Close The Door

AOertle

Well-Known Member
This is our newest trick. I'm still working on building up distance so that I can eventually send him completely from across the room to go shut a door. Next thing I need to is train the same thing with multiple doors in the house.


and here's the same trick from a little bit further back...


Here's how I taught the trick:

I started off with having Bamm target my hand with his nose. When he got the hang of that I had him target a post it note in my hand. I then taped the post it note to the door and clicked for any targeting to the post it note on the door. After many repetitions I started only clicking for targeting with the door actually being pushed. We worked our way up to building more and more of a push until he could close the door completely. Then I added my verbal cue.

Now we're just working on building the distance.
 

IceGirl

Well-Known Member
I saw your videos this morning and decided to try it with my dog. He got it right away and was pushing the door without the target after just three repetitions. (y) So now we just have to work on the distance and generalize it to all doors. I might as well teach him to close the sliding door....:)

So, thanks for the idea;)
 

fly30

Experienced Member
@AOertle, I love your dog, he's so cute and look so intelligent ! Love his little socks :)
He's doing really well ! I'm sure you can teatch him which door he should close by naming them (bathroom door, garage or whatever).

I had taught Fly to close the kitchen cabinets' doors when she was a puppy an now whenever she hears that we open a drawer or a door, she runs to close them (mind your fingers !)
http://youtu.be/a4oxow3Ekk8
 

Elliot DMDS

Well-Known Member
AOertle, I also really like your dog, cute colour and great work!
And the dog on your avatar pic is also quite a beauty!

And Fly, smart as always :)
Your little girl knows a lot of stuff :cool:

here is Elliot closing drawers and doors :)
(sorry first seconds he is doing other stuff)

I started to teach Elliot to close drawers, also with a target stick, and later smaller doors, like kitchen cabinets in Fly's video and later moved onto real doors, I prefer it if he does it with the nose, since he is too careful with his paws ;)
And like Fly mentioned, he likes it so much that he is always around when I use the kitchen, awaiting me to ask for closing things... Too cute!
 

Hayley Thompson

Well-Known Member
Elliot is so handsome! I think I'm in love, and I also love that name!! I want to work on this with Riley, but we havent done targeting really a whole lot, I've had her target my hand or finger before and she gets that, so I will try it with a post it note on my hand and then on the door, but my question is is how do you transition from a post it note on the door to no post it note? Is it difficult?
 

IceGirl

Well-Known Member
My dog started targeting the door while the post it note was still on, so I juste removed it and he continued pushing the door. So I guess you should repeat it a couple of times with the post it note, then remove it and see what happens...If your dog looks very confused, you can point with our finger to the door (that's what i usually do :)) or maybe put it post it note back on.:)
 

Hayley Thompson

Well-Known Member
I tried this last night, and quickly flew through Riley targeting the post it on my hand and moved it to a door, she realized almost right away that I wanted her to do the same thing and touch the note with her nose! After a few times of this when she really got it I stopped pointing and just verbally asked her, a few times after that I stopped clicking for measly little soft brushes with her nose on the paper...and she is too funny....She brushed her nose up against it, no click, she looked at me and she got so frusterated she hauled off a kicked the door with her paw, it slammed shut she jumped, I clicked and treated and she thought it was the greatest thing in the world lol , and so now she is at the point of harder nudges with her nose and she gets clicked and once and awhile after a soft nudge that doesnt move the door she'll haul out the foot and kick it shut! Way too funny to watch them think and figure it out!! Now on to practice again tonight and try and remove the note and encourage more nudges not kicks!! lol I dont want scratches all over my doors!!
 

IceGirl

Well-Known Member
Hahaha:ROFLMAO: mine does the same thing with his paw... Actually, he does this whenever we work on a new trick and he isn't sure what to do. It was such a mess when I taught him to blow bubbles and he spilled the water allover the floor:giggle:
 
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