Hello,
I was wondering what everyone uses for treats, as it seems that one has to use an awful lot of treats when doing training sessions, my cocker spaniel puppy is not fussy, but she adores Thrive Cat Chicken Treats which are not that economical, i have tried to use other treats but i don't get the same response, in fact, today she completely ignored me with the other treats this morning.
Also, i have been reading alot of stuff on here and i am getting very confused as to when you are meant to click, it some instances it says to click as soon as the behaviour is actioned, i.e. like you are capturing a photo, but in other instances it says to click after the behaviour, for example when teaching them to lie down, you are told to click after they have settled down?
Thanks
Lexy
Hello Mrs Al Green, To take
Hello Mrs Al Green,
To take your second question first: at Bob Bailey seminars and other expo seminars we are instructed to "click the movement; feed the position." And the the treat should be delivered as fast as possible. If you
can get 30 seconds of video of yourself, you will quickly see if you are on time. Also, the hand delivering the
treat, should be by your left side until the moment of the click - then quickly reach for the treat in your
treat bag, or other hand and deliver it. Where you deliver it is important, too. So, for the down cue, it
should be delivered from your upturned palm, your knuckles against the floor, under her nose at the tip of her
paws.
Regarding "settled down" comments; it sounds is if there are two cue being asked for. Get the down
fluidly and reliably happening on each hand signal. Then start to think about "settle down."
hope this helps...
Your dog decides what treats
Your dog decides what treats it considers valuable. I find that per pound hot dogs are very economical. I cut them lengthwise into quarters, then roll a quarter turn and slice down the middle, then chop crosswise. I put these on a paper towel and cook in my microwave for 1 minute per hot dog. I usually do one hot dog at a time because I have lots of treats. Most dogs in my experience really like these. String cheese is another many dogs like. I like it because I can give the dog just a lick of it if I want to keep it interested. I find that treats do best when about pea or navy bean size regardless of the dog's size. It also keeps the calorie count down. If you feed kibble, you can mix part of the dog's meal in among the hot dog pieces to keep the extra calories down as well.
As I see others have said, be clear as to what you want. I think that will help with your timing of the click. When you click after the dog has settled down you're marking a quiet, settled down. I don't necessarily do this at first but you certainly can.
Timing
Hi Lexy,
Great questions about treats and timing. Your dog will let you know what an effective reinforcer is for him. It will be different for each dog. I've had dogs work for mini-marshmallows, and I've also had dogs who would only work for the highest valued treats like grilled salmon. It sounds like you're doing it already, but watch your dog's reaction to the food you're using as a reinforcer, they're pretty good at telegraphing their preferences! Also, be sure you're working with your dog when he's likely to be hungry. If you free feed (leave the food down all day), start picking the food bowl up between meals. I generally advise people to leave the food bowl down for 20 minutes, then pick it back up 'til next feeding time. The dog won't starve, and you know when he last ate, so you can time the training session for when he's likely to be naturally hungry.
You're always clicking when you see the behavior you want. If you want a sit, you're clicking the instant that rump hits the floor. If you want sit for 3 seconds, you're clicking when your dog has hit the 3-second mark. The shortest rule of thumb: click for what you want. You decide what you want.
Hope this helps. Happy training,
--
Laurie Luck, KPA-CTP
Smart Dog University, LLC
Faculty, Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior
Mount Airy, MD || (240) 394-1112
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You must set the standards
You must set the standards what you will click for. If you teach laying down, then first the standards have to be relativley easy, for example,"head lower", or "little crouch from the legs". The instant the head is lowered, you must click, because that is your standard. Later you rise the standards, when you want him to lay down completely, you will click the instant elbows touch the floor, because this only happens when the dog is correctly laying down. My dog sometimes tries to take the shortcut and not lay down properly, but I won't click for it anymore, because he has had clicks for properly laying down. I will click when elbows meet the floor.