Hi folks!
I know quite a few of you have toyed with clicker training, but perhaps haven't got the hang of shaping - which is really the key to getting small steps in behaviour to move towards desired outcomes.
I just wanted to share this video by the Bird Trick folks that demonstrates beautifully what is actually going on in clicker training. In it, a human is trained in a non-verbal way given only the instruction "the goal is to earn clicks" (which we establish with the bird by conditioning the clicker and establishing the link between food and clicks).
It's long, but contains a valuable lesson about the importance of problem solving on the part of the clicker trainer being critical to the end result. The way in which you start to lead or elicit behaviour, and then mark it - and that if an approach isn't working, try something new. Also, watch for the lightbulb moments when the person being trained "gets" what they're being asked to do and performs it reliably. This happens for our birds, too!
Enjoy!
I know quite a few of you have toyed with clicker training, but perhaps haven't got the hang of shaping - which is really the key to getting small steps in behaviour to move towards desired outcomes.
I just wanted to share this video by the Bird Trick folks that demonstrates beautifully what is actually going on in clicker training. In it, a human is trained in a non-verbal way given only the instruction "the goal is to earn clicks" (which we establish with the bird by conditioning the clicker and establishing the link between food and clicks).
It's long, but contains a valuable lesson about the importance of problem solving on the part of the clicker trainer being critical to the end result. The way in which you start to lead or elicit behaviour, and then mark it - and that if an approach isn't working, try something new. Also, watch for the lightbulb moments when the person being trained "gets" what they're being asked to do and performs it reliably. This happens for our birds, too!
Enjoy!