Thinking Outloud

Lily has three "get help" seizure response behaviors.  Two were taught when she was young, one recently.  Each of these behaviors is unique and she performs them with alacrity and enthusiasm.  It always amazes me that she knows them so well, remembers them so well, and performs them so well.

Lily's Emergency Call Box cue is my body unresponsive in a prone position.  Body position.  And at home or in the yard or garage.
Lily's Public Seizure Response cue is similar to the ECB behavior because it is cued by my unresponsive body, but the behavior is different.
Lily's Emergency Phone Retrieve is cued with a verbal cue.  To retrieve the dedicated phone.  When cued only.  The phone is to be ignored at all other times.

The seizure alert behavior must be performed the same way.  Only when cued, no matter what that cue is.

Her alert behavior is a strong, persistent and repetitive poke or prod to the center of my body.  The cue will be the scent of seizure.  For the moment, we are using the scent of Earl Grey tea to teach the chain.  Eventually we will change the cue from Earl Grey to seizure scent.

So. 

How to teach strength and persistence into the "poke".  In clicker training we want the dog to offer behaviors.  I am thinking of teaching this chain the way I have taught the response behaviors: a single high value treat reserved for this behavior, always "double cue" and always treat, working on the presumption that when it does happen, the pattern will be established and she will always be expecting a treat.

I already know that I won't be able to hide scent on my body when in a prone position on the floor, because that will trigger a different response.  But I can train lying prone on the bed and on each sofa in my house.  (and seated, standing, moving, inside and outside, at home and in public)

"Poke" only when cued.  I can cue and wait for two-fers or three-fers to build both strength and persistence.  And ignore voluntary pokes.  Or do a series and C/T for not poking.  I'm thinking this through very carefully, now that she knows the behavior and knows the verbal cue.

In teaching the scent as the cue I present the scent to Lily in some form - container or in my hand or with scent rubbed into my hand.  I am beginning with the scent in hand in a film canister.

Now I want to teach her that the canister itself is not a cue - it is the scent emanating from the canister.  This really is the same concept as the scent wheel.  So I am going to begin presenting both hot and dummy canisters during a training session.  Identical to look at.  But one containing scent and one not.

And.....I will utilize the "change the cue" formula, adapted to this situation.

D, touch, C/T
D, touch, C/T
D, touch, C/T
SS, touch, "Poke", C/T

OR should I reverse the ratio?

SS,touch, "Poke", C/T
SS, touch, "Poke", C/T
SS, touch, "Poke", C/T
D, touch, C/T

Still thinking this through before I begin.  Because I am thinking how this will impact really long term when I once again use the "change the cue" formula to transfer this training with a tea bag and substitute seizure scent.