Daytime Nightime

It's happened!  There are now more hours of daylight than hours of darkness!  It's light by 7 a.m. and not dark until after 8 p.m. ... yay!

A training weekend

Sola was just here from Seattle - her second visit and an action packed weekend of training for all three donkeys. There's lots of notes to share here, but first a few photos:

Siog is learning to enjoy grooming - she has been very squirmy, hunching her back and moving around when being groomed. 

Here, Sola is introducing the curry comb. If Siog moves, Sola moves with her but as soon as Siog stops, Sola will wait a second or two, then click and treat her for standing still. Waiting creates a break between the unwanted behaviour and reinforces the behaviour you are looking for. If you clicked as soon as she stopped, you might be creating a behaviour loop - "donkey always moves before stopping."

Adding a bit of space, helps to discourage the "unwanted" part and more clearly defines the part that IS wanted, i.e. standing still.

Once Siog was standing still, we added the curry comb and then decided to count backwards to increase the length of time she was standing still.  We did this so that Siog would always hear the count "ONE" and know that a click and treat was to follow.  So initially, we would start the count at "ONE" then click and treat if she was still.  Then "two, ONE!"  click and treat,  "three, two, ONE"  and so on.  If Siog moved during those increments, we would reset the count and begin again.

 

She was a quick study and was soon standing like a statue! 

And here is Deenah, watching over the fence as Dorica is busy working with Sola.  Deenah gets very anxious when separated from Dorica but here she is doing so well, just watching with interest!

 

 

My apprentice

I have a young apprentice - she lives across the street, she's eight, I think and she is wonderful!  She comes once a week and we do donkeys stuff together - today was her fourth visit.

So far I have learned a lot from her, although I think it's supposed to be the other way around!  I have learned that we have to mix some "fun" in with the chores and that I need to let her figure some things out and not always be suggesting "the way I do things!"

So today was the first day in a week or so when it wasn't pouring with rain.  The donkeys finally had a day to roam and be outside and dry off.  I could tell that Siog wanted to run, so when my young friend came, I suggested that we might encourage the donkeys to run around in the meadow.  My friend told me that her favourite thing is "running!"  Perfect! Off we went, both of us galloping around to encourage the donkeys.

Siog picked up the game immediately and off she went like a crazy youngster - tearing around after us, head held high, legs just flying.  The other donkeys didn't join in but no matter.

Afterward, we haltered and tied them to fence posts for a decent grooming.  My friend, her name is Forrest, loves Siog and offered to groom her, but unfortunately, Siog hates to be groomed!  However, Forrest proceeded to work on her and when I turned around, she was giving Siog a hug around her neck.  This, I learned, was because Siog was being fidgety, so Forrest just calmed her and reassured her with a hug. 
I would never have thought to do that - but Siog and Forrest figured things out together and it worked beautifully.  Let them be friends, let me watch the interaction and not always have to "teach!"

The perils of over-eager clicker students

Once you've begun clicker training animals, you'll find that they are very keen indeed to continue the clicker game!  They become keen students and this can present a hazardous situation.  In my case, I have three donkeys loose together. 

Several things can happen:
1. they might rush up to you, overjoyed to see if you want to train/play with them
2. they might crowd you
3. they might mug you or your pockets for treats
4. or they might pin their ears at one another, or kick or bite and you might be in the way

This is what happened to me today.  Dorica got so mad at the other two for crowding her space that she whirled and kicked and yours truly was in the line of fire.  I didn't get hurt, luckily but one can never take safety for granted.

Then Deenah rushed Dorrie and kicked her in the gut full on - I heard the smack.  The fault was mine, I was in a bit of a hurry, it was late in the day and I thought I could get a bit of clicker work "in" without being organized.  WRONG!

Don't do this ever.  Remember that you are always training, any time you are with your animals - they don't understand that "now we're having a lesson, now we're not" - they are learning all the time.  Before you do any training, be organized, use halters or separate animals and work one on one.

As soon as my donkeys hear even a quiet "click" sound that I might make, even if some are a ways away, up go the ears and they appear, anxious to play.  I have to be ready for that and not take safety for granted.