Tuesday 15 December 2009

learning about the amazing treat machine

After unpacking The Amazing Treat Machine, Penny and I, together with our video assistant, set about trying it out.

I find that video clips advertising products show the results achieved after some practice. Well, here's a 'warts and all' unabridged version of how a dog tries out this product for the first time.

We did have the advantage, however, that Penny already knew how to pick up a ball and put it in a box. (It's taught by putting the container under her mouth so that the ball drops into it and, if using a clicker as a marker for good behaviour, clicking and treating every time the ball falls into the container. Eventually the container can be left on the floor and the dog learns to bring the ball to it.)

Here's our first try. We had fun but no success!



Okay, so we needed to make some adjustments- for instance, jamming the bottle in more securely. But still no luck.



Never give up! Penny noticed before I did that the treats had begun to emerge from the hole at the bottom.



At this stage I decided to cheat a little - which turned out to be a bad idea.



Finally, success - sort of. I cheated again! But Penny has the idea and I'm sure we'll do better next time. I think it's a good product, and not too expensive - if you don't live at the end of the earth and have to pay more in postage than the product costs...

5 comments:

Molly the Airedale said...

Success! You're doing an awesome job, Penny!
It looks like your mom was having as much fun with this new toy as you were!

Love ya lots
Maggie and Mitch

Noah the Airedale said...

Ahhh we thought this was going to be a treat machine in the style of Maggie & Mitch's recent acquisition. We've not seen one like this before. Glad you had some success eventurally lol. Tess was listening to your instructions and was keen to pick up the ball to however she couldnt find it lol.

Noah

parlance said...

Noah, it's actually quite good. We've got it working now, though for me the downside is that it needs small treats or dry food and Penny usually eats raw food.

But, hey, what the heck, I went out and bought a packet of premium dry food. We'll mix and match and when she needs some extra activity because we're stuck inside all day in the heat, we'll feed her this way.

It was hot last night and she actually was panting when she finished eating this active way.

parlance said...

Maggie and Mitch, I think it's often more fun when things don't go the way we expect!

Anonymous said...

Penny is gorgeous!.. what breed is she?

Couldn't you make one of these out of a regular cardboard box with an empty 2L water bottle? though you'd have to show how the middle works.. cos the tennis ball can't be going in the bottle?... unless end is cut off? (but then surely they'd just fall out of bottom when it was upside down?)

Kati