Strengthening the Alert Behavior

1.  Putting the alert behavior on stimulus control; only when cued

• in a series of other behaviors
• from a sit
• from a down
• while I am standing
• while I am seated
• while I am reclining

2.  Repeating the above for another person; only when cued

• in a series of other behaviors
• from a sit
• from a down
• while standing
• while seated
• while reclining

3. Repeating the above with distractions

• with another dog present
• multiple behaviors for a single reward
• in other locations
• inside
• outside
• at the car
• at the beach
• from a distance
• when Rich is here
• when Lucy is arriving
• when someone is at the gate

Variations on a Theme

Fluency The ability of the dog to perform a behavior under any and all circumstances. When a behavior is said to be truly fluent, it a) happens every time it's cued; and b) is never offered when it isn't cued.

Rules of Stimulus Control: 
1. Behavior is not offered in absence of the cue 
2. Behaviors is offered every time cue is given 
3. Behavior isn't offered in response to a different cue 
4. No other behavior occurs in response to the cue 


More work on the alert behavior and stimulus control today.  This time, seated in the living room.

Lily's mat is in the room.

We are working on Poke as another cued behavior.  One of many.

Sit.  Down.  Settle.  Brace.  Poke.  Go Lie Down. Show Me.  Place.  Visit.

etc etc etc

Not "Poke/No Poke".  But Poke as one of many.  Cue discrimination.

A good session.  (And excellent Latency as well.)

Fluency and Stimulus Control

Fluency The ability of the dog to perform a behavior under any and all circumstances. When a behavior is said to be truly fluent, it a) happens every time it's cued; and b) is never offered when it isn't cued.

Rules of Stimulus Control: 
1. Behavior is not offered in absence of the cue 
2. Behaviors is offered every time cue is given 
3. Behavior isn't offered in response to a different cue 
4. No other behavior occurs in response to the cue 

Today we are working on a tricky area - fluency of the alert behavior while I am lying on/in my bed.  Setting the foundation that this behavior is only done on cue.  No scent involved.  

Lily has never performed the alert behavior, "Poke", in this environment and with each of us in different positions.

So we began with just cueing the behavior and the physical ability of Lily to do the behavior lying down as well.  Later I will move her to standing on the bed and standing beside the bed.  But today we are working on teaching Lily that she can nudge me with her nose while lying beside me.

She positioned herself beside me, her head resting between her paws.

When I first cued "Poke" I expected that she would nudge my torso, but she nudged my arm instead, firmly enough to move my arm.  That's alright.....I think.  But it caused me to pause.  And to think it through.

I know that I don't want her nudging me on the face.  I know that I don't want her nudging me on my feet or my legs.  The first I just don't like.  The second I don't know if that would transfer to nudging my legs while upright and/or moving.  More to think about.

But, for now, prone and on the bed and assuming sleep, arm, torso, shoulder would all be acceptable.

Using the ABC (Antecedent (cue), Behavior, Click) model, the sessions went as follows:

A, B, C  X10

Repeat X10

Repeat X10.

All 3 sessions she firmly nudged my extended arm.

A, B, pause, 2-fer, C
 A, B, C
  A, B, C
    A, B, pause, 2-fer, C
      A, B, pause, 2-fer, C
        Repeat to total of 10

Did that for 2 sessions.  Still nudging my extended arm.

Then we began training fluency - poke/no poke

B2 (head resting between paws), C
  B2, C
    B2, C
      B2, C
         A,B,C

Lily is learning on her own, that a nudge is a nudge, whether nudging an arm or my torso.  We did that a couple of times and called it a day.

Scent Discrimination

Work continues separately on Phase 2, discriminating the target scent and only the target scent and indicating and on Phase 3,  building strength of the alert behavior.  Building persistence into the alert behavior.  But also building fluency - she will only perform the behavior when cued.  (See more on this in Phase 3.)

In this session I review the alert behavior.  I review touching the dummy (empty) canister.  And I review touching the target canister (with scent) and using it as the cue for the alert.

But the point of this session is to begin teaching Lily to discriminate between a dummy canister which requires only a touch and the target canister (with scent) which triggers the alert behavior.  I am making the explanation very simple, clicking as soon as her nose touches the dummy and cueing the alert behavior after she touches the target (hot) canister.

Poke

Touch Dummy

Target Scent/Poke

Dummy/Target Plus Verbal Cue

Dummy Target: Touch, C/T
Scent Target: Touch, Cue Poke, C/T

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.