So, training Lilly wasn't all just fun and games.We encountered one major problem with pressing the lever, and I had to spend an extra day shaping her so I could correct the issue.
What's the problem, you ask? Well, instead of using her little paws to press the bar, Lilly somehow started using her neck instead!! If you think that sounds a little weird, let me tell you this: it was. I'm not entirely sure how it got started, but I decided that the best way to handle the problem was to put the computer program on manual reinforcement, and only provide a reward when she pressed the bar with her paws. Although it didn't completely eliminate the behavior, it did reduce it. After about 10 minutes of me only reinforcing presses with her paws, Lilly understood the behavior I wanted from her. This was proven when during the next training session, when I placed her on an FR2 schedule and she only hit the lever with her paws. Although this was a challenge to our training, I was pleased that we overcame it! I'm sure we'll face other difficulties during training, but it was very rewarding to jump over this hurdle.
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