Day 3 of the 7-Day Mini Course

[Adina P]

Day 3 is Teaching the Target Stick--click here to go to the lesson online
Most of you probably don't already have a target stick, but don't worry. You can use a pen, a wooden dowel, or the end of a long handled wooden spoon...any 'stick' like item that your dog isn't going to try to chew up immediately =)

After adding these videos below, I thought I'd add them here too
for those just arriving at Day 3:

First, here is a 9 week old pup learning target stick. One thing to note is that the trainer's hand is NOT holding treats...and the treat hand doesn't approach puppy until after the click.

And another one that seemed to teach it by putting a treat near the target first on the ground until the dog made a link... NOTE the tossing of the treats so the dog has to show understanding by coming back to target more.

Share your thoughts, experiences, questions here!

[Adina P]

I just wrote a longer response below...

[Tante & Jordan & now Annie!]

I just got home from Petsmart....I bought this too.I also bought a new "loud" clicker for outside.
I have not worked with dogs yet.I am day behind everyone because I get the emails after 9p.So today is day 3 for me.

[0yxnk6ksofeyo]

My clicker has a hole in the bottom so I attached a hair elastic to it so I could put it around my finger and have that hand free. I used the same hand to put the spoon and the clicker and used the other hand to treat. My problem is that Steve is scared of the clicker sound and the wooden spoon. I tried rubbing the treat onto the end of the spoon so he would touch his nose to it to sniff it. That worked a few times so I am gong to keep at it a few more times today and see if he gets it better. You can also buy a clicker I think on Karen Pryor's website that attaches to your finger so you have your handfsree. I just did it the home made way.

[Amy]

I have been using a (clean) paint stir stick. The clicker and stir stick in the same hand. Maggie (don't have our doodle yet!) sometimes touches her nose to the stick and I click and treat but I don't think she is making the connection yet. She is paying more attention to me, treat giver, than trying to get me to click by touching the stick.

[Adina P]

I just wrote a longer response below...

[Adina P]

Looks like some of you are having trouble with today's lesson. So I thought I'd address it in this thread within a thread and try to troubleshoot as well as go over some principles:

1) Every dog learns this at a different speed, but generally (especially for dogs that have already had OTHER training) there is a learning curve at the start ... as they begin to get that THEIR actions determine the click...things will flow much faster. So don't despair...this is the first time most of your doodles have had a chance to try this so they may be thinking..."um...i'm sitting politely how come you're not giving me a treat!?" They need to learn that THEY need to DO things to figure it out.

2) Most training tells the dog exactly what to do so they don't have to figure it out. Clickertraining forces the dog to figure it out on their own. It seems SLOW at first but most people with clicker savvy dogs (dogs who know the language of clickertraining) get REALLY good at figuring it out and trying the 'game' until they get it. Then when they get it ... they get it GOOD! DO NOT give in to the temptation to touch their nose to the stick. It's a learning curve again, but they need to learn that they have creative power and their actions earn the click.

3) How did you charge the clicker? You may need to do a little more work there. For instance if the dog was sitting and staring at you while you clicked and treated...they may have mistaken this game to be "if I sit still I get clicks and treats." Also try just clicking randomly (NOT for sitting) and after the click toss the treat on the ground so they have to move to get it and they don't expect treats to only come from your hand to their mouth.\

4) Separate the clicker/treat game from the "show interest in this darn target stick" game! Put all treats away, put the clicker away...and just get them to be curious about the target stick. Roll it on the ground...wave it in the air...run around with it dangling down...then before they get a chance to touch it, put it away for later. Pique their curiousity about it and then put it away. Then repeat 30 minutes later. See if you can't make them think it is the coolest thing EVER! Once you've convinced them it's this neato thing...get your clicker, treats, etc ready and show them the target stick. Be ready to click for any approach then toss a treat on the ground for your dog. Repeat until your dog consistently targest the stick a few times...end with a jackpot treat reward and call it a day.

5) Try NOT holding the treats in your hand...put them on a shelf where you can reach them or on a table or counter...click then grab a treat from the dish and toss it on the ground (make it obvious so your dog knows where the treat landed).

6) IF YOUR DOG is afraid of the clicker sound...pick a word that is crisp and you can say the same way each time (YES! or GOOD! or whatever) and use that as your 'clicker.'

[Dozzer55]

I'm holding the clicker and paint stick in the same hand and putting the treat hand behind my back. Rascal got it right away and then seemed to lose it. He even tried sitting and laying down to get the treat. I started the next session holding the stick closer to his nose and that seemed to work. It's hard not giving a command like "touch" Do I verbally praise like "Good boy"

[Adina P]

It IS hard to not give a command! Those come later =)
As far as verbal praise...I would save it for the end of a session or after a really good response just because it slows things down otherwise.
Also if he seems to get it...then give a "Good boy" and some petting and a few treats after that last click and then end the session. Try again later. Sometimes after a dog figures it out they can get bored or wonder why he is doing it over and over...so quit EARLY and repeat often =)

[Adina P]

Here is a video of a pup learning target stick. One thing to note is that the trainer's hand is NOT holding treats...and the treat hand doesn't approach puppy until after the click.


And another one that seemed to teach it by putting a treat near the target first on the ground until the dog made a link... NOTE the tossing of the treats so the dog has to show understanding by coming back to target more.

[fergie11]

I'm glad we are getting these to start with. So far I'm not impressed at all but will surely wait and finish the 7 days. I trust you Adina, that this is a good thing.

[Adina P]

The thing with clicker training is that you and your dog have to learn the language FIRST. You have to develop what are called "fluencies." So it IS slow to start...because the dog has to learn two connections:

1) Click predicts treat (easy to learn)
2) MY (dog's) behavior controls the click (takes longer to learn)
3) I (the dog) can TRY different things to figure it out...(takes longer to learn).

But once you have those fluencies down pat, clicker trainers rave about how nicely things flow afterward.

Have you seen Lucy's video showing how she taught Ozzie to pick up his toys? http://www.doodlekisses.com/video/2065244:Video:34760? She shaped it from the start with clicker training.

If you use the language analogy...before you can read a book you have to identify words. Before you can identify words, you have to know what letters sound like in different arrangements. Before you can do that you have to recognize letters and know the 26 of the alphabet and their various sounds. Before you can recognize letters you have to (loosely) recognize shapes.

So with clicker training first we start with simple recognition to build understanding of how the clicker communication works...then with practice and YOUR skill development it gets better and faster.

[Bev and WILLY]

I've seen the results of clicker training, and I think it's well worth the challenge. Willy has not quite got the idea of the target stick, but I can see that soon he'll be doing it. I taught him to sit and wait with the clicker, and am excited to see where this new step will take us.
I can't wait to continue with this training.