Clicker help !!

Discussion in 'Labrador Puppies' started by Johnny Walker, Feb 21, 2017.

  1. Johnny Walker

    Johnny Walker Registered Users

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    Good morning,

    Is there a good link on here for clicker training, or perhaps advanced clicker training on using it to proof. My puppy is 9 months and and I started click and treat training him last night but it only took me about 2 clicks and some yummy dehydrated bison treats and now he won't leave my side and he does what I want him too before I can even say anything in anticipation. We are working inside and in the garden close to the house just before meal times so he won't wander far enough to try a recall at any distance cause he knows supper is coming soon. He's already associated the click to reward and become more attentive than he was before and he always looks at me. Any tips or advice would great. Maybe it's time to start introducing distractions and distance. It's just hard because of the amounts of snow we have at the moment. I was thinking of taking him to the enclosed doggy park in the next town but I'm not sure how to even begin that challenge. Hes only ever met other dogs one at a time in farmers fields. We are country folks.lol
     
  2. snowbunny

    snowbunny Registered Users

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    When you introduce a cue, part of it is teaching him to only do that behaviour on cue. So, let's say we're teaching a "sit", you'd start off with a lure, which then changes to a visual cue and probably on to a verbal one, too. Once your puppy realises the behaviour you're after, he'll start throwing it at you to se if he gets treats. So, once he understands "'sit' means sit", you need to start C&Ting only for those sits where you've given the cue first. If he offers a sit uncued, he gets no C&T. This leads to extinction of the uncued sit.

    This is a really great book for giving more in-depth information about clicker training, and it comes with a DVD, too: http://www.learningaboutdogs.com/acatalog/perfectfoundation.html#SID=14

    The next book in the series is Clicker Gundog, which is excellent, also, and gives you more things to train which are useful even for people who don't intend to do any gundog work: http://www.positiveanimalsolutions.com/Clicker_Gundog_by_Helen_Phillips_p/clickgundog.htm
     
  3. Johnny Walker

    Johnny Walker Registered Users

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    Thank you for the reply. I'm starting to think you live and breath Labs. I would too but I have so much going on in my life it seems impossible to get what I need done and to have to dog that I want. The guy I'm working with is amazing and I fall asleep angry with myself because I can't take him to the level he deserves because I believe he really has that much potential. More than any animal I've ever been exposed to. The commitment and time to create the behaviours we all want our animals to achieve is endless. I almost wish Duggan was an idiot so I could find a comfortable place and then " deal" with him but he deserves so much more. He almost commands it. This is why I have so many questions lately. He's already made the sit before I ask thing extinct as you said. I feel I am so amateur and that he deserves a pro to train him but he is happy to just look in my eyes and try to do as i want. I'm not sure I know where I'm going with this post but i wanted to thank you for the information. I guess there so much to know and learn that I'm feeling overwhelmed ATM. I only hope I can make time to read and learn enough to make Duggan all he can be. But i love that he's already there as long as he can see us and play a few times everyday.
     
  4. snowbunny

    snowbunny Registered Users

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    I do live and breathe my dogs. I'm a little bit obsessive ;)

    I also work very long hours, but spend pretty much every minute of spare time with my dogs. And, during the day, because I'm a programmer, I have loads of little 5-minute breaks, which I fill with forum time, reading, planning training etc.

    But, Johnny, seriously, chill! You have all the time in the world. You don't have to know everything right now, this minute. I certainly didn't at your stage, and still have so much to learn. Duggan doesn't know any different, whether he becomes a field trial champion or simply a regular pet dog who goes for bimbles every day. Yup, they lap up the training and it's easy to think "if only I was better / had better opportunities / resources..." but that's not going to help you. Just do your best, and, most importantly, keep having fun! Stop stressing :)
     
  5. snowbunny

    snowbunny Registered Users

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    By the way, I wrote a very similar post to yours at about the same stage as you're at. And I got the same answer I gave you. It didn't really help at the time, but it's true :D
     
  6. edzbird

    edzbird Registered Users

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    Best bit of advice when you think things are not working out how they should.
     
    Pilatelover likes this.
  7. selina27

    selina27 Registered Users

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    Took the words right out my mouth!
    I was the same as you @Johnny Walker for a while with Cassie, I don't know why I had this idea of perfection for her - bit unfair on her really (that's just come into my head as I write). I'm well old enough to know better!
    Then one day my trainer said to me "perfect gets in the way of good". At ten months she's beautiful and happy and a really good companion, her recall is improving, not that it was really bad, and is starting to enjoy the retrieve training we do together. We are learning together and enjoying ourselves!
     

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