
	How funny dogs are.  NOW I understand what gift giving is all
about.  NOW I'm ready for the holidays.
	Happy holidays,
	Victoria Farrington
Think she'd notice if I, oh, maybe spray painted it a less painful color?