The above Flip was Roosters second time on the contact board. The first was at Sue' s clinic. Though he hasn't used the board we have shaped surfaces at the park using the bleachers. I had a plan in my mind of how I wanted this to go but just wasn't happy with what was happening. Partly I think it was because I had planned for the various steps to move slower. My criteria were not clear to me and because of that not clear to Rooster.
Criteria
I wanted to first see how Rooster reacted to the contact board, then work up to four feet on the board
The next Flip was taken during the same session as the first. The problem I am having is me not Rooster. The Criteria remain the same but I have moved the board to face in a different direction.
Day 2
Shaping Surfaces
There was something wrong yesterday so I emailed Lynn. She sent me a link to Sue shaping Lily. This was so helpful and helped me realize my problem. My criteria needed to be determined by where Rooster was in the process and not where I thought he should be. He sailed through looking at the board, one foot on the board, two feet on the board etc to placing all four feet on the board and I needed to move on from there. Also, I was adding difficulty in the form of distractions. I was the distraction. I was standing up, moving around, and speaking. Rooster was having the think about what he was doing and at the same time he kept looking for me. I sat down on a stool and said nothing, only clicking to mark the behavior I wanted.
The following Flips are with me in one place, sitting quietly, and only clicking for the desired behavior.
Criteria
Four feet on the board moving forward.
I sat quietly on a stool facing the side of the board. After the click I tossed the treat ahead of Rooster to encourage him to move on forward the get his reward. I was not expecting him to walk the length of the board. The times he did were a bonus.
The Criteria remain the same but half way through I change my position to facing the end of the board but still tossing the treats off the ends of the board. Toward the end of the Flip when Rooster seems to be moving from end to end with ease, I change where I am tossing the treats. I start tossing treats to the side.
I have not changed my criteria, it remains moving forward on the board, going in both directions. The only change is that I have moved the location of the board to a different area, the entry hall. I go back to c/t from the side and then in the second video I move to the end of the board. I again deliver the treats to the ends of the board until Rooster seems automatic in what he is doing. I then toss treats to the side. This was a much better session today. The criteria were clear both for Rooster and myself.
I plan to continue to change the locations where I put the contact board, change where I sit, change where I toss the treats after clicking. I will also add the cue "walk on" when Rooster's behavior is automatic end to end.
