Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
Day 2 of the 7-Day Mini Course
Lesson 2: Charging the clicker
In today’s class, the goal is:
* to charge the clicker
The clicker is a so called conditioned reinforcer. This means that it informs the dog that the ”real” reinforcement (a treat, a ball, a tug toy or some other nice thing) is coming.
The good thing about the clicker is that we can mark the exact moment when the dog does what we wish to reinforce. If we click just as the dog performs what we want, this behavior will be reinforced (become more likely to occur) even if a second or three passes before we get the treat or toy from our pocket and deliver it to the dog. The clicker sort of works like a camera. Another way of putting it is to say that the clicker builds a ”bridge” over the time gap between the behavior and the delivery of the reward.
Charging the clicker is very simple. This is how you do it:
1. Find an undisturbed place, preferably indoors. Click once – then take a treat from your pocket and give the dog. The dog does not have to do anything special – just click and deliver the treat. What is most important at this first stage is for the dog to learn the connection between a click and a treat. When the dog has swallowed the treat, you click and reward once more. Run through 5-6 clicks + treats before taking a break.
If you have a sound sensitive dog, please keep the clicker in your pocket to soften the sound the first 10-12 repetitions. When the dog seems to respond positively to the sound, you can take it out of your pocket while clicking.
2. After a two minute break you go on to another session. You can now begin to move about while you click and treat – the dog has to learn that click means reward even if you are on the move. Run through 5-10 clicks and then take a break. What the dog is doing when you click is still not important. It is ok if he is looking at you, but also try clicking when the dog looks away – you will see that the dog will quickly turn back to you. That is a clear sign that he is beginning to understand the meaning of the clicking sound.
3. You can work through the third session on your evening walk. Now you only need to have the clicker in your hand while you are walking. When the dog does something that you like during your walk (for example looks at you, walks on a loose leash, passes a pedestrian, somebody on a bicycle or another dog, etc) you click and treat. If the dog does not respond to the treat (this can happen the first few times outdoors if there are a lot of distractions), just give the dog the treat anyway.
If you have a dog that enjoys to play, you can use play instead of treats after the click from the very beginning. You can also vary between giving a treat and getting the toy out after the click. The click means that something fun is going to happen, but it does not necessarily say what – it can be a pleasant surprise.
When you see that the dog responds nicely to the click indoors as well as outdoors you should NOT keep working on responding to the very sound – you now need to move on to training specific behaviors!
Do you need a clicker...? Here is everything you need!
If you do not have a clicker, you can use the work ”good” (said short and rapidly) for now. It is a good idea to have a short word like that as a stand in for the clicker any way.
Make sure that you:
* keep your hands by your sides while you click
* wait to move your hand towards your pocket until AFTER you click. If you move your hand to your pocket before you click, the dog will react to the movement of your hand and not to the clicker.
* ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS reward after a click. EVERY TIME! No exceptions! (and no matter what some other people might say - trust us on this one!)
Homework
Charge the clicker! If done correctly, it should take no more than 10-30 clicks before the dog reacts to the clicker in most places. In situations with distractions it might take a bit longer before the dog always reacts as well to the clicker, but it will come as we begin the training for real.
Have fun with the homework – tomorrow we begin training for real!
Once you've received your Day 2 Lesson, please share your thoughts, experiences, and questions about what you learned and how you did with your homework here.
In today’s class, the goal is:
* to charge the clicker
The clicker is a so called conditioned reinforcer. This means that it informs the dog that the ”real” reinforcement (a treat, a ball, a tug toy or some other nice thing) is coming.
The good thing about the clicker is that we can mark the exact moment when the dog does what we wish to reinforce. If we click just as the dog performs what we want, this behavior will be reinforced (become more likely to occur) even if a second or three passes before we get the treat or toy from our pocket and deliver it to the dog. The clicker sort of works like a camera. Another way of putting it is to say that the clicker builds a ”bridge” over the time gap between the behavior and the delivery of the reward.
Charging the clicker is very simple. This is how you do it:
1. Find an undisturbed place, preferably indoors. Click once – then take a treat from your pocket and give the dog. The dog does not have to do anything special – just click and deliver the treat. What is most important at this first stage is for the dog to learn the connection between a click and a treat. When the dog has swallowed the treat, you click and reward once more. Run through 5-6 clicks + treats before taking a break.
If you have a sound sensitive dog, please keep the clicker in your pocket to soften the sound the first 10-12 repetitions. When the dog seems to respond positively to the sound, you can take it out of your pocket while clicking.
2. After a two minute break you go on to another session. You can now begin to move about while you click and treat – the dog has to learn that click means reward even if you are on the move. Run through 5-10 clicks and then take a break. What the dog is doing when you click is still not important. It is ok if he is looking at you, but also try clicking when the dog looks away – you will see that the dog will quickly turn back to you. That is a clear sign that he is beginning to understand the meaning of the clicking sound.
3. You can work through the third session on your evening walk. Now you only need to have the clicker in your hand while you are walking. When the dog does something that you like during your walk (for example looks at you, walks on a loose leash, passes a pedestrian, somebody on a bicycle or another dog, etc) you click and treat. If the dog does not respond to the treat (this can happen the first few times outdoors if there are a lot of distractions), just give the dog the treat anyway.
If you have a dog that enjoys to play, you can use play instead of treats after the click from the very beginning. You can also vary between giving a treat and getting the toy out after the click. The click means that something fun is going to happen, but it does not necessarily say what – it can be a pleasant surprise.
When you see that the dog responds nicely to the click indoors as well as outdoors you should NOT keep working on responding to the very sound – you now need to move on to training specific behaviors!
Do you need a clicker...? Here is everything you need!
If you do not have a clicker, you can use the work ”good” (said short and rapidly) for now. It is a good idea to have a short word like that as a stand in for the clicker any way.
Make sure that you:
* keep your hands by your sides while you click
* wait to move your hand towards your pocket until AFTER you click. If you move your hand to your pocket before you click, the dog will react to the movement of your hand and not to the clicker.
* ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS reward after a click. EVERY TIME! No exceptions! (and no matter what some other people might say - trust us on this one!)
Homework
Charge the clicker! If done correctly, it should take no more than 10-30 clicks before the dog reacts to the clicker in most places. In situations with distractions it might take a bit longer before the dog always reacts as well to the clicker, but it will come as we begin the training for real.
Have fun with the homework – tomorrow we begin training for real!
Once you've received your Day 2 Lesson, please share your thoughts, experiences, and questions about what you learned and how you did with your homework here.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Penny, Comiskey & Beemer on
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Well you want to know how it's going at our house?.......Read the Lesson 2.....pure logic...right?....got out the clicker and immediately dropped it on the floor.....Beemer swooped in and grabbed it.....ran like a "bat out of hell" into his crate and proceeded to click it....over and over again.......is this the way this training is suppose to go....or have I lost control already?....all I know is when he clicked I WANTED A TREAT.......!
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Permalink Reply by Adina P on
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ROFL....go Beemer! Train that Momma of yours ;-)
Time to attach it to one of those wrist coils or a lanyard. -
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Permalink Reply by fergie11 on
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That's great. Only thing now is I'm alway's trying to watch what I eat and now whenever I hear that clicker I will want that treat myself - believe me the homemade LIVER treats won't make it.
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Permalink Reply by Denise, Winnie, and AngelAbby on
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LMAO - too funny!!!
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This is the reaction I am getting!......actually this is going very well....Comiskey already had a battery of tricks....now she just walks up and starts her routine....I am beginning to smell like Pup-a-roni...... -
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Permalink Reply by Mary Coleman on
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For some reason I didn't get the second day clicker class. I got day one yesterday. Do I have to do something that I missed?
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Since not everyone signed up on the FIRST day we announced this, not everyone will get their lesson at the same time. Each consecutive day arrives about 24 hours from the first day. So it depends on what TIME you signed up.
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Permalink Reply by Vicki Bosko on
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Miley got pretty excited about the treats and the clicker. She seemed to get it in the house but outside she could have cared less. My nine year old daughter loved it. She wanted to click and treat her a hundred times. She did it so much that Miley would not eat her dinner. She is out cold at my feet right now! I am somewhat concerned because we have taught her everything she knows with no treats at all. She was pretty psyched about the treats though. Looking forward to tomorrows lesson.
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As fun as it is for kids to play with the clicker...I would try to keep the clicker as a "mom toy" only =) At least until you have taught a behavior to your liking.
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Permalink Reply by Trish on
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Murphy has thoroughly enjoyed "charging the clicker"-he is so happy to hear that click(must be all the treats and positive attention). Wonder how he will do when he has to actually perform for the click? I think he's going to love it! Seems like a terrific idea, I'm in!
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