Clicker training - Page 2

I started training in oh... 1996?
I learned yank-and-crank from Ron Pace, and used it on my little boxer bitch, who thank god was tough as nails and didn't seem to mind.

When I married in 2002, my spouse was also an old school yank-and-crank trainer, who'd learned under Jean-Claude Balu in the 70's, and done some work with Mel Romero and Pierre LaFonde when they still had their place together in the early 90s-ish?

Anyway...

I randomly stumbled across Karen Pryor's book while I was deployed in Iraq, and ended up obsessed.
I looked at the MWDs we had, who were sloppy and frantic, and considered their training.

Came home from Iraq, got a GSD almost immediately, and started trying this funky "positive" stuff.
And was shocked that it worked.
It worked on a dog with virtually no food drive, and an underdeveloped prey drive at the time.
I lucked out in that what she lacked in drive, she made up for in biddability.  

I volunteered some training time with a local rescue group, also using predominately positive methods.

Once you see it work... its sort of impossible to walk away from.

Hmmm, maybe I'll have to get a bit more serious about clicker!  I recently found a field that could be a good place to start without distractions.  I'm assuming, like any other training, distraction-free first?  Could be a plan for tomorrow, I just have to remember where I put those clickers that I never used!  And yes, they're the metal ones, LOL.

Distraction free first, yep.

You need to load the clicker first, which is easiest when done in the livingroom.
Anytime the dog is behavior [laying quietly, sitting, etc] you click and immediately treat.

The clicker is meaningless unless the dog learns that click = treat.

As you progress with training, the dog begins to understand that click = that thing you just did right there?  that's what I wanted.  I'll reward you for it, in a bit.

The hand touch is probably the easiest behavior to start with.

I did some reading a while back and I do believe I retained some, hopefully, LOL.  That was when I purchased the clickers and did mess around with it indoors.  Never took it further, other things got in the way.  Some things are now settled a bit and it may be a good time to start again.  With autumn (my favorite season) in the air, the outdoors beckon.  Just remembered, can't start tomorrow, I'm dog sitting and three makes for insanity!  We'll do our cemetery runs and maybe start some prep work indoors for a few days, then to field next week.  Thanks for the advice!

Sorry, posted and left for a few minutes.

I have been doing various forms of operant conditioning for a few years though started "formal"clicker training just a very few months ago.  Much of our beginning work is done in the house to eliminate outside distractions.  I stil fumble some but the benefit is.......  if I screw up I didn't hurt my dog like can happen with a pinch or e-collar.   Each position precise prior to moving on.  When I'm working in the house I have no collar at all on them.  Just a clicker and handful of treats with more within reach on the counter.

I am still learning this and getting help from somebody who has much more experience than I do.  What I am seeing is the quick understanding and the ease of the learning.  All positive. One thing I am learning is don't rush.  Teach each excercise.  Don't do it all at once.

BTW.  I was fortunate enough to see Shade and Endor recieve 100 points in OB at a trial.  Awesome. 

What I really like about clicker training is that it forced you to pay attention to two things that are important no matter what tool you use anywhere else: 1) timing!!! 2) breaking down a behavior into steps, really thinking about what each step will be and what exactly you are rewarding and why.  For example, I started to train the formal retrieve to my female with the clicker and the first step is taking the dumbbell and holding it, but the real first step is clicking/rewarding for ANY interaction with the dumbbell.  I might click five times for her just touching it with her nose, then I stop that and click only for touching it with her mouth, then opening her mouth, then biting down, then taking, then holding....etc.  You don't stick the dumbbell in the dog's mouth and then click/reward because the dog has learned nothing.  You have to think about what your dog knows or doesn't know and what steps to take for her to learn and truly understand what is expected.  My male went from nothing to holding in one session because his first idea with everything is to take it in his mouth.  Just a few clicks of that and he would take a dumbbell so we built a hold right away.  My female does not use her mouth at all (she doesn't do bitework, doesn't tug) so it takes maybe a few sessions of just building from nothing to putting her teeth on the dumbbell.

One thing that is nice to teach indoors with a clicker when the weather is crap is rear end awareness with a "perch".  I use a box that is about 6 inches off the ground and one foot square, and I put this rubbery surface on it to keep the dog from sliding.  First you click/reward for any interaction with the box.  Then, you click/reward only for the dog pawing the box.  Eventually you click/reward for the dog putting his front paws up on the box.  For an "operant" dog that offers behaviors this should really only take one session.  Once the dog is consistently offering the behavior of front paws on the box, give it a name/command and practice that.  I'll say "perch!" and my dog runs over and puts the front paws on the box and gets a click/reward.  Then I toss out a treat to get him off the box, rinse, repeat.  Now when the dog is getting on the box, you use this to teach the dog to be more in tune with your body movements and swing his rear one way or the other depending on what way you lean.  Eventually you can add commands and use this to train the dog to flip from front to basic and back.  I mainly use it for left turns/pivots.  At first I might have to actually lean onto the dog to get him to step his rear foot or feet with me and for me it takes a few sessions of this for the dog to understand that the click/reward is coming when his rear feet respond to my movement.  Once that lightbulb goes off you can do as much or as little with it as you want, and slowly train the dog to respond to less and less movement or add in verbal commands.

Thanks animules!  Starting slow is a good thing, not as much for dog as for me!  How long did you trian indoors before venturing out?  I'm assuming you move on as the dog progresses, but what was your timeline?  I just cooked a batch of chicken livers today, so I can make the doggie liver jigglers tomorrow morning.  I'm ready ...well, if I can only find those clickers

          Nice thread...

My favourite example of clicker training is this GSD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8D1xhDM8yI


Not necissarily my favourite video of hers, but her channel in general is fantastic, you can tell that she and Kaine have a GREAT working relationship.  I just love watching her videos.  I could spend all day watching Kaine.