Future Guide or Service Dog - skills at 5 months

[rashaction]

When you do the light switch you should move it each time she goes to do it. Cause she clearly gets it. Other than that looks good. The other thing I can't really tell is how she "guides" on and off the escalator, that and most schools don't let you use them because they can be very dangerous. Still impressive for 5 months old.

[thecucumber]

ooooh soooooo sweet. I want one!! thats amazing that dogs can do that at so young!!

[chevymom53]

amazing

[cybervore]

Amazing video!!! Thanks for posting!

[bobster869snakeboy]

she is really smart!

[ashpauls]

aww what a great job to have. ebony is great! :)

[magalingsimark]

how did u train your labrador? i got a lab which is approx 5-6months and all she does is hump on my foot and fetch. Y_Y

[SullivanOlssen]

Wow she seems to have a really nice temperment and very smart. You are doing an awesome job with your puppies in training. I was especially impressed with her accuracy in retrieve. A lot of dogs have trouble with that. I would be interested in seeing more videos of your training in progress.

[ragga93]

she's so sweet!

but why do u do this clicking thing ?

[sundaymorningsleeper]

@ragga93 it is called Clicker training. It is a more accurate way for your dog to know the behaviour that you want it to do and then you reward it right after. Click basically means to a dog I did something right, I know what I did right, and now I get a treat.

[DakNep]

@ragga93 Its to train the dog to know they did something correct and get a reward. Registering right from wrong. If I am correct.

[AyakoTachi]

how did you become a guide dog trainer?

[debho2002]

I am not a guide dog trainer. I was a volunteer puppy raiser for 8 years and progressed into teaching the puppy training classes.

[AyakoTachi]

I see. Really nice puppy!

[coolieosun]

This video has been added a year ago. Do you still have Ebony? Or has she been paired with a partner. I would love an update!

[debho2002]

She left me in October. She is scheduled to be matched with a client shortly. I get a new puppy in just over a week.

[TheCheshireCats]

how many coins were swallowed? hehe seriously tho, very amazing for 5 months. impressive stuff.

[AnneVaini]

Your clicker timing is off. You're offering praise (reward) before the click, therefore negating the click. 

You are chaining together commands in way that you are reinforcing the end, not the prerequisite - but when YOU think you are training the prerequisite.

This is particularly a problem in the "hold" command. Be careful!

[debho2002]

You are missing the whole point of this video. It is not about how wonderful or crappy my clicker training is but rather it is about what a 5 month old dog accomplished in only 3 months of fostering. We learned how to use a clicker together from watching videos/reading books. I think we did just fine with only 3 months experience. The proof is in the dog. She has learned more cues than any other service dog we have trained. I'm just a newbie with a clicker but I'm doing ok thanks.

[LarimeWD]

@debho2002 You Have accomplished a lot with such a young dog and should be commended from that. If you would like I can send you to a few places which offer some free video on clicker training which might improve your timing. Kudo's From a service dog handler on your good job with complex tasks.

[HorseshoesGirl11]

thats so sweet xxx

[aftershockgoldens]

The only thing I would be worried about here is that you're clicking on the "give" command instead of the "hold" command. Therefore, the dog will become increasingly impatient about dropping the object for it's "click" instead of becoming comfortable with it in their mouth.

[cooldude2489]

That clicker thing is good!

[sizzlingjoko]

where can i buy this clicker thing? :D

[ambiantnight]

no it's not that... some of them do wonderfull with it but way to many turn into just really good pets

[ambiantnight]

sorry not fond of clicker training service animals... seen to many become food relieant from it

[debho2002]

Our results have been amazing. They learn faster and they retain the learned skills better. Perhaps you didn't fade out the food/clicker at the right time.

[pillmi99]

really nice!