Can your dog do a trick that is not on this website?

[yoyopoodle]

Do guide dogs or other service dogs learn to 'read" public signs as part of their training? such as signs for the subway or restrooms etc?

Not currently, but it's an assistance dog program that is researching and teaching the subject The Assistance Dog Institute - http://www.assistancedog.org. That's where I went to school.

There is a book that Bonnie wrote on the subject and I highly recommend it... she is a classroom teacher who uses the same techniques to teach dogs how to fully understand the behaviors and easily solve problems. The book is list on the website ^^

If dogs can read... guide dogs can read signs for restrooms and exits, shy children can be encouraged that reading is fun, and cancer-sniffing dogs can point to a sign that says what type of cancer they are detecting...

Also, dogs already communicate with us, but we are not always sure what they are saying in some cases - can they point to a sign with the word that they are thinking of? Can they select words from a pile and form a sentence? Those are some of my goals with Charlie.


I didn't even get into it before, but... once a dog knows to look at a card and it will tell them what to do, you can show them a picture and they will figure it out on their own!

After Charlie knew to read DOWN, SIT, SHAKE, and ROLL, I decided to show him a picture of a dog sitting, but I didn't say anything. True, 'sit' is kind of a default behavior in many cases, but for reading 'down' became the default since that was the first one. He looked at the card for a second, then sat - jackpot!!! :dogohmy: It may have been an accident, but who cares? I then showed him a dog lying down, and he sank right to the floor! The next one I showed was a dog on it's back with all four legs in the air... this was supposed to be a 'roll', (back on floor, belly exposed), but I had taught Charlie that only a back leg needed to be lifted - none of his commands at the time were on his back with front legs in the air. I wish I had it on film because it was amazing to watch him think it through... he tried waving one then both front legs, then went into a partial bow and tried to lift a front leg over his head... after about 10 seconds he lay down and shot all four paws into the air! :dogblink: A posture that he had never learned or been praised for, and he offered it because that's what the picture said!
Now he rolls and waves a front paw when I show that card and just does his usual back leg for ROLL or a verbal 'roll'.

People think that dogs can't read because it's not an instinct, it's not natural... uhhh, and humans are born knowing how to read? :dogrolleyes: Really makes you wonder how much more canines are really capable of...

 

[luna may]

Oh My God... Just Oh My God

 

[l_l_a]

now that is almost scary!!

would it be easier for the dogs to discern pictures of shapes rather than words, e.g. a picture of a circle could mean sit and a picture of a triangle could mean 'down'....do you think that's easier for dogs to discriminate compared to spelled-out words?

 

[bipa]

aarrgghh.... I'm having enough trouble reading German, and now I'm supposed to start teaching my dogs to read it, too? Next thing ya know, my dogs will be more fluent than I am! :dogtongue:


Great trick, though! Perhaps one of these days .... :dogsmile:

 

[l_l_a]

haha, yeah I know, Bipa!!

this is so fascinating!

well my dog can understand some vocally spelled-out words. No, he doesn't understand spelling in the way we humans do, I don't think dogs can do that (but I'm willing to accept if I'm wrong!) He has just learned to associate the sound of the spelled out words with certain things. He would always get excited when I tell my husband that I'm taking the dog to the park, or when my husband informs me that he's taking the dog out. So, sometimes when we want to just tell each other that LATER we will take him to the dog park, but didn't want our dog to get all excited for nothing by thinking he's going right now, we would instead start spelling out the words to each other. I would say to my husband "I'm gonna go to the store, run a few errands, then when I get home I'll t-a-k-e the pup to the d-o-g p-a-r-k." I would do that just so the dog wouldn't get all excited for nothing (just thought I'd spare him the arousal and disappointment). However, it wasn't long before he then recognized the sounds of our spelling and now he gets excited even when I spell out the words. So now if I say to my husband "I'll t-a-k-e the d-o-g to the d-o-g-p-a-r-k" our dog perks up and starts jumping around.

Next at home we'll have to speak in different languages so the dog won't get ahead of us.

 

[yoyopoodle]

would it be easier for the dogs to discern pictures of shapes rather than words, e.g. a picture of a circle could mean sit and a picture of a triangle could mean 'down'....do you think that's easier for dogs to discriminate compared to spelled-out words?

It may be easier if you are only going to teach a few words, but I don't think it'll make much difference to the dog... they definitely look at the entire word, as well as at least some of the individual letters. The main issue would be making sure that you always know what the desired behavior is before your dog - for that reason alone I'd personally stay away from anything that I don't already associate with the behavior

Also, teaching words will make it much more believable to friends/critics that the dog is actually reading. And you may find some neat words for him to react to in public... such as sitting when he reads 'Don't Walk' on the crosswalk and getting up when it says 'Walk'... there are less opportunities of use for pets than for assistance dogs, but it's great learning for mental work-outs.

 

[Jean Cote]

Do you think that maybe the dog starts to catch on to the pattern? If for example there is only three required behavior printed on three different sheets, sit, down and stand. I would think the dog would eventually learn that there are three things that earn him treats and he might just offer one after the other until he gets the reward.

I'm curious; maybe I should try this with my dogs. See what kind of results I get. It's a neat trick nonetheless!!!

 

[luna may]

I'm teaching Kesem Sit and Beg now, and I hope she'll get it...
Wish me luck!

 

[yoyopoodle]

I would think the dog would eventually learn that there are three things that earn him treats and he might just offer one after the other until he gets the reward.

Yes, this happens at first... mainly during the first two words, especially if they build off of each other (such as sitting, but sinking into a down if the reward doesn't come). It's not until the third word that most dogs will really start to do the right behavior on the first try... though I know quite a few who understand the difference from the start with no mistakes after the initial lesson.

You can lessen those patterns by starting with, say, DOWN and SPEAK, or SIT and BOW, or DOWN and TURN (circle). Just make sure they are reliable without any visual cues. It's better not to have any props until the dog knows quite a few words, otherwise the props become a major part of the cue and it may be hard to apply the task in a real situation (requiring the dog to locate an item).

The more words you teach, especially if they look really different at first, the closer the dog will look at the card to choose the appropriate behavior.

Good luck luna may - I'm sure Kesem will understand them soon If she seems to get them confused, try choosing another word with a very different behavior

 

[marieke]

I was wondering if you might give a away some unconsious signals when you're teaching your dog to "read" (or recognize words shapes is more like I suppose). To test this maybe someone (yoyopoodle???) could show their dog the cards without knowing themselves what's on it. Something simulair happend with that horse that suposedly could do math.

On the other hand it wouldn't surprise me at all if they'd still be able to do it. All they have to do is associate the word shape to a trick. If they can do it with spoken words why not with written words.

 

[luna may]

Good luck luna may - I'm sure Kesem will understand them soon If she seems to get them confused, try choosing another word with a very different behavior

Thanks for the support! The sit is going fine, beg is a bit trickier, but so far it's procceding wonderfully! Personally, I'm very pleased... It gives Kesem mental enrichment, teaches her new stuff, gets her closer to us humans, plus it's extremely cute! :doglaugh:

I was wondering if you might give a away some unconsious signals when you're teaching your dog to "read" (or recognize words shapes is more like I suppose). To test this maybe someone (yoyopoodle???) could show their dog the cards without knowing themselves what's on it. Something simulair happend with that horse that suposedly could do math.

Yeah, I heard about that one- his name was "Smart Hans", and he really did trick them fair and square

 

[yoyopoodle]

I was wondering if you might give a away some unconsious signals when you're teaching your dog to "read" (or recognize words shapes is more like I suppose). To test this maybe someone (yoyopoodle???) could show their dog the cards without knowing themselves what's on it.

Yes, that is certainly a possibility. With Charlie being such a fast dog, I still feel like I need to let him know within a couple of seconds or he'll go do his own thing... however some of the service dogs that I have trained I do think would respond to the card - most of them wouldn't give eye contact until after choosing a position, and they were not likely to move (much lower energy/arousal dogs).
I will try it though - I'll see if my friend can record the session.

Also, a person doesn't need to be present once the dog understands the command. You can teach 'off' or 'leave it', and place it in a holder on the counter... not many dogs have been taught to that level yet, but I do believe it was working for a few.

 

[milissa]

I haven't seen this one that Book does every day:
I drop his leash pretty constantly, so he picks it up and hands it back to me.

[MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFa2rYjXcJA[/MEDIA]

He also picks up anything else I designate that he is physically able to pick up. I have a video of him picking up a folding chair for me.

[MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-OJuzXjXHQ[/MEDIA]

I apologize if these are already on here, but as I said, I haven't seen them.

 

[mel_wood20]

My doggy can do a figure of eight through my legs, but walking backwards! Its our party trick at the moment! i can do a video if you would like me too? it is pretty cool!

 

[Jean Cote]

Get your leash ... haha priceless!!!!! (How come your videos are pink???)

mel_wood20: wow I've been meaning to train this to my dog. How have you trained it? Did you first teach backwards and then to add the weaving into it? Or did you clicker train it from scratch, or perhaps lured the dog backwards through your legs?

 

[drivingtenacity]

I'm so going to teach Zena how to read!:msnohyes:
We've discovered a variant to 'grab'. I hold a treat out, and she has to jump up, cross her paws over my wrist, and use them to support herself upright before and while she's getting her treat. Not to be attempted without long sleeves on.

 

[sweetcanela]

jean
Hey i have 2 dog book that have lots of tricks in it with nice quality pictures and i am not sure if you have done all the tricks but if your interested i can send copys and list of the tricks and you can teach or make the videos...I like the way you do your videos!!!!...my dog does the peek a boo (comes from underneath my legs and pokes her head)

 

[tango61]

i have some cute tricks... can i take part in this as well?

 

[ella]

Benda ist quite good at stealing money

She first opens the zipper of the rucksack, then takes out the purse, opens up the purse and then brings me the notes

 

[night watch]

Climbing a ladder

In my video Guinivere is walking up a ladder, not a plank w/ "rungs" nailed on is that on this site?