Isabel964 Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I'm going to get into clicker training for my 10yr old kelpie who is lame and needs some mental stimulation since our outdoor activities have been put on hold. I the Dog training kit the best one to get on this link http://www.dogtrainingproducts.com.au/14-clicker-training-kits. I thought a training kit would come with a dvd showing how to do it all. I wanted to order one in Australia so I get it soon, rather then the US. Also, since I also have a 5 yr old Westie, do I need to keep the Westie away from the kelpie and I when I train the kelpie? Or can she be tethered close by. My girls have been inseparable so all this is going to cause significant anxiety for them. just want to go about it the best way possible. I don't always have the best common sense when training dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bundyburger Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I seperate, otherwise there's jealousy and you get two dogs trying to get in on the fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I'm going to get into clicker training for my 10yr old kelpie who is lame and needs some mental stimulation since our outdoor activities have been put on hold. I the Dog training kit the best one to get on this link http://www.dogtrainingproducts.com.au/14-clicker-training-kits. I thought a training kit would come with a dvd showing how to do it all. I wanted to order one in Australia so I get it soon, rather then the US. Also, since I also have a 5 yr old Westie, do I need to keep the Westie away from the kelpie and I when I train the kelpie? Or can she be tethered close by. My girls have been inseparable so all this is going to cause significant anxiety for them. just want to go about it the best way possible. I don't always have the best common sense when training dogs. You don't need a kit to get into clicker training, just a clicker (about $3.00) & a bag of treats. The idea is to mark a behaviour with the clicker then reward with treat & you start off by "charging" the clicker (putting value on it). Do this by tossing a treat, & when dog reaches it - click, (dog picks up treat). Keep doing this till the dog gets the idea that a click means treat. You use the clicker to "shape" a behaviour, the dog offers a behaviour you click & treat. Take for EG teaching the dog to walk backwards...dog moves a back leg just slightly, you click & treat. Dog says "OK I moved my leg & got C&T, so I will try moving it again"....does that make sense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charley101 Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 thats right i would get a clicker off ebay or somewhere and have a look on youtube for a quick lesson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzy82 Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I don't separate the dogs, I have one lie on the mat while I work one of them, and then swap them over. I reward heavily for lying on the mat to begin with, and teach 'go to mat' as a separate behaviour. If they get up I said 'no, get back on your mat', and if they don't they get put out of the room, which is the last thing they want, cuz training is fun. I agree that you don't need a kit, but there are some cute little books with basic tricks to get you started, such as Karen Pryor's "Getting started: clicker training for dogs". I have that one, but personally I didn't find it all that necessary, I ended up just reading online and figuring it out as I went. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isabel964 Posted July 16, 2011 Author Share Posted July 16, 2011 (edited) Thanks so much for explaining all that. So for a lame kelpie - what ideas can you give me to teach her? She is a good obedient dog. I just want to do this to keep her mind active and her life fun. How long should beginner sessions be - 5 minutes? PS: Have now purchased a clicker from ebay - thanks for your advice Edited July 16, 2011 by Sky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I separate when I train (others in crate or inside/outside depending on where I am training) that way I can concentrate on the one dog and it is not confusing for them. Things you can train: Nose touch your hand Nose touch target Bow Pick up/hold object Go to mat Walk backwards Shake there are so many more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan the man Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 The idea is to mark a behaviour with the clicker then reward with treat & you start off by "charging" the clicker (putting value on it). Do this by tossing a treat, & when dog reaches it - click, (dog picks up treat). Keep doing this till the dog gets the idea that a click means treat. Should you not click first then either give treat or toss treat onto ground? You want dog to hear click first then get the treat so he associates the click with treat, by giving (throwing) treat then clicking as he eats it, the dog could associate the click to mean eating the treat not getting the treat. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan the man Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 The idea is to mark a behaviour with the clicker then reward with treat & you start off by "charging" the clicker (putting value on it). Do this by tossing a treat, & when dog reaches it - click, (dog picks up treat). Keep doing this till the dog gets the idea that a click means treat. Should you not click first then either give treat or toss treat onto ground? You want dog to hear click first then get the treat so he associates the click with treat, by giving (throwing) treat then clicking as he eats it, the dog could associate the click to mean eating the treat not getting the treat. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gspsplease Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 There is a worldwide (?) competition each year for the best short film clip about clicker training called the Canis film awards. You can goodle to find them. This year the winner showed the training of a poodle in object recognition, teaching the dog to fetch an identical object to the item held up (eg ball on rope) from behind a screen, and eventually fetching an identical object from a photo of the object. Another film showed teaching a dog to blow bubbles underwater. There is also a website called kikopup which has lots of film clips of basic clicker training which would probably be a good place to start. cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Here is some good books on clicker training http://www.callicoma.com.au/books.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now