I attended a demonstration about "clicker training" a few months ago. I suppose if you have an unlimited amount of time to devote to this type of training it may be the way to go for those who have an adversion to verbal communication with physicial reenforcement. Personally; the clicker noise got on my last nerve. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Skipper, I see what you're getting at. Makes sense.

I must say I have really enjoyed this discussion and appreciate what a valuable resource this board can be.

I'm new to schutzhund training, and have really received alot of valuable insight from those who frequent this board. I, also, think this is one of the few boards in which people can be very passionate about their opinions without resorting to namecalling and petty bickering.

thanks for making me feel so welcome.

Skipper

I used a clicker for early training with Morris our mutt because he had been abused. Any kind of collar or voice correction would just make him completely shut down. The clicker let me show him what I wanted and expected without having to work through old fears at the same time.

I have a specific reason for starting my current rottie on the clicker, I stutter. I was getting frustrated missing the timing for commands. I put a tomato can on the floor and had my six week old pup putting his paw on the can from anywhere in the room with the clicker. I believe that early routine has made my dog intensly focused on me. It might be my imagination but, I swear he has surpassed waiting for commands by interpreting my body language. Nothing is funnier than watching my dog start and stop until I finally get the command out. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I now only use the clicker when we cart for direction changes.

Jerry that is so funny. Just shows how much your dog pays attention to you.. I can just see a big ol Rottie in pointer position giving you this look like "Ok, now what do you want me to do?" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Yes, like Jerry, I find the big plus with clicker training is getting my dog to pay close attention to me. I combine clicker training with other methods, and find it very useful in the initial "understanding" phase of training.

It puts a lot more emphasis on getting the dog and the trainer to think and pay attention to the present situation rather than just what usually works. I find I am much more careful about what signals I send the dog, and she gives me much more, staring at me and trying out different actions to see what I want her to do.

Up to before that, she was getting very bored with obedience work. I actually get her to work better for me by simply hanging the clicker round my neck as it seems to have become a signal to her to focus on me and start thinking!

Isnt it true that different methods work for different types of dogs, and different types of people? I think its a mistake as soon as you start saying that any method should be applied by everyone to every situation. If I was a big guy with a big voice and a natural dominant nature, I would probably train my dog very differently <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Wow, this is an old thread.

Whatever happened to Skipper I wonder. Someone that understands the use of a secondary reinforcer. . .



Thread closed, BTW. Starting a new thread with current training issues would be a great idea.