I did a google search last week. I came across a thread on this forum that made me very sad. There was speculation that Skidboot was trained with clickers or taps on the floor or other such nonsense. No deal. If Skidboot ever heard a clicker, he would think something crawled in his ear. I have always described him as a freak of nature. We don't even consider him trained. We just played with him. His only goal was to play with a toy. If you gave him the choice of a toy or bait, he would take the toy.
The most amazing thing to me that he ever did occured at the State Fair of Texas. He was performing in a building that had a hot dog stand at one end that was inside. During his routine, he needed a little time to chill out. David handed him a squeeky toy that looked like a newspaper and told him to go buy a hot dog. He took the toy and trotted to the hot dog stand, stood on his hind legs and dropped the toy on the counter. The people operating the stand just stood there with mouths open. David told them to give him a hot dog. This had never been rehearsed at the Fair or anywhere else. Just a prime example of the intelligence of Skidboot.
Don't discount your animals by thinking that the only way they can learn anything is by a clicker or other gimmicks. Give them a chance to teach you.

Skidboot's Mom

Huh?

 Quote:

Huh?

You beat me, Judy! Ditto: "Huh?"

is skidboot the fella that was on animal planet last weekend?

http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/showf...rue#Post4164952

I threw the BS flag, and if you watch the dog in action, it's quite entertaining, but the claim that the dog "taught himself" is a bit of a reach.

Barbara,

I had never heard of Skidboot before, so I looked at your website and read the 2 previous threads you were referring to in your post.

I also have a stunt/trick/performance dog. She also has "learned" tricks "without training," when I related familiar commands with a different body language to a new trick - some of these are quite complicated tricks that many people takes months or longer to train.

When I read that story, I'm thinking, my dog knows "go" and "hot dog" (without "training") and I'm guessing your dog also would know these. Your dog could smell the hot dogs and is willing to try to figure out what you want him to do - he is correct and gets a hot dog (I bet he'd remember that one!).

That would essentially be operant or clicker training, as the dog must offer a behavior to try to solve a problem. Your dog is smart and apparently, usually figures out what you want.

A clicker is not a gimmick, but when used correctly, a powerful training tool. I trained dogs before I used a clicker or markers, but with a clicker, the training goes faster.

I have worked with and observed other performance/trick/stunt dog trainers that use entirely play in training. Their dogs are highly trained and put on a great show! However, these trainers do not claim that they didn't train their dogs, only played. They train their dogs through play.

I get rather put out with anyone who promotes the idea that dog training is "smoke and mirrors." I appreciate this website that makes it very clear that dog training is essentially common sense and patience.

I'm not sure if he was on last week. They play segments of him all of the time.

Not a reach, not claiming he is self taught. He is just exceptionally intelligent. No BS either.

 Quote:

http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/showf...rue#Post4164952

I threw the BS flag, and if you watch the dog in action, it's quite entertaining, but the claim that the dog "taught himself" is a bit of a reach.

Barbara, you will find that most people on this forum use toys as an integral part of their training methodology. Skidboot's focus and ball drive is just the other side of incredible.

No matter how Skidboot learned his routines, he is a pretty amazing dog. We all wish him well in his golden years.

Here is a nice video about Skidboot from KENS TV in San Antonio.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5249518974978628334&q=skidboot&hl=en

David started putting a segment in the performance refering to "the dog trainer" that was alway telling us we weren't doing this right. We should use one word commands (sit, stay) and not statements (turn around, turn the other way). True scenario, evendently some people still think we did it all wrong.