The Training Game

by Amber Jackson — Preston’s awesome trainer!

I got this great shaping game from one of the books I am currently rereading, Don’t Shoot the Dog by the pioneer of the clicker training method, Karen Pryor. With any type of training, it doesn’t matter how much you think you know or actually does know, what matters is that you can apply it to training. This takes practice and that is what is so great about the training game because you will develop these skills by doing. You don’t train dogs or cats or fish, but people. Shaping is a nonverbal skill that you obtain mostly from practice. This cannot be completely learned by reading about it, or talking it over but by physically doing it as well.

To start you will need at least 2 people: the trainer and the person being trained. The more the better because it is entertaining to watch as well as participate in the game. Next you will send the subject out of the room . While he is gone you will discuss with your group what is to be shaped. Some good examples are turning on a light, sit in a hoop on the floor, or even something as simple as jumping up and down on one foot. The subject is then asked to come back in the room and just be active, maybe walk around the room. Whoever the trainer is will reinforce, by clicking or blowing on a whistle, movements that are in the general direction of the desired behavior. It is suggested that in the first few reinforcements of the whistle or clicker, the person go back to the starting point or the door. NO TALKING! Laughing etc is still ok because I promise it will be hard not to. No instructions are allowed to the person until the behavior is completed. Depending on the subject, the game usually doesn’t last long for each individual but the games in general can go on for several hours.
I played a great session of the training game with some Petsmart employees. We had a total of 6 people including myself. I briefly explained shaping and we began practicing with the clicker. We chose a trainer and a subject. One of the behaviors that we shaped was to take a hoop that I had placed on the floor and pull it apart. The hoop was divided into sections and was meant to become larger and smaller if needed. My first trainee starts at the door and begins walking around the room, she walks briefly past the hoop and then the trainer clicks. She knows it has something to do with the hoop so she begins to walk around it. No click. She reaches for the hoop and gets another click. Then she begins to place the hoop over her head and once again hears no click. She walks around with the hoop and tries to place it over our heads and still no click. She puts it back on the floor and begins walking around it again and reaches for it. She gets a click when she grabs it. As she raises the hoop up her hands slide slightly and then she gets a click. This was the end all for the shaping session because she knew then that she was to pull it apart. She excitedly pulls the hoop apart section by section with a smile on her face and then she tosses the pieces on the floor as if to say Ta Da! She gets her click and we all began clapping and laughing.
The best part of the game was that each person got the chance to train someone and be trained. They also got to feel what their pet feels when they can’t seem to get what you want. They all got frustrated even the trainers. If was a great way to show them how timing is crucial and will make or break a command sometimes. Everyone learns from all the reinforcers. The person who is training will be learning about timing and how important it is. While the observers see how clicks slightly off make a huge difference. You even see people cringe from time to time over it. This was a great learning experience to all. I cannot wait to try this exercise again with some of my pet parents I train with.