in2adventure Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 I've been trying to teach Lucia to turn off/on the lights. She usually catches on pretty quick, but this seems a bit confusing for her. I can get her to touch the switch, but can't get her to push it up or down. I've been working on down first (off), I figured that would be easiest. Taking her paw or her nose and pushing the switch doesn't seem to help. I've even put peanut butter on the switch This week I've taught her to roll over and close the front door. Both only took a couple sessions apiece. I've never taught the light swtch trick, so maybe I'm going about it all wrong, but I would think she would figure it out after a couple weeks of trying Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phej Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 Hmmm... thats not an easy one. Any guide/assistance dog trainers out there??? I am no expert, but I would probably buy a cheap switch in Home Depot and nail it to a piece of wood to lay down on the floor, so she can play with it without having to stand up first? Then use a clicker to shape the behavior? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat's Dogs Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 If I remember correctly, what the trainers do with assistance dogs is much like phej suggest - get a light switch, attach it to a board, and then teach the two behaviors (the nose flip and the paw swipe) with it at a more reasonable height (with the dog sitting for example). Then once the dog really has it down, transfer onto the actual switches on your wall. I think that makes it much easier to train if the dog doesn't have to keep jumping up on the wall to reach the switch. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2adventure Posted March 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 Great ideas! Thanks I'll give it another shot with a fake switch. It makes a lot of sence to teach it that way. I figured I was going about it all wrong Finals are all next week, so trick training is at a standstill for a bit After that, it's back to teaching her to do things Mom is too lazy to do herself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 Another option might be to start with a "rocker" switch. I don't know what these are really called, but I have one in my laundry room. It's a flat plastic piece, about 2" wide and 3" long. It just pivots on the middle, so there's no small "switch" to hit. It's nice in the laundry room - you can just press it with an elbow, when your hands are full, and it goes up or down. Might be easier for the dog to figure this one out to start with. Sounds fun! diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phej Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 After that, it's back to teaching her to do things Mom is too lazy to do herself Yeah, I was sitting here yesterday, teaching my dog to bring the tv remote to me. If everything else fails, you could also try to teach Lucia to target a stick with her paw, and then have her follow the stick to turn the switch on? But thats all theory, I have never tried that! Good luck with the exams, we look forward to seeing you both in a couple of weeks (and we do have one of the switches that Diane suggests, so you can practise here!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 Just remember to be careful what you teach. Someone on these boards (some time ago) had taught their dog how to get a can of pop (or beer) out of the fridge. One morning when she (a heavy sleeper) wanted to sleep in, she awoke to half the contents of the fridge in her bed. I have a cat that likes to play with one particular light switch. Needless to say, I have to turn that light off more than I would like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2adventure Posted March 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 Just remember to be careful what you teach. Someone on these boards (some time ago) had taught their dog how to get a can of pop (or beer) out of the fridge. One morning when she (a heavy sleeper) wanted to sleep in, she awoke to half the contents of the fridge in her bed. I have a cat that likes to play with one particular light switch. Needless to say, I have to turn that light off more than I would like. That's funny! I understand the "be carefull what you teach" thing. The first Christmas I had Lucia, I taught her to unwrap her own presents. Now, whenever she sees a wrapped package, she goes nuts When I visited my folks for the holidays this past year, I caught her stalking the stash of xmas presents my mother hadn't put out yet Luckly this is the only "trick" she likes to perform randomly.......so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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