I just purchased the Getting Started clicker training for dogs book by Karen Pryor. I haven't completely finished the book yet but I did try the first session to try and teach Cicero what the clicker means.

This is where the problem comes in I'm not sure he gets it. I don't think he is making the connection between the clicker and the treats I think he just sees me getting the treats out and is thinking this is great I'm getting treats for free!

Also I tried the whole getting him to offer a behavior so I can click for it but he just sits there and stares at me. I got the impression that I wasn's supposed to say anything and wait for him to offer stuff...was I wrong about that?

I feel like I'm making this harder than it is! Thanks for your help!!

My dog did this also. (11 yrs old). I started moving away and when he followed, I clicked and tossed a treat. Whe he came toward me I clicked when his foot lifted. I did that 3 times. I would click when he chuffed (he likes to talk). I would squat and he would come to me. Click. Anything to get him to engage. He finally got it. Now, we are working on sitting with him raising his foot. The look on his face when he gently lifted his paw and got treats each time was priceless! Roni and others will be able to offer better advice, but this is good for now, I think.

I haven't read the book yet, so I can't comment on that, but I had sort of the same situation starting out.

I found moving around helped get the dog up from his seated, staring position, giving me more opportunities to click. We'd walk around, I'd stop, he'd sit {CLICK}. He'd come around to the heel position {CLICK}.

I did prompt him, as well. When he was seated in front, staring at me, I'd stick my hand out and he'd look at my hand then look back to me {CLICK}.

All the above-mentioned behaviors he knows by verbal command. In this case, I didn't tell him to do anything but clicked when he offered the behavior.

I also found training to TOUCH something...like your hand...is an easy way to get started with a clicker.

Juliana, you are still loading the marker, right? So it doesn't matter whether he has offered behavior.

Also, have you tried to keep the rewards hidden and your reward hand neutral?

 Quote: Jo Harker

The look on his face when he gently lifted his paw and got treats each time was priceless!

That look of pleased satisfaction/wonder/confidence is indeed priceless!

I am still trying to load the marker but the book made it seem as if this could be done in one session and I'm just not sure he has it.

I have tried both having the treats in my hand and not holding them but he knows when I have them out. Maybe he is getting it and I just don't know it. It just doesn't seem like the click means anything to him...

If I move around and catch him doing different things would this help with loading it?

 Quote: sarah morris

I haven't read the book yet, so I can't comment on that, but I had sort of the same situation starting out.

I also found training to TOUCH something...like your hand...is an easy way to get started with a clicker.

Ditto, ditto. We did start clicker training in puppy OB class though, so Oscar got to learn all the "basics" using it early on, which was very helpful. However, we didn't use the clicker again seriously for a over a year , so when I broke it out again last year and tried to start shaping with it, I got (and still get) and LOT of standing and staring at me in the face. That's when I start luring him to move or touch something...

I totally agree with everyone's comments though - Connie's point was good to begin with: make sure you put enough time into actually loading the clicker, so the dog makes that single, most important association. And Sarah's note about moving around a lot and offering things to TOUCH also helped us. The touch is initially motivated by nose curiosity, but as soon as the dog makes a move for whatever it is with his nose, CLICK! and repeat.

Start slow, and you can start with ANYTHING. I find luring is a lot easier than shaping with my dog, but there are quick study's out there who will offer up a ton of behaviors on their own, once they're well versed in the power of the clicker.

~Natalya

 Quote: juliana mccabe

If I move around and catch him doing different things would this help with loading it?

The actual loading should be done in quiet sessions where the entire point is simply to get the dog to anticipate a treat when he hears the clicker. After a few sessions, you can test to see if your dog is "getting it" by surprising him with a click at some point - let's say he's chewing on a toy in the middle of the floor, you're on the couch, but you've got the clicker in your pocket and you take it out and click it when he's not looking - does he look up, perk his ears, rush over to you? If he shows ANY response that could be perceived as "anticipatory", you've loaded the clicker and you MUST treat him at that moment. Then you're free to start actually training with it.

Ed just posted a little free vid about how important it is to ALWAYS treat after a click, even if the click was accidental, or poorly timed on the trainers part. A click without a treat starts to dissolve the power of the tool, as it becomes just a sound, and not a reward associated with desired behavior...

~Natalya

 Quote: juliana mccabe

I am still trying to load the marker but the book made it seem as if this could be done in one session and I'm just not sure he has it.

I have tried both having the treats in my hand and not holding them but he knows when I have them out. Maybe he is getting it and I just don't know it. It just doesn't seem like the click means anything to him...

If I move around and catch him doing different things would this help with loading it?

You would know, because the second you click he will look for the treat.

So I would say that he has not made the connection.

Please describe what you do. Do you simply click and then immediately hand over the reward? Then a minute later do the same thing? A few (or many) times of that will start to trigger a "where's that treat" when he hears the click.

Ed just posted a little free vid about how important it is to ALWAYS treat after a click, even if the click was accidental, or poorly timed on the trainers part. A click without a treat starts to dissolve the power of the tool, as it becomes just a sound, and not a reward associated with desired behavior...

Yes, Natalya! I never ever give an empty marker.

Mine is "yes." I have used it accidentally three or four times and each time the dogs looked up with "Woo-hoo! Free reward" faces and I made sure they got one.