# clicker training



## Eddiesmum (Oct 13, 2010)

Has or is anyone using this method, i really fancy trying this for Eddie


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## swgurl (Jan 12, 2011)

Oh interesting!!!! I'll can't wait to read some of the responses you get Eddiesmum. How old is Eddie then?


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

I trained Flo from an early age with a clicker. Karen Pryor's books are good and their is lots of stuff on youtube you can watch to give you ideas on ways to use a clicker to train.


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

not 100% on it, tried it breefly with Gypsy to speed up some of her commands. what you need to do is charge the clicker, i have seen this being done wrong. the dog must associate the clicker with food. one of the silly ways i saw it being done was chucking a hand full of food on the floor and clicking every time the dog ate a bit. I'm sorry but when a dog is eating like that it stops listening unless its for safety, or they thing someone might steal it. 

the best way is to click and produce a treat, so the dog learn that when that noise happens they get a treat. once they have learned that then you move on the giving commands and clicking when they do it then giving the treat. then once the accept that the click means they have done the right thing you may give 2 or 3 commands clicking when they have done it right but not giving a treat. 

to be honest you can do the same thing with just treats and when they start doing it near enough every time you can make them do something 2 or 3 time before the treat is produced. 

but some people fine one thing works better than another. their is no harm in trying it.


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## bramble (Oct 28, 2010)

I've been taking Bramble to Training class since she was a puppy, we've taken the Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme - Bronze award. For the silver we will be using the "clicker" training method, so will keep you posted as to how it goes and how successful it is! 

We can also start some light agility work soon, but apparantly they have to be 1 year old before you can do it properly, so I'm looking forward to that.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Where do you go Bramble have been meaning to take Mabel but xmas "cropped" up when she was old enough and did nt know where to go ... been meaning to try and find somewhere there was nt much advertised on net x


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## bramble (Oct 28, 2010)

*Training*

We go to: 
K9 Paws dog training
PO Box 106, Brighouse, West Yorkshire HD6 9AS
07921 927147
[email protected]

It is a really friendly place, and Karen has been very helpful, its also beengreat for socializing bramble with other dogs and people.


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## parapluie (Dec 22, 2010)

I've never tried this before. Is the idea that you will have to always use the clicker or is it like treats... you use it for a while but eventually the dog just learns to do as he or she is told? Do they respond to it the same way they do to treats?


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

parapluie said:


> I've never tried this before. Is the idea that you will have to always use the clicker or is it like treats... you use it for a while but eventually the dog just learns to do as he or she is told? Do they respond to it the same way they do to treats?


the idea is they see the click as a treat so eventually they cut out treats altogether and just use the clicker and they get a toy or something at the end. you just start off click and threats then gradually increase the number of times you click before they get a treat until you dont give them anything but the click till the game or training sesion is over.


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## Jesarie (Sep 9, 2010)

I myself have never used a clicker but I have heard many success stories. I do not think using a clicker is necessarily "good" nor "bad" it depends on you and what works for you and what works for your dog. =)


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

im sure its great if you can get the hng of it but im sure id get the timimg wrong and would just be that bit out for the reward. Will get in touch with karen, Thanks Mandy x


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

With clicker training the click tells the dog it did the right thing then the treat follows. It can be complex to explain in terms of 'operant conditioning' so I won't try here. There are lots of books and see Kikopups excellent series of videos on youtube.

Start by clicking then treating (with something special and just for clicker training - cheese, peas, liver) in no time the dog learns that when you click he gets a treat. Then a dog will quickly start trying to figure out what will make you click so he gets a treat. Say sit - click just as his bottom hits the floor then treat. It works well because you can tell him exactly what he is doing that is right. Want your dog to sit at a distance -you send a dog away, get him to sit at a distance he then comes back and you treat - he doesn't know whether he got a treat for going away, sitting or coming back - he'll probably think it was for coming back. If you click when he is at a distance just as he sits he'll think "ahh she wanted me to sit, now I'll go back and get my treat". Very simplistic explanation but, as I say, there is plenty of stuff online. Just google "youtube dog clicker".


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## bramble (Oct 28, 2010)

I think you made a brilliant job of explaining this! can't wait to get clicking.
Thanks


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

I understand the concept and think if you do it right it would be great .. I just know I'll click that fraction out and be rewarding all sorts x


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## parapluie (Dec 22, 2010)

Wow Mandy that was a great explanation. I now understand it! However, I am like Karen and would be clicking all over the place not getting the timing right and poor Rufus would be mush for brains not knowing what I want


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## Simonzz (Nov 29, 2009)

clicker training really does work! Especially if you have a bright dog! What it does is let your dog know when exactly when it gets something correct, then throw a treat. very quick way to train, the dog hears when he is right. The key is to be very clear with commands!
try it it really works!


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

Don't worry about being a fraction out. A click will always be more precise than a treat or you yabbering away with verbal praise. Don't worry about the dog trying to work things out, that's what you want - work that little dogs brain, get him trying to work out what you want, what will make you click -he'll think he's training you!

Sit on the sofa with a clicker and some delicious treats. Do nothing. If he looks at you click and treat. Looks at you again click and treat. Do that a while. Now just click and treat for a look held for at least a few seconds. Keep going. Now you can name the behaviour - if he looks, say 'watch' then click and treat. Say watch, he looks you click and treat. Your done - you say watch, he looks at you. You think "I've trained my dog to look at me when I say watch". Dog thinks "wow I did well if I look when she says watch it makes her click and treat". Dog, tired from thinking so much about how to make you click, settles down for a well deserved rest.


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## bramble (Oct 28, 2010)

wow embee, you make it sound so easy, have given it a go already and bramble does seem to be picking it up, wahoo


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