Inspiration
Trick Pony Goals
So I thought if I wrote down some of my goals for the Trick Ponies in 2010 it might actually help me to accomplish them. Hopefully our cold winter doesn’t last too long and I can get to training them soon! So here’s my list (in no particular order):
1. Teach Minnow to rear
2. Teach Blitz and Boomer to lay down on command
3. Finish teaching Ammo and Boomer to paint
4. Come up with a new skit for Minnow to perform
5. Make a new video of all of the trick ponies (and the Dachshund) performing
6. Move Boomer up to compete in the Masters Division in Mounted Games
7. Take Blitz to a bombproofing clinic/and or some Dressage events
8. Teach Ammo and Minnow some tricks together
9. Find more venues/performances for Minnow to do – events that raise money for charities would be great.
10. Spend more time doing “nothing” with the boys
Blitz is the first of the Chincoteagues to learn to lay down
So what do you think? Anything I should add? Suggestions on new tricks to teach the boys? I’d love to hear your goals – maybe you want to learn more about clicker training – maybe you just want to teach your horse one trick? Whatever it is, I wish you much success in the new year! Click on!
The Family Business
Ammo at 8 weeks old taking a ride on Blitz
My Dachshund Ammo has been assisting the Trick Ponies since he was about 8 weeks old. He loves pony rides, pony kisses, laying under the easel while the ponies paint and of course eating pony poop. So after 1 full year of “assistant” duty I decided its time for Ammo to join the ranks as an official member of the Trick Ponies of Chincoteague. What do you have to do to be a member? You have to be able to paint!
So a couple weeks ago I started working with Ammo on his paintbrush skills. We began by targeting a paintbrush – which Ammo took to in no time. Then he was rewarded for licking the brush, and eventually putting his teeth on it. We’ve now progressed to picking up the brush on his own and pretty soon I will ask him to target the brush to the paper. Below is a video of Ammo practicing his new brush skills.
Dog Paddling over to Chincoteague
Although this is the first time Ammo may be picking up a paintbrush – its actually not his first painting. After a painting “mishap” ammo helped Minnow to create this wonderful work of art! Its now proudly hanging in my Studio at home. I can’t wait to add lots more of Ammo’s creations to my walls.
Christmas Card Blast from the Past
Since 2005 I have been attempting to make Christmas Cards for my family. I usually design one for my parents to send out and I (along with my graphic designer husband) design one for us to send out. Usually the cards feature our pets and/or the family and we TRY to come up with something funny to say. Here’s a little history of past cards we have sent:
Now that we’re well into the 2009 Holiday Season, its that time of year to design some Christmas Cards. This year my parents have opted to do something with the Trick Ponies – and I plan to feature our Dachshund Ammo yet again.
…Stay tuned because tomorrow I’ll be posting some photos of my attempt at a Trick Pony Photo Shoot. Sometimes 3 ponies isn’t better than 1!!
Whats on your list?
When I was a kid Breyer Horses were always on my Christmas and Birthday lists. I wanted them all! I would spend hours adorning them in hand-made blankets, taking them on trail rides in my back yard, and practicing dressage tests in my tiny dressage arena. (Don’t judge – I was the abnormal kid who loved to do dressage and definitely didn’t think it was boring).
As a adult grown up supposed-to-be grown-up person I still have Breyer Horses on my list. I have boxes upon boxes of Breyers in my basement – but the special ones make it to display on shelves around my home. And if you haven’t guessed the special ones are real-horse look-alikes. Mainly models that I have painted to look like my own real-life horses. But this year I’m making an exception to this (sort of), because I’ve found myself (and a Minnow) look-alike Breyer Model.
Thats right, Breyer has ripped off my likeness! Ok, well maybe not really – but I’m going to claim they did anyway so I can feel a little special. Breyer has come out with the very first mounted games rider and pony. I think the sport has finally arrived if we have a Breyer Model now! Yipee!
This model features a female rider with thick RED braids – tip off #1 that its me. When competing in mounted games I usually wear my hair (my RED hair) in 2 HUGE braids because trust me, you have never seen a red-head with as much hair as me. Not only that but the rider is on a paint pony, that may not look like Minnow’s clone, but there are some similarities.
So maybe I’m not the muse for this model (a girl can dream can’t she?) – but its fun to pretend. And if you have read my blog before, you know that a dream of mine is to have Chincoteague Minnow made into a Breyer Model someday. I’ll have died and gone to heaven when that day comes.
So if your a kid or a kid at heart like me and would like to own Breyer’s very first Mounted Games Model you can purchase one here.
| 61035 | ||
| Classics® Pony Games Set | ||
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Update on Shop Dog Training
I recently posted about the training I have been working on with my two shop dogs, Trooper and Ammo. My original plan was asking them to sit quietly when someone walked into my shop. It started off rather well – but Ammo eventually started barking even more in order to get his “reward” for then sitting. So I decided to take a different approach.
I read up on clicker trainer, Karen Pryor’s, method of teaching opposite cues. In my case I was going to use the Speak and Quiet commands to teach Ammo to be silent when someone entered my shop. I decided that working with Ammo first would be best, as Trooper’s standing on the gate is not as frustrating to me as Ammo’s barking when customers enter.
So last Friday night I set out to train Ammo – starting at home. I was worried if I did it at the shop (and did it wrong) he would just end up barking all the time, and I didn’t want him to associate the shop with any sort of barking. I sat Ammo down infront of me and made a knocking sound on the table – which immediately set him off barking. I clicked him, gave him a treat and as he was eating (in silence) I lurched forward towards him, he sort of lifted one leg and looked at me – I then clicked and rewarded. We repeated this for a while until I was fairly certain he had the gist. I then added some cues to it. For barking I said SPEAK, for silence I said QUIET. I had originally started using BARK as the barking cue, but I quickly realized it sounded too much like Ammo’s BANG BANG cue where he plays dead. When he started flopping around on the ground instead of barking I quickly changed the cue to speak. So we did this process for a while longer then it was time to test it.
I had my husband go outside and re-enter the house (thus creating a situation for Ammo to bark). As soon as he started barking I yelled QUIET. Ammo looked confused for a moment but immediately stopped barking. Click and treats again. We did this a few more times and each time I waited a little longer to reward him. When we were done I carried the treats and clicker around with me for the rest of the night. Anytime Ammo barked at something (usually any noise will set him off) I tried my QUIET cue. I occasionally asked him for SPEAK as well.
The next day it was time to try it at the shop. I opted to have my parent’s keep Trooper for the day so I could work on Ammo without Trooper interfering. The first customer came and Ammo let out a bark – I quickly yelled QUIET from the back of the shop and Ammo came running to me and sat at my feet…what a good puppy. We continued with this throughout the day – and a few times he actually didn’t bark at all (he got rewarded for this big time).
We did and have had a few slip ups where Ammo just couldn’t control himself and it took me a little longer to get him to listen…afterall he is a Dachshund, and if I have learned anything about the breed – its how stubborn they can be. And man can they be stubborn. Below is a video of Ammo “speaking” notice how at the end I try to knock on a table (which normally would of set him off barking) and he behaves nicely by not barking at all.
Here is a video of the QUIET command:
Overall I think the method is working fairly well. I’m not sure if I will ever eliminate his barking in the shop, but at least now I have a semi-foolproof method to silence him. I’m just going to keep rewarding when he does it correctly and hopefully over time he will only get better (fingers crossed). Next I will have to tackle Trooper’s jumping on the gate!
So how about you? Has anyone else trained any opposite commands like this? Did it work for you? Any other suggestions for me?
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