Clicking (2)

As promised, you will get now the second lesson :-)

You have your clicker, treats, jackpot and your dog?
First of all, try without your dog.
Do you have a gummiball? Or another little ball?
Take it and let it fall on the ground. In the moment, the ball hits the ground, click.
You might need a while, but then you got it. If you could do it, that you click in that moment, you are well prepaired.
Now you can start with your dog.
Sit there relax, the dog should sit in front of you and take attention to you.
Have your clicker in one hand, and put the treats near you. Do not have all of them in your hand.

Click - take up a treat and give it to your dog. This should happen within 2 seconds.
Why within 2 seconds?
Because a dog can only find a relation to what he did within this time.
Click - take a treat and give it to your dog.

This you do five or six times. That is enough. Repeat that after 15 minutes.
After some hours do it again.
Not more than five clicks. Not more than two times a day.
Your dog must not do anything for it.
This you do, to train your dog, that after every click he gets a treat.
Your dog learn while you click, but he learn more, after you did it. When he rests, that is the time his brain repeats everything.
Did you ever think about a problem, maybe maths, and you could not find an answer?
Then you went to bed, and in the night or the next morning you know it?
Dogs do that all the time.
So do that for three or four days. Thats enough for every dog to get it.
After that days you can start, that the dog has to do something for it.
After three days you can wait a little, till you make the next click.
Your dog already knows, that he gets some clicks, so he might wonder, why no second or third click is coming.
So he will do something. It is up to you, what this might be.
Best is, to wait, till he looks in your eyes. Than click.
Remember the ball? The very moment he looks in your eyes -CLICK.
Not before, not after. Just in that moment.
And immediatly give him his treat.
So he knows ---> Look in the eye = click = treat.
After a while this changes to: Look in the eye = Good boy

The last click (not more than five) could be the jackpot, if he did really well.

Also think about two comandos: One for starting the training and one for ending.
For example: We have "Lets go clicking" for the start and a clap in the hand
and "Finish for now" and wipe my right hand over my left hand.

It is always good to give comandos with words and hand moves. It is easier for the dog.
Remember the last post: Dogs have a very strong body language.
And if your dog maybe gets deaf one day, you still have your hands to communicate with him and he already knows what you mean, even he can't hear you anymore.

So have fun in trying that lesson out.

Clicking (Chapter 1)

First of all:
It is good to do something with your dog.
Dogs are intelligent,and, just like humans, some of them more, some of them less.
But it depense on every individual and on its owner, what to make of it.

Some of you got a puppy some of you took a dog out of a shelter.
So dog needs brainfood. There are many different ways to train your dogs brain, and one of them is clicking. The good thing is, that clicking is for every age and for every intelligence-level.

Clicking is conditioning.
Conditioning means, that with one impuls you release another one.
Maybe some of you knows the "Pawlov`dog"
He was trained, that every moment he heard a bell ringing, food comes. The food came and he startet driveling. With the time, he driveled, when he heard the bell, in expectation of food. No matter, if there came food or not.
So, the dog was conditioned to the bell.

Clicking is conditioning.
Click means food. Or lets say: Click means "Good boy".
You need a noise, which always sounds the same. No matter where you are or in which mood you are.

So, what you need is a clicker
There are different types and styles. These two are the most common.
I prefer the blue one with the yellow button. Because I can also use it without my hands. But try out on your own, which one you like most.
So why should you buy a clicker? Can`t you use your tounge to make a noise, clapp your hands or snip your finger?
You can. But remember: It has to sounds the same at any time. Try out and you will see, you hardly can. Neither with the tounge nor with you hands.
So go and buy a clicker. Buy two or three, sure you will loose on ;-) They are cheap.

The next thing is: Find something, your dog REALLY like and is not allowed to have it every time. Like sausages, cheese, a piece of fish, hugs, a special toy... whatever.
And than find something he would die for. Some dogs love cat food. But find it out on your own.
If you are not sure of, but three or four things on the ground and see, what your dog takes first.
This should be something he normally never gets.
That`s your jackpot.

But please please please: Nothing with sugar or chocolate. Thats not a treat, thats a torment.

So you have your dog, your clicker, your treats and your jackpot.

And next monday we start :-)