[nagdu] clicker training

Ann Edie annedie at nycap.rr.com
Thu Apr 22 20:00:36 UTC 2010


Hi, Angie and Everyone,

Instead of putting the bell on the dog, I like to teach the dog to touch a 
bell as a target.  Then I would put the bell in such a place that when she 
goes to touch it, she will be going to the place you want her to stay.  So, 
if I want her to go to her mat, I would hang the bell, perhaps on a string 
from a doorknob or nail in the wall so that it hangs close to the floor over 
one end of the mat.  When she goes to touch the bell, she will be going to 
the mat, and because the bell is hung low, she will be lowering her nose to 
the mat to touch the bell.  Another noise maker, such as a squeaker would 
probably also work.

In order to get this behavior strongly established, I would first teach the 
dog to touch the bell while I am holding the string of the bell in my hand. 
Click and treat for each touch of the bell for at least 20 trials.  Then 
start moving the bell around in different positions and heights, but still 
in your hand, and click and treat each time the dog touches the bell so that 
you hear it ring.  Repeat at least 20 times, or until the dog will go to and 
bump that bell as soon as she sees it.  Don't try to teach the whole 
behavior in one session; several short sessions of about 20 tiny treats 
spread over several days usually works well.

Next you can take the bell over to the mat, still holding the string in your 
hand, and positioning the bell so that the dog has to step onto the mat to 
reach the bell and low so that she lowers her head in the process.  Ask the 
dog to touch the target and click and treat when she lowers her nose to 
touch the bell.  Again repeat several times.  Then attach the bell to the 
wall, doorknob, or other object so that it will hang in position over the 
end of the mat.  Step just a couple of steps away from the mat taking the 
dog with you, and then "send" her to touch her bell.  When she does this, 
click and treat and make a fuss over her, because now she is going away from 
you to touch the target.  Bring the dog back away from the mat and repeat 
several times.

When this piece is reliable, you can increase the distance she has to go to 
get to the mat, a couple of steps at a time, until she will happily go to 
the mat from anywhere in the house, or at least anywhere within your ability 
to hear the bell and her ability to hear the click and for you to run to 
give her her treat.

If she hasn't already figured out that she is to lie down on the mat, you 
can practice this piece separately.  Just go to the mat with her, ask her to 
"down" and click and treat when she does.  As always, repeat several times.

(A side note:  Often people say, "Why do I have to repeat each step so many 
times?  My dog already knows the "down" command, so why repeat these things 
over and over?"  The reason we repeat each step so many times is that we 
want to build up a really strong "reinforcement history" or connection 
between the desired behaviors and the resulting click and reward.  And this 
is why when we are teaching something new, or a behavior that we want the 
dog to perform under conditions that may present competing rewards, we also 
want to use really yummy treats, not just the dog's normal kibble.  When the 
doorbell rings, and the dog would normally run to the door, perhaps barking 
and certainly in a highly excited state, anticipating the reward of someone 
entering who will pat and fuss over her, or at least the excitement of 
announcing the guest and causing a great flurry of activity, we want the 
memory of those great treats or other favorite reward to be strong enough 
that the dog will come to hear the doorbell as a "green light" to go to her 
mat and ring that bell to get the click and great reward that she knows will 
follow.  Of course, we don't add the actual ringing of the doorbell with an 
actual guest on the other side of the door until the dog is reliably going 
to her mat on a verbal cue and on a verbal cue after some intermediate level 
of stimulation, such as a family member entering the room or coming through 
the door without ringing the bell, etc.  In fact, clicker training is all 
about seeing how many tiny steps you can break the behavior down into so 
that the dog is rewarded for each small step and comes to think of the 
entire string of steps as the most fun thing in the world to do.)

Another note:  This kind of training only works if going to the mat is 
always a positive and rewarding experience.  So, in this training method, 
going to the mat can *never* be used as a punishment.  It must always be a 
happy, wonderful place where good things reliably happen, not just 
sometimes, but *always*!  Just like the "come" command, we don't want the 
dog to have any doubts about what will happen when she gets to you, or to 
her mat; it must always be wonderful!

Have fun, and let us know if you have more questions.  There is so much to 
say--sorry for the disorganized attempt to explain.  But the best part of 
clicker training is that when we see our highly enthusiastic dog dashing for 
her mat with glee and diving into a down position, it is highly rewarding 
for the trainer as well as for the dog!  There's nothing like the feeling of 
knowing that you have taught your dog to do something completely without 
using force, in a way that the dog understands, and that the dog enjoys and 
thinks is just the greatest game ever!

Best,
Ann

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ioana Gandrabur" <igandrabur at gmx.de>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 11:22 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] clicker training


> Hi,
>
> GDB gave an interesting tip that I have not used yet but might do with the
> new dog. Put a small bell on something you can attach to objects the dog 
> has
> to target. Thus when the dog touches the target, even if far from you, you
> will know. I suppose that having a small bell on the bed might trigger a
> sound as the dog goes on it.
>
> Just some brain storming.
>
> Take care,
>
> Ioana
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Julie J" <julielj at windstream.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 10:54 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] clicker training
>
>
>> Angie,
>>
>> Some thoughts in no particular order
>> *put a bell on her collar so you can better track where she is
>> *practice with a fabric mat on a wood or tile floor, so you can hear the
>> difference between her feet on the different surfaces
>> *practice a lot very close until she has the mat concept solid, then 
>> build
>> distance
>>
>> It isn't crucial that you click at the exact instant.  all of the clicker
>> books will tell you that it is and it will go much faster the more you 
>> are
>> able to click the split second that she has done the behavior you want,
>> but learning still occurs when you aren't perfect.
>>
>> HTH
>> Julie
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Angie Giltinan" <rox0805 at verizon.net>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 7:38 AM
>> Subject: [nagdu] clicker training
>>
>>
>>> My name is Angie, and I have a yellow lab from GEB.  We were one of the
>>> first teams to be trained to use the clicker, and I do like using it.
>>> but after doing a bunch of reading, it seems that it's important to 
>>> click
>>> exactly when the dog does the desired behavior, not to late, or to soon.
>>> My question for all you clicker users out there who are blind, how do 
>>> you
>>> know when your dog does the behavior, for example, I want my dog to go 
>>> to
>>> her place, I can get an idea when she's on the mat, but i can't know for
>>> sure, unless I have her on a leash, and am farely close to her and the
>>> mat.
>>> The books say, click when she puts a paw on the mat, I certainly can't
>>> tell that very well, so i'd apreciate any thoughts about this.
>>> Thanks much
>>> Essence And Angie
>>> P.S. even my cat is getting in to the clicker action! though he is a
>>> glutten, so anything that involves food, he's there!!
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
>>
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