AIF project
Week 3
Research, Training Documentation and Timetable creation
Training Progress
Training Progress - E2
Current Progress
​​​
-
Right now she is able to sit, lie down and shake hands with ease. I am currently trying to teach her how to play dead. Right now she is able to play dead on command some of the time. However, most of the time I may still have to flick my finger to the right slightly (the progression of this trick was for her to follow my hand until she was in the lying down position). My goal is to gradually fade out the hand signal (flick to the right) so its like I am actually just shooting a finger pistol at her which would be quite funny.​
​
​
Challenges I have faced
​
-
One issue I encountered was when I said "bang" she would stand up sometimes instead of lying on her side. I do not know why this happens, however I think she just needs more practice before she can play dead consistently.
​
-
Another challenge is how sometimes she will do the trick before my command. This could be because she anticipates the command. This is something I am not too sure about what to do as if I don't reward her she may not do the movement but if I do reward her then she may continue to do the trick without the command.
​
Patterns in learning
​​
-
One thing I have noticed is that Winnie is a lot easier to train when she is hungry. I guess this is a pretty obvious thing however I never thought of it before. However, once I started to notice how she would be unwilling to be trained after dinner it became quite clear. In the future I will definitely try to train her prior to her meal and maybe I might even use her dry dog food to train her.
​
Reflection on training so far
​
What is working well:
​
-
​Hand signals are effective in getting her into the correct position
​
-
She is quite happy to be trained as whenever I bring the treat bag she becomes very cooperative
​
-
​I'm quite happy with how behavioural training has gone. As my family members have started to be stern with her when she bites/jumps up he training in that area has gotten very consistent and I have noticed that she has become more well-behaved this week.
​
What is is not working as well:
​
-
Sometimes when she does a trick really well I will praise her a lot. This causes her to become extremely excited, perhaps overly so, where she gives up on being trained and just tries to lick my face. I'm not really sure what to do, however honestly I don't think it is that big of a deal and she usually goes back to wanting to learn a little after going a bit crazy.​​​​​​​​​
​
Timetable Creation
Responding to teacher's recommendation related to time management - PA1
In class my AIF teacher recommended that we use some sort of tool to manage our time when conducting our AIF project. What she recommended specifically was using a timeline. However, whilst I did think managing time was important I was not too familiar with how to implement a timeline into my study.
​
One thing I already do is use google calendar to organise my tutoring, study, family activity, activities with friends and other things that may take up my day. This is something that is already very familiar to me as I have been using it for quite a while.
Implementing AIF into my current timetable - E2
Adding AIF to my timetable was quite simple. Google Calendar allows you to create multiple calendars which you can switch on and off. Therefore, all I did was make a new calendar titled AIF. I added my classes and also allocated some time every week for me to work on my AIF portfolio. By having everything in one place I can plan how I'm going to complete my AIF project around my sporting commitments, family events, hangouts and out of school tutoring.
​
Using my graphics calculator, I added up the amount of time I have to spend on my AIF project, not including dog training (5 hours a week).
On odd weeks I have 10 hours and 15 minutes
On even weeks I have 11 hours.
​
By planning my AIF project like this I only need to do a little bit everyday. However, over time this can add up so I can make large advancements in the project. Also I think planning the AIF project like this is helpful as I am quite slow at writing and need ample time to document my processes.
​
As this metacognitive strategy is something I plan to implement over the course of the entire project and not just for individual tasks I plan to use this strategy for a week and then review it to see whether or not I like it. As I already use it quite a lot I think I will find it quite useful, however I am not completely sure as AIF is a very different subject to my normal subjects fundamentally.
Planning tasks - E2
To plan the tasks I have to do for AIF I decided to use Microsoft planner. Microsoft planner allows me to categorise my tasks via importance level, progress and due date. To start with I plan to set weekly goals, however once I have larger tasks to do some may cross between weeks. By using a task planner I can set tasks that will roughly take up the amount of time I have allocated weekly. As of now I think this may be more beneficial then planning out what I do every single lesson as I am at the start of the project and the amount of time each task may take is relatively unknown for me.
Online Research
Fetch
Reading Through Website By American Kennel Club On How To Teach Dog Fetch - E3
Value - E3
The website was not very helpful for me. Whilst is does provide insight on how to teach dog to get the toy and go grab the toy it doesn't provide information on getting the dog to bring it back. This website could be useful for dogs that are uninterested in toys or do not go collect toys. However, this is not very helpful for me because Winnie already goes to grab the toy.
What Next - E1
As I have not found a solution to the main issue of Winnie not brining back the toy and dropping it I will continue to research how to teach the dog fetch.
Watching a Video on How To Teach Dog - E3
Value - E3
This video was very helpful because the dog had a very similar issue to Winnie where they were interested in the toy and went to grab it but did not return the toy to its owner. This video taught me the step by step process in which to teach the dog how to slowly bring the toy back. The video also provided information on how to teach dog to fetch with a frisbee but that is unnecessary for me right now but may be useful in the future. The video also provided information on the timeframe for the dog to perfect fetch - about 12 weeks.
What Next - E1
The video does not provide much information on how to teach the dog how to drop the toy. I'm assuming its because the dog may be so excited for the next throw however my dog likes to start a 'tug of war' type of game. Therefore, I will continue to research a strategy to teach my dog how to drop the toy.
Watching A Video On How To Teach Dog To Drop Toy - E3
Value - E3
This video provided me the a comprehensive guide on how to teach the dog to drop the toy. This video also provided me with something I think will be very helpful for future training. This is the marking the good behaviour/correct trick before giving them the treat. I think this is good so that they are reminded to wait for the treat and also stay in the trick position.
What Next - E1
As I have all the information I need for now I think as I have strategies and solutions for Winnie's issues when learning fetch. If I have time in the future I may conduct more research on marking when training dogs.
Potty Training
Watching Video Titled 5 Puppy House Training Tips Every Puppy Owner NEEDS To Know - E3
Value - E3
This video provided me with 5 key points on how to potty train my puppy. This was very useful as it provided all the times which are necessary to take dog out and reasonings for each key point that the video provided. This gave me sufficient knowledge in what I had to incorporate into my dog training process on a daily basis to help train Winnie to eliminate outside instead of inside.
As the article also built on crate training this also helped build on my knowledge on how to crate train and how to combine crate training with potty training.
What Next - E1
As of now I think I have completed the necessary research for potty training as the video made the process very straightforward for me. Although problems may arise in the future I can always do further research if necessary. Therefore, I plan to move on to the next task on my task planner which is researching how to recall dogs.
Recall
Current Issue - E1
Right now when we call Winnie sometimes she comes and sometimes she doesn't. As she hasn't gotten all her vaccinations she has spent most of her time inside or playing in the backyard. Therefore, right now recall is not a big issue. However, in the future when we take her out it may become an issue if she decides to go off on her own but doesn't come back when we call her. Furthermore, Winnie gets distracted quite regularly so she may be coming towards us and then discover a scent which causes her to completely forget to come to us. Whilst this could also be just because she is a puppy, I would like to train her recall to be very good before I am comfortable doing fetch or taking her off leash in a park as it could be quite difficult if she runs onto the road or goes to little children etc.
Reading through RSPCA knowledge base on Recall Training
Key points: Precursor to Recall Training (RSPCA website) - E3
"Follow Me" is a precursor to recall training and loose leash walking.
​
1. Go find Game
​
- drop treats on floor
- walk a few steps away and drop treats again
- bridge the follow with a command or clicker (similar to marking) to let the dog know that the treat is coming
- restart the game but dropping another treat and repeating the process
​
--> progression - adding leash, distractions such as the TV, other family members walking, different directions and distances.
activity: watched video on follow me game key points: walk away, wait for dog to come, reward value: showed me a visual representation on how follow me game works what next: research the next part on the RSPCA knowledge base on recall training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4Jh9kuQJ0Q&ab_channel=WhatAGreatDog%21
Key points: Recall (RSPCA website) - E3
Importance of Recall
- a reliable recall ensures dog's safety as you can recall them if they are in a potentially dangerous situation
-thus this allows for more freedom for the dog
Ground Rules for Training
- ensure the dog's experience is positive when with the owner
- first ensure that the dog received enough physical and mental exercise to reduce the urge to run
- use a long leash initially to prevent escape
- start in low-distraction area and add distractions as progression
- reward all times the dog comes to you even if they didn't respond to your call
- use high value treats
​
Things To Avoid
- regardless of how good the recall is never put dog in an unsafe location
- never chase the dog otherwise if in dangerous situation they may run away as a game
- never punish dog for delayed recall (otherwise may not come in future)
Key points: Recall (RSPCA website) - E3
1. Loose leash walk the dog
​
- on a leash run a few steps a way from dog and call their name
- once they walk towards you say the command word for recall
​
2.Practice recall
- start increasing the distance
- practice with or without leash
- useful if the dog sits however do not use sit command as the dog may think you are telling them to sit rather then to come
- each time take his collar
(therefore the dog won't know if when you are putting on a leash and therefore doesn't know when its time to come home each time it returns to the recall command in the future)
​
3. Practice with more distractions
- e.g. TV
-e.g. other family members
​
4. Use long leash
- use a long leash to practice great distances (e.g. in the park)
​
5. Off leash practice
- once 80% successful each time with the long leash start off leash practice
Key points: Collar Grab (RSPCA website) - E3
Practicing collar grabs with the dog is important as sometimes if the dog does not have a leash (e.g. when they have escaped) someone may need to grab them by the collar. Hence, it is important that the dog is able to be calm with a collar grab.
Also it means the dog can't distinguish if his collar is being grabbed just for fun or because they are going home. Hence, this also prevents them from having an adverse reaction to a collar grab.
1. gently touch collar until they are happy with it
2. touch from other angles
3. add the word "gotcha" to turn the collar grab into a game
4. practice grabbing collar and putting leash on.
Key points: Preliminary Games
(RSPCA website) - E3
"Follow Me" and "Go Find" are games to practice recall
​
Games like hide and seek encourage dog to find and come to you. (under Go Find Category)
​
- use the recall command word
- use food
- start with easy location and gradually get harder​​​​
​
note - E1, E3
the website did not have many game variants so if the hide and seek and follow me games get boring for Winnie I may do some more research on other games under the "Go Find" category.
Using the Information Provided By The Website I made a Flowchart Which Displays
The Process Of Recall Training - E3
Key points: Troubleshooting (RSPCA website) - E3
- avoid calling dog multiple times - might teach dog to avoid your cue - try not to do this too much as some dogs may associate the recall as ending the fun
​
- some dogs can't see well - clap hands are flail arms around so they can see you
​
- if the dog is starting to fail at later steps, restart training from earlier steps
​
- don't just put the dog back on leash when fun is over otherwise the dog may start to avoid the leash
​
- don't just put dog on leash when there is danger otherwise the dog may look for the potential danger and be scared
​
Value - E3
This website delivered an in-depth analysis and a structured guide on training a dog for effective recall. The RSPCA website covered essential aspects such as common challenges and their solutions, engaging games to reinforce recall skills, proper collar handling techniques during play, and the significance of recall training in a dog's development. Furthermore, it also taught me on how a necessary progression works in recall training which I believe I can also adapt to other training methods for my dog.
What Next - E1
Since I believe this website provided me on an extremely detailed guide on recall training I believe it is sufficient for my purposes. After some minor research on how to teach Winnie her name better I will plan how I will incorporate the training I have researched for the coming weeks.
Note on Recall Command - E1
As my family is not all completely fluent with English I think using a Chinese command word for recall is a good idea as it allows all my family members to be able to easily call Winnie over. I think this is important for something like recall which is also important for safety reasons for Winnie which means that something that everyone is able to use naturally would be better. The command word in Chinese for come here is "guo lai".
Teaching Name
Asking Chat GPT how I can teach
Winnie her name - E3
With our previous dog we did not require any specific training to teach her her name. Therefore, I decided that I would not do too much research in name teaching for Winnie. However, as she seemed to not have a consistent reaction to her name I thought it may still be beneficial to do a quick search on Chat GPT.
Value - E3
Chat GPT summarised a simple method in teaching a dog its name. It also provided me with how much to incorporate this training which is quite useful as I was not too sure how important this training was.
What Next - E1
As I have enough research on various training methods I can incorporate I will plan how to incorporate the training over the coming weeks.
Tasks not completed - E1, E2
As I have a Maths Methods test next week on Monday I decided to push back making a plan for my dog's training schedule and researching how to train my dog to go on walks properly. As the plan would take quite a long time and is important to be done correctly, I decided to push it back so I can spend a good amount of time on it instead of rushing.
Reflection On Different Strategies I Used
Metacognitive Strategies
Reflection Of The Metacognitive Strategy Of "Creating A Flowchart" - E2
Effectiveness:
​
-
The flowchart helped me visualise the step-by-step process of recall training, making it easier to understand the sequence of actions needed. I think this was definitely helpful as the amount of key points that I wrote down was quite a lot for this section. Therefore, I think it would've been too confusing to keep looking back through my own key points when I just wanted a simple reminder on what to do next.
​
-
I think another effective thing about the flowchart was when I was creating it I felt like I consolidated the research I did a lot more. This is because flowcharts are supposed to be very structured and have a logical flow from one step to the next. Therefore, by creating a flowchart I could understand in my head how to conduct recall training too.
​
Challenges:
​
-
One thing about the flowchart is that I found it quite fiddly to make the flowchart. This was definitely a pretty time consuming process. Therefore, in the future if I am to make a flow chart I will only do it when I have conducted a lot of research or I have sufficient time.
​
How I Will Adjust:
​
-
One thing I am concerned about is how, whilst it is quite clear, the flowchart is quite rigid. I know for a fact that dog training should be flexible as it depends on the dog. Therefore, I will definitely adjust it in the future when I am conducting recall training where I may skip steps or add extra steps when necessary.
Reflection Of The Metacognitive Strategy Of "Taking Down Key Points on a Notebook" - E2
Effectiveness:
​
-
Taking down structured notes on my notebook for each source was definitely helpful as it allowed me to capture key information and keep track of the different perspectives I was gathering.
​
-
Another benefit I found was that when taking notes on my notebook, instead of reading/watching passively I was able to engage with the material more actively. I think active learning is definitely important otherwise I would either forget the information or have to waste time returning to the source multiple times to gather the key points again. Furthermore by taking notes in my notebook I found I was able to retain it better.
​
-
One thing that I found was easier when taking notes was writing my opinion on each thing. When taking notes I wrote my opinion in a different colour to the key points. This allowed me to think more deeply into how I would implement the information into Winnies training.
​
Challenges:
​
-
One thing I encountered was that transferring the notes to the portfolio was a bit more difficult then just directly writing in word or in the website. Usually when I take notes I am very messy (although I myself can understand). This made it difficult to find a balance between writing messy but also making it readable for the person who would view my portfolio.
​
How I Will Adjust:
​
-
As taking notes on my notebook was most useful when watching youtube videos (one of my main sources as my topic is dog training), I think I will mainly only use this strategy when I am watching these videos. Otherwise it would be too time-consuming and annoying to focus on my hand-writing or rewrite my notes.
Reflection Of The Metacognitive Strategy Of "Key points, Value, What Next Structure"
- E2
In class we were recommended to use a perspectives table to structure our research. The table include 3 columns labelled "Key Points", "Value", "What Next". However, I felt that whilst it was very structure the perspectives table wasn't very visually appealing. Therefore, I slightly adjusted the strategy to better fit my website where instead of a table I just implemented the overall structure.
Effectiveness:
​
-
Using the “Key Points, Value, What Next” structure was one of the most effective strategies I implemented. It helped me not just collect information but also reflect on why it mattered. By using this structure I had to think critically about how the information applied to my project. This structure also ensured that my research wasn’t just passive learning - it naturally led me to actionable next steps, making my research more productive.​​
​
- I think the best part of this structure was the value section. By evaluating the value that the source had I was able to see clearly how each piece of information contributed to my overall understanding. An example was how I did not know how knowing pre-potty signals were important in potty training. This was something of "high value" and by writing it in the value section it became more ingrained in my mind.​
​
- Another thing I thought was very useful was the "What Next" section. If I was conducting research for a school essay I would not write a "What Next". However, as this is my AIF portfolio, displaying my thought process is important. The "What Next" allows me to clearly write how I moved from one thing to another.​​
​
Challenges:
​
-
​One challenge I faced was that this method took more time than regular note-taking. Since I had to write not just the key points but also their value and next steps, I sometimes felt like I was spending too long on each source instead of moving on to new information.
​
How I Will Adjust:
​
-
I think this method was very effective and does not require much adjustment. The only thing I may slightly alter is how I collect my information. I think sometimes when I spent time writing the "Value" and "What Next" I started to lose my thought process a bit and had to spend a bit of time recalling it. In the future I think I will write down the what next before I write down the value so I can remind myself later about what I was planning to do.
Reflection Of The Metacognitive Strategy Of "Using A Calendar" - E2
Since I had already used Google Calendar for my past scheduling I found integrating my AIF project in very seamless. I think this was definitely beneficial as I think learning a calendar would’ve been time consuming (I know this because it took me quite a while to set up my Google Calendar when I was first starting).
Effectiveness:
​
-
I think by designating specific time slots for AIF I was able to work around my maths revision, UCAT practice, tutoring, sports commitments and other activities. This was definitely important otherwise I think I would've been mindlessly completing a little bit here and there, rather then having a systematic approach.
​
-
Another benefit of using a Calendar was that by having a set time to do my AIF project I was able to avoid procrastination. In the past I definitely found myself procrastinating on some things. Whilst last year I found myself quite focused when I was doing my biology, I think I definitely put my some other things off till the last minute. As the AIF portfolio is a big task I think I would've avoided it and attempted smaller tasks (as they seem easier). However, this would definitely prove to be an issue in the future as I would fall behind and have a huge workload to overcome.​
​
Challenges:
​
-
Although Google Calendar was useful for structuring my workload, I found that my tasks didn’t always fit neatly into the planned time slots. Sometimes AIF tasks took longer or shorter than expected, so I had to adjust my schedule as I went. In the future, I may need to leave some flexibility in my calendar to allow for unexpected changes. However, I think the calendar was still useful as it gave me a rough guide.
​
How I Will Adjust:
​
-
I think the Google Calendar strategy was definitely useful. Whilst in my Calendar I had the timeslot for AIF written for the end of the night, this week I experimented with a few times in the day. However, I found that if I did this I would leave UCAT practice till the end of the night when I was more tired. UCAT definitely requires me to have a high cognitive speed which I just did not have late at night. Therefore, I think in the future I will always conduct AIF near the end of the night as it doesn't require high thinking speeds.
Training Strategies
Reflection Of The Feeding Strategy - E2
The treat feeding strategy that I research in week 1 where I remove my hand immediately when I feel her teeth (when feeding treats) and then return the hand quickly was something I implemented over the week. At the start, she would occasionally brush her teeth against my hands, but over time she realized that biting would not result in a reward. Now, she completely avoids biting or touching my hand with her teeth during treat-feeding sessions.
​
Challenges:
​
-
I think at first she didn't quite understand why I was removing my hand. Therefore, I decided to try saying "ouch!" when her teeth touched me. Although I thought it would be a bit silly I decided it might be worth a try as dogs are typically quite emotionally intelligent. This actually worked quite well, however I mainly only implemented it when she bit me rather then just brush her teeth.
Next Steps:
​
-
Over the next few weeks I plan on continuing to implementing this strategy until the idea that she shouldn't use her teeth when being fed treats is ingrained.
Reflection On Communicating With My Family To Be Stern With Winnie When She Showed Behaviour such as Ankle Biting or Scratching - E2
Effectiveness:
​
-
Once I explained to my family that Winnie responds best to consistent correction, they started to reinforce the same rules when she bit or jumped on them.
​
-
I noticed a significant improvement—she started biting and scratching less often, not just with me but with others as well.
​
Challenges:
​
-
My sister struggled to change her tone when scolding Winnie. Whilst she did say things like "no" or "don't bite me" she seemed to not want to scold Winnie. To combat this I explained why it was important that we correct the behaviour early (as it would be a bad habit when she grows older as it could cause minor injuries) which caused her to be properly stern with Winnie.
​
Next Steps:
​
-
I think I could definitely implement this in the future as if we continue to be stern when we are not happy I think she will understand when she did something good or bad.
JOURNAL ENTRY WEEK 3
SUMMARY OF JOURNAL ENTRY - E1, E2
Focused on research and analysing Winnie's behaviour to improve training methods.
​
I recognised the importance of observation. For example this included how tracking patterns can help me tailor/adapt training to her needs.
​
The process of elimination strategy was useful. However it worked best with direct observation, like how mind mapping could be improved with slight adjustments.
​
Challenges
-
Faced inconsistency in training among family members - Winnie behaves differently with stricter vs. softer family members.
-
Not everything goes to plan - she was able to escape the make-shift crate, which means that I need make her want to willingly go inside her crate.
-
Realized that crate escape habits could become an issue so I may also need to get a new proper crate.
​
Moving forward
-
I want to mainly focus on adaptability. This may involve ensuring she plays before training to improve focus.
-
Need to balance research with observation - every dog is different, so online methods need to be adjusted to fit Winnie’s behaviour.
​
Plans for next week
-
I want to make the crate a more positive space (maybe get a new one)
-
Address behavioural issues such as ankle biting and jumping up (causing scratching)
-
Conduct wide range of research
-
Continue minor trick training (not too much as I want her to adapt to the household first)