Tag: clicker training in Houston TX

Look and Listen

MICHAEL BAUGH CPDT-KA, CDBC

HOUSTON – A lot of people think their dog has selective hearing when it comes to basic obedience cues, especially coming when called.  No matter how many times they call their dog, it seems he’s just not listening.  Some folks even worry their dog may be ignoring them out of spite.  Fortunately, that last one probably isn’t true.  He just hasn’t been trained yet to tune into you when you call.

It turns out the key to really effective dog training isn’t so much about listening.  It’s about teaching your dog to look at you.  Dogs who are keeping their eyes on you are also keeping their ears attuned to what you are saying.  In fact, most precision obedience training is really about the dog’s visual attention, not his listening.  Dogs actually learn visual cues (hand signals) more easily than they learn verbal cues (words).

Start at the beginning.  The first thing I recommend people teach their dog is eye contact.  It’s important that dogs learn to focus their attention on our faces.  It sets them up to catch our verbal instructions on the first go around.  It also allows them to better read our facial expressions for feedback on how they’re doing (dogs are experts at reading human facial expression, even subtle change in our expressions).

Here’s how to do it.  Keep some of your dogs kibble in your pocket.  Every time you catch him glancing up at your face say “yes.”  Then, immediately follow up by giving him a piece of his food.   This is called capturing a behavior.  In a short time, your dog will be watching you all the time regardless of whether or not you have food on you.  Once you he’s doing that you can start calling his name (only say it once please).  When he responds to his name with a look up to your face, immediately say “yes” and treat him.  Repeat this often so that his name becomes like a magic word that draws your dog’s attention to you immediately every time.

Before long your dog will be glued to you, watching attentively for further instructions.  Your friends will all say, “Wow he really listens.”  Of course you’ll smile and agree, because you know he’s looking at you.

 

(from myfoxhouston.com)

Learning is a Click Away

Michael Baugh, CPDT-KA, CDBC

It’s not rocket science but, sure enough, it’s science.  That may be the coolest thing about clicker training.   There’s hard core science behind it.  Okay maybe that’s the second coolest thing.  Number one is how well it works.

So dial back to B.F. Skinner.  He’s the first one who toyed with the idea of using secondary reinforcement to help animals (people too) learn.  What’s that?  Good question.  But let’s look at first things first: primary reinforcement – the stuff that builds behavior.  Usually primary reinforcement is something with a bit of biological drive behind it (think food, sex and survival).  Learn to hunt; earn food.  Get the courtship right; get the girl.  Outsmart the tiger; live another day.  Those are all important behaviors with strong primary reinforcement keeping them going.  So, what about our dogs?  Sit nicely; get your dinner.  Learn a new trick; get some treats.  Get it?

Now let’s turn to the secondary reinforcement.  That’s anything that signals to the animal (or person) that the primary reinforcement is on the way.  Sea mammal trainers use a high pitched whistle.  Dolphin jumps the hoop; trainer blows the whistle; come get your fish.  Game shows have their own version.  Contestant answers the question; a bell or a siren sounds; and here’s the announcer with your prize package.  Dog trainers use a clicker.  Rover rolls over; trainer clicks as soon as it happens; Rover gets his bit of food.  It’s called a secondary reinforcement because it isn’t the real deal (the primary).  It signals or predicts the good stuff is on the way.

Why a clicker?  There’s some evidence Skinner thought about using a cricket toy which is very similar to a modern clicker.  But it wasn’t until much later that his students Marian and Keller Breland experimented clickers.  Karen Pryor made them the industry standard in modern dog training.

Maybe the real question is: why click?  The answer is super simple.

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