Quote:
Originally Posted by yorkiesmiles  What are using the clicker training for?
Is there somewhere I could go to see a basic set of hand signals? |
You use the clicker for everything that you train your dog to do- potty training, sit, fetch... any trick. The basis for it is that the dog needs to know which behavior he is being rewarded for, and he needs to be rewarded immediately for doing it in order to pair the behavior with the pleasant results. There are a lot of threads on here that discuss clicker training, so I won't get into the details of how to do it- the link that I posted above also has great instructions! If you have any questions, PM me! I love discussing animal behavior and training, o don't hesitate!
As for hand signals, they really can be whatever you want. Some are more natural than others- for example when training your dog to sit, if you raise your hand just above and behind your dog's head, he/she will sit because it is the only way he can move his body to follow your hand. So the hand signal for sit usually becomes moving your hand out and turning it palm up. Same with lie down- if you put your hand in front of your dog and move it down and then out in an L motion, your dog will lay down to follow your hand. So, the natural signal for lie down is moving your hand in that motion. But really any signal that is paired with that behavior repeatedly will become a signal for that behavior. Paddington sits whenever someone holds their forfinger up (almost like saying "shhh")
Hope I've helped! PM me for any questions- I could go on and on!
-O