Animal husbandry – Exercise or amusement device – Toy – lure – fetch – or related device
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-04
2004-04-20
Abbott, Yvonne (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Exercise or amusement device
Toy, lure, fetch, or related device
C119S710000, C119S051010, C150S150000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06722317
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a portable animal treat dispensing and training device. The importance of dog training, particularly in connection with animal recall, is well known. Dogs don't look both ways before crossing the street. Coming when called can save a dog's life. A popular method of recall training is based on a patterned response in which the dog's name is followed by a short easy to recall word that is used only for recall, e.g., “come”. When the dog performs, it is praised and immediately rewarded with a treat (e.g. kibble). After numerous repetitions, the dog associates the word and the act of returning to caller with the treat and will return on command. Unfortunately, the human voice is relatively low in tone and does not register with dogs as well, particularly at long range, as a high pitch tone. It has been found that using a bell, for example, with a high pitch tone in combination with the treat reward system produces improved recall recognition and response.
A somewhat similar training method used to teach dogs a wide variety of commands and tricks comprises reciting the dogs name followed by the command word, e.g., sit, stay, etc. A noisemaker such as a cricket or whistle is then sounded to signal the release from the command which is again immediately followed by a treat. This method of training has proved to be highly successful as, with repetition, the dog quickly associates the command, his performance and release noise with the treat. However, the owner/trainer must always have on hand a supply of treats as well as the cricket, whistle or other noisemaker. The treats require a container or they will leave crumbs in one's pockets and crickets and whistles are often misplaced. The task of opening the container to extract the treat while holding onto the noisemaker and an excited animal and feeding the treat to the animal is generally awkward at best. It would therefore be desirable to provide a compact container that conveniently and efficiently carries and dispenses animal treats and is provided with an easily activated high-toned noisemaker to provide both an improved treat dispenser and animal training device.
The present invention comprises a novel configuration of treat dispenser in which the owner/trainer can, in one hand, conveniently carry the treats, easily open the device to dispense a treat, close and re-seal the device and, through the attachment of a high-toned bell, effectively use the dispenser itself as the noisemaker, thereby providing a very compact and efficient animal treat dispenser and training device. Such a device is ideally suited for use as a recall training device in that it can be used to provide a predetermined number of relatively high-pitched rings of the bell in lieu of calling the dog's name and the “come” command to effect recall. As a result of the ring or rings of the bell and its association with the dispensing of the treat, recall learning and performance is enhanced. Thereafter, the range of the high pitch tone provides an excellent recall device that is not offensive to humans.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the invention comprises an elongated animal treat dispensing device adapted to carry a supply of kibble or other type dog treats that is formed of a resilient plastic material and defines a closed end and an elliptically-shaped, slightly convex, dispensing end having an arcuate slot extending about the lower periphery thereof such that upon squeezing the dispenser adjacent its dispensing end, the slot is caused to open, allowing one or more treats to be readily dispensed therefrom. Upon releasing the pressure on the dispenser, it returns to its prior disposition, closing the slot to seal the remaining treats within the dispenser. A bell having a relatively high pitch tone is carried by the dispenser whereby the user can simply shake the dispenser to alert the dog to the command and dispense the treat with a simple squeezing motion of the same hand.
It is the principle object of the present invention to provide a portable animal treat dispensing device having an attached high tone bell to form a compact, fully self-contained, highly efficient and simple to use animal training device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable animal treat dispensing device that carries a supply of treats therein and is easily operable with a single hand to open the device to dispense one or more treats and then close the device, re-sealing the remaining treats therein.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a portable animal treat dispensing device having an audible device attached thereto that allows the user to both activate the audible device and dispense animal treats with a single hand.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an animal treat dispenser and training device that is effective for animal recall at long distances.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a portable animal treat dispensing and training device that is readily carried by the user on a waistband.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved portable animal training device that is of simple construction and economical to manufacture.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Abbott Yvonne
Holland & Knight LLP
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