# Would it be possible to train to collect balls and put in bucket?



## gsdemack (Feb 19, 2013)

Thanks.


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## alexg (Mar 22, 2013)

yes - at 1:06


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Of course! That would be something you could easily shape using clicker training. With shaping you mark and reward tiny incremental steps towards the final behavior. 

It's not something I've ever trained before, but I'd start with a dog that will either retrieve a ball or pick one up off the ground or floor, or at least take it from me when I hand it to them, and has an "out" command. Get all that solid first. 

From there I'd probably hold the bucket underneath the dog's mouth, and ask for the out - mark (either with a clicker or verbally), and then reward with a treat. If your dog is much more motivated by play than food, the reward could be throwing the ball (or another ball) again. Once she'll do that, stand a step away from her when you give the out command, so she has to take a step towards the bucket, or put the bucket on the ground instead. If she drops the ball shy of the bucket (make it REALLY easy at first!), simply give it back to her and wait for her to figure it out. 

This is for a different behavior, training to retrieve a novel object to the owner's hand, but it shows the progression of shaping:


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ENr-SeO65YY&desktop_uri=/watch?v=ENr-SeO65YY


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## Merciel (Apr 25, 2013)

Yep, it's not hard. 

I taught the bucket-and-ball thing as an intermediary step to the Easter Egg trick. Here's the breakdown of how I did it: Merciel's Dog Blog: Happy Easter Egg Hunt!


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I'm trying to train Midnite to pick up the twigs in the yard and bring them to the fire pit. So far he does it, but he wants them back. Just yesterday one of them was running with a piece of wood that was burnt, I didn't know who got it out of the fire pit until I found Midnites ball in there..he traded.


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