Morey and I have been working on a training project for several months and it's finally to the point where I am able to use this task. Even though you start out knowing that you are training a task for a service dog, it can be easy to start thinking of it as a "trick"-something cool to show off what your dog can do. However, when you actually need your dog to help you with something and you can use that new task to get it accomplished that is pretty cool.
I have always wanted to teach a dog the concept of "right" and "left". I decided this would be a good challenge for Morey and I to figure out together. I began shaping (using a clicker with food rewards when he does a behavior close to what I am looking for and then gradually getting more strict about which behaviors get rewarded) it this summer and it's been a work in progress ever since.
At first it was clicking him for simply looking left. Then I transitioned to items on the ground and clicking when he looked at the one on the left. I had to switch the items frequently so he didn't think he was getting rewarded for always choosing the glove or sock or pencil, but only for choosing the item on the left. This was sometimes a challenge when he would move around and suddenly the item I wanted was now on his right side!
I initially started teaching this task because I tend to have more than one thing in the area when I am asking Morey to retrieve. I thought it would be nice to be able to direct him to the thing on the left or right instead of having him retrieve each item until he gets to the one I really want. I started with left and we will introduce right in another month or two.
I knew we had successfully perfected the task the other night. I was in bed and wanted Morey to retrieve one of my socks that was across the room (next to a pile of other things). He went over and I said "left" and then gave him a "that's it" to get him to know he was correct. He picked up the sock, ignoring the other items, and brought it to me. Success!
Morey
Morey, My 2nd Service Dog
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Morey at the Movies
Morey accompanied me and a friend to The Muppets movie. I'm not sure if Morey had been to a movie in a theater before. As I expected, he settled down and went to sleep as soon as the lights went out. He did wake up several times and look around when a dog barked on the screen. There was also a part where one of the characters did some very high-pitched whistling and I don't think Morey's head could have tilted any further to the side!
The way the theater was designed there really wasn't any way for Morey to get out of the way. Luckily the theater wasn't very full and so he could lay out in front of our seats without causing any problems.
The way the theater was designed there really wasn't any way for Morey to get out of the way. Luckily the theater wasn't very full and so he could lay out in front of our seats without causing any problems.
A Trip to the Vet
Morey was due for his annual shots and check up so I decided to get that all done before our holiday travels. Morey initially likes it when we go into the clinic because it has lots of good smells and usually other animals to distract him. However, once we go in the exam room he realizes what comes next. My usually social outgoing dog turns into a shy and hesitant 'fraidy cat; the only time he is reluctant to go say hello to someone.
He is very cooperative about being handled by the vet staff, even if he doesn't enjoy it. He weighed 76 lbs which might be a bit more than when I got him, but it's because he "has filled out" now that he's three years old. I keep a close eye on his weight to keep him nice and trim. After all, we have ICAN recertification coming up soon and it would be embarrassing to be told my dog is too fat!
When the vet came in the room, Morey actually hid behind my wheelchair. I have to admit, that made me laugh! He cautiously went over to say hello and through the rest of the exam he did a visit on my lap, refusing to look at the vet. He got his shots and did look back over his shoulder as if to say "Hey, I thought you were giving me a butt scratch and now you're poking me with needles?"
Morey was given a clean bill of health. I'm thankful to have such a happy and healthy dog in my life!
He is very cooperative about being handled by the vet staff, even if he doesn't enjoy it. He weighed 76 lbs which might be a bit more than when I got him, but it's because he "has filled out" now that he's three years old. I keep a close eye on his weight to keep him nice and trim. After all, we have ICAN recertification coming up soon and it would be embarrassing to be told my dog is too fat!
When the vet came in the room, Morey actually hid behind my wheelchair. I have to admit, that made me laugh! He cautiously went over to say hello and through the rest of the exam he did a visit on my lap, refusing to look at the vet. He got his shots and did look back over his shoulder as if to say "Hey, I thought you were giving me a butt scratch and now you're poking me with needles?"
Morey was given a clean bill of health. I'm thankful to have such a happy and healthy dog in my life!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
A Naughty Service Dog
When you live and work with the world's best service dog, there are times when you forget that he is still a dog. He is perfectly behaved and responsive, loves to work, is fun and goofy, social yet focused on me, and all around an awesomely amazing dog.There are really only 2 things that would make Morey more perfect: less shedding and the ability to live forever.
I get spoiled by Morey. I can put him in a down stay and know he won't move until I come back, leave food in his reach and be confident that he won't get it, and let him off leash knowing he will come when I call him. Yet every once in a while Morey does something "dog-ie" and it takes me by surprise. Then I am forced to stop and readjust my expectations and realize that even though he is practically perfect in every way, he still is a dog. A domesticated and very well trained dog, but still an animal that does not think from a human perspective. And sometimes his partner has trouble thinking from a dog perspective.
Last week I left Morey at home during rugby practice. I like to leave him alone every once in a while just so he stays used to it. He always expects to go, but I just tell him "You're going to stay" and then he knows that I'm going and he's not. Usually when I get back he will just be getting up from a nap on my bed (sometimes he's waiting to greet me at the door but sometimes it takes him a while and he will poke his head out the bedroom door with squinted eyes as if to say "Oh, you're back. You woke me up.").
When I came home from practice Morey greeted me at the door and when I came inside there was trash and bits of paper and Kleenex all over the floor in my hallway. Surprised, I looked at Morey and pointed to the stuff strewn all over the floor and asked in an accusing voice "Oh Morey, did you do this?" He slunk over to me and sat down, wagging his tail just a bit.
[The dog trainer in me knows this reaction is because of the tone of voice I used. The anthromorphic human in me said this was because he was feeling guilty for his actions.]
Still amazed that my perfect service dog had done something so common and vulgar as digging through the trash, I continued, "Morey, I'm kind of ashamed of you." (And yes, I do frequently have conversations with Morey!) Hearing the displeasure in my voice Morey turned to do something that usually results in lots of praise: retrieving. He went around the room and one by one he retrieved each piece of trash and brought it to me.
[The dog trainer in me knows that Morey was thinking that retrieving=praise so if I retrieve something that will make her praise instead of scold me. The anthromorphic human in me was thinking that he was trying to apologize for his bad behavior.]
The sight of Morey cleaning up his own mess made me laugh which made Morey happy too. Only a service dog would get into the garbage and then clean it up on his own! The conflict of dog nature vs. training was clearly demonstrated in this scenario. When left alone with a trash full of goodies the dog part of the service dog may not be able to resist, but the service part will help you clean up the resulting mess!
This situation was a good reminder that my expectations for Morey may be a bit unrealistic. I will now be a bit more careful about what I leave in the trash on his level. I will also be more aware of the battle between the dog trainer side of me that views Morey and his behavior from an appropriate dog perspective and the anthromorphic side of me that tries to ascribe human emotions and thought processes to Morey's behavior and reactions (he "should know better", look how guilty he looks, etc.)
I get spoiled by Morey. I can put him in a down stay and know he won't move until I come back, leave food in his reach and be confident that he won't get it, and let him off leash knowing he will come when I call him. Yet every once in a while Morey does something "dog-ie" and it takes me by surprise. Then I am forced to stop and readjust my expectations and realize that even though he is practically perfect in every way, he still is a dog. A domesticated and very well trained dog, but still an animal that does not think from a human perspective. And sometimes his partner has trouble thinking from a dog perspective.
Last week I left Morey at home during rugby practice. I like to leave him alone every once in a while just so he stays used to it. He always expects to go, but I just tell him "You're going to stay" and then he knows that I'm going and he's not. Usually when I get back he will just be getting up from a nap on my bed (sometimes he's waiting to greet me at the door but sometimes it takes him a while and he will poke his head out the bedroom door with squinted eyes as if to say "Oh, you're back. You woke me up.").
When I came home from practice Morey greeted me at the door and when I came inside there was trash and bits of paper and Kleenex all over the floor in my hallway. Surprised, I looked at Morey and pointed to the stuff strewn all over the floor and asked in an accusing voice "Oh Morey, did you do this?" He slunk over to me and sat down, wagging his tail just a bit.
[The dog trainer in me knows this reaction is because of the tone of voice I used. The anthromorphic human in me said this was because he was feeling guilty for his actions.]
Still amazed that my perfect service dog had done something so common and vulgar as digging through the trash, I continued, "Morey, I'm kind of ashamed of you." (And yes, I do frequently have conversations with Morey!) Hearing the displeasure in my voice Morey turned to do something that usually results in lots of praise: retrieving. He went around the room and one by one he retrieved each piece of trash and brought it to me.
[The dog trainer in me knows that Morey was thinking that retrieving=praise so if I retrieve something that will make her praise instead of scold me. The anthromorphic human in me was thinking that he was trying to apologize for his bad behavior.]
The sight of Morey cleaning up his own mess made me laugh which made Morey happy too. Only a service dog would get into the garbage and then clean it up on his own! The conflict of dog nature vs. training was clearly demonstrated in this scenario. When left alone with a trash full of goodies the dog part of the service dog may not be able to resist, but the service part will help you clean up the resulting mess!
This situation was a good reminder that my expectations for Morey may be a bit unrealistic. I will now be a bit more careful about what I leave in the trash on his level. I will also be more aware of the battle between the dog trainer side of me that views Morey and his behavior from an appropriate dog perspective and the anthromorphic side of me that tries to ascribe human emotions and thought processes to Morey's behavior and reactions (he "should know better", look how guilty he looks, etc.)
Friday, December 9, 2011
The Ultimate Compliment
Today as Morey and I were coming back into our office building after taking an afternoon potty break Morey received the ultimate compliment. After jumping up and pushing the door button we went inside as usual. A man who was coming out and had seen Morey's door-opening/button pushing skill said "Wow, now that's as close to Lassie as I'm ever going to see!"
Morey, the humble service dog being compared to Lassie, who saved Timmy when he was stuck in the well and did many other heroic acts (too numerous to mention here). I'm not sure if Morey recognized the compliment he had received, but it certainly made me smile!
Morey, the humble service dog being compared to Lassie, who saved Timmy when he was stuck in the well and did many other heroic acts (too numerous to mention here). I'm not sure if Morey recognized the compliment he had received, but it certainly made me smile!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
3 is a crowd
My mom and I have the same type of van. As a result, it gets humorous to watch Jessie, Morey, and Buddy compete with each other to share the same space they normally get to themselves. From these pictures, I think you will probably agree that Morey won that contest!
I love the expressions on all the dog's face! Buddy (the shih tzu) looks digusted, Jessie looks indignant, and Morey looks all innocence. As you can see from the next picture though, the arrangements didn't keep anyone from going right to sleep!
Morey's Grandma
Morey has a special connection with his "Grandma". If you remember, Morey has had a connection with her since he was born (and way before she was officially his grandma). Although she did much of his earliest training-starting when he was only a few days old- most recently visits with Grandma have meant all fun and games. When he is at Grandma's house he is pretty much "off duty" and get lots of treats, toys, and attention. However, Grandma is very good at respecting the boundary between Morey as a professional and Morey her granddog.
It's amazing to me how quickly dogs form habits and put together patterns and sequences of events. This Thanksgiving was only the second time Morey and I have flown home, although we have flown lots of other places together. However, as soon as we exited the airport and were on the curb waiting for Grandma's taxi, Morey started looking around, putting his nose in the air and getting excited. He has never done this when we have flown anywhere else, so he must have remembered that this is the place where fun things happen. I asked him if he was looking for "grandma" and he looked right at me. When Grandma arrived, he bounced up and down and did an entire body wag. (It works out well because while he is greeting Grandma, I am greeting Jessie. Then, once we have said hello to the important dogs in our loves, we say hi to each other).
I'm thankful Morey is such a beloved member of our family. He and Jessie get along well, although there is some competition for pets, treats, toys, and bed space. Morey's "aunts" also like it when he come home to visit. They also like it when I come to visit too ; )
It's amazing to me how quickly dogs form habits and put together patterns and sequences of events. This Thanksgiving was only the second time Morey and I have flown home, although we have flown lots of other places together. However, as soon as we exited the airport and were on the curb waiting for Grandma's taxi, Morey started looking around, putting his nose in the air and getting excited. He has never done this when we have flown anywhere else, so he must have remembered that this is the place where fun things happen. I asked him if he was looking for "grandma" and he looked right at me. When Grandma arrived, he bounced up and down and did an entire body wag. (It works out well because while he is greeting Grandma, I am greeting Jessie. Then, once we have said hello to the important dogs in our loves, we say hi to each other).
I'm thankful Morey is such a beloved member of our family. He and Jessie get along well, although there is some competition for pets, treats, toys, and bed space. Morey's "aunts" also like it when he come home to visit. They also like it when I come to visit too ; )
The Price of Fame
When you have a service dog, it's hard not to be noticed or recognized. It seems like at least once a week, usually when I am on campus, I will have someone say "Oh, I saw you at the gym/library/parking lot the other day". I would be a very bad criminal-people tend to remember when they see a person with a dog someplace where they aren't expecting it. Sometimes it comes from someone I know, and sometimes it's a relative stranger-a student who has seen me in my office (we have over 1,800 students registered with the Services for Students with Disabilities office at UT so although I try, I still don't recognize all of them) or a staff member who attended a presentation I gave. Each time it happens I am reminded that whenever Morey and I go out we are ambassadors for all people with service dogs. No pressure there!
Sometimes these encounters happen in places where you would never expect. When I arrived at the Indianapolis airport at 11pm for my Thanksgiving visit, I was waiting at the curb for my mom to pick me up. All of a sudden a car pulls up in front of me and the person rolls down the window and says "I was at the ICAN golf outing this summer when you spoke. Enjoy your trip in Indiana!" Wow! I hadn't been in Indiana for more than 20 minutes and Morey and I were already recognized. I guess that is the price you pay for being "famous"!
: )
Sometimes these encounters happen in places where you would never expect. When I arrived at the Indianapolis airport at 11pm for my Thanksgiving visit, I was waiting at the curb for my mom to pick me up. All of a sudden a car pulls up in front of me and the person rolls down the window and says "I was at the ICAN golf outing this summer when you spoke. Enjoy your trip in Indiana!" Wow! I hadn't been in Indiana for more than 20 minutes and Morey and I were already recognized. I guess that is the price you pay for being "famous"!
: )
Bark in a Bag
Traveling with a dog never gets boring. Even though I would now consider both Morey and me to be experienced travelers, there are always new elements and adventures being thrown at us. Luckily we are both good at being flexible and rolling with whatever punches come our way!
We went home to Indiana for Thanksgiving and started out the trip by taking the bus to the airport. Morey tucked nicely under the seat and got several compliments from other passengers. Even though he can be a goof ball at home and sometimes even in the office, he is very good at snapping into official service dog mode.
In our flights over the past few months, I have noticed more people flying with little dogs. People will be walking the dogs, carrying them in their arms, or transporting them in soft-sided crates. through the airport. I'm not sure if these dogs are pets, emotional/psychiatric support animals or service dogs. (Under the Air Carrier Access Act, emotional/psychiatric support animals are allowed to fly with their partner, while under the Americans with Disabilities Act these types of animals are not granted public access).
Whatever the case, as Morey and I were making our way to our gate after going through security, we both were startled by several sharp yaps that quickly turned into incessant barking. I usually try to be aware of my surroundings and I hadn't seen a dog anywhere. Morey hadn't either and I could tell by the way his ears were pulled back and how he was glancing around that he was trying to find out where this piercing noise was coming from. Finally, I saw a woman bending down beside a bag on the floor next to her. Inside was an agitated fluffy white dog. The bag looked like a regular duffel bag but as I looked closer I could see that parts of it were mesh instead of solid cloth.
Neither Morey or I were expecting the barking to be coming from a bag. As we kept moving to our gate we could still hear the dog barking behind us. Now we know to look out for dogs in bags!
We went home to Indiana for Thanksgiving and started out the trip by taking the bus to the airport. Morey tucked nicely under the seat and got several compliments from other passengers. Even though he can be a goof ball at home and sometimes even in the office, he is very good at snapping into official service dog mode.
In our flights over the past few months, I have noticed more people flying with little dogs. People will be walking the dogs, carrying them in their arms, or transporting them in soft-sided crates. through the airport. I'm not sure if these dogs are pets, emotional/psychiatric support animals or service dogs. (Under the Air Carrier Access Act, emotional/psychiatric support animals are allowed to fly with their partner, while under the Americans with Disabilities Act these types of animals are not granted public access).
Whatever the case, as Morey and I were making our way to our gate after going through security, we both were startled by several sharp yaps that quickly turned into incessant barking. I usually try to be aware of my surroundings and I hadn't seen a dog anywhere. Morey hadn't either and I could tell by the way his ears were pulled back and how he was glancing around that he was trying to find out where this piercing noise was coming from. Finally, I saw a woman bending down beside a bag on the floor next to her. Inside was an agitated fluffy white dog. The bag looked like a regular duffel bag but as I looked closer I could see that parts of it were mesh instead of solid cloth.
Neither Morey or I were expecting the barking to be coming from a bag. As we kept moving to our gate we could still hear the dog barking behind us. Now we know to look out for dogs in bags!
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