Hi all,

Can someone tell me a little bit more about 'clicker training'.  I've heard of it but have not tried it, and to be honest I don't even know what it entails.  I'm just wondering if it may be of help with my dog.  He is fairly well trained and can sit, wait, stay etc, but he just gets too excited if I try to train him with treats in my hand.  Thanks :)

http://www.learningaboutdogs.co.uk/clicker_getting%20started.htm

If you fancy clicker training and have no idea, the best thing to do is either go to an obedience club which uses that method or, if you already have some experience of dog training, buy a book about it. Clicker training can be a brilliant way of teaching a dog which behaviours you want, but if done wrong it can make the whole situation worse.

It works quite simply by 'marking' the wanted behaviour and rewarding it with toy, treat or verbal and physical praise. To begin with you sit down with the dog and click and feed or give the toy. You do this for several minutes at a time until the dog assosiates the sound of the click with the nice thing. Then you begin to reward the wanted behaviour. It is really important that you click at the exact moment the behaviour is performed but the reward can come afterwards. Try to keep them close together to begin with and later on when the dog fully understands what the click means you can lengthen the time. You should never use the click to get the dogs attention, you get the attention first and then mark it. If your dog gets too excited with treats in your hand, the wonderful thing is, with clicker training the treats can be in a pot elsewhere or in a pocket and you can still click the behaviour and then go and get the treat.

I clicker trained my dogs contacts in agility and have yet to see a better result using another method. He understands them so well I no longer need to say anything and he hammers across the equipment before slamming on the brakes when he reaches his spot at the end. Now he no longer needs a treat every time and sometimes gets a toy at the end of the course but he knows what it is for. I would always recommend clicker training to anyone, just so long as you make sure you understand it first.

HTH :-)

Thanks for that.  I've now ordered a clicker from the Internet - they're so cheap! (or is that not good?!)  Oh well, at least it means that if Toby doesn't respond to it at all I've not wasted my money!  Fingers crossed for me!

Clicker training is such a great way of training, but I would suggest buying a very good video re. clicker training (try Jo Hill's "The Motivation Movie") to see a top trainer working with a variety of dogs and the clicker...also, try to take some classes in clicker. A good book is Karen Pryor's "Clicker train your dog" - great for the basics and good photographs. My fav. is the whippet being taught the retrieve ;)

When i first started using it a few years ago, i couldn't see the point and was pretty disappointed but ventured further into clicker training...thank heavens i did because for me it's the most brilliant way to train!

Lindsay
x

Thanks Lindsay, I'll keep an eye out for the book - is it old enough to be in the library do you think?

Ooh ar um. Well,the library service is not that good at getting in good up to date books to be honest. However, you may be able to use their ordering service to get the book in from another county if yours haven't got it. I am fairly certain it is in a few libraries. If not, it's actually pretty cheap at about £7 or £8 if i remember rightly :)

Lindsay
x

Thanks - got the clicker today - it's so loud it frightened me to death when I first did it!! 

Well make sure you don't click it next to your ear like i have done by accident a couple of times, its deafening!!!

:P

Know the feeling!

Lindsay
x

I tried using it yesterday (without reading a book first, which I know I've been told to get, but I forgot), and he seemed very interested in the noise.  Is it best to have the treats in your pocket?  As I had them on the side, but it took me a few seconds from clicking to reaching the treats.  I know, I know, I should get a book :)

I always wonder if you train to the clicker what happens when you don't have a clicker :-D

I gave up using the clicker, it got too fiddly what with click then treat and also hold the dogs lead - it was especially hard when showing as I have a stacked breed so didnt have a free hand to click :D :D  I just use my voice for praise now - and the occasional tid bit ;)

You don't have to use a clicker, you can use a "clicker word", neither do you have to use food, unless of course that is the only thing that reinforces your dog.  Praise, body contact, play, toys etc can all be "treats"...........

You cannot use the clicker in the competition arena/show ring anyway, so it is much wiser to use a clicker word for there.

Once a behaviour is well trained with the clicker, you don't always have to use it - I don't always, I only use it for training new behaviours, or improving behaviours that have degraded somewhat (such as leash walking) over time, kind of a top-up if you will.  But I don't need it for all training - for example, I used the clicker to train my girly to roll over, but stopped using it when she was reliable - now I never use it for that.

btw, I know what you mean, Clairey - it can get very fiddly at times, especially with a leash involved!  I did try an "i-click" for that - it's a clicker you can click in basically any position, so you could have the clicker and treats in the same hand, or maybe the clicker at your elbow, or under a foot (I do this occasionally if I'm training both dogs for simple things like sit).  But mostly, it's a case of getting the hang of it, I still find it tricky sometimes tho! :)

Keeley, here's a link to a load of clicker training stuff:

http://clickersolutions.com/articles/index.htm

I use this a lot, it's been very useful so far.  Good luck!