Hi,
I have a video on training a puppy by Mary Ray who does obedience at crufts.Mary sugests using a clicker she says its the easiest way.  I have a clicker and I have been using it however my 11 month old collie bitch pup is terrified of the clicker. Whenever I click the clicker she runs and hides also I have tryed using titbits but she goes off the food once clicked. I would love to have her clicker trained. It would make life alot easier. Can you help please!
Thankyou
Kirsty!

You could try changing the clicker to something else, or muffling it in a sock or up your sleeve or something. Try keeping it behind your back, and not pointing it at her

:-)

I bought a clicker that you can change the volume on its called a multi clicker and you can buy it here http://www.traininglines.org.uk/clicker_info.htm As for your problem about food, have you tried using different treats? So if you get the dog to sit, one time you use a bit of cheese the next time use ham and so on. This way the dog won't get bored of the same food. Alternately you could use play as a reward instead of food, throw a toy for the dog or praise the dog with you voice telling him/he that they are good and also stroking them. I have found that this way is less successful that food but that might be because my dogs are food gannets!!! :D hope this helps good luck with the training!

Sarah xxxxx

Instead of a clicker try using a pen top....

Thankyou for the information I will try to drown out the sound and make use of different foods if this does not work I will try a multi - clicker.
thanks
Kirsty

The purpose of the cliocker is as a cue, as it is faster than a word, and less likely to be ignored as the dog hears us babbling on all the time.  To do clicker trainign you don't hae to actually use a clicker :D

Obviously for some reason of her own your dog is afraid of it.  You could try something else.  A sound that means reward, so you could substutute the clicker with anything, even a sound you make yourself.

You could just go 'pst' through your teeth whatever.  The purpose is to get dogs attention in order that training can commence, and to improve timing so that the correct associations are made by the dog.

Thankyou everyone for your kind surgestions I would take some of your advice.very greatful.
kirsty

Some collies are incredibly noise sensitive, it sounds as though yours is one of them. The multi-clickers mentioned before are very good, or as Brainless suggests, you could use anything else, as long as your dog associates the sound as marking the wanted behaviour. A friend of mine clicker trained her dogs touch points in agility (as do I) and now wants to wean him off them. She is using the word 'yes' as her 'click' so she can still reward him in the ring.

Good luck with your little collie.

Claire

Thanks Claire.
Kirsty

As the owner of a clicker trained deaf dog, I can tell you that using a light works as well.  If you get one of the lights you can put on a keychain, it could work.  You would use it just like a noise clicker, as long as she is looking at you (my dogs wouldn't take their eyes off me if I was holding a cookie), then "flash" and treat like normal.  Deaf dogs are more visually in tune than hearing dogs which is probably why it works so well for them, but it would take away any noise that would scare her.

Good idea - just make sure it's an ordinary torch and NOT one of those red laser pointer things - you woulnd't want to damamge the dogs eyesight.

I might try that.Sorry to hear about your dogs-ravens01
Kirsty