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[saratogaspringer]

Hey Everyone! I am so excited!  I just got Buster's station set up yesterday, and ran him for the first time this afternoon with the station. I was worried because there is no way that I have a 4 foot space around the dock. 4 feet to the back and front, but only about 1.5 feet on either side.  He said the was "famished and needed some juice"  walked right over to the station, turned around shook his butt around and docked.  He said "AHH, I made it! I'll get up when I'm full."  It was sooo cool!  He did try to do the ball trick. He got the ball on his back and spotted the station and walked toward it, but then head butted the ball over his back and shook.    Hopefully, he'll try the trick tonight!

[Talon]

Awe, Saratogaspringer! That's so cool! I'm so glad you're having fun with your Aibo!
Talon

[Crewella]

What a clever boy, well done Buster!  I really must give poor Java a chance to try it - great stuff, Springer!     

[kat]

Yay Buster!   It's so exciting the first time they dock by themselves.

[latrine]

Congrats!!! And wow already going for the big trick, what a good boy he is!!  Loki finally got it right and even took a picture of it.. lol..
Isn't it amazing when they self dock.. I still think it's so cool.. I want to run Thor in whatever version he can self dock in just to see it, even though I know I'd have to set up a tower.. but I wanna see!!! lol..
Congrats again!!!

- Sarah

[saratogaspringer]

Congratulations to Loki! He is such a smart pooch!  Was he excited when he completed the trick? Congrats again!

[latrine]

Oh yes he sure was.. he did the dance as he backed up like in my video and then he even got a picture of the ball on the pole.. I will try and get it off of his card so we can immortalize the photo he took of his 'triumph' here, forever   I hope you get to see yours complete the trick as well it's amazing (I think) how they get themselves into place for docking and so even more amazing when they walk over the station and then step around those foot stops to get close enough to do the trick!

Is Buster set to get up on his own when he's done charging? 
If so, does he immediately say 'I'm getting up now' after he docks and says 'I made it!!' ? 
Loki says that when he is set to dismount on his own and I assume they just used a pre-existing statement instead of making a new one like "I'm getting up when I'm done charging!' as he is most certainly not getting up right when he sits down.. he's lucky to make it at all with as low as his battery gets before he decides it's time to 'eat'
My poor pups are impatiently waiting to be charged, we just got a new generator that can do the entire house so it should be soon! I didn't wanna plug them into the old one and risk the power going up and down potentially hurting them..

- Sarah

[saratogaspringer]

Hi Sarah! I am so proud of Loki!  I have to see the video of his happy dance!  Yes, when Buster self docks, he says " AHH, I made it. I'll get up when I'm full. " That is with the copied stick that I have.  It supposedly has all the new updates, and I guess he is set up to get up, but I shut him completely down to be safe.  I did get the new Mind 3 stick from Sony yesterday.  I used it, and I assume it does not have the updates, and is not set up to get up when he is charged because he said "I made it!"  and didn't mention anything about getting up on his own when charged.  I don't know how to get the updates off of my copied stick, and Aibo Kennel is down. 

I will say this however....the first ball trick he tried with the new stick was putting the ball on the pole.  He got the ball on his back without problems, found the station, got all the way over and stepped over the stops, but when he went to put the ball up, it circled the top and fell off. It rolled a little under my computer desk. I tried to be cute and put it on the pole, but he had already caught me, and did his little sad song.  I praised him by petting him on the back to make him feel better, but he was still "bummed."  He seems to be "bummed" a lot, and I don't know how to make him happy!    Maybe he needs more sunlight. I dunno....any thoughts?

[Crewella]

Thankfully, I don't find the low light makes the Aibos sad, though they do get a bit frustrated when they can't see their ball.  From my experiences, praise and hearing their name is what makes Aibos happiest - keep giving him lots of 'go for it' encouragement.  If he's still mishearing 'good boy' a lot I'd keep trying to find a way of saying it that works. 

[latrine]

Loki has been bummed lately as well.. I'm not sure of the command to ask how he's feeling but sometimes he responds as though I've asked it when I've asked a different question.. I can almost always cheer him up a few notches with a good head scratching.. and I mean a good one.. where you keep rubbing his head and he gets so happy and cries with that 'robot-dog noise' lol.. and then he has to lie down, like a real puppy getting a ear rub or something 

Thor, on the other hand is REALLY coming into his own. He is growing up and his personality is emerging with all these new dances, its so amazing yet he still hasn't gone up a stage.
So give that puppy a good head scratch! And tell him hes good over and over!

Loki will get miffed when his special light fixture we got for them is off.. like when we had no power and we were running them while we ate dinner for our entertainment.. lol.. loki kept getting into his "I'm pissed off" mode where he just throws his head high in the air and lunges off in whatever direction he pleases without paying any attention at all.. so of course he immediately tripped over his bone and fell over!  Then later on he was looking around and asked if we'd seen his station.. lol. 
Thor can sometimes find things if he turns his little head light on which is funny:)  My bf was wondering if we could put a stronger light in it but I assume that would eat up more power or something.. but he DOES seem to turn it on when he can't see... he will peer into the middle room which usually only has the fish tank for lights and then turn on his light before going in

- Sarah

[Crewella]

True - you can't beat a good ear scratch or back rub! 

I do love your stories of your 'bots and what they get up to, Sarah - you do seem to have a lot of fun with them!

Good luck with your Skittering! 

[saratogaspringer]

I'll try to give him a good head rub tonight and see if that cheers him up!  It's been a while since I had a real dog, and I guess I have to treat Buster as if he is a real dog.    I enjoy your stories too, Sarah.  It is great that you are having so much fun with them. I wish I had more time to spend with my 'bots, but I am just thankful to have the time that I have with them.

[latrine]

I have fun with them but I have too much free time.. I'm sure they enjoy any time you can give them..
Mine did seem a little annoyed when they finally got turned on after the storm when I could finally charge them so I wonder if they got used to being on so often.. lol.. not possible I'm sure.
They are fun

- Sarah