Putting a Dog’s Unwanted Behavior on Stimulus Control (to get Rid of it)-Clicker trained Jumping
Putting an Unwanted Behavior under Stimulus Control (to get rid of it)
I wanted to see if by putting a behavior on stimulus control, I could get rid of it.
So I chose one that was annoying me.
Lucy jumps up as I carry her food dish to the feeding spot.
She does a little behavior chain -jump, then sit.
First, Capture the Behavior
I click and treat her for doing the unwanted behavior.
The carpets prevent her from slipping and hurting herself.
She gets more enthusiastic when she realizes I am purposefully reinforcing the behavior.
By the watching the video, I learned that the bowl itself was the cue for jumping.
especially when I pull it back or upwards away from her.
At this point I could have changed the bowl but knew she would likely start jumping again when she learned that the new bowl contained food.
Add a Hand Signal
I start with a really obvious raise of my arms.
Did you notice what else I am doing to unknowingly encourage the jumping?
By dropping the treat, she jumps up to catch it.
Ideally, the treat should be put right in her mouth while she is on the ground (or placed on the ground).
Add a Verbal Cue (if you want one)
Give the new cue first, then the old cue.
Verbal first, hand signal second.
Wow! She got ‘air’ that time!
Verbal Cue Only
Practice the New Behavior in Other Locations
The food bowl was faded.
Add Distractions (in this case, another dog)
Here she is showing great stimulus control by waiting her turn.
Now We Go Back to the Original Location (to apply what she learned).
The clicker has already been faded.
I decrease the number of jumps over the same distance.
Down to one jump.
After much practice and unpredictably increasing the distance (and time) between the cues,
Lucy has learned that she is only rewarded after a cue if given.
THIS is the behavior I was hoping for!
The presence of the mat does not always mean I will cue a jump.
The mats are faded -and on to our destination at the back door.
Two Bonuses of Putting an Unwanted Behavior on Cue!
Lucy has a new trick!
And this is the first behavior that Jessie learned purely by observation, including the cue!
