Clicker training help.

[Deadnettle]

I clicker trained my last dog with no problems. I found it easy to teach him anything and everything and he totally understood what the clicker meant.

I wanted to clicker train my new dog but have run into a major problem. She doesn't get that click = treat.

I started at 10 weeks when we got her and have been trying on and off for months (she's now 10 months old) and she just doesn't get it.

I've done click then treat what feels like billions of times, I've tried shaping a behaviour (any interaction with a box got a click), I tried praising her whilst clicking, I've tried using the clicker for things she already does/knows. I even got a friend to try with no luck.

Since last Monday, every training session (once or twice a day) has been with the clicker. I've used very high value treats and we went back to click then treat x a million and she still doesn't get it! I'm testing her by clicking when she is doing something with her back to me, she doesn't come looking for a treat after the click.

She doesn't seem to have hearing problems and is doing really well in our obedience class. She is very smart and learns new behaviours very quickly so I don't understand why she hasn't grasped this yet.

What am I doing wrong?

I presume you "loaded" the clicker first?

That's what I've been working on for months. She just doesn't get it and I don't know how else to try and teach her that click = treat.

I assume that's what the OP means when she says she has done click and treat a million times .

Sorry cross post ,. Our dog never got it either but then I think he's a bit dense ,he's also very stubborn.

Thought it worth checking - have known a few folk just dive in.

Sorry, I should have said that I was having trouble charging the clicker.

I'm frustrated that she isn't getting it, she's very smart and has learnt everything else with shocking ease so I just don't understand why she doesn't get the clicker.

One of our dogs was scared of the clicker so we never used it with him. He was much harder to train than our clicker trained dog, mainly because he never used his own initiative.

Is it worth trying a different marker instead of a clicker?

I sometimes end up using a tongue click or 'yup' when my hands are full any way.

Hi Donki, she has always understood that 'yes' means she might get a treat but it doesn't matter anymore because SHE FINIALLY GETS IT!

Yesterday she watched her best friend been clicker trained and joined in. Today she just understood the concept completely! I suspect that she has been having me on and understood that click = treat but just didn't care until she saw another dog getting rewarded.

Hurrah!

Sometimes dogs do learn better by watching others....

That they do! Although I've been trying to get her to understand since she was 10 weeks old, it only took her 1 to 3 (mostly 2) clicker sessions a day for 10 days in a row!

Compare that to attempting to learn an emergency stop which took 1 go. Or learning cop cop which we started today with the clicker (1 session so far) and she can already put her feet on mine, while in position AND I can move a bit.