Follow Jessie's actual progress during the first steps learning to turn on a light switch. In under 4 minutes (approx. 45 clicks), she has the main idea. Have you considered training your own assistance or service dog? Or trying out a new trick to impress friends? Clicker training is the best way I have found to successfully train almost any dog. I have been asked several times for footage of a dog learning a task or being shaped for the first time so new trainers could see the actual process and know what to expect. So here it is! Lots of repetition. Note she doesn't get clicked for any behavior she offers that I don't want later on such as pawing, stepping on or scratching the switch plate. The only editing was for slow periods where she scrambled for food, when I repositioned myself as I was uncomfortable or when I turned on and off the camera. Subscribe to our videos to be the first to see the whole process start to finish. (Coming soon). Enjoy this educational video brought to you by Vancouver Island Assistance Dogs! www.viassistancedogs.blogspot.com Our videos are now available for puchase on CD. See our blog above.
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been using it on my kids! Lol, they think it’s great. So you could try the girlfriend.
It is truly astounding to watch Jessie figure the whole thing out !
That is great !
Yes! it’s called TAG teaching! Teaching with Acoustical Guidance! Or you can be more subtle and just reinforce behaviors you want and ignore the ones you don’t!
Glad it helped!
Thanks so much for this video! Our german shepherd puppy is in obedience class, but it’s me who needs better training, especially on using clickers! This video really made it clear to me.
can you use the clicker on your girlfriend too?
You are very welcome! It’s great to have the feedback as well!
Your videos have been most helpful for this novice dog trainer. Both my dog and myself have had great success using your techniques. Thank you!
woah….totally awesome
Because clicker training is about the dog making choices, you can start clicker training as young as 4 weeks old! So go for it and have fun!
im really impressed,, congratulations
i wanna ask something i have a doberman puppy shes almost 3 months she know how to sit, lay down, come, stay, give the paw, play death but whitout the clicker so i wanna start the clicker training it is ok she can start learning with a different form ?? or can be more hard for her?
yes offcource! ;O) I uploading today, and i will start with a nose target that looks like a light switch…i dont have one exept from the wall,and thats abit high up. i will se what i can make that reselbles. he has done some hand targeting with be since i got him and he is pretty good. i guess he will transfere that to this assessment! im exited to start;O)
talk later
Can’t wait to see your video! You can upload it as a video response if you like!
yes that was really helpful! thank you very much for your time and good explonation. i will begin today, and i promise to upload the progress here on youtube!
thanks!
Once she understands the behavior (in this case flipping the light switch in place), I go back to the 10 reps (or less), break, 10 reps and reduce the number of reps we do. The break allows for latent learning (think time) on the part of the dog. Once she is doing it consistently and we are generalizing to other rooms etc, then we will do 5 reps or less or she gets bored with the behavior.
Hope that helps!
How long sessions are really depends on you and your dog. Jessie has done quite abit of clicker training and enjoys shaping and is motivated to work for longer sessions when offering a new behavior. I find that in early stages of learning this is most effective for her. So we do about 40-50 clikcs before taking a break.
fantastic work you do!
I have a 4 year old border collie that i adopted 3 mounths ago…im clickertrainging him with great sucess and i thought it would be funny to service dog train him. show everyone that rescue dogs can do great! i have a spesific question…how many sessions and how long do you train on turning thi light on/off? and do you follow the 300 pecing/80 % rule? im planning to teach him to turn light on/off and will have a plan before we begin;O) hes soooo fast!
Wow, this was impressive. Great job, Donna
Good job you two! Very clear and informative.
Thanks so much!
^^
yep another great video. love the way you go through things. 5*
Hi Discdogshayne,
I’ll leave that to be answered by the next video (coming soon!)
As to the practice switch, try a dollar store or second hand stores for the two parts of the plate (cover plate and the actual switch). This training prop cost me $1.29 as I found the wood in my garage!
i’ve been working on some service behaviors w/ my dog just for kicks (she picks up anything i drop [except food items lol, will take off my socks,and working on alerting to my phone)–I was considering teaching this but two things came to mind… all my light switches are way TOO tall for her to use once she learns it and two Where did you (how did you) make your practice switch?