SCritches

SCRITCHES is a way for a learner to request pets, scratches behind the ears, or scratches elsewhere. We recommend introducing it at the same time as you introduce another affection-related word, so your learner can better understand the meaning of each through comparisons and contrasts.

Meanings and uses

• Come scratch me

• Come pet me

Button sounds

• "Pets"

• "Pet you"

• "Scritches"

Modeling techniques

Among our group of successful modelers, the following techniques were used successfully:

• Learner looked like she might be in the mood to be petted. Her owners would ask her "pet you?" Then, if the learner looked receptive, the owners would press the button and pet her.

What seems to have worked well

Among our group of successful modelers, the following seemed to be helpful:

• Pressing the button prior to petting learner but only after she had already consented to be pet.

• Use own voices to ask, "Pet you?", even when learner was in a different type of mood. If she did not transition to a petting mood then we did not pet her.

What seems to have gotten in the way

Among our group of successful modelers, they avoided doing the following:

• Pressing the button if learner looked like she was not in the mood to be petted

• Providing petting unless learner had a calm energy and looked interested in being petted