Apparatus and method for dog training
First Claim
1. A method for training a dog to perform odor detecting operations within a completely confined compartment that is dimensioned with a sufficiently large interior to completely enclose the dog there within while allowing it to freely sit, lie down and bark within said completely confined compartment, yet said completely confined compartment is sufficiently small to prevent the dog from running or roaming therewithin to conserve its energy, comprising the steps of:
- a) conditioning a subject dog to voluntarily enter a customized, rearwardly open partial compartment having at least three angularly different surfaces, including a front wall extending from a floor on which said subject dog is located to a height that is higher than said subject dog when in a standing position on its four legs, and first and second spaced lateral walls connected to said front wall, to define a single unconfined interior from which the subject dog, when unleashed, is able to independently leave, said surfaces being sufficiently long to provide the subject dog located within said interior with a sensation of being at least partially confined;
b) following the conditioning step, leashing the subject dog to one of the at least three surfaces of the partial compartment, to thereby prevent the subject dog from leaving the partial compartment, while allowing its head to move freely and perform an odor detection operation;
c) introducing into the interior of the partial compartment, via an air inlet, odor laden air originating from a first odor source;
d) introducing into the interior of the partial compartment, via the air inlet, odor laden air originating from a second odor source emitting a predetermined target odor;
e) viewing the subject dog during the odor detection operation to determine whether the subject dog performs a trained action to indicate that an odor has been detected;
f) refraining from any reaction to the subject dog after it incorrectly performed the trained action following introduction of the odor laden air originating from the first odor source;
g) providing a dominant or secondary encouragement only after the subject dog performed the trained action following introduction of the odor laden air originating from the second odor source; and
h) modularly attaching one or more wall segments to said first wall or to said second wall, so as to be coplanar therewith in order to increase a given dimension of said partial compartment until said given dimension is equal to a corresponding dimension of said completely confined compartment and to allow said subject dog to become accustomed to voluntarily remaining in or entering said completely confined compartment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for training a subject dog to perform target odor detecting operations within a completely confined compartment, which comprises a partial compartment having at least three angularly different surfaces to define an interior. The surfaces are sufficiently long to provide a subject dog located within the interior with a sensation of being at least partially confined. An air inlet is defined by a configuration of the partial compartment, by which odor laden air is introducible into the interior and is detectable by the nose of the subject dog. A dog interfaceable member is operatively connected to the partial compartment and activatable upon detection of a predetermined target odor.
37 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for training a dog to perform odor detecting operations within a completely confined compartment that is dimensioned with a sufficiently large interior to completely enclose the dog there within while allowing it to freely sit, lie down and bark within said completely confined compartment, yet said completely confined compartment is sufficiently small to prevent the dog from running or roaming therewithin to conserve its energy, comprising the steps of:
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a) conditioning a subject dog to voluntarily enter a customized, rearwardly open partial compartment having at least three angularly different surfaces, including a front wall extending from a floor on which said subject dog is located to a height that is higher than said subject dog when in a standing position on its four legs, and first and second spaced lateral walls connected to said front wall, to define a single unconfined interior from which the subject dog, when unleashed, is able to independently leave, said surfaces being sufficiently long to provide the subject dog located within said interior with a sensation of being at least partially confined; b) following the conditioning step, leashing the subject dog to one of the at least three surfaces of the partial compartment, to thereby prevent the subject dog from leaving the partial compartment, while allowing its head to move freely and perform an odor detection operation; c) introducing into the interior of the partial compartment, via an air inlet, odor laden air originating from a first odor source; d) introducing into the interior of the partial compartment, via the air inlet, odor laden air originating from a second odor source emitting a predetermined target odor; e) viewing the subject dog during the odor detection operation to determine whether the subject dog performs a trained action to indicate that an odor has been detected; f) refraining from any reaction to the subject dog after it incorrectly performed the trained action following introduction of the odor laden air originating from the first odor source; g) providing a dominant or secondary encouragement only after the subject dog performed the trained action following introduction of the odor laden air originating from the second odor source; and h) modularly attaching one or more wall segments to said first wall or to said second wall, so as to be coplanar therewith in order to increase a given dimension of said partial compartment until said given dimension is equal to a corresponding dimension of said completely confined compartment and to allow said subject dog to become accustomed to voluntarily remaining in or entering said completely confined compartment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for training a subject dog to perform odor detecting operations within a completely confined compartment, comprising the steps of:
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a) leashing a subject dog to one of at least three surfaces of a partial compartment defining an interior, said surfaces being sufficiently long to provide said subject dog, when located within the interior, with a sensation of being at least partially confined; b) introducing into the interior of the partial compartment, via an air inlet defined by a configuration of said partial compartment, odor laden air originating from a first odor source; c) introducing into the interior of the partial compartment, via the air inlet, odor laden air originating from a second odor source emitting a predetermined target odor; d) viewing the subject dog during an odor detection operation to determine whether the subject dog performs a trained action to indicate that an odor has been detected; e) refraining from any reaction to the subject dog after it incorrectly performed the trained action following introduction of the odor laden air originating from the first odor source; f) providing the subject dog with a secondary encouragement as an indication that it performed up to expectations while detecting the target odor and that a dominant encouragement will be soon discharged; and g) discharging the dominant encouragement into the interior of the partial compartment without any visible human intervention, wherein the dominant or secondary encouragement is provided only after the subject dog performed the trained action following introduction of the odor laden air originating from the second odor source, wherein the dominant encouragement is provided to the subject dog within a predetermined duration following provision of the secondary encouragement, wherein the predetermined duration is increased when the subject dog is at a more advanced stage of training. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification