Hi does anyone else out there use clicker training ? I have used it with all my dogs over the last 12years and i am still amazed at the results and the speed at wich it helps the dogs to learn and what you can teach is end less,all of mine do agility and heelwork to music,and the fun we have teaching new tricks with the clicker is great and such a positive way,some people say it can make your dogs very foody but all mine work for a treat or a toy never just food,im just interested in what others think of it ?

I used to be a clicker training sceptic but was converted last year and think its fantastic  I havent done any for a while as ive got out of the swing of training but hope to get the clicker working again soon

I'm using it on a regular base a part of my job.

it is a great tool and I'm loving it, I'm using it especially to teach complex behaviours and chaining them togheter.

Not much use in gundog training really, a part from some bitz of basic obedience and some heelwork.

I use it a lot. Great for teaching stays and heelwork. Have taught my dogs allsorts fo stuff over the years including scent detection, flyball, working trials and agility stuff all with a clicker.

I prefer SAT's to clicker.

I think it is Mark who uses clicker training (apologies if I'm wrong), we exchanged posts a while back on it's relative merits for gundog work.

People speak highly of it, I've not seen it used for gundogs though it would be interesting to see the judges reaction at a field trial!

Neill at 02:59AM on Apr 16, 2010

I think it is Mark who uses clicker training (apologies if I'm wrong), we exchanged posts a while back on it's relative merits for gundog work.

 

People speak highly of it, I've not seen it used for gundogs though it would be interesting to see the judges reaction at a field trial!

I dont think one would go armed with their clicker to a trial LOL!!!! Its not used to work the dog, only to train and at the end of the day I wouldnt care what the judges thought, I doubt anyone entering a trial would feel their dogs were not capabale of winning so would have to have been trained to such a standard. When I entered a Comp, Edward Martin did not comment or ask what methods mine were trained with :-) IM sure if id won and told him they were clicker trained he'd have been suitably impressed LOL x

Carol

Please don't think I'm knocking clicker training, I don't know anything like enough to be critical, it's just I've never seen or read of it being used for gundogs (though I know others on the site have).

My remark was a bit tongue in cheek knowing that the gundog world can be inclined towards the traditional, in fact this goes for game shooting generally.  It's not for the judges to ask how a dog has been trained, only to score it's performance. 

You have intrigued me though, my limited knowledge of clicker training is that the click is used as a reward, I may be wrong.  How would you train a dog to retrieve using a clicker, and then work it on a shoot or trial?

A clicker is used to teach a behaviour and then is faded.  I use clicker for teaching my pups and dogs for all sorts of things,e.g. teaching to get a contact in agility but wouldn't use it at an agility competition for example.

Will try and explain more later.

I find clicker training to be a very useful tool. Before you can start to shape behaviours the dog has to be 'conditioned' to the clicker, which means it learns, like you say Neill, that the click means treat (the treat can be replaced with a favourite toy at a later stage).

All my pups are conditioned to the clicker when they first arrive, or indeed in the case of my last litter, I started conditioning them to it before they left for their new homes. Not only is it a good training aid, but I find my puppies become much more attentive, and eager for training sessions.

The main fear people have I think when using it, is the use of food as a reward. This is gradually withdrawn over time and can be replaced with a favourite toy or a good old fashioned cuddle!!

I taught both my dogs to retrieve using the clicker and have a lovely delivery to hand every time. Once the behaviour is learnt, there is no need to keep using the clicker, it is common practice, once the dog understands the concept to replace the click with a 'cue' word, such as 'yes', 'right', 'good' or indeed any word you like really, as long as the dog draws the same meaning as the click.:wink:

In a nutshell once the dog is conditioned to the clicker, you break the retrieve down into it's various components........actually there is another post on this, I will try and find it.  Back soon with the relevant thread....

For those intrigued by Mikes post on SATS here is a link 

http://www.synalia.com/

The clicker is ussed to 'mark' the correct behaviour and then the reward follows. It is used dring the teaching process and once the behaviour is on cue, then the clicker is no longer needed. I have tried to use the clicker to help one of my Spanish hunt better, but it ended up being a bit clumbersome and we've gone back to using two toys instea and I use a verbal marker at times rather than a clicker.

Mike, I went to a SATS seminar years ago when Kayce first came to the UK, but I just don't 'get it' or get what's in it for the dog. I also am not going to go round saying xxxxxxxX all the time LOL

Hi Neil, Ive never used clicker f training for retrieving after all having Labs there is no need, however sweepie isnt a retriever and it took me a long time to get her to retrieve just a simple ball, she still isnt a retriever BUT has abs shocked me on our last shoot at her spectacular partridge retrieve of which I was abs stunned and ended up bursting into tears with sheer pride LOL !!! (sad I know but it was incredible) :-)

I am however going to work on her retrieving this year using the clicker as it worked amazingly for her sit/stay. I will be picking the brains of the clicker experts as to the best way to train her with the clicker for retrieving. So will keep you informed as to how we are doing it as at the moment I dont quite know myself LOL x

Mark where are you I need your help LOL xx

Thanks to you all, when I next get a pup I will give it a go, the lady who runs the local dog school where Ollie did basic obdience etc runs a clicker class, so I will sign up.

Here is the thread....

http://www.workingcockersonline.com/apps/forums/topics/show/2104103-delivery

All my dogs naturally retreived, but I wanted to polish the delivery. Whilst the others were having their breakfast, I would take Ghillie into a seperate room with his breakfast and a dummy.

He would firstly be clicked for touching the dummy, so that stage was a breeze.....once reliably performing that task................the click would be with held until he held it for a count of say 5 to start with, and then the count would be increased..................then for holding it and presenting it in front of me........then for sitting in front in the present position..................I shaped this behaviour for a week, each morning, using his breakfast..........at the end of a week, I then moved out into the garden for a couple of days............then started in proper training sessions on the heath, with a pocket of something nice for the first couple of throws.......then proofed it, without the clicker.............he never fails, and if he finds anything on our walks, whether it is a plastic bottle, or a glove, or indeed a dead bird or rabbit...............I am presented with it, in exactly the same fashion.........

I have used the clicker for years, and certainly wouldn't be without it, although I fully appreciate that some people just can't get their heads around it, and some find the timing an issue too:dry:

Hope that all made some sort of sense:D

I agree Rachel and it also is down to who is teaching it, every obedience class we went to with my JRT ended up with us leaving as it was a nightmare as we couldnt get our heads round it but last year I went to a wee training thing and it clicked so to speak LOL x

Hi Carol, also, some dogs respond better to it than others, although I have found with cockers it works really quickly as they are so bright, and it suits their make up, thinking they have trained you to give them the treat, instead of the other way around LOL:D

So great to hear many of you enjoy the benifits of clicker training,fudge my daughters old am cocker will go and find a clicker if you leave it around and bring it to you as if to say " train me please " when we took on tilly her chihuahua at 5 years old she had many hang ups as she was just used as a breeding bitch with the use of clicker training she is now doing agility and we hope to compeate this year also it has helped her confidence in so many other ways.

I'm a clicker trainer too, I have lots of fun with it.

I saw what my dog could learn and how fast and I got hooked.

Dog's seem to like it as well

Must admit Mike I'm with Pauline on sats, although i do use my own keep going signal  from time to time.

wolfgsd at 04:49AM on Apr 16, 2010

The clicker is ussed to 'mark' the correct behaviour and then the reward follows. It is used dring the teaching process and once the behaviour is on cue, then the clicker is no longer needed. I have tried to use the clicker to help one of my Spanish hunt better, but it ended up being a bit clumbersome and we've gone back to using two toys instea and I use a verbal marker at times rather than a clicker.

 

Mike, I went to a SATS seminar years ago when Kayce first came to the UK, but I just don't 'get it' or get what's in it for the dog. I also am not going to go round saying xxxxxxxX all the time LOL

  The intermediate bridge is only a very small part of SAT's. It seems a bit odd to me to use a clicker, it's seems a very dry system of training, but each to their own, also I don't like freeshaping it can be frustating to the dog and encourages them to throw unwanted behaviours at me.

It's interesting that some of the clicker people are now starting to see the worth of  using an intermediate bridge, but is a repeated click. This intermediate click used by these people may become mainstream as time go by, because it gives the all important  feedback, tracking and behaviour extending encouragement to the dog.

The Bramble Monkeys at 03:10PM on Apr 16, 2010

wolfgsd at 04:49AM on Apr 16, 2010

The clicker is ussed to 'mark' the correct behaviour and then the reward follows. It is used dring the teaching process and once the behaviour is on cue, then the clicker is no longer needed. I have tried to use the clicker to help one of my Spanish hunt better, but it ended up being a bit clumbersome and we've gone back to using two toys instea and I use a verbal marker at times rather than a clicker.

 

Mike, I went to a SATS seminar years ago when Kayce first came to the UK, but I just don't 'get it' or get what's in it for the dog. I also am not going to go round saying xxxxxxxX all the time LOL

  The intermediate bridge is only a very small part of SAT's. It seems a bit odd to me to use a clicker, it's seems a very dry system of training, but each to their own, also I don't like freeshaping it can be frustating to the dog and encourages them to throw unwanted behaviours at me.

It's interesting that some of the clicker people are now starting to see the worth of  using an intermediate bridge, but is a repeated click. This intermediate click used by these people may become mainstream as time go by, because it gives the all important  feedback, tracking and behaviour extending encouragement to the dog.

OMG MIke your way to clever im totally lost  Which isnt hard