Click And Wait For Release….

[gempaws]

I am just starting to ‘charge’ my clicker to train my GSD tricks. At the moment I have a command, voice ‘yes’ reward, sometimes have a treat (depending on if it’s intermittent, or if it’s a new behaviour I’m trying to establish yadda yadda..) and then release word.

I was just wondering what most people do that use clickers. Do you give the dog a command, dog does it, you click and the dog then just think, ‘oh well, I’ve done that now I might go and sniff that tree’

Or

Do you give the dog a command, dog does it, you click, dog acknowledges reward (click) waits for treat (if any), and then waits for release word.

I want I dog (I think this is how I want it but I’m open to suggestions and things that work best) that I can click so she knows that was right but to still stay there doing that command.

[JulesP]

I have a release word. My dogs still tend to hang around after the release word though! They want to do more stuff!

[ness]

My 9 month old pup is a bugger for the hanging around bit. If we are playing ball/training as whenever I throw the ball I'll get her to do something, I'll put the ball away and we will walk. She then starts offering prancy heelwork at me in the hope of me getting the ball back out again. And the bugger about is that her work is soooo nice it takes a lot of self control on part to not give in.

[DeltaCharlie]

You can shape them to wait until they receive multiple clicks before the reward comes. I tend to avoid using the clicker for things that require a release though. Or I use the clicker to teach it initially (like contacts for agility) but then after rewarding them I give them a "wait" command before they get a chance to move out of position. I would usually wait until they had the first behaviour downpat before asking them to wait there, by that time the clicker is probably back in the cupboard.

[MrsD]

Gempaws, you might want to have a look at the topic Barkly started where a few of us have mentioned having or not having a release word.

Personally I don't have a release word as such, but then I don't release my dogs to go play or sniff etc. I've taught them when they arent working that they should lie down & relax, so that is what they do - if I am working at the dog club with Jarrah & someone comes over to talk to me for example, he immediately just lies down in front of me & stays there waiting for me to be finished. Whisper is still only just learning this, but even she has grasped the "lie down & wait" concept.

FWIW, if I want my dog to hold a position I usually just use the wait command (in actual fact its usually a small signal but I use both verbal & signal) to help to teach them duration, to Jarrah this means "hold the exact position you are in". Sure he will stay in a sit or drop etc without that command but when you are teaching tricks & need the dog to stay up on its back legs or with it's head down between its front legs or standing on 3 legs after hopping etc I have found it much more helpful for him to teach the wait command.

[Sayreovi]

I don't use a release word, when I click the dog immediately gets out of position to come to me. This works for me, the dog is then able to easily redo the behaviour.

If I want a longer behaviour than I don't click straight away, dog has to hold that position to receive the click.

Also, every click must be followed by a reward. The dog is meant to be working to get a click which = food/toy, if they don't receive the reward then the click becomes just another noise.

[Kavik]

When I click, the dog will look for the reward. Where that reward comes from depends on the reward line for that exercise. For 3 pole weave entries it is ahead of the poles, for contact work it is on the ground next to target plate, for other exercises it comes from me, or is thrown away so the dog can get into position again. The dog will then always look for the next chance to get paid by either coming to me or offering the behaviour again (depending on exercise).

[trishalouise]

I don't use a release word, when I click the dog immediately gets out of position to come to me. This works for me, the dog is then able to easily redo the behaviour.

If I want a longer behaviour than I don't click straight away, dog has to hold that position to receive the click.

Also, every click must be followed by a reward. The dog is meant to be working to get a click which = food/toy, if they don't receive the reward then the click becomes just another noise.

Me too. If I want more duration on a behaviour I delay the click. The click signals the end of the behaviour to the dog and if the clicker has been conditioned properly the dog will look for the reward after the click. Every click MUST be followed by a reward but not every command needs to be clicked - does that make sense?!

Depending on what behaviour I am rewarding depends where the dog gets rewarded. Sometimes they come back to me, sometimes it is thrown away from me.

Trish

[Kelpie-i]

There is no actual "hard and fast" rule with the clicker, only that if you click, you must treat - no exceptions! This is why the clicker is excellent for teaching or shaping new behaviours with your dog. The dog is on a continous schedule of reinforcement when using a clicker.

I have a simple rule with regards to release words:

If you cue it (ie the dog knows the exercise in its entirety) then you should release

If you are shaping it (ie there are many facets of behaviours which need to be chained to create the entire sequence) then you don't release during the teaching phase.

Therefore when it comes to the clicker, if shaping a behaviour and/or teaching a new skill, I don't use a release word at that stage, but I click/treat the dog whenever he either gives me the position, heads closer to the position or offers one part of the sequence of the behaviour. Once he reliably gives me the behaviour, then and only then, you can remove the clicker from the equation, put the reward on an intermittent or random schedule of reinforcement and introduce the release word. :cool: Of course, if you now wish to add duration to the exercise, then you delay the click, as trishalouise states.

The above is merely an example of how I use the clicker, others may give you other suggestions and techniques.

Warning....clicker training can be a highly addictive way of training for both owner and dog and can be a health hazard. Dogs have been known to stand dangerously close to their owners, causing "congestion of space" syndrome, as well as constant "nagging to get that damned clicker to click" syndrome which may require hospitalisation in some instances. Symptoms are: total excitment, offering of entire repertoire of behaviours, some barking and a strong inlcination to always want to be around you. We strongly recommend consulting with your health practitioner before implementing this type of training...

Edited January 3, 2009 by Kelpie-i

[leopuppy04]

I think it depends what you are training for and what you want. If you want a dog to *offer* behaviours - then the click shouldn't mean 'hang around'.

The click in theory is not that different to the 'yes'.... a bridge is a bridge is a bridge... it is just more precise and consistent

If you want the dog to stay in position - eg: if I am clicking a stay - well then their will be C&T's in quick sucession so the dog understands 'you stay....more food may come'.

If I am working on something like heeling initially- I might throw the food away from me to teach the dog to come back into the right position.

Depends what you are training for and what you want.

A good rule of thumb for some is "click for behaviour - reward for position".... not a hard and fast rule for me though (again, it depends what I'm teaching and at what stage of the teaching i'm at).

I don't like a dog that constantly offerst behaviours (personally) so I have put a command on when we start free shaping.... again - that's personal preference

I do however want a dog that once they've heard the click - won't go off and sniff a tree but will hang around and see what we are doing next... they just don't have to hold position. If my dog was going off to sniff a tree (for example) every time after I'd C&T I would wonder if what we were doing had much value to the dog.... I want the dogs to be looking at me for more... the 'what next, what next' look ;)

So yes, I click... and I use a release word.... but I'm not as hard and fast on the release word like some might be.

ETA - just saw what Kelpie - i wrote.... I totally agree

Edited January 4, 2009 by leopuppy04