Ad-hoc Cooperative Care training with Otis pt. 1
Channel: Clever Beast Club
Date: 25/10/2022

Because Jem disengaged from this training session I turned my attention to Otis who had been laying down next to us the whole time. 

I ask him if he wants to train (my way of making sure that I have true cooperation). He says 'yes' by moving his body closer to me, and if you follow these clips to the end, you will see all kinds of different behaviours that are in effect his way of saying 'yes' to a question. I give him a treat simply for joining me and then we begin our training session.

You will note that I keep each session short and fluid (not much longer than a couple minutes/ session) at which time I put out a 'Stop' signal ("OK", or "all done", typically followed by a gesture similar to "jazz hands"). At this point we can take a break or start another training session. 

Although we don't compare individuals, you can already see the difference in Otis' willingness to participate, his comfort around being handled and around duration, and his confidence to communicate in very subtle ways (e.g. a slight shift in his body weight, moving his paw by mere millimetres, loads of head turns and nose targets which carry a lot of nuance and meaning etc.)

At one point he signals that he wants to continue but moves his body. I adapt the protocol to him being laterally recumbent and proceed to condition a calm, cooperative response to his back paws being lifted, handled and checked (at one time I do his tail for good measure). 

You will notice a lot of close physical contact and kissing on my part. I wouldn't recommend this be a part of your training protocol as it can add noise / unwelcome contact with the learner. In Otis' case I know he enjoys these moments as much as anything else and it sort of normalises training as part of everyday life.