[alaskayorkie]

Originally Posted by FirstYorkie

AlaskaYorkie, if you're using a positive instructor, they will probably be happy for you to use a clicker. If your trainer still believes in correction-based methods (catching the dog doing it wrong so that you can correct him - usually with leash jerks), he may not "believe in" clicker training. There are still alot of trainers out there, unfortunately, who use punishment, rather than positive reinforcement, to train dogs.

Joey is enrolled in positive obedience classes and the trainer has said it's fine for me to use the clicker there. I don't just because I'm embarrassed to draw attention to myself. What I do is immediately come home from class and put whatever it is we learned on the clicker. He's usually mastered it by the next class and doesn't need the cllicker reinforcement to continue.

Many trainers offer specific clicker training classes.

Hmm, I'm not sure how you'd classify Eddie's school. At first, I was impressed at how positive it was. It was all about praise, not punishment. But the further we go along, corrections become part of it. Praise is still by far #1, but a slight correction is recommended for attention.

This new class we started last night (cruise control) scares me a little, and I may drop out. Instructor said all dogs should be using prong collars for this class. I refuse to use a prong collar. This is the same instructor who I asked specifically about Yorkies and prong collars in another class, and she said it was fine. I don't know enough about them to begrudge people with larger dogs and thick coats using them, but I don't like the idea for Yorkies.

What makes me mad is this class is recommended as a prep for agility, but in agility you use no leashes.

Oh well, I'm gonna practice with clickers at home and see how it goes. I know another instructor said they were OK in class.