Assessment:
Age: 14-15 weeks
Breed: American Alsatian. Temperament true to standards. Size and color are true to standards.
Health: Height build proportionate. Slightly underweight, may have worms. Teeth good, feet good, gait excellent. Hearing and sight excellent. Balance and carriage good.
Tone test: concludes the dog's tolerance and/or interest of the musical scale. We are looking for head cocking and turning away. Directions will be noted separately.
Using the computer I played each note fom c major. Bonnie was boudaried to a 2 x 4 area with the speakers at the level of her ears. The test was conducted at 8:30 am and 12:30 pm. Both reults were the same.There were no outside sounds of any decibles that could have interupted the notes.
RESULTS KEY: * No Reaction (( Turned in the notes direction $ Head cocked % Turned away from note
C Major - * C sharp-* D major - *D sharp - (( E major- * Fmajor-(( F sharp - $ G-$ G sharp - * A major - %
B flat - % B major -
Range of notes for interest were F - G
range of notes for irritation were A-B
Range of notes for no reaction were C through E . A notes, Bonnie found them iriitating in all octives. Stopped playing A notes once she started chewing on things. When F-G notes are played she stops chewing and watches me.
These results are a little different than I expected, as the hypothesis was A B notes would be used for tone training - being a common tone of pleasant sounds (for humans). F-G are NOT pleasant sounds used in our society. For instance most car horns are set to "F". Bonnie lost interest in the lower octives, but became more and more excited as the octives increased in pitch. At the threshold of my human ear in the higher range, Bonnie became aggitated, wanted out of her enclosure. I was not able to get an accurate heart rate, as she was unable to keep still for a full 30 seconds. (and I need a stethescope!) My best estimation was between 160-180 bpm. Her normal at rest heart rate is 150-160 bpm.
Conclusion - Bonnie shows reaction and interetst/aggrevation at certain tones and notes. This is appropriate for hearing impaired service work - we will be able to easily train Bonnie to respond to notes issued by a mechanical TONER.
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Perception of eye contact - concludes the dogs awareness of being looked at.. Concludes the manner of training needed to establish eye contact without "staring" or challenging the handler.
Bonnies awareness of being looked at is excellent. She will NOT make eye contact----conditioning.
At 5 days - counter conditioning has been sporadic - mainly involved toys and ice cubes - Bonnie will make brief eye contact - and will respond to following my head turn, but not yet the eyes.
Conclusion - Bonnie's perception is appropriate and can be conditioned to use eye contact for communication with no threats.
We will use clicker training for this.
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Engaging Physical contact. - concludes the dogs ability to communicate through physical gestures without using vocality.
Prior conditioning will inhibit the results from true. Bonnie will not jump on me or use her paws or mouth. One session of 5 minutes yeilded absolutely no contact. The next day we repeated the session outside for 7 minutes, and resulted in swiping and bumping using her left side, turning back toward the right and repeat. So dog comes towards me head on, turns left side, swipes my legs with torso, bumps me with butt before turning clockwise back to me and repeat. As soon as I reach for her she sits and stops contact.
Conclusion - Bonnie does not have appropriate ability to communicate through physical gestures. This is conditioning - will continue to encourage engagement using the "front" of her and see if counter conditioning can be easily ensued.
12-11-12 - Ammendment to conclusion. Bonnie has used her snout to bump my thigh yesterday. This is what we want. Conclusion is fair.
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The following observations were made from watching Bonnies reaction to outside stimuli and unplanned events. I will use those observations to conclude further assessing.
Reaction to loud sharp noises - walking through the parking lot - a semi truck pulled in with very loud brakes. She stopped and tensed. Ears forward, watched the truck. different occasion a semi released pressure of the brakes. She flinched hard but didn't move in any direction. Watched the vehicle. ifferent occasion we happened to be right next to a car the alrm went off un expectedly. She put her ears back, tucked tail and scooted behind me. No attempt to run away, just a little safety. As fortune would have it we made eye contact the moment the alarm was stopped. wow now thats God's timing!
Conclusion. Approriate reaction conclusion is excellent.
Ability to remain in the vicinity of handler through out human emotional display - Reaction to my anger or frustration - (see facebook December 7th) displaced territory by 3 feet. Became subdued, did not engage me. Different occasion my poodle was being OBNOXIOUS. very needy. Barking at the wind! I'VE NEVER HIT THIS DOG - but when I'm very frustrated with her she acts like I do. Flops over and shows me her belly. I'm constantly picking her up and putting her back on all fours. Bonnies reaction was interested. Not indifferent. She watched, and yawned and licked her lips alot. Territory displacement for the poodle went from nothing to 2 feet. For me went from 2 to 5 feet. Reaction to my hyperactivity - very interested. Follows me and wants to engage play. Territory displacement disappears. Reaction to my anxiety - interested. Very wiggly. Does not want me touching her front. Reaction to my sadness - I haven't been able to be sad at all since she got here. i don't know. In conclusive.
Conclusion - Good.
It is my assessment that Bonnie Lee
(Registered name Bambi VonBenebek Von Dingo) aka BAM! BAM! (like the chef on TV)
Female American Alsatian can perform all duties required of a service dog for the hearing impaired. She has the appropriate temperament to begin training for such, and can complete all necessary trainings within the time frame required by the Dire Wolf Project and the CAAC BRTA.
Cirriculum Projected Goal:
To develope a schedule of training and conditioning for American Alsatian Bonnie Lee.
Cirriculum Projected Result:
Service and/or assistance dog for the hearing impared and vocally challenged.
Cirriculum Goal schedule:
CAAC BRTA Trained Dogs for the Hearing impaired are expected to be able to perform the following services for their human companion without commands or prompting.
1. Alert person to pre-ordained noises of concern, and be able to physically move the person, either by mouth grab or body leaning, to the source of the sound.
Examples may be crying baby, other pets in the household, distressed calls from other members of the household, smoke alarms, loud noises of uniqueness such as glass breaking and large objects falling, overloaded washing machine, stereos left on too loud ect.
2. Turn switches on and off - push buttons
Examples of use are light switches, alarm switches and door handles (as needed to access areas of preordained concern)
3. Bring objects of pre-ordained concern to person
Examples are telephone, car keys, newspaper and mail, anything can be proposed for carriage under 15 lbs.
4. Urban and public - Alert person to sounds of pre-ordained concern for the person
Examples are gunfire, sirens, violence, and concerns of personal safety such as people runnning up from behind.
BACKCOUNTRY SKILLS
1. Recall off wild life
2. Alert to wild life in 2 stages - safe and unsafe
Examples are different alerts for bunnies and bears
3.Personal protection
Reaction to strangers must be pliant in backcountry, as one often runs into other backcountry hikers who do not pose a threat. Some do...
4. Moving Water and dangerous weather alerting
Person will be alerted by dog to recognize dangerous water features that cannot be seen but may be HEARD by other than hearing impaired. Alert to lighting and thunder direction and approach.