Barnum’s First Service Skills!

I’ve been really sick lately, so not up to much of anything, including blogging.

Here, for your viewing pleasure, an almost wordless blog!

Barnum’s first service skills — shutting cabinet doors. And because we were on a roll, I added shutting a couple of drawers, too.

Please note: My voice was not working when I made this video, so what little language occurs is in (sloppy, distracted) American Sign Language. If you just want to see the action and don’t care about what I’m saying, watch the YouTube version, below.

If you want to watch the captioned version, please view the video at dotSub.

Enjoy!

– Sharon, the muse of Gadget, and Barnum (That’s Mr. SDiT to you)

P.S. Instead of doing a transcription on another page, for those who don’t watch videos, here is a transcript and description of the action in the video:

Title: Barnum’s First Service Skills: Shutting Cupboards & Drawers

Sharon: Today I’m showing you Barnum’s first real service skill.

Sharon laughs as the sound of cabinet doors slamming is heard.

Cut to Barnum shutting a cupboard without being asked.

All the cupboards are natural pale solid wood, poplar, with shiny chrome-colored round metal knobs.

CLICK!

Barnum returns to Sharon for a piece of meat. Sharon laughs.

Sharon: He’s ready! Let’s try again.

Cut to Sharon in the kitchen, opening a wood cupboard. Barnum is so eager to get his nose in there and shut it that Sharon can’t open the cupboard.

Sharon: Excuse me!

Barnum backs up but is still in the way. Sharon cues him to sit, which he does.

She opens two cupboards. He shuts them both, getting clicks and treats for each.

Sharon moves to a cupboard where one door opens against a wall.

Sharon: This is a hard one.

Barnum moves in too close again. Sharon and the camera person laugh.

Sharon: Excuse me.

She cues a sit. Barnum sits. When both doors are open, she cues, “Shut the door.” Barnum closes both easily and gains two clicks and treats.

Sharon moves to the other end of the kitchen, next to the stove. She opens a cupboard under the sink that partially blocks a very narrow cabinet door next to the oven, which she also opens. Again, she has to ask Barnum, “Excuse me.”

He right away shuts both doors. After clicking and treating, Sharon gets another handful of meat from a tray on the counter and goes to a large pantry door, as tall as the refrigerator and almost as wide. This door has no knob.

Sharon: This is a hard one.

She opens it. Barnum goes right over and shuts it on the first try. Pleased and surprised, Sharon vocalizes, “All right!”

Sharon [to camera person]: Want to try drawers? Come around here, we’ll do this one.

She opens a drawer that is nose height for Barnum. The drawer is large and filled to the top with pot holders and cookbooks.

Barnum shuts it with one quick nudge. Sharon clicks and treats.

She opens the drawer beneath it, which contains empty plastic containers. It comes to about knee height for Barnum. He shuts it with a flip of his nose. Sharon clicks and treats.

Sharon looks at the camera and raises her hands in the air, making the “applause” sign and saying, “Yay!”