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Mimimu, i am a willing student to be taught all about clicker training, please be my teacher!

67 replies

morethanyoubargainfor · 04/02/2011 13:22

Today i have strted to clicker train my loopy but lovely lurcher!

All i hvae done today is click and treat, no commands nothing just click and treat. Is that right? He started trying to take treat in hand and i just waited until he stopped and then clicked and treated. He then took it upoon himself to sit and wait fro the click and then the treat! the boy has manners Grin.

I am planning on doing this for the next copule of days and then start introducding other stuff

He is very bright (unlike my other lad who i tried to click and treat and he just walked off after 30 seconds and went to sleep!) so i really want to use his brain, he is also a willing student Wink and wants to please all the time.

Any help gratfully recieved.

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morethanyoubargainfor · 04/02/2011 19:23

is wondering if the clicker guru is still here!

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minimu1 · 04/02/2011 20:29

Not the guru but still here!

It sounds like you are doing really well. It is so interesting to see how all dogs behave when they hear the clicker and get the idea. Your very clever dog is already offering behaviours to get the click which is fantastic.

You are right just to click and treat to start with - it sounds as if he has got this quite easily.

Next time hold off with the click until his bottom touchs the floor for the sit and then click and treat. I would throw the treat away so he has to get up to get it. Then see what he does I guess he will come back to you hassle you for a treat and then very quickly sit down again click instantly and treat.

Then you can start to add new behaviours - you can wait for him to offer you a behaviour and click or lure the behaviour and click. Let me know how you get on.Grin

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morethanyoubargainfor · 04/02/2011 20:45

thanks minimu, i think he is very clever but i am head over heels in love with him Grin (i do treat him like a dog however)


Just tried what you suggested and he did indeed came straight back to me but took him a few seconds to sit again, he decided to try shouting to see if that worked first! It did not Grin. you could see him trying to work out how to get the treat out of my hand.

Just goes to show how lazy laid back my other lad is, we have an open plan house and the curly coated retriever was sleeping on the couch, i started with the clicking nad throwing and he just opened one eye and went straight back to sleep. All this training malarky is way beneath him Hmm.

So when do i start using commands? can i use commands he already knows to get the behaviour in the first place?

Thanks for your help, i am sure there will be lots more questions for you!

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minimu1 · 04/02/2011 20:53

I don't use commands for quite a long time. It is very tempting though. However dogs learn behaviour first and then it will only take a short while once the behaviour is learnt to pick up the word. I have puppies of 9 weeksish who can give me 8 or 9 behaviours but I do not add the word for weeks later. I only add the word when I get the exact and accurate behaviour. I don't want a dog for example to think that the heel position is vaguely by my side I train the behaviour until it is 100% correct and then add the word. The dog is then very clear of the exact position/behaviour required.

With older dogs you can add the word earlier especially if they know the behaviour already.

I would concentrate on a new behaviour and hold back on the word for a week or two.

It is great that you boy is already thinking - that is just what you want. If he is offering you a bark I would click that at some point as well then you can have a speak on command! A dog I have been training always used to pull on my coat trying to get the treats I started to click this and now he helps pull his owners coat off on command!

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morethanyoubargainfor · 04/02/2011 20:56

he already has a 'speak' on command and also a 'zip it' when he needs to be quiet. I have had him a year and he is approx 2yo. He was a rexcue who knew nothing so he has done amazingly well.

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minimu1 · 04/02/2011 21:01

Fantastic - you will see him developing in leaps and bounds with the clicker. He will love working with you and it so increases the bond between the dog and his owner. You do not need to tell him off just reward that clever behaviour.

There is so much you can teach using the clicker the only thing that stops me is my imagination!

If I get it sorted I will load a video of my rescue staffi skipping with me with a skipping rope - he has worked so hard at this and I am a very proud owner!! But rubbish at uploading videos!

I aim to teach my dogs a new trick a week. Although some tricks have a broad term a foster collies new trick is not too lunge and bark at all passing dogs!!

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morethanyoubargainfor · 04/02/2011 21:04

the video sounds great, you set your dogs a weekly challenge maybe uploading a video can be yours Wink.

I think my limit will also be my imagination, so hopefully we can go far from here.

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jellybrain · 04/02/2011 21:33

Can I join in too? I'm just starting using a clicker with my dog, she's a 6 month old collie cross - possibly lurcher.

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morethanyoubargainfor · 04/02/2011 21:42

of course Jelly, the more the merrier Smile.

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jellybrain · 04/02/2011 22:00

OK this weeks challenge will be a decent stay without barking at me to say she thinks she has waited long enough for her treat! The trainer suggested 2 minutes last week. Can do 45 seconds at a push!

Minimu am I right in thinking I should be shortening the wait in the above scenario, it tends to happen when we are in the group who are sitting out the exercise, should I just give her a treat that will keep her quiet for longer in these circumstances?

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jellybrain · 04/02/2011 22:01

Thanks more than.

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chickchickchicken · 04/02/2011 22:24

hi, can i join too?
minimu - do you mind me asking if you have done any assistance dog training as you mentioned helping to take coat off?

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minimu1 · 05/02/2011 09:48

jellybrain yes break the stay down into seconds to start with. There are two ways of teahing a stay. Put the dog in the stay and just keep clicking and feeding treats gradually increase the distance from the dog. Try to finish before the dog moves and have a release command eg ok so the dog knows the exercise has finished.

Or you can have a tub of treats and get the dog in the stay position and just feed the treats to the dog. It is important that you feed the treats one by one from the pot and that the dog does not take the treats from the pot - work to get the treat pot on the floor and lenghten the time between treating. When the dog moves the exercise is over. Just say shame and turn away and put away the tub of food.

chickchickchicken yes I do train assistance dogs Grin


Or you can f

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QuincyMincemeat · 05/02/2011 09:55

hi, I have loopy Lurcher too. pic on profile.

am doing clicker training at the mo. working well, although recall is still hit and miss.

maybe we could start loopy lurcher support group! Grin

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minimu1 · 05/02/2011 11:33

No idea at all what "or you can f" means Blush

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CalamityKate · 05/02/2011 12:08

Quincy your Lurcher is GORGEOUS!

I adore Lurchers. I had one years ago and he was incredibly bright - I wish I'd known about clicker training then. He'd have loved it.

My older dog ADORES clicker training - she goes positively giddy with excitement when she sees it come out - squeaks, whole body wiggles, the lot Grin

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morethanyoubargainfor · 05/02/2011 12:19

A loopy lurcher support group sounds good!

Mine is really good with his recall, it is the going for a walk that is the problem! It just tips him over the edge and he jumps and jumps and barks and shouts, continually until we actually leave the house, then he just shouts a bit more to ensure the neighbourhood knows he is leaving the area! it is like every walk is his first ever, and we don't take him out ever, where as in fact he has atleast 2 hours a day and usually alot more. I never walk them at the same time and i have tried getting ready and doing other stuff but he doesn't give in, and when he jummps his back legs are level with my face, I am 5ft 10"! Shock. He has done it for up to 45mins consistently.

Hopefully the clicker will help.

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chickchickchicken · 05/02/2011 13:42

quincy - your lurcher is lovely. so cute looking.
minimu - i have clicker trained my young JRT to do various tasks around the house and he loves 'working' and helping me. however i have found it difficult to teach him to 'lie' and 'stay' in the house (outside he does these wonderfully and even settled by my feet during a very boring 4hrs speed awareness Blush course). He knows what the command means but doesnt seem able to contain himself to do nothing for more than 5 seconds. He is gorgeous and i love him to bits.
It isnt a big problem but wondered if you could advise how to build up the time? i have tried increasing this slowly and ignoring him when he moves (i have to hide smile when he does) but have not managed to walk to a different room and him stay where he is told. He will only go into the 'lie' position off lead indoors if he knows i have a treat. When i dont have a treat he does a funny sit cum lie down crouch.

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Ephiny · 05/02/2011 15:08

I just bought a clicker today Grin, will be reading with interest...

I have an adult rescue dog who has his basic training and does sit, stay, down etc nicely and good recall and leave, so all the essential stuff. I taught him 'paw' recently but have been struggling a bit with more complex stuff like knowing the names of objects, think I'm confusing him and not able to tell him clearly what exactly is the behaviour I want - hoping the clicker will help.

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Ephiny · 05/02/2011 19:57

oh great, the dog seems to be scared of the clicker Hmm.

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chickchickchicken · 05/02/2011 20:53

ephiny - i am not an expert but can tell you how i trained my dog. now i can ask him to 'fetch inhaler' and he will search for it and bring it back to me.
to teach this i put the inhaler on the floor next to dog. i had clicker and treats so he knew some training was about to happen. he looked around to work out what i wanted him to do and every time he looked in the direction of the inhaler i clicked and treated.
i did not give a command at this stage. i gradually in tiny increments built up the time from him looking at the inhaler and me clicking for eg when he looked and i didnt click he moved closer and sniffed it then i immediately clicked and so on until eventually he was comfortable picking it up.
although very cute when he fetched it to me after that unprompted i had to ignore him. he also did the same with the washing on the radiators after i taught him to empty washing machine! it was very very cute but couldnt praise him doing that.
obviously he wasnt ever told off but just ignored
with a dog who is scared of clicker - i havent experienced this but maybe just hold it where the dog can see it and give treats for a day or so and then maybe hold it and click and give treats without dog having to do a task. that way he may get to like the clicker? not sure though

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jellybrain · 05/02/2011 23:14

Wow i am very impressed with what can be taught using a clicker. Think we need to do the basics here first.
I like the sound of the loopy lurcher group. I`ll try and upload some pics soon(using kindle at the moment) so you can all have a look and tell if mine looks the part.

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morethanyoubargainfor · 06/02/2011 09:53

i will do the same although on every picture he looks like butter wouldn't melt! Grin.

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CalamityKate · 06/02/2011 10:49

You can get quieter clickers - the iClick is very quiet. Some people use the click of a pen.

Or you can just use a tongue-cluck, or a word.

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minimu1 · 06/02/2011 11:11

Ephiny dont worry some dogs are worried by the clicker sound these clickers are quieter and may be better to start with. You can as CalamityKate says use a click of the tongue of work but I would avoid that for the minute and try the quieter clicker. There is a lot of research ongoing at the moment looking at the fact that it is the click that affects the emotions in the brain and speeds up learning rather than just a cue word or tongue click.

ChickCHickChicken I have a wait command, a stay command and also a settle.

I would not expect my dog to regularly stay for over 5 mins. They can and will but I would not ask it off them very often except in competition.

The settle command is one I use if I just want them to basically settle down and not hassle me or rest. This means they can go where there like and relax so can move and scratch etc so not a solid stay.

If you really do want a stay for over 5 mins
I would work on the methods suggested above but just very slowly increase your distance and the length of time but not together. So go further away and then return but stay close and treat frequently but stay nearby.

My golden rule for dog training is if you want a quick result go slowly! Definitely the case in this instance.

jellybrain the sky really is the limit as to what you can teach with a clicker - they are fab.

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