Clicker Training

[QueenB]

I am seeing a trainer I just wanted to get him some basic stuff first so I don't look like a complete knob.)

I did that too.

Im currently taking Bailey to clicker training. Its going fine. Loose-lead walking is somewhat of a problem though. Gotta have patience with my beagle She is so excited when we go for walks

My main problem actually was the fact that she would get car sick on the way home from class. The combination of treats followed by the ride upset her tummy I think. I had to cut down the number of treats I gave her..which I have to do anyways so its a good thing...but she'd look at me like, "Where's my treat..every other dog got treats.."

[huski]

I am seeing a trainer I just wanted to get him some basic stuff first so I don't look like a complete knob.)

I did that too.

Im currently taking Bailey to clicker training. Its going fine. Loose-lead walking is somewhat of a problem though. Gotta have patience with my beagle She is so excited when we go for walks

My main problem actually was the fact that she would get car sick on the way home from class. The combination of treats followed by the ride upset her tummy I think. I had to cut down the number of treats I gave her..which I have to do anyways so its a good thing...but she'd look at me like, "Where's my treat..every other dog got treats.."

Hi QueenB!

I have found using the clicker to teach my beagle Daisy new things is very productive! She seems to learn faster and responds quicker, she loves the challenge of working out exactly what she will have to do to hear the "click".

Have you tried cutting the treats into smaller pieces, or varying what treats you give her? Daisy is very naughty at obedience class, she KNOWS when she isn't going to get a treat out of an exercise

[B-Q]

I bought my first clicker a couple of days ago :D

I've been reading up on them, and my obedience club also uses them. So I thought, well it's worth a try

I can't believe how much more responsive my Sibe is when I am using the clicker - unbelievable! I tried teaching him the heel command using treats alone and it didn't work. Now with the clicker as soon as I say "heel" he looks at me and moves to my side - and that was the second day I used it with him! I've never had him this responsive before. It is really helping his focus. Since we got Daisy, we've been having problems with him lunging when strange dogs walk past him (not so much in an aggressive way as a dominant protective way). We saw a trainer who was great and put him on a training programme and the clicker is really helping with this too.

I'm even noticing a difference with Daisy, at home not so much on the walk. She is only 5 and a half months old though so I don't expect her to be as immediately responsive as Micha. But I will be taking the clicker to obedience on Monday with her and hopefully we'll be noticing a change in naughty puppy to good puppy

Just had to post about it because I'm feeling very proud of my boy and very impressed with the clicker

oh wow, i'm hopefully buying a clicker tomoroow. i would love for buster to get more responsive

[QueenB]

Have you tried cutting the treats into smaller pieces, or varying what treats you give her? Daisy is very naughty at obedience class, she KNOWS when she isn't going to get a treat out of an exercise

Hi!

I have loads of different treats I've been trying, and the pieces are super small...I almost feel bad for giving her such small portions.

Her classes have ended today. Loose-lead walking went much better today, I was so happy with her. The trainer is having a graduation for the pups. Im so tempted to get a costume for her Or atleast a hat. :D

[huski]

Have you tried cutting the treats into smaller pieces, or varying what treats you give her? Daisy is very naughty at obedience class, she KNOWS when she isn't going to get a treat out of an exercise

Hi!

I have loads of different treats I've been trying, and the pieces are super small...I almost feel bad for giving her such small portions.

Her classes have ended today. Loose-lead walking went much better today, I was so happy with her. The trainer is having a graduation for the pups. Im so tempted to get a costume for her Or atleast a hat.

Oh a hat or costume would be sooooo cute!!

I use high value treats with Daisy my beagle such as small pieces of cheese, kabana or roast chicken. I don't think there is any harm giving her smaller pieces at least she will feel like she is getting something

BTW I think you should add some pics of Bailey to the photo forum :laugh:

[Heidley]

Wow thank goodness I stumbled across this thread. I have been going to obedience classess for the last 4 weeks. Yesterday my just 6 month old GSD pup was misbehaving so badly, I felt like a complete loser I have been doing the obedience class routines at home for the last 4 weeks, traninig at least once a day, mostly for short periods of 10 minutes or so. He is a strong boy and behaves himself relatively well at home and on walks although does still pull a lillte, treats in a busy environment just doesn't cut it. If you have any advice or links that could help me out as this is a whole new concept for me it would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[Heidley]

Ok so I'm on the look out now for a clicker, really like the sounds of it's usablity the iclicker looks right up my alley, just can't seem to locate one in Australia, any tips please?

Cheers, Heidley

[kermat]

I too have just stumbled across this thread, I've just purchased a clicker on the internet and can't wait to try it with my very mischievous beagle puppy.

I bought mine from Oz Pet Shop online www.ozpetshop.com.au. Its called Click-A-Trick card set with clicker, $24.95. The training cards are based on Karen Pryor's methods and I have heard recommendations for her. Here is a pic

[Heidley]

Thanks Kermat

[Arya]

Okay, apart from clicker training my cat, which I've mentioned before, I've never been a fan of clicker training my own dogs. I feel a much stronger connection with the dog I'm training when using my voice and putting inflections into it. BUT, I am open to different things and I must say, I've just discovered how wonderful clicker training is for one of my clients. She has a lot of trouble getting her timing right with a verbal marker, talks too much, repeats commands too much and generally confuses her dog, no matter what I say. The poor dog was getting to hate his training. NOW... a totally different situation. The clicker has got her marking behaviours with much more exact timing, the dog is learning faster, confusion is disappearing and best of all he is much happier. Now her voice is used for commands and praise at the end of an exercise and also, somehow the clicker has got her so that she is even able to issue commands only once, as I ask her to. It is BRILLIANT for this type of person who struggles with timing. I'm not saying everyone who uses a clicker is like this, it's just it really has surprised me how well it helps communication for some people. I am a convert now

[Guest Steph & Bam]

Bam doesn't seem to respond well at all to the clicker. He tries to figure out what he can do to make me say 'yes'. I've done the association routine (teaching him click=treat) and using a combination of 'yes' and the click, but he doesn't seem to have the same response. So if anyone wants a clicker...

Bam responds best to me when I'm happy and excited, and I can't get the click to be exciting for him. But I'm happy and he's happy at the moment. Any tips though? Is there something I'm missing?

[Arya]

Steph, if Bam is working best with your voice, why not stick to it? I use 'yes' also. The dogs love the sound of the word when said enthusiastically and paired with a treat. And you don't have to carry a clicker around to use your voice. Go with what works best for the dog. perhaps another dog you have will work better with a clicker. But like using voice for a verbal marker, clicker is not the solution for every person/dog. It IS great if it works for you. Your voice is great if it works better. Clicker or voice... neither of them are magic solutions in dog training.

[wheres my rock]

i amninly use a verbal marker its easier and i have great timing clicker is good to both are concept so it doesnt matter what you use as a marker i have a frend that uses a vibration on a collar as a marker as her dog is deaf and that works well just pait the marker you choose with the giving of reward and your set

[Guest Steph & Bam]

Steph, if Bam is working best with your voice, why not stick to it? I use 'yes' also. The dogs love the sound of the word when said enthusiastically and paired with a treat. And you don't have to carry a clicker around to use your voice. Go with what works best for the dog. perhaps another dog you have will work better with a clicker. But like using voice for a verbal marker, clicker is not the solution for every person/dog. It IS great if it works for you. Your voice is great if it works better. Clicker or voice... neither of them are magic solutions in dog training. :D

That's what I was thinking too, Bam loves it! I hoped I hadn't missed anything, he know's click = treat, but i think the best thing in the world to him is me being happy thanks for the reassurance though sometimes it helps to have someone confirm that you're doing it right. I have good timing and he has learnt a lot, so i'm not complaining in any way.

[Guest]

there's also clicker training for humans .. called Tagteach, and its making excellent progress in teaching kids with disabilities, Austism, and also high end sport coaching, particularly Gymnastics and american Cheerleading.

The kids know they're being 'clicked' for correct behaviour .. a few of the different concepts include collecting clicks towards a reward .. eg 100 clicks = finish class 10 mins early

and team clicking, where the kids will click each other for positive stuff, or improvement or effort etc (not just the teacher/coach doing the clicking) and when everyone in the 'team' has gotten the prescribed number of clicks, then the 'team' gets a reward .. (a team can be the whole class, or small groups of 3 or 4)

its an educational revolution in the USA, and it'll be interesting to see if it ever reachs here ...

[Tonymc]

Wajoma,very interesting your post. Tony

[dogdude]

Hi Arya

I have found by recently incorporating a verbal marker ("yes"), that my dogs drive has gone up about 3 notches. I find it especially useful when doing ring run throughs, when the instructor asks "are you ready", I of course look at my dog, and say "yes", thus raising his drive to be working at a good level. He loves hearing that word!

[Livi]

OK, you got me, I bought a clicker today.

OH has threatened a mutiny if I use it in the house though

I think perhaps though if I can clicker train the children also he might come around

[Guest]

haha .. not as crazy as it sounds ..

i read a story on the tagteach yahoogroup i'm on, where a woman did use conditioning (not a clicker, but same concept) on her husband to change his behaviours, and it worked ..

then she fessed up to him what she'd done .. and once he got over his inital reaction, he started doing the same thing back to her!

they're apparently far happier these days ... lol

[Arya]

Hi Arya

I have found by recently incorporating a verbal marker ("yes"), that my dogs drive has gone up about 3 notches. I find it especially useful when doing ring run throughs, when the instructor asks "are you ready", I of course look at my dog, and say "yes", thus raising his drive to be working at a good level. He loves hearing that word!

Hi Dogdude, that's great! It sounds like in a way, as well as a regular verbal marker, you are using 'yes' a bit like Steve K9 told me to use a trigger word to send the dog into drive. There is a thread a few pages back where he kindly gave me some pointers which have worked amazingly in a very short time and if you didn't read it it's well worth reading. I now say 'ready ready' and make a little 'ch ch ch' noise to my dog just before we begin to work and I've conditioned her to go into drive on the word and think of the tug toy or ball when I say it. It is now at the point where it throws her into high drive and I have to try to keep her from forging forward too much at the heel in training! LOL. I hope it works this weekend as we have the GSD champ show at KCC Park - double trial. I am trying everything to stop her flattening off and dying in the ring on me and completely buggering up. We will see...