A harness which fits over the dog's body and limbs and transmits the positions of each joint over a wireless link to your computer.

The computer is programmed to play back commands and verify compliance. "Sit!" "Down!" etc. Non-compliance would be punished with a loud unpleasant tone (to the pooch, that is.). Rewards would be food pellets released on command from a dispenser.

You might even train two puppies at the same time: "Neil, Sit! Dan, Down!". With proper programming, they might even dance, or make a puppy quartet (microphone feeding a soundcard). Or learn typing on a keyboard with paw sized keys.

Training a dog (or any other animal) consists of rewarding random, desired, movements which happen spontaneously and building an association with the command. It is a tiring job, and it is all too easy to lose one's temper. Pressing a computer into the job seems to me to be the answer.
-- neelandan, Nov 28 2001

Halfbarkery http://www.halfbake...ery_2ecom#995385521
You might think your dog is training on-line but in reallity... [RobertKidney, Nov 28 2001, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Halfbarkery http://www.halfbake...ecom.html#995385521
You might think your dog is training on-line but in reallity... [RobertKidney, Oct 21 2004]

I like the computer involvement. Why not set up a dog interface--something they could work easily, given their end effectors (mouth, front paws maybe). See if they can learn to do practical things, communicative things. One interface works a machine voice saying, "Fido out!", another "Go for ride in the car!", etc. Borrow from the literature on animal intelligence research.
-- entremanure, Nov 28 2001


You're so dogmatic, UnaBubba.
-- hippo, Nov 28 2001


you have a dog called neil? how confusing
-- po, Nov 28 2001


She is called Maggie. She doesn't.
-- neelandan, Nov 28 2001


Maggie Thatcher - was she a robot?
-- thumbwax, Nov 28 2001


No. As neelandan says, she was a bitch.
-- Guy Fox, Nov 28 2001


My maggie is not interested in hubcaps. However, evidence around my car does suggest that she sometimes has visitors who are.

Entre: Clicked at last! Please change "paw sized keyboard" to "keyboard with paw sized keys" and you are done.
-- neelandan, Dec 03 2001


'Implants'? I've never heard of implants for that. They use collars.
-- StarChaser, Dec 03 2001


cool idea but I almost feel like its cruel (yeah I'm a dirty hippy, so what?) I think when training a dog, It should want to do the tricks and so it will get a treat or praise. I don't like the thought of turning a dog into a puppet.
-- Tender Vittles, Jan 06 2005



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