# Clicker Training???????



## The_Artful_Dodger (Mar 26, 2009)

unclelar said:


> This after you have conditioned the dog to associate the clicker with affirmation.


It's actually after you have conditioned the dog to associate the clicker with a reward. It sounds like this is what they were doing. 

I had the same concern about clicker training in groups, but the dogs seem to know to only listen to the clicks coming from their own person.


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

I love clicker training and have found that the dogs like it too. First you need to understand the concept. When you get the behavior you ask for you have to "mark" that behavior at the precise moment. You can use a word like "yes" said very quickly or "click". It is easier with a clicker.

I agree - that what you most likely were observing was the handler teaching the dog to learn a click meant a treat was coming, it is click-treat, click-treat, click-treat until the dog associates the sound with food. Then its click-wait-treat, click-wait-treat to teach the dog that food is coming. You always click then move your hand to your pocket or pouch to get the treat so there is a pause between marking and rewarding.

There are a lot of video's on YouTube the demonstrate clicker training just search clicker training.

As far as class goes, I use a clicker and have never had a problem with or other dogs. Mine focus on me and ignore the others training next to them, I think it actually helps them to focus on me, they know only I reward them after they perform. Good-luck it is an easy and fun way to train.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Some trainers and some people are better at clicker training than others....


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Sally's Mom said:


> Some trainers and some people are better at clicker training than others....


*echoes* I admire people who can click successfully. 

For me I could bleat "yes" faster than remembering which hand had the clicker (much less remembering to click it).


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## jweisman54 (May 22, 2010)

Megora said:


> *echoes* I admire people who can click successfully.
> 
> For me I could bleat "yes" faster than remembering which hand had the clicker (much less remembering to click it).


I use both the clicker and the "yes" and agree with Megora that saying "yes" is much easier than to remember where the clicker is in hand. That being said, it was much easier to teach Izzy how to pivot on something using the clicker, how to put the ball into a bucket with a clicker. Basic training with her has always been with "yes" and no clicker. JMO


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I like using the clicker when I'm precisely shaping a particular behavior. It gives you a precision that's hard to master with a voice.

In other situations, though, "yes!" is easier to use as a marker. It has the advantage of being handsfree and being a more of a primary reinforcer in its own right.

I agree that what the OP saw was probably "loading" the clicker. You need to make the initial pairing between click and treat, so many clicker advocates will faithfully "load" that association by simply clicking and treating over and over (not everybody believes it's necessary to load the clicker every time).

You may also have seen incompetent clicker training, and there's also a chance that the owner was shaping a behavior that made no sense from an outside view. 

For example, you might be teaching a dog to put all four paws on an unfamiliar surface. You might start shaping by clicking and treating every time the dog happens to touch one paw to the surface. Once you had that, you'd move to two, etc. From the outside, you might look crazy, but in context, you might be doing something quite precise and intelligent with your dog.


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## Photosbykev (Jun 12, 2011)

I've been watching a series on youtube which I've found very informative for clicker training. This is the chap posting them


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## Discoverer (Feb 3, 2011)

Megora said:


> *echoes* I admire people who can click successfully.
> 
> For me I could bleat "yes" faster than remembering which hand had the clicker (much less remembering to click it).


I agree too, saying with a simple word is better on those of us with only two hands  The dog will respond just as well with a voice command. The clicker is just telling the dog it's response was correct. You may misplace or lost a clicker, but (hopefully) will have your voice all the time.


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

There is some research showing that the clicker is more effective than a verbal cue. I was just discussing this with the vet behaviorist I work with. I can't remember the study but I remember being quite surprised at the findings.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

jackie_hubert said:


> There is some research showing that the clicker is more effective than a verbal cue. I was just discussing this with the vet behaviorist I work with. I can't remember the study but I remember being quite surprised at the findings.


My best guess is that the clicker is simply a more consistent sound that can be delivered more precisely, and thus it probably works better as a reward cue in many situations. Interesting stuff!


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## Discoverer (Feb 3, 2011)

I heard the story when puppy runs and hides every time when hear a clicker, because he got scared one time when a mouse trap went off and clicker sounds similar.

Clicker certainly is not a bad training method and if it works for you and you like it then take a best of it.


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

tippykayak said:


> My best guess is that the clicker is simply a more consistent sound that can be delivered more precisely, and thus it probably works better as a reward cue in many situations. Interesting stuff!


I would also add that the clicker has a sound quite different from you voice. If you giving a verbal command and a verbal marker there is perhaps less distinction. Kinda light highlighting the most importand words on a text???


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