Hot Dogs Training

Rollie practising his heel walk with the use of a 'clicker' Brooks, 7 months  old Beagle		Clicker Training Vs Reward Training Clicker Training A clicker is a conditioned (secondary) reinforcer, a learned signal that is associated with an unconditioned reinforcer (unconditioned reinforcer = food play etc).  Initially it is fairly meaningless signal to the dog, but something that it learns to associate with the arrival of a reward. Conditioned (secondary) reinforces are paired with primary reinforcers.  After a few pairings the secondary reinforcer takes on a pleasant association.  The secondary reinforcer is a signal that the primary reinforcer is on the way. Why use the Clicker as a Secondary Reinforcer ? The sound is unique and stands out from all other sounds in the environment.  It is a new sound, so it doesn’t have any previous bad associations.  The click is rapid and faster than verbal praise.  It marks the behaviour at the spilt second it happens.  The clicker itself is small, easy to carry and inexpensive. The clicker rewards the behaviour at the spilt second it happens, praise maybe to slow and the dog may have moved on to something else by the time you have said “good boy”. The clicker tells the dog the reward is coming, and that it has made a good attempt at that behaviour.  The dog will try to make you click, and will try hard to please you.  In an experienced dog the click means the game is on.  The clicker gives an ego boost, and animals are reinforced by their own success in manipulating their environment.  They enjoy making you click and will work hard to train you to do so.  Reward Training A reward is something, which happens after an act has occurred, a form of payment for a job well done.  You need to have good timing to be able to get the most out of this method.  If your timing is out you could well be rewarding something you do not want.  In some cases the subject does not always link the receiving of the reward with the act that earned it, because a delayed reward becomes an unconnected reward. Both of the methods above are kind and fair and I have used both.  The clicker allows attention to detail to a greater degree than the reward only based method.  I found teaching tricks such as the spin relatively easy to do using just reward.  However to teach something like the bow I used a clicker, and it helped to get the precise movement I wanted more effectively. Not all trainees have been completely at ease with the clicker, holding the lead and a clicker is just too awkward for some people and difficult to coordinate.  My aim is that trainees enjoy what they are doing so I would not insist on anyone using a clicker. I have found that it can become noisy if everyone uses his or her clicker at once. From my point of view I like both methods and would encourage the use of the two, but is very much up to the individual. Getting Started with the Clicker Clicker training is a new, science-based way of communicating with your pet. It is easier to learn than standard command based training methods. You can clicker train any animal, cats, birds, horses and even fish, so don’t feel restricted to your dog! Start by playing the clicker and rewarding your dog for doing simple tricks such as sit, give a paw etc. Eventually you’ll be able to use it to get rid of the unwanted behaviours which your dog does. Keep notes of what your dog does and record his progress as you teach him new things with the clicker. You’ll be surprised at the progress! Reward yourself as well as your dog for choosing such a fun, sympathetic method of training. Here are some simple tips to get you started. How to use the Clicker Push and release the clicker once to get a two-toned click, reward your dog with a tasty tit-bit Keep the treats small and remember to cut down on the dog’s daily ration. Do not move your hand containing the treat until after you’ve clicked. When you’ve repeated stage 1 several times click and do nothing, wait for your dog to do something before giving the treat. Now show him another treat and wait, in a few seconds he will repeat the behaviour, now click and treat. Most dogs will sit at first, as this is an easy behaviour, which no doubt has been rewarded in the past. If you want to express special enthusiasm increase the amount of treats NOT the amount of clicks, only ever click once (in and out). Keep training sessions short, three five minute training sessions will be more effective than one fifteen minute one. Fix bad behaviour by clicking good, for example click a dog for keeping paws on the floor when he greets you or visitors, ignore him if he jumps up. Break the behaviour down into simple steps, click and treat voluntary or accidental movements towards the goal. You may coax or lure the dog into position but you must not push, pull or force. Don’t use a verbal cue yet that will come later. Shape the behaviour by raising your criteria as soon as your dog gives you a good response. If he looks confused drop the criteria a step to allow him to be successful doing something he already knows. When the dog has learned to do something for clicks he will start showing you the behaviour spontaneously, he’s trying to get you to click. Now is the time to start offering a verbal cue. Now only click the behaviour if it happens either during or after the cue. Ignore any attempts at the behaviour when the cue isn’t given. Don’t order the dog around, if he ignores a cue it’s simply that he doesn’t fully understand what’s wanted of him, drop the criteria then try again. Keep your clicker with you and click any cute behaviour, this will increase the likelihood of the dog repeating them again so that you can put them on cue. You clicking several different behaviours as they happen won’t confuse your dog. If you have more than one dog, separate them during training sessions and allow them to take turns. If you are not making progress with a behaviour, it may be that you are clicking too late, ask someone else to watch you and maybe even click for you a few times. Don’t ever get cross with the dog, if you are feeling frustrated put the clicker away and have a cup of tea. Clicker-training is a wonderful, effective way of enriching your relationship with your dog. Clicker Training Workshops We offer Clicker training afternoons or evenings so that you become more proficient in using your Clicker effectively. Watch this space for events coming up in the near future.
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