Trixie Dog Activity game

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JudyN
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Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by JudyN »

I'm tempted by the Trixie Dog Activity Memory Trainer: http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/pet_food/ ... ity/448793

I can see lots of fun potential: first, teach the dog that pressing the button makes treats appear in the dispenser. Then, increase distance from button to dispenser. Then move button into another room, and turn it into a game of hide & seek - dog finds & pressed the button, then goes back to the dispenser for the treat. Finally, put the dispenser at one end of the house (or garden), the button at the other, make a cup of coffee and put your feet up while the dog runs back & forth tiring himself out :D

What do you reckon? Expensive gimmicky waste of money, or something for Jasper to ask for in his letter to Santa?
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
jacksdad
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by jacksdad »

JudyN wrote:I'm tempted by the Trixie Dog Activity Memory Trainer: http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/pet_food/ ... ity/448793

I can see lots of fun potential: first, teach the dog that pressing the button makes treats appear in the dispenser. Then, increase distance from button to dispenser. Then move button into another room, and turn it into a game of hide & seek - dog finds & pressed the button, then goes back to the dispenser for the treat. Finally, put the dispenser at one end of the house (or garden), the button at the other, make a cup of coffee and put your feet up while the dog runs back & forth tiring himself out :D

What do you reckon? Expensive gimmicky waste of money, or something for Jasper to ask for in his letter to Santa?
for $50 pounds, I would give it a try. not that expensive...which I realize is relative, but seems like a pretty cool toy.
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Nettle
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by Nettle »

What an interesting gizmo.

It would show whether the terrier aspect of Jasper is in charge of the running dog side, so as a scientific experiment it would be just the thing to write up. It would also be interesting how much if any of his resource-guarding attitude would be triggered. Would he guard the empty dispenser? Would he guard at all? Would he go all sighthoundy and whinge for you to do it for him? Would he be even more sighthoundy and stalk away from it in mighty indignation that you thought he'd do that? (That's what mine would do. I can hear the 'Oh per-leeze' from here :lol: )



I wonder if addictive-behaviour type dogs like herding types would become totally fixated to the point of ignoring all other interaction?

Honestly, someone needs to do this! 8)
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bendog
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by bendog »

How sturdy is the dispenser?
I predict that mine would bypass the button part and just trash the dispenser to get to the treats.
JudyN
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by JudyN »

Oh Nettle, I'm going to have to get it now in the interests of research, aren't I? :lol:

Amy, I did wonder if Jasper would try to break in - I once tried to test his intelligence by putting a tea towel over some treats and he ate a hole through the middle of the tea towel :lol:

I don't think he would guard it. We have quite a few Nina Ottosson activity toys and though in the early days I had to be careful about 'helping' him, he's fine with them now - I think they actually taught him that my hands being around his food wasn't a bad thing, and that I was actually assisting him (I'm still not going to 'help' him eat a bone though :wink: ). He's also happy for me to retrieve half-licked baking trays that he's pushed under furniture, or help him pick up a treat on a walk that he can't pick up easily with his muzzle (generally after someone else has fumbled an attempt to post it through his muzzle) - both things I was dubious about doing at first.

I think in this sort of task his sighthoundy bits, his terriery bits and his food-obsessed bits would balance quite nicely. His terrier bits and food-obsessed bits make him fairly easy to train (not in a Poppy sort of way - he's willing to learn, but he's not driven to learn and work things out for himself), but his sighthound bits moderate this so he doesn't get obsessed. With a treat ball, he's happy to work it for a while but will then give up even if he knows there's more in it.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Sanna
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by Sanna »

Ooh how neat! Sounds like a really fun idea, and we need to know if it actually works so you're just gonna have to get one now I'm afraid :lol:
I reckon P would eat the button. Then trash the dispenser. :roll:
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minkee
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by minkee »

Now I'm tempted - I think Scout would love this!

Oh look there's a video too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bSbJTRpgJ4

And presumably you could also just use it like a manners minder if you wanted to, too. (Manners Minder is Dr Sophia Yin's creation that lets you remotely treat your pet, the idea being that you could use it to treat your pet for sitting quietly in the back of your car while you're in the front, or for lying on their bed while you're eating your dinner)
jacksdad
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by jacksdad »

JudyN wrote:I once tried to test his intelligence by putting a tea towel over some treats and he ate a hole through the middle of the tea towel :lol:
you have an absolute Genius on your hands.

I say that only half in fun. I am not convinced we are yet really giving dogs a fair shake when it comes to "measuring intelligence". in the above, had he moved the towel we would have been supper impressed because that is what a human would do. But he didn't do that, so does that make him less smart? I would argue no. dogs have the "bad rap" of "giving up" and looking to humans for help and this is taken as a sign of "less intelligence"...I am not sure I buy that anymore.... but anyway, buy that "measure" Jasper figured a way to get the food all on his own. Genius if you ask me.
JudyN
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by JudyN »

jacksdad wrote:you have an absolute Genius on your hands.
Well he had had a lot of practice eating his way into the pockets of my jeans & tops (not when I was wearing them :wink: ) to get at the treats in them. And you didn't see him push his way past the stairgate into the bathroom yesterday and then be absolutely flummoxed by how to get out again :lol:

But yes, you're right, of course, about not measuring dog intelligence by our standards. I read about a study a while back where dogs were given an independent problem-solving exercise (a maze, I think). Collies, supposedly very clever, failed, because they wanted and waited for instructions from their handlers. More independent breeds with a reputation for stupidity (beagles, I think) did far better because they are used to working independently and thinking for themselves.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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minkee
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by minkee »

I always think that when dogs look to their humans they're just using the tools available to them ;)
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by JudyN »

minkee wrote:I always think that when dogs look to their humans they're just using the tools available to them ;)
I use OH in the same way when it comes to car mechanics, computer issues, finance, electrics, household maintenance.... Doesn't make me stupid (in my opinion) :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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minkee
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by minkee »

Just don't tell him you called him a tool :lol:
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by JudyN »

:lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
jacksdad
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by jacksdad »

what's the saying....right tool for the right job... :twisted:
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Re: Trixie Dog Activity game

Post by JudyN »

I succumbed, and it's arrived :D It does need batteries though - and we have a decorator in (just for yesterday & today) so I'll probably leave playing with it for today as Jasper is a bit stressed generally. I did give him the squeaky rubber chicken I'd ordered with it but he seemed a bit unsure of it - I kept well out the way for a while in case he decided it was some funny new food he wasn't sure about eating but still warranted guarding :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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