I have recently gotten a 5 month old GSD. I have been given alot of recommendations to use clicker training on him, in other words only positive reinforcement. These people do not use ANY correction at all, and after reading Mr. Frawley's training website as well as others of more traditional methods I see a real conflict in these types of training. Have any of you been able to sucessfully use clicker with a GSD with Schuntzund background?
Appreciate your clearing up this question for me.
Nancy...

There is a great book out there called Don't Shoot The Dog, By Karen Pryor. It has a lot of info on clicker training. If your doing Sch there are areas where it might be usefull. Some Guide Dog schools use it to reinforce certain behaviors. Use what works for you, but don't be afraid to correct the dog as well. good luck.

True "clicker trainers" adhere to the positive ONLY philosophy. They abhor all things aversive. If there are ANY 100% positively trained dogs out there kicking butt in AKC obedience or schutzhund, they are truly few and far between. By far the most successful road to a highly motivated, enthusiastic worker with outstanding reliability is to use a strong predominance of positive reinforcement, but tinged with some aversives to define the boundaries. The clicker is a nifty piece of equipment and is very useful; however, you can train with a clicker and yet not subscribe to the "clicker trainer" philosophy, which is (IMO!!) somewhat fanatical and unrealistic.

Lee is right.
The "clicker training fanatics" are all about using only positive reinforcement..........virtually always food. The means to a highly trained and reliable dog is a balance between inducements and compulsion.
Clicker nuts will refer you to all kinds of articles which reference whales and dolphins and sea lions in training and the clicker and use of food rewards and witholding the food for poor behavior. Yet, a dog is not a whale or a dolphin, or a sea lion. We are often, among working people, dealing with natural behaviors which have been enhanced through rearing practices and especially through selective breeding. We are trying to capitalize on behaviors the dog already has and displays and is inherently feeling good about doing (the behavior itself is rewarding to paraphrase Ray Coppinger). Here we will need some compulsive actions to shape these behaviors towards reliability in the context that they are useful. as a foundation for training inducements (positive reinforcement) are almost mandatory. Teaching a dog via compulsion can be done and is done but few people possess the expereince and timing and the animal to maintain an attractive and reliable performance without the foundations done through a positive rewards system in the obedience phases of the work.

I agree with Lee and Kevin.

I use a clicker (alot), but for me it is a tool, one piece of my puzzle. I also use an e-collar, usually both, and often a longline..... so to me, there is no "One right answer".. I use whatever means help me train more effectively.

The clicker has a couple of great benifits... but you could do the same things w/o one also.. it just helps <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I am training both a 2-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi and a 3-year-old rescued GSD in beginning Schutzhund with clicker training. With suggestion from a fellow trainer I am using a quick, sharp word "yes" instead of a click, and a long, calm "goood" to extend a behaviour. Both dogs have responded incredibly well to this kind of training. It seems to make my message to them clearer, probably because I am such a clumsy novice with my body language. And not being required to have a clicker in my hand all the time is a real bonus to the "yes" training.