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02-04-2006, 10:22 AM | #1 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: American in London
Posts: 1,739
| Clicker Training - First Steps Okay, after reading Clicker Training Basics, a number of you have indicated that you are going to try it. THAT'S GREAT!!! I'm so pleased and I think you'll be happy with the results. As previously discussed, the first step is to "load your clicker". Some dogs may need more than 1 session to learn that click means treat. When your dog comes running to get his treat when he hears the sound of the click, you know you're ready to move on! There are basically 3 different ways to teach a dog a trick or command in a positive way, using the clicker. 1) Most of you are probably already familiar with GUIDING - gently placing the dog in the position you want him to be in. Teaching a dog to shake hands is often done this way - you want him to raise his paw so you pick it up for him. If you were doing this using clicker training, you would lift his paw and click/treat (C/T). After repeating a few times, you'd see if you could get him to do it by just tapping his paw. If he does it, C/T, repeat. Wait a few seconds. See if he will lift it all by himself. Does he? Yippee! Click and give a jackpot (several treats) and praise heavily! Repeat multiple times. When he is lifting his paw frequently all by himself, start naming the behavior for him as he does it - shake, wave, whatever cue you like. C/T repeat. After multiple repetitions, give the cue and see if he responds. Yes? Yippee! Jackpot again. The next step would be to stop C/T'ing him for doing it on his own. Only C/T when he does it following your cue. As a transition, you might say "good dog" when he does it on his own, but only C/T those that are cued. Joey learned "Sit" using guiding - I gently pushed his rearend toward the ground, C/Ted and went from there. While doing this, remember to keep your sessions short (about 5 minutes is usually enough). It probably will take several short sessions to get it on cue. Questions? Input from other clicker trainers?
__________________ FirstYorkie We Love Clicker-Training! Last edited by FirstYorkie; 02-04-2006 at 10:24 AM. |
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02-04-2006, 10:25 AM | #2 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: American in London
Posts: 1,739
| 2) The second way to get the behavior is LURING. A good example of this is moving a treat slowly backwards just above the head of a dog to get him to sit. In clicker training, as the dog sat, you would C/T. After several repetitions, you would want to try to lose the lure. Try making the same motion with an empty hand. Did he sit? Yippee! Jackpot. You'd follow the same steps as in number one to get the behavior on cue. I used luring to teach Joey "Down". Again, multiple short sessions are best!
__________________ FirstYorkie We Love Clicker-Training! |
02-04-2006, 10:37 AM | #3 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: American in London
Posts: 1,739
| 3) Purists in clicker training don't lure or otherwise show the dog what to do. They use capturing - waiting until the dog freely offers the behavior you're trying to teach and then click and treat (CT). Good first behaviors for this method are sit, down, attention and doggy zen (explained later). This is because these are behaviors that you know your dog is likely to offer you. Clicker trainers also use shaping to teach more difficult or precise behaviors. In shaping, you CT early captured steps in the behavior, gradually requiring more of what you want. I used capturing and shaping to teach Joey "Left" (meaning look left) followed by "left spin". I began by CT'ing any movement of his head so that he would know that's what we were working on (that's the capturing part - I didn't move his head or entice him to move his head. I just waited until he did it, then C/T). Then, I CT'ed only movements of his head toward the left. When he was looking left frequently on his own, I added the cue 'Left". Soon, I had a dog who would look left on command! I left it at that for a while until I was sure that was solid, then I began only rewarding larger movements to the left until finally he was turning all the way around. Then I named it "Left Spin" for him. Clicker training is often called "couch training" by those who use this method. That's because you just gather your treats, clicker, and dog and go sit on the couch. Then you wait. When the dog offers the behavior you want (or some approximation of it), C/T. Wait and repeat. It is really fun to watch the dog think "Huh? What did I do that made her click/treat?" It is so cool to see them think "Maybe it was this?" and try it. C/T. Then you see them "AHA! Doing this is what's paying today! No problem, watch me do it again, and again and again!" It is really cool. (did I say this is cool???) Many dogs react best to this if you don't stare directly at them while waiting for the behavior (too much pressure). Instead, pretend you are looking at something else while watching them from the corner of your eye. It's best if you do this the first time or two with something you know your dog will freely offer. Like "sit". Or capture what he's offering at the moment. Whatever he's offering will probably be fun to have on command! Questions? Input from other clicker trainers?
__________________ FirstYorkie We Love Clicker-Training! |
02-06-2006, 09:16 PM | #4 |
YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Somewhere land
Posts: 364
| Good info. Joy |
02-09-2006, 01:02 PM | #5 |
YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: scotland
Posts: 2,224
| Keep this up firstyorkie , good posts.
__________________ From Julie Alfie & Lottie |
02-10-2006, 07:44 PM | #6 |
Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Georgia
Posts: 213
| I have enjoyed your posts so much on this subject! I had posted in an earlier thread that I had bought a clicker after reading your suggestions. We have been steadily working ever since. Tiger really is learning to do so many more things! Right now, we are working on 'Down' and then 'Crawl'. My two boys love it when he crawls. It is so cute. They saw your Joey and want him to learn 'Bang!' That may come later!
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02-14-2006, 03:50 PM | #7 |
BANNED! Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,246
| This is a great thread...I have been clicker training for about 6 years now and it is wonderful!! Thanks for starting this as my Pup Pals each just received a clicker...hint hint...Hee Hee I hope more people try it cuz i like it so much. |
02-14-2006, 09:51 PM | #8 |
YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Somewhere land
Posts: 364
| Do you keep records of training if so how do you organize it? Working on Clickering second fur kid, she interesting will let you know how that goes. This is why I like to learn about record keeping as this will be interesting oh a different level. I also been asked to coach a little guy that is a rescue, need to be well more professional. Am going to start training clicker clients done a few the old way but getting asked to do more. Got four books out on loan to a client now. Joy |
02-15-2006, 10:01 AM | #9 |
BANNED! Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,246
| My dogs each have a training log and I enter the date a behavior is introduced and then progress updates as they master the task. I leave room for my notes for future reference. It is an invaluable tool when you are training more than one dog. |
02-15-2006, 10:27 AM | #10 | |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: American in London
Posts: 1,739
| Quote:
I do keep a running list of behaviors learned to refer back to occasionally so that I'm sure to practice them all occasionally (although I'm not always too good about that). I also make a short list of 3 or 4 behaviors that I want to work on in a given week. This week, for instance, I want to work more on a true "heel" (dog's head even with my knee; I've used "walk nice" as my command for loose leash walking), I want to increase the duration of Joey's "look", and I'd like to get him to "finish" right by my foot (he knows the command, but sometimes ends up 6 - 12 inches away).
__________________ FirstYorkie We Love Clicker-Training! | |
02-15-2006, 07:47 PM | #11 |
YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Somewhere land
Posts: 364
| True heel, I happy with mine to just walk loose leash. Just got that in her rigging and only if we are not insight of a strange dog. I want her out of a halti but we are no where ready. But recall is mastered at around an 85% even off dogs, bears, moose and deer but quails she gone. Takes a wrong and and No to stop her. She is funny when she gets both it like she wants to know what she did so wrong to get both of the worse punishment words she gets in one shoot. I am off next weekend I hope. I have a client that wants me to teach her grandson to clicker her little dog. They kept saying that he is to dumb and does not like any treats well except popcorn. I said well lets get at it cause if he like popcorn he can get him. The grandsons eyes where hide open when he saw my girl work her tricks and he wants to so bad. Thought he be the best way in. I have wanted to get this one under training as he is an escaper. He is a little one I pet sat and just got back from. So am thinking that I will teach him sit to start. What you think good idea or anything easier. Want to work up to a nice recall. I wanted to get started this weekend past but I am firmly against working someones dog with out their OK or them around. As far as records will have to just start writing. Joy |
02-17-2006, 01:57 AM | #12 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: American in London
Posts: 1,739
| Bumping for gutu...
__________________ FirstYorkie We Love Clicker-Training! |
03-29-2006, 11:06 PM | #13 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: American in London
Posts: 1,739
| Bumping for Kimbateal. Again, apologies that it took me this long!
__________________ FirstYorkie We Love Clicker-Training! |
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