[Cagdu] food rewards

[Ken Volonte]

Hi gang.  Given my experience with Bryant, I resolved to not use food rewards with Edison.  Yesterday, I wanted to teach him where a mail box was.  "This would be a perfect job for using the clicker", Emily said; and so, armed with clicker and food pouch, we set off.  

    Once we had come to the corner where the target was, we started the clicker game.  Edison found the box as well as being able to show first hand just how insidious and evil use of food rewards can be.  

    Emily was struck and shocked at how solicitous Edison suddenly was.  On the way home, his confidence lagged, his focus of attention wasn't there.  He looked back at me constantly, his pace unsure.  "I don't understand this.  He's never done this and he has a wet mouth.  He's really drooling".  

    Of course, I knew exactly where his lack of confidence came from.  I've written this to Michel Pouliot and now, I'm writing it here.  Food rewards should be used only to teach in situations in which a complex behavior is called for, such as crossing a street with a safety island, demand sequence lights and an offset unmarked flush up curb.  Once the dog has the crossing down, the food should disappear forever.  If you don't do this, your dog will be a circus dog, not a guide dog.  Food used too liberally will change the dog's focus from you to the food pouch on your right hip.  Michel and her wiz kids in R and D can say otherwise.  They can say that the food pouch on your right hip is out of sight of the dog, but the dogs know where the food comes from.  They're not idiots.  If they were, they'd not be our guides.  

    Can someone fill me in on the board meeting?  I got word of it late and so if you could fill me in.  Thanks.  

    I'll write some words about Edison later.  These dogs of ours!  They're the only honest people in the place.  I gotta go.
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