I Love Clicker Training!

[Simply Grand]

I decided to start clicker training with Saxon, my 10 month old puppy, during the week. After a couple of days worth of short sessions to condition the clicker, Saxon seemed to "get" it yesterday. It took me two days of training sessions last weekend without the clicker to teach him "shake" with his right paw. I just taught him "shake" with his left paw with the clicker in less than 10 minutes! He's now doing both paws, depending which hand I hold out, yay!

I'd never heard of clicker training before DOL, what a great discovery!

[huski]

It's great isn't it!

I love when you can see the lightbulb go off in the dog's head - it's the best feeling ever!

[corvus]

Yay! If they get really good at it, you can totally expect them to learn things in under a minute. Erik certainly can. My other dog is a bit slower, but his focus is phenomenal. You literally cannot distract that dog once he's clicker training. We can be in the middle of a busy dog park with dogs trying to wriggle between me and him and he won't take his eyes off my face.

[TerraNik]

Another convert!!! It's a great training method and loads of fun! Glad you're getting results!!!!

[dandybrush]

yay :D raz is clicker trained too, love it.

saxon pup once u have both feet solid on shake u can move on to high five then wave :D raz can do them all both feet

[OSoSwift]

It is great isn't it. I am still amazed by what my dogs can do - and I am sure could do a whole lot more with a better trainer- and they love it, I love and we all have a great time. Can't get better than that!

Edited May 1, 2010 by Rommi n Lewis

[luvsablue]

I love it because there is no "oh no, not this boring training again........oh well if you insist"

It's more, "great, what are we doing now?

The eagerness shines in their eyes, and they are willing to try heaps of things until they get the click.

There's no confrontation, it's all spontaneous, and you find you've got a dog who loves to learn, and

is confident in what it does.

luvsablue

[Erny]

I love it because there is no "oh no, not this boring training again........oh well if you insist" It's more, "great, what are we doing now? The eagerness shines in their eyes, and they are willing to try heaps of things until they get the click. There's no confrontation, it's all spontaneous, and you find you've got a dog who loves to learn, and

is confident in what it does.luvsablue

I think it is fantastic that the "click" is how you've all found the way to making training fun for both yourselves and for your dogs. That's how training should and can be whether you're clicking or using a verbal marker :D

[dandybrush]

I love it because there is no "oh no, not this boring training again........oh well if you insist"

It's more, "great, what are we doing now?

The eagerness shines in their eyes, and they are willing to try heaps of things until they get the click.

There's no confrontation, it's all spontaneous, and you find you've got a dog who loves to learn, and

is confident in what it does.

luvsablue

yes i agree i run out of ideas for training sometimes, but raz just sits there expectantly looking like "gimme something else to do"

[Loves Dogs]

It's great isn't it!

I love when you can see the lightbulb go off in the dog's head - it's the best feeling ever!

I LOVE IT TOO! (the cliker traing and the lightbulb going off)

[Erny]

I'm intrigued, to a degree. I have no qualms with anyone clicker training, and have done it myself when the occasions have suited.

But what is it that you guys see as miraculous (so to speak) in your training with the clicker that you couldn't get with a verbal marker "yes!". Was it that the clicker seemed to help you understand your own timing? Was it that you were unable to use the right voice tone with a verbal marker? Or was it that some didn't understand the concept of training (the same way as you are doing) using a verbal marker instead of a clicker?

Genuine curiousity question.

I don't use a clicker in the general process of my training but that's a personal choice of mine (clogs up my hand when I can/need to use it for something else) and I certainly don't have any bias against it (no reason why I should have - it's a "what floats your boat" type of thing, IMO). But just curious as to why it seems that "Clicker Training" (which to me is more a name than a system, as it only means the dog has been taught that the "click" means "THAT's what I want .... reward coming") seems to turn on light bulbs for some handlers.

[huski]

Erny, I don't actually use a clicker myself - I use a yes marker. But it's the same principle for me so when I talk about 'loving' this style of training I don't mean clicker training so much as marker training.

[Loves Dogs]

I use the clicker on certain things and the "yes" on others. As I train my dogs in agility, alot of the time they are working away from me when I need them to know they are doing what I want. Dont know if its true but my dogs seem to hear the clicker better and I can pin point the behaviour quicker with a clicker. Its probably a silly conclusion to come to but they generally perform better when using the clicker and and they seem to learn faster. Dont know why. Maybe its because I praise them alot in everyday things with "yes" but when we are "training" with the clicker they know its buisness time lol

[Pete.the.dog]

Erny I'd guess that the consistency with a clicker (or a solid yes) is so much better/easier for the dog to work with than the average owner's verbal reinforcement (which vaires is length, pitch, probably sometimes even varies in the actual word)

[Erny]

Erny I'd guess that the consistency with a clicker (or a solid yes) is so much better/easier for the dog to work with than the average owner's verbal reinforcement (which vaires is length, pitch, probably sometimes even varies in the actual word)

Yeah - I've seen that written in support of clicker training and I understand all of tha. But I wanted to hear it from those individuals who have all of a sudden found clicker "training" so wonderous and helpful where they weren't able to 'get it' beforehand. Perhaps clicker training has helped them gain better timing - has this been noticed by anyone who has made the claims of "thank goodness for clicker training" (words to that effect)? Or was it because it wasn't clearly understood beforehand that a verbal marker was even needed to be used? And so on. Or perhaps they don't know why it works better for them (doesn't matter if they don't know - the important thing is they are getting results). I'm just curious as to what each of those people might have learnt themselves as handlers, by taking up the clicker to assist them with training.

So whilst I agree with you, Pete.the.dog, that we could guess at why some people are astounded at the improvement in their dogs when they turn to clicker "training", I'd be really interested to hear from those who have made the switch from what they were doing, to clicker, and what they each feel is the reason for their individual dogs' improved training achievements.

Edited May 2, 2010 by Erny

[dandybrush]

i had never heard of clicker training before i went to my training school...but i love it cause it means i dont have to wear my voice out and raz becomes alert and ready to learn soon as i pick it up. I think its prob is cause i can hit the cue better than if i was to be saying yes all the time.

[Pete.the.dog]

So whilst I agree with you, Pete.the.dog, that we could guess at why some people are astounded at the improvement in their dogs when they turn to clicker "training", I'd be really interested to hear from those who have made the switch from what they were doing, to clicker, and what they each feel is the reason for their individual dogs' improved training achievements.

Fair enough, I agree first hand accounts would be interesting as well, I just thought it was an interesting topic...

[Aidan3]

Timing is the main advantage. I cannot do some of the things that I do as efficiently with a verbal bridge, no contest for me. I've tried a whistle also, I was more comfortable with the clicker.

[Erny]

So whilst I agree with you, Pete.the.dog, that we could guess at why some people are astounded at the improvement in their dogs when they turn to clicker "training", I'd be really interested to hear from those who have made the switch from what they were doing, to clicker, and what they each feel is the reason for their individual dogs' improved training achievements.

Fair enough, I agree first hand accounts would be interesting as well, I just thought it was an interesting topic...

Sorry, Pete - I don't mean for you not to contribute with your ideas, thoughts and any comments you'd like to make. By all means. I just read your post as though I was asking what are the advantages of clicker "training". I know those, just was interested in those who were saying they couldn't get their dogs to do things and how clicker training now has their dog learning to learn etc. etc., as to what it is that they think the clicker has helped them with as handlers and perhaps why they think their previous methods weren't working or not working so well.

I guess, to a degree, I don't understand why people don't go "wow!! I used a verbal marker today and it worked great!!" and that it seems to be the clicker that all of a suddens opens up the door-ways for both dog and handler.

And by clicker "training" and seeing the results, do people then realise more clearly the concept of reward training, effects of good timing etc. etc.?

So I apologise if what I posted sounded wrong to you. Please feel free to contribute.

ETA: And oh, hey! Where do I get off? It's not 'my' thread anyway - it's Saxonpup's. Sorry if it seems I've taken over, Saxonpup. I am pleased that you have found success by using the clicker where you couldn't before. Happy days training with your dog .

Edited May 2, 2010 by Erny

[corvus]

But what is it that you guys see as miraculous (so to speak) in your training with the clicker that you couldn't get with a verbal marker "yes!". Was it that the clicker seemed to help you understand your own timing? Was it that you were unable to use the right voice tone with a verbal marker? Or was it that some didn't understand the concept of training (the same way as you are doing) using a verbal marker instead of a clicker?

To me, it's the difference between clicker training and training with a clicker. I used verbal markers before clicker training, but I was using them differently. Rapid fire and high reward rates didn't exist for me with verbal markers. It wasn't until I started talking to clicker trainers and using one myself that I started to understand what the aim was. It's a lot more than a bridge. It's a philosophy. It's a state of mind in your dog. It's the speed, energy, creativity and anticipation that becomes a part of it. And it leads on to other things that really open up the doors in positive training methods. I've learnt more about reward selection and placement and timing from clicker trainers than any other kind of trainer, including those that use them opportunistically. It's also taught me to really pay attention to the details.

I don't use a clicker in the general process of my training but that's a personal choice of mine (clogs up my hand when I can/need to use it for something else) and I certainly don't have any bias against it (no reason why I should have - it's a "what floats your boat" type of thing, IMO). But just curious as to why it seems that "Clicker Training" (which to me is more a name than a system, as it only means the dog has been taught that the "click" means "THAT's what I want .... reward coming") seems to turn on light bulbs for some handlers.

As I said above, it's not just a name. It really is a system. You certainly can do it with something other than a click. I use a clicker with Erik and a verbal marker ("ping") with Kivi. There's no difference in a low distraction environment, and no difference for Kivi because he's so easy to get focus from anyway, but I think I made the right decision in keeping the clicker for Erik. As Steven Lindsay pointed out in his seminar, there's a startle effect to the clicker because it's a sharp sound that cuts across distractions. I find that there's no noise I can make that is as quick and clear as a click. It's hard to roll out a "ping" and a treat a second. I tried to make it shorter with "yep" or "pip", but then it's not as clear.