Tuesday, February 26, 2019

R+ training the humans is going well

One of the problems with R+ (clicker) training is that your critters become very treat-motivated, and start offering all kinds of behaviors unasked for.

Of course, our animals have been trained carefully and correctly and would never, ever do this. Hahahahaha.

Let's take Leo for example. He's gone from a reactive baby horse to one who actively seeks out humans doing weird things. Which is good, I guess, but makes it a little challenging when you're actually trying to do things.

Guy in clanky metal stuff carrying stabby thing might have cookies.

This guy is wearing EVEN MORE clanky metal stuff but who cares, he might have cookies.

Also we should stop and check to see if this guy wearing weird clothes and standing on a mounting block with a stabby thing has any cookies, even if we are supposed to be walking past him.


Then there's our barn cat Charlie. She has trained us to give her canned food when we go for a walk. Here's how it works:

Charlie knows that if she follows us when we go for a walk down the street, we will abort our walk, scoop her up, bring her home and give her a can of food. This distracts her long enough so we can make our escape sans kitty. 

Our husky, Logan, has figured out how to rest his chin on things and lay his ears back so that he looks completely adorable and irresistible and you absolutely must pet him immediately.

Can you resist this? No you cannot.

Or this. I just want to pet the picture it's so cute. Clearly we have trained Logan very well so that he does extremely cute things to be petted. Or something.

And then there's Paddy, the original human trainer.

He's even trained this unknown human to give him cookies by looking cute.

Sooooo.... how's that R+ thing working for you?

10 comments:

  1. Dante isn't clicker trained but lately has started offering up stretching behaviors for treats lol

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    1. I think YOU might be the one being trained... ;)

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  2. I am totally convinced they believe they are training us. My hens will mob me until I put out their sunflower seed + scratch at evening chore time. Like some blocking the wheelbarrow and some riding in it - non-stop b*tching at me.

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    Replies
    1. Oh they are absolutely training us, no doubt about that!

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  3. LOL. You've got quite the menagerie of trainers and trainees.

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    1. I feel like I'm probably the trainee more than the trainer!

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  4. I can see our horses around the water trough now... " I know they say they are not very smart, but I have had a lot of success training MY humans..."

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    Replies
    1. I can 100% guarantee that this is the exact conversation they have!

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  5. haha you guys are whipped! But also I could not resist your dog.

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