The Ultimate Guide to Dog Training. Teoti Anderson
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they provide a nice way to break up a training session if your dog is getting frustrated. If you play chase, encourage your dog to chase you, instead of the other way around. You don’t want him to practice running away from you, but playing a fun game in which he’s running toward you can help you teach him a fast Come.
Recall games can be great for energetic dogs that like to move. If you have more than one person available to play, each of you can call your dog to “Come.” As the dog runs away from a person, that person takes a step backward. Eventually, you can be in different rooms of your house, or spread out in a fenced yard, with your dog running in between. Not only is this a game, it’s also training! You can also modify this game into hide-and-seek, with different people hiding and calling your dog to come find them.
As with toys, playing games will extend your training sessions, but short bursts of play during your training sessions as rewards can be very powerful motivators.
Life Rewards
Life rewards are activities dogs enjoy that you can use as rewards. Does your dog love to use his nose? Use the opportunity to sniff as a reward. Does your dog go nuts for a car ride? Give him a ride as a reward! Does he enjoy swimming? Train near a lake and let him swim as a reward. Life rewards can be extremely powerful. If your dog performs a behavior, and you reward him with a life reward, it can be a strong motivator for your dog to repeat the behavior. You generally don’t use these rewards all of the time because you wouldn’t get much training done, but if used once in a while, life rewards can make a big impression on your dog.
Introducing the Clicker
Dogs don’t automatically understand that the click sound from the clicker means that they did something that you like. You need to teach them the meaning of the sound. You need to classically condition the clicker to mean that a treat is coming.
This is the very first exercise to teach your dog before you start training the basics. You’ll be using the clicker for all of the exercises, so teach your dog that the click sound means a treat is coming first.
1.Get five small, tasty treats. Be near to your dog. If he is across the yard, you’re not ready for this exercise, so make sure that he is close to you. Don’t ask your dog to sit or to do anything else. This exercise is just about teaching him that the sound of the click means that a treat is coming, so you don’t want to clutter it with anything else.
2.Click once. Immediately follow the click with a treat. Repeat this five times.
3.Do this exercise twice a day for two days.
It won’t take long before your dog’s ears perk up at the sound of the click. You may see his tail wagging. Now that the clicker is “charged up,” it’s time to use it to start training!
The Click Is Stronger than Words
Research has shown that a mechanical clicker is more effective than a verbal marker. According to the study titled Clicker Bridging Stimulus Efficacy by Lindsay Wood, MA, CTC: “The clicker-trained dogs achieved behavior acquisition in significantly (p < .05) fewer minutes and required significantly fewer primary reinforcements than verbally conditioned dogs. … It appears that use of the clicker, by providing a more precise marker than a verbal bridging stimulus, is responsible for superior acquisition of complex behaviors such as that studied here. … The potential of the clicker stimulus to improve animal learning throughout the entire process of a behavior may not only increase the rate of behavior acquisition but also reduce animal frustration and further enhance the relationship between trainer and animal.”
The clicker isn’t a remote control!
Introducing a Target
Targeting is an extremely useful training skill to teach your dog. There are two main types of targets—nose targets and paw targets. By teaching your dog to touch his nose or paw to a target, you can teach a variety of behaviors. A nose target to your hand can turn into a Recall, your dog can follow your hand to get on and off furniture, and more. A paw target can teach your dog to go to his kennel or his bed or to stay outside the kitchen while you’re preparing dinner. Your first step will be to introduce targets to your dog.
Introducing a Nose Target
The easiest nose target to start with is your hand. Here are the steps to teaching a nose target:
Goal: Your dog will touch his nose to your hand.
What You’ll Need: Clicker, treats.
1.Hold the clicker in one hand. Hold your other, empty, hand with the palm toward your dog and the fingers downward. Hold it 1 inch (2.5 cm) from your dog’s nose.
2.Most dogs will reach forward to sniff or lick your hand. The second that your dog’s nose touches your palm, click and pull your hand away. Give him a treat. Remove your hand so he won’t touch it again before you are ready to click and treat him again.
3.Present your hand again, 1 inch (2.5 cm) in front of your dog’s nose. When he touches it, click, pull your hand away, and treat.
4.Repeat for a total of ten repetitions. End your training session.
Tip: If your dog doesn’t touch your hand, you will need to gradually shape the behavior. When you first present your hand, your dog is likely to at least look at it. Click, remove your hand, and treat him for looking. Repeat several times. Your dog will begin to look at your hand more frequently. When he’s looking at it consistently, hold off on clicking. Wait to see if he nudges your hand. Be patient—let him think this through. When he moves forward to touch your hand, click and treat!
The easiest nose target to start with is your hand.
When your dog is consistently touching your hand, it’s time to move your hand.
1.Hold your palm 1 inch (2.5 cm) to the left of your dog’s nose. When he noses it, click and treat. Then hold your palm 1 inch (2.5 cm) to the right of your dog’s nose. When he noses it, click and treat.
2.Gradually start moving your hand farther away from your dog, switching between the left and right side. Click and treat for every correct response when his nose touches your palm.
3.Now it’s time to get your dog to follow your hand. Start with your hand close to your dog’s nose. When he moves to nose it, move it slowly away from him in a straight line so he follows it. Go only a couple of feet (about a meter) before you let him touch it. Click and treat.
4.Gradually work up to your dog following your hand for farther distances.
5.Repeat for a total of ten repetitions. End your training session.
When your dog is reliably touching your palm with his nose, no matter where you present it, it’s time to add the cue.
1.Just before you present your hand, say the cue “Touch” in a friendly voice. When your dog touches your hand, click and treat.
2.Repeat for a total of ten repetitions. End your training session.
Try This! Introducing a Clicker to a Fearful Dog
If your dog is scared of noises or very fearful, you need to introduce the clicker a little differently. If your dog is very sensitive, you may not want to use a clicker at first. Instead, a clickable ballpoint pen serves as a very soft sound that often works well. You introduce it the same way as the regular clicker. You can also muffle the regular clicker by tucking it into a pocket when you click it or wrapping a towel around it. You just want to create a softer noise so that your dog doesn’t startle.
Introducing a Paw Target
Choose a target that your dog will be able to touch with his paw. Keep in mind that some dogs are enthusiastic with their paws, so your target should be durable. For example, try a drink coaster, or a lid from a margarine tub. Here are the steps to teaching a paw target:
Goal: