TESTING: Day 2

DOG:	Lily
DATE:	6/30/2012
SCENT TYPE:  (clothing/saliva/other)	spit
ORIGIN:	Donor 1
DATE OF CAPTURE:	6/9/2012
AGE WHEN USED:	Day 2 of Sample 1
SAMPLE CONDITION: (frozen/refrigerated/room temp/other)	refrigerated overnight; trained @ room temperature
SAMPLE STATE: (gauze/dental cotton/cloth/hydrated/other)	hydrated cotton round
INTENSITY:  (# of holes)	5
CONTAINER TYPE:	film canister
# of CONTAINERS:	1-3
# of SCENT OPTIONS:	6
MODE of PRESENTATION: (hand/surface/wheel/other)	hand/scent wheel
SESSIONS:	2	3	4	5
Description	1 option	2 option	2 option	3 option
Reps:	12	15	13	18
% Success Rate:	100	88	94	66

  

ORIGIN of SAMPLE:  Tonic/clonic seizure; spit samples collected on cotton rounds and a roll of gauze (ran out of cotton rounds).  Clonazepam given after 2 minutes of seizure activity.  

COMMENTS:   

• Sample 1
• hydrated
• refrigerated between use

Adding gradual changes today:  Session1 - trainer seated (as yesterday) and standing (new); cannister presented in both hands (yesterday, right hand only).  Big change today: the refrigerated sample was trained at room temperature.  Distilled water at room temp.  NOTE: "nose touch" includes slight duration.  My premise is that it gives Lily time to sniff the scent.  20 reps.  100%.

Session 1:  done seated; Lily interspersed cannister touches w/Pokes.  Now that would be remarkable if I knew that she were recognizing seizure scent, but I don't and I suspect that she hasn't put anything together.  I have also been training "Poke" separately while seated in the same chair.   NOTE: sample at room temp.

Sessions 2-5: Lily's introduction to the scent wheel.  Sample is hydrated.  These sessions occurred one after the other, with breaks to "re-load" 12 treats each session and to change the condition of the wheel.

Wheel Session1

#3: sample

Wheel Session 2

#2: dummy

#3: sample

Wheel Session 3

#3: sample

#4: dummy

Wheel Session 4

#2: dummy

#3: sample

#4: dummy

TESTING: Day 1

DOG:	Lily
DATE:	06/29/2012 12:15 PM
SCENT TYPE:  (clothing/saliva/other)	spit
ORIGIN:	Donor 1
DATE OF CAPTURE:	6/9/2012
AGE WHEN USED:	Day 1 of sample 1
SAMPLE CONDITION: (frozen/refrigerated/room temp/other)	refrigerated; trained @ fridge temp
SAMPLE STATE: (gauze/dental cotton/cloth/hydrated/other)	hydrated cotton round
INTENSITY:  (# of holes)	5
CONTAINER TYPE:	film canister
# of CONTAINERS:	1
# of SCENT OPTIONS:	1
MODE of PRESENTATION: (hand/surface/wheel/other)	hand
SESSIONS:	1	2	3	4
Description	nose touch	nose touch	nose touch	nose touch
Reps:	15	13	13	15
% Success Rate:	100	100	100	100

ORIGIN of SAMPLE:  Tonic/clonic seizure; spit samples collected on cotton rounds and a roll of gauze (ran out of cotton rounds).  Clonazepam given after 2 minutes of seizure activity.  

COMMENTS:  

• Sample 1
• hydrated
• refrigerated between use

Sample arrived USPS yesterday.  Cool but not frozen upon delivery.  2 plastic containers, ea containing several cotton squares.  I double bagged and froze in their own door shelf.  I prepared the first canister w/5 holes in lid (ice pick).  Removed one cotton round from freezer; spritzed 4X w/distilled water; inserted into canister.  

Seated, I presented cannister to Lily, no cue.  She nose targeted and left nose on canister until marked w/”Yes”. (1-2s)  

Double bagged canister and placed in butter compartment of refrigerator. 

Scent/Alert Training

6/27/2012

Scent

• 2nd day w/Earl Gray Tea and Scent Pots (2)
• fresh tea bag
• hydrated w/4 squirts distilled water
• 10X single pot
• introduced second pot
• 10x
• 100% success
• vs approx 85% yesterday w/dry teabag
• is it practice or hydration that made the difference?
• seated; holding pots in hands
• treat container on seat beside me
• verbal marker "yes"
• switching pots randomly
• contamination possibilities:
• treat odor on hands handling the pots
• I forgot to wash my hands after putting new tea bag into designated pot

Alert

• nose target becoming a determined "nudge"
• using "touch" cue to get her started (1X)
• left side/right side; me standing/seated
• DECISION: delete the pull of my clothing and depend upon a firm, repeated and PERSISTENT nudge at Lily's nose height
• meets my criteria
• simplifies the training
• teeth catching skin was a problem
• extinguishing that behavior by strengthening the nudge

6/28/2012

Scent

• 3rd day: Earl Gray tea bag
• 3 scent pots
• 10X - 100%
• separated by 4'
• 3X - 100%
• 2 clean scent pots (no sample)
• rejected both 1X
• selected one or other 3X

Alert

• Poke: on cue 
• with force
• often volunteered 2-fers
• standing, seated
• sitting on bed; lying down on bed
• Lily standing beside bed

More Work on Scent Discrimination

(imported from Lily's Blog)


While waiting for "real" seizure scent, I continue with Lily's scent discrimination work.

Using the same 3 scent pots, I am now using an Earl Gray Black Tea bag as the scent.  And beginning from the beginning with a single pot, containing the scent.

Initially, with the 3 pots, I used kibble to teach scent discrimination AND the alert behavior of resting her chin on the pot containing the scent.  When Lily marked the correct pot, I opened it and treated from the kibble that it contained.

I still want the same alerting behavior.  On the pot containing the scent.  But I will treat from my hand.

Each time I will handle all three pots, so the scent of and on my hands will be universally shared.

AND....I will get distilled water and do "hydrated/not hydrated" testing with the tea bag work.