Voice-directed solutions do more than translate pick lists in voice instructions. These solutions are multi-modal, using wearable scanners and Android device screens when appropriate, and have evolved to handle work execution functions and integrate with mobile robots.
Ask Jennifer Messer Q: Like any “expectant mom” I tried to read up on puppy training so I would do things right. But the more I read, the more confused I got. The books all seem to contradict each other! Now I don’t even know where to start to teach Lucy something as basic as “sit.” Do I push her bottom down? Use a clicker? Use treats? Please help. Completely Confused in Calgary A:I hear you, C.C. dog training literature is a maze. The good news is that what looks like an endless array of methods for introducing basic commands actually boils down to a few simple techniques. The most common formula for teaching a new obedience behaviour is asking the dog to do something, helping her do it, then rewarding her. Think of it as ABC: Ask, Behave, Congratulate. Traditional training used chokers, shoves, and intimidation for compliance, but gentler ways, such as using a food lure at the dog’s nose to get her to sit work just great. The hand motion above her head quickly becomes a
Ask Jennifer Messer My Westie, Joey, is reliably housetrained when at home but the minute we go elsewhere to work, my mom’s, a friends he lifts his leg. How on earth do I get him to stop marking indoors and embarrassing me? Red-faced in Redmond A:If Joey is sprinkling just droplets of eau de toilette even after a long piddle outside then he is indeed urine marking and not just “relieving himself.” Why do dogs mark? What is just stinky bio-waste to us is an odour extravaganza to dogs fascinating fluid packed with critical information about age, sex, health, and reproductive status. This exchange of personal ID helps canids negotiate relationships and define territories: not altogether different from our online profiles, fences, and flags. Most dogs have a strong urge to reply by pmail to certain odours: a whiff of a female in heat will warrant a squirt in most males, and the smell of any dog urine is a pretty reliable trigger for both sexes. Also, certain smells can prompt markin
Ask Jennifer Messer Q: How do I teach my dog to walk off-leash beside me? The street kids where I live always seem to have the most well-behaved, street savvy, leash-free dogs. -Mary-Ann, Vancouver, BC A: I've marveled at the angelic street kids' dogs too. and I think there are a few layers to the answer of why their dogs seem so perfectly well behaved. First and foremost, these dogs are probably a very select sample! They are survivors, not the dogs that have been run over by cars or picked up by animal control. Those you see are the ones that made the grade a very select group of dogs that are compatible with a unique lifestyle. To think otherwise would be like watching the Olympics and thinking your boyfriend should swim as well as the competitors. Entirely different sample selection! The second issue concerns how the "street-kid dog" lifestyle might change a dog's motivation to wander off. Despite all our love and good intentions, many pet dogs are quite
Ask Jennifer Messer Q: My new puppy only listens to me if I have a handful of treats. How do I wean her off treats so she’ll obey me regardless of what I have to offer? Tricked for Treats in Toronto A:SIMPLE: THINK VEGAS INSTEAD OF VENDING MACHINE The reason that your puppy only listens to you when you have a handful of treats is because she has learned that obedience only gets her what she wants if she sees the goods up front. Not surprising that she ignores you when you are empty handed; would you put coins in an empty vending machine? Nuh-uh. Your vending machine strategy was perfect for teaching her the meaning of your requests. But now she needs motivation to comply regardless of whether she sees any rewards up front. Time to turn your puppy into an obedience junkie vegas style. Slot machines are addictive because putting coin after coin in and NOT getting an immediate reward is a predictive of an eventual jackpot. Some jackpots are small, others huge but you just never know wh