Teddy Bee

🦮 ❤️ PROUD ❤️ 🦮

Teaching Teddy to target a door handle (when training him to find a door) has developed into him having a really good 'target'. I've been trying to turn 'touch' into a verbal cue for this for maybe a year, but his 'target' (learnt in the last month) is so much stronger and focused, I don't actually need to point but I still am a little, and he's adapted it and GENERALISED IT! Normally dog's cannot generalise; for example, they don't know what every single bottle of water looks like- but they can either retrieve an item in a reliable area (in your fridge, last item on the left on the botton shelf) or if you point at the retreival item (your water bottle). They can learn to generalise; guide dogs do it a lot, and it's one of the reasons anyone with an assistance dog will tell you that guide dogs are so, SO, highly trained and often don't make the final cut.

Now that Teddy has a reliable generalised term, I can start spreading it around- electric access doors♿️; pedestrian crossing button🚦, a button in a lift🛗... I have done this part of his training absolutely solo, and my next step is either going to be taking an on-off light with me to practice in those real world scenarios, or putting yellow post-its on his real life targets if he needs help with such small targets (we start with a bigger target and make it smaller and tighter) until he's got it down pat.

I am just insanely proud of him and thrilled that this particular task has finally clicked with him. Watching something click for a dog you're training, especially if they're your future assistance dog, is such a joyous moment so I wanted to celebrate by making this little post to show you what he's learnt (especially with the week we've just had which deserves its own post!).

Oh, and in terms of 'target' and doors, he can open outward going doors if they have a depressing handle, an emergency exit bar, or doors that pop open with a little pressure near the door nob. 🚪

He's a good boy and I love him to the moon and back like infinite times ❤️❤️❤️
🦮

#Goldendoodle #assistancedogintraining #ownertraining #dogsofinstagram #servicedog