Chuck C Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 An easy command to teach your border collie is to turn a light on! With a switch that uses a ball connected to a chain you just teach your BC to grab the ball and let it go when it clicks (on or off). I have several in my house and my BC just follows me about turning them on and off, as naturally as he slurps up his water (you can get the dog operated switches from DogTricks.biz). Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catu Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Mine turn on lights with normal switches just pulling them with her nose. by some reason, is easier to her to turn lights on (to the left)than turn lights off (to the right), but if she finds problema, she cuold use her paws too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Originally posted by Catu:Mine turn on lights with normal switches just pulling them with her nose. How did you train this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra s. Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Originally posted by Chuck C:my BC just follows me about turning them on and off, as naturally as he slurps up his water Does he do this just for fun, or because you tell him to do it, or because he actually wants the light (or the dark)? If Kessie knew how to do this, I'd have to sit on the light switch in the morning while getting dressed. She's not much of a morning person and she'd turn it right off again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb Scott Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 We have a touch light on the nightstand in the bedroom. Blaze knows how to turn it to full power (3 taps) and uses this to wake me up in the night; usually when he thinks it's time to eat or if he really HAS to go outside. Barb S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Originally posted by sandra s.:If Kessie knew how to do this, I'd have to sit on the light switch in the morning while getting dressed. She's not much of a morning person and she'd turn it right off again. Almost against my better judgement (but I just can't resist a cute trick), I taught my Lhasa to close doors. Once in a while, I picture him locking us out of the house on a freezing Winter night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catu Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Originally posted by Shetlander: quote:Originally posted by Catu: Mine turn on lights with normal switches just pulling them with her nose. How did you train this? First than all, I tought Chemukh a target, I use simply my point finger. Whenever Chemukh approaches at the point that I touch with my finger I reward her, this way I have a start point for all kinds of tricks. Â In case of the lights, first I teached her to raise on her hind legs and smell the switch, to be molding until she was touching it with her nose and applied pressure up to switching on the lights (or to switch them off. Â I do not believe that Chemukh has established a real relation among the fact that she presses this button and the lights get on or off, but the switch produces a soft "click" that she relates with that the mission is already fulfilled and she is going to receive her prize. Â Have someone understood what I'm trying to explain? Â Hope pictures could say more than 1000 words... Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catu Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Originally posted by Shetlander: quote:Originally posted by sandra s.: If Kessie knew how to do this, I'd have to sit on the light switch in the morning while getting dressed. She's not much of a morning person and she'd turn it right off again. Almost against my better judgement (but I just can't resist a cute trick), I taught my Lhasa to close doors. Once in a while, I picture him locking us out of the house on a freezing Winter night When I tought Chemukh to close doors, my friends asked me to teach her to open the doors now. She is so social than my own picture was of her inviting burglars to take some tea. I've never have teached her that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Originally posted by Catu:When I tought Chemukh to close doors, my friends asked me to teach her to open the doors now. She is so social than my own picture was of her inviting burglars to take some tea. I've never have teached her that... Pretty funny! And thanks for the explanation of how you trained the light switch. I'll have to work on that with my pup. Â Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra s. Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Originally posted by Catu:She is so social than my own picture was of her inviting burglars to take some tea. I've never have teached her that... Timmy the GSD actually does that (not with burglars so far, but only because there haven't been any). His owner's house has the sort of door that you can't open from outside unless you have a key, but you can perfectly open it from inside if it isn't locked, even with a huge clumsy paw.One day the owner forgot to lock the door when he left for work, and the plumber (or electrician? can't remember) came and Timmy let him in. He did his work and left again. I don't think he took anything, but Timmy wouldn't have minded if he did. Therefore I've always resisted teaching Kessie how to open doors. She'd get on fabulously with a gang of burglars . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck C Posted February 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 Actually teaching them was easy, I just used a dog operated light switch and they just need to pull the ball on the chain for off/on. Switches are available at dogtricks.biz . Teaching to stand up, like Chemukh, is a far more difficult but classt trick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smileyzookie Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 a bit off topic, but I noticed in that picture of Chemukh, her paws are curled under so her wrist is touching the wall. That is the same exact stance that got my attention at the pound with Riven. Is that just a BC thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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