Murphy Update

[oksaradt]

Murphy has been working the indication stations (as well as other problems) since I first posted the photos. I check his progress by some of his problems being suet cages of bones thrown into heavy brush, leaves, gulles, etc. The past few sessions he has not shown any inclination to pick up the suet cages. When he makes the find, he can be observed to do his natural touch and then turns to look for me and does his bark indication. The bark mostly came about due to several influences: 1) Part of his daily obedience lessons is the bark for part of his milkbone. 2) I've made reward competition with Murphy and the other airedales. I ask for a bark and whomever barks first gets the treat. 3) Murphy's obsession to get to the scent source became frustation at not being able to liberate them from the bricks. His giving a bark rewarded him with a ball and then trade the ball for food (secondary reinforcer).

Not wanting to cue him, he appeared to be trying to decide to bark on one suet cage in the open, so I turned and walked away. He rewarded me with a resounding bark. I rewarded by throwing the ball over my back and he was soon at my side with the ball where I verbally praised him and treated him.

Now that Murphy is mostly locked into the mode of bark (active indication) versus self-rewarding, I can move on to buried while continued the brick pile variations once a week as reinforcement.

Murphy turned 5 months on Valentines Day and weighed in at 54 lbs and 23 inches at the withers.


Jim

[hicntry]

Looks like you got a big standard dale....for a week or so anyway. Great articles Jim. Sounds like Murphy is getting it down pretty well. From what I have read, I would say he is going to work out just fine. What do you think. Evberything seems to be positive so far and he seems to make the adjustments well which is a big part of it...I would think.

[oksaradt]

Looks like you got a big standard dale....for a week or so anyway. Great articles Jim. Sounds like Murphy is getting it down pretty well. From what I have read, I would say he is going to work out just fine. What do you think. Evberything seems to be positive so far and he seems to make the adjustments well which is a big part of it...I would think.

The articles do seem to be helping some handlers, so I'll keep at it.

As for Murphy, I think he'll do. He may be my last intentional large ADT as a handler has to be able to carry their dog out of the field if it gets injured. If he works as long as Dax has, I'll be nearly 60 at the twilight of his career. I got to see a photo of Mr. Woofer last week due to his passing. I asked Murphy to start smoking so we could stunt his growth before he got that big.

Jim

[terrierlvr]

<<The articles do seem to be helping some handlers, so I'll keep at it.>>
Everything you have written has been enormously helpful to me.

<<As for Murphy, I think he'll do. He may be my last intentional large ADT as a handler has to be able to carry their dog out of the field if it gets injured. If he works as long as Dax has, I'll be nearly 60 at the twilight of his career. >>
Time to switch to a smaller terrier, perhaps?
Jim, again, thanks for taking the time to write all these posts. I have enjoyed them so much, and I am not even getting an Airedale. Bonnie