11 January 2011

Laura's tutorial on Sad Robot Repair.


Does your robot ever get sad? Ours does. I used it in the ice this morning, working on our running dogwalks. We hadn't had robot out in quite a while, and I think it doesn't like to sit on icy grass when it's had a long holiday. Me and the dogs didn't care, but just goes to show you. Something. We are more ready for the ice coming with climate change than, even...robot!


I decided that because Gustavo's genuine running dogwalk, mostly trained with robot, is looking so fabulous, we are going to retrain Otterpop's exactly the same way. So we need you, robot. Here is how you take off robot's flap, and when you do, you can see it's soul.


In basic robot surgery, when robot can't beep, you change the batteries, and then flip flop them all around. If you confuse the batteries, they work better. Let them think you're lining them up like so, then you move them around. Then. When no one is looking. Move them about once more.


Then shake robot as hard as you can, up and down. A lot. Hard. Harder.


It's ok if the treats all fall out. Robot is looking much more chipper and wants it's treats back.


So just scoop 'em up and throw 'em back in. Otterpop doesn't care if she eats dirt.


Test your robot while your dog is still in the house. I am sending robot loving thoughts from my mind to it's robot soul about beeping. I love you, robot, are the words I am projecting now, from my brain. And listen carefully. BEEP!


Then test robot with yer dog. Listen carefully. Again. BEEP! Aha! The sexy sound of a happy robot!


And then here we go. Otterpop has always had a pretty good dogwalk. But we're going for an upgrade here. She played along during all those months I obsessed over Gustavo's running dogwalk contact, and the half assed training she got on the fly has now given her a somewhat missy, half assed running dogwalk. Dogwalks are definitely not her favorite part of agility due to the whole judge-looking-atcha-whilst-running-nearby factor.

But what else is there to do? Laundry? Taxes? Pluck up dead birds?

You will find us outside. Listen for the BEEP.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

i just ordered a robot. i'd been wanting one for oh so long, and it was WAY on sale. now you're scaring me with this sad robot thing. but it sounds like all it takes to make robot happy is batteries. and shaking. hard shaking. and keep robot off the ice. i hope so, because WAY on sale wasn't free... i want a hit it board, too, but i've never seen them WAY on sale.
valpig

team small dog said...

We have put some hard mileage on robot, and it hasn't failed us yet. Bookmark this tutorial for just in case.

Jodi, eh? said...

Usually when people try to instruct me on mechanical repairs, my mind goes blank and ears flap closed. I managed to follow every step in your tutorial. You may have to add mechanical engineer extrodinaire on your long list of skills.
PS Otterpop's feet don't appear to be in the yellow. Just sayin'.

team small dog said...

Why we are fixing it, Jodi! Both robot and Otterpop!

I am now going outside in the ice to figure out why there is a giant pool of oil under my car. I am hoping this is just as easy to fix as robot. If it is, I will add car engine repair to the skill list.

Jodi, eh? said...

Uh-oh. That doesn't sound good. Did you try shaking it? Let us know how it turns out...

Ruby Rose and the Big Little Angels 3 said...

Oh my gosh what will you humans think of next?

team small dog said...

Hmm I could not shake the car, but I did lay underneath it. I can confirm it is dripping what appears to be very clean oil out of it's engine!

But here's what's weird. I pour a lot of oil in the engine, since it had half it's engine rebuilt it drinks much oil. But the oil I pour in is brown.

And the oil that drips out is CLEAR!

Maybe anyone could explain that? Cars are very much harder to fix than robots.

debbie in socal said...

Just noticed your variation on the sock handwarmers. Nice touch, just make them part of the hoodie. Robot mechanics get cold hands too!!