New Clicker! Help?

[Caitikoi]

So, we just bought a clicker for our puppy Seamus. He seems to be very excited about it.

We're clicking it then treating him as a way of getting him used to it. Can anyone tell me what "signs", I suppose, to look for to see when the clicker training is solidifying? Or, how long we should do it for?

 

[TiflovesBCs]

i think the sign that he knows what the clicker is is when you click and seamus looks at you for a treat. that shows that he gets clicker = treat - reward
Right??? thats what Bella did

 

[bekah1001]

Exactly what Tif said!! That's how I knew. Try clicking ten times as a small little training session. Click, pause, treat.
Here is a good video:

 

[tigerlily46514]

WONDERFUL!! YESssssss!! YOU GOT A CLICKER!! Let the fun begin!!!

Yes, i agree with Tif! She is right!!
Caitkoi, it sounds like you are "loading the clicker" which means, teaching Seamus that a click = a treat.
EVERY click gets a treat, no exceptions, even if YOU mess up and clicked wrong thing!
One click, too, not clickclickclick, just one click.
(also, do not leave clicker lying out where your friends will mess with it, that can confuse a dog).


This is "loading a clicker" is something most dogs "get" VERY quickly, and remember for life. One or two sessions of that is probably all you need. Once Seamus knows "a click = a treat" you never ever ever have to teach Seamus THAT ever again!!

TIP: be sure you keep treats small, like size of a raisen or so,
so you don't get a full dog or a fat dog. If you are going to be using food rewards, try to use the healthiest treats, cuz your pup will now be getting more treats. On days i train a lot, i even subtract that amt from Buddy's dinner time.

You can use real bits of meat,
bits of hotdogs, hotdogs rolled in parmesan cheese,
bits of cheese for every now and then rewards, etc, dogs don't need tons of cheese,
or even make a batch of your own treats!
It's really not harder than making a batch of cookies, and it's only about every 3 weeks or so that you'd have to make some, if you decide to make some.
I think most store bought treats are crap, and the healthier ones can cost a lot if you train a lot.
You can look over the "treats" recipe section in forums, if you want to.


GOOD LUCK, and no question is dumb question!! Your Seamus is so so lucky to have a human like you who WILL teach him things!!

 

[tigerlily46514]

GREAT VIDEO, BEKAH!!!

 

[Dogster]

Your puppy should react to a clicker. YES, click means treat. A great test to see if he's ready is when he's not paying attention to you, you click, he responds by looking at you.

 

[bekah1001]

Good luck hope he gets it! Training is so much fun with a clicker!

 

[running_dog]

I never really saw the point in "loading the clicker" if your dog already knows a couple of commands... I used words Zac already knew like "sit" and clicked and treated when he obeyed. He caught on within a session or two.

Training yourself to click at the right time is much harder .

 

[tigerlily46514]

//I used words Zac already knew like "sit" and clicked and treated when he obeyed. He caught on within a session or two.//


yes, yes! dogs reeeeeeeeally learn that a click is GOOD, super fast. and forevvvvvvvver and ever, too!
Caitkoi, if you have dog do cues to click to teach Seamus that 'CLICK = TREAT'
DO vary the cues,like RunningDog says, a couple of cues, not just "sit", "sit", "sit" etc, but do vary the cues you would use to help Seamus learn it's not a known cue or not the sit that brings on a treat, but, it is the CLICK that brings on a treat.