Clicker Training - behavior

2009-08-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

There are three useful ways to get behaviour.

WAITING: Even the active puppy eventually lies down. Click it as it happens. Advantage – totally easy for the trainer and the only way to get behaviors like shaking and sneezing. Disadvantage – not useful for behaviors the dog doesn't naturally do. Tip – set yourself up for success. A wet dog is more likely to shake than a dry dog.

LURING: Use a treat or a trained target to move the dog's head to get the behavior you want. Nose is lured up, tail goes down, voila, sit! Advantage – also easy for trainer and dog, the fastest way to get many behaviors, and most lures produce an automatic hand signal for the behavior. Disadvantage – if you use the lure too often, the dog will not perform the behavior without seeing the treat. Also gives the dog the option of deciding the behavior isn't worth the treat – such as going in a crate. Tip – get rid of the lure as quickly as you can.

SHAPING: break the behavior down into its tiniest parts and reward the dog for finding each part. Advantage – allows you to get behaviors you couldn't possibly get any other way, teaches dog and trainer to be creative, overcomes fear or reluctance by asking for tiny steps instead of huge lumps – "I'm not asking you to get in the crate, I'm only asking you to LOOK at the crate… " Disadvantage – tough to get started without someone to show you how. Requires the trainer to actually think. Tip: in the beginning, write out a list of at least ten steps for each behavior, and if you haven't shaped a behavior before, start with something that isn't important to you (get the dog to roll over, or spin, rather than heeling or weave poles) so you can get frustrated but not hysterical.

In actual training, these three methods are rarely isolated. Training involves the artful combination of all three methods into an explanation your dog can easily understand.

You are invited to visit http://www.gorjesspets.com to learn more about Yorkie and Yorkie puppies.

All credit for this training info goes to: Sue Ailsby - sue.eh@dragonflyllama.com

(I can't find any better information regarding training than this.)

GorjessPets - Yorkies

Clicker Training - behavior