Manners Minder

So, I'm considering getting one of these but wanted people's opinions.

The reasons I'm considering this is because while I'm at work the dogs are crated, which would be fine if no one was home because they are quiet then. But, when people are home and out of the room they are rather vocal and my sister is about ready to kill them. So I would like to set one up outside the crate to allow my sister to reward remotely for quiet.

I also would like it for when people come home to reward AWAY from anyone for calmness.

So, who has one of these? Do you use it for other things? I would like to use it for more than two things if possible since it's not the cheapest. Do you recommend it?

I had this:

http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=2139&ParentCat=675

Lucy would. not. leave it alone. "OMGTHERE'SFOOD!!!! MUST CLAW AT IT FOR HOURS EVEN WHEN MOM SHOVES FOOD UNDER MY NOSE TO TRY TO DISTRACT ME". I ended up having to give it away to a friend because she just couldn't focus when it was on the ground.

I have one. I used it a lot for being quiet on the mat while I worked a different dog and some for rewarding being quiet in the crate. My biggest issue is that mine jams a lot. I'd say every 10 to 20th reward spin it jams up. So if your sister is using it she's probably going to have to fix it on a regular basis, which may be as annoying as vocal dogs.

I'll come back to this thread after I've had coffee because I'm sure I have more to say. Lol.

Yeah Taq, I was reading in a few places it jammed. Did it matter what kibble you used? And do you know when it jams? She'll be using the remote from the other side of the house so if she can't tell when it jams it'll be a bigger pain.

I used TOTW and Eagle Pack kibble in mine. The first before the recalls, the second because that is what Cookie eats and I was using it for her. I've never had a jam...both are medium size kibbles. I have teensy Nutrisca at home i could put in to see if it jams on smaller stuff.

I've had mine for several years now. It took my dogs a little while to learn that it wasn't another Nina Ottosson toy and that scrabbling at it is not okay. Webster especially was certain it was a food puzzle toy and if I would only leave him alone with it for a few seconds he would conquer it. So it's only out if we're actively working it or they cannot reach it.

Mine came with two different disc sizes for different sized kibble. I use the tiny Halo cat food in mine and it would occasionally jam but not very often.

This is irrelevant to your question, but I'm trying to figure out how they are going to get the treat from the Manners Minder when they are in their crates.

Beyond that, I'm useless We have one at the place I do agility, but I think Meg would believe it was run by a demon. Gusto would disassemble it probably.

The tray is removable -- if you unsnap it, the food just falls to the floor. Or, if it's on top of a wire crate, it falls into the crate

And yeah, it's a supervision- or separation-only sort of thing. I can't even leave it on top of a crate if Webster has access to the room or he'll walk across the top of the wire crate to have at the MM.

Ah, thanks! I was picturing it somehow rigged up to shoot into the crates like a BB gun and was baffled.

lol I have this suspicion that Didgie would find that very reinforcing lol

We use Manners Minders in our kennels at work, they're incredibly useful for getting your reinforcement timing and placement right.

They do jam a lot, we just had to find the right size kibble to put in them. Too big: jams. Too small: jams. Soft treats absolutely do not work, crumbs are a very bad thing! You might try getting some free samples of different foods to figure out which one works best.

When you push the remote to give a treat, the Manners Minder beeps, which you should be able to hear from another room. When it gets jammed, it makes a different (louder!) beep, which you should definately also hear from another room.

We found this chart to be really helpful: Treats and Foods for the Manners Minder. It lists a bunch of different foods, what disk size to use with each, and how well they worked in the manners minder. Lots of information here that should help!!

Lanie

Petsafe is doing 'their own' or revamping the Manners Minder with a better model. I'll take a look in a few and see if it is available yet. The new model looked 100x better next to the Manners Minder.

I loved ours at work, embarrassingly it took me forever to realize the dish came off.

I would love to see how it will be improved, do you have any sneak peeks?

Here it is!
http://www.petsafe.net/products/tra...aining/train-and-treat-remote-treat-dispenser
I think this was day #3 of being at the trade show and I was about as tuned out as I could be, but it can be plugged in, and it also has a tone (which I believe the Manners Minder does not have). It's cheaper than the MM. It looks constructed better. Downside is I don't believe you can go as far with the remote.

Petsafe dropped some pretty awesome new stuff this year. Potty pads that you plug into the treat dispenser, and when it feels moisture, it spits out a treat. A bark counter to monitor how much (and when) your dog barks if you aren't home. Pendant e-collars with a ring that sits on the dog's neck instead of prongs (less chance of pressure necrosis).

That does look nice. I especially like that it can be plugged in, though of course that may not even always be possible because you'd have to make sure the power cord is out of reach of the dog. Still a nice option. I'd love to try one out in person, I'll have to start watching the pet stores and trade shows....

I adore my old style Manners Minder (Sharper Image Treat N Train). It can be plugged in, it has down stay sensors (my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE THING), and the only thing I've had to replace is the battery on the remote.

Old thread I know but oh well!



So since I made this thread I've done nothing but waffle back and forth on this because of the price. I decide to get it and then back out, decide to get it and back out and so on.

The other day it was on sale so I put it in the Amazon cart to think about it and by mistake my sister who was ordering something else didn't clear the cart and ended up accidentally ordering it.

Who am I to complain? So decision taken out of my hands I now own the Manners Minder and I'm happy about it. Finally crack down and work on the crying in the crate that I keep putting off!

So I have it set up on the wire crate and my sister has had a run down on how to use it and what I want her to reward for and when.



Traveler and Didgie have already taken to standing in the crate waiting for the magical food to drop from the sky so I'm saying it's a hit!

You shouldn't have to use the clipboard ramp if you take the tray off. I just set mine directly over the crate and the treat slides right in.

I also ordered one of these off Amazon too. I got mine used from somebody for about $20 less than retail, has everything with it, even still in the original box, so I was like "well okay." I figured if it doesn't work I can sell it used as well.
I'm using it with P on his crate tantrums. It's... uh. Worked for a while. Works as long as the cookies keep pouring into his crate? I think I need a ramp for mine, that's a good idea. Payton's is on a table next to his crate with the tray off and they slide in, but some of them bounce off. (I can't put it on top because Pepper's crate is on top, and she has to be on top so Payton won't pester her.) Then everybody runs around outside his crate, digging around, trying to snag the ones that didn't fall into the crate or fell in just the right way that it bounced underNEATH the plastic crate tray... annoying dogs.


I'm not sure if mine works well on the down stay part. I set it to variable but I can hear it in the other room just churning away on what sounds like a regular basis. I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to work like that.