[nagdu] clicker training

[Julie J]

On the topic of a really reliable recall...

Monty is really great at coming when called, even under extreme 
distractions.  I can't claim much to do with it.  He was like that from day 
1.

Anyway I'm thinking I'd like to teach him to come to a whistle, like a loud 
metal thingy like referees use, in addition to my voice.  I sometimes let 
him run free out at our farm fields and I want him to hear me at a distance 
over the sometimes loud machinery.

How would you guys go about teaching this?  Would you start from scratch 
like a new behavior?  Or would you just pair the whistle with the verbal 
"come" to hopefully connect the two cues as the same thing?  Before when 
I've taught multiple cues for the same behavior, it has always been a hand 
or foot signal along with the verbal cue simultaneously.  I obviously can't 
whistle and call him at the same time.  I'm probably making this more 
complicated than it is.

Thoughts?
Julie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "The Pawpower Pack" <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2010 5:48 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] clicker training


> Laura,
>
> There is a difference between positive training and permissive  training. 
> Which program is using exclusively positive methods?  I'm  just curious as 
> I'd not heard that any of them had switched to totally  positive methods.
>
> When I'm teaching a new behavior, like a recall, I don't give the cue 
> word at all until the dog is reliably performing the behavior.
> So for a recall I'd start in a small boring space, and every time the  dog 
> came to me, I'd click and treat.  I'd then move to more  interesting 
> spaces with small distractions and putting the dog on  leash, click/treat 
> every time she came to me.  I would build up  slowly, adding distractions 
> while lengthening the leash.  Hand  targeting is also good for this 
> behavior.  I teach my dog to touch my  hand, then increase distance.
> Also a recall is something that IMHO should always be highly  reinforced. 
> When my dog comes to me, whether it's because I asked her  to or because 
> she chose to, she is always highly reinforced.  Don't  ask your dog for 
> behaviors if you're not 100% sure that he can do when  cued.
>
> Rox and the Herbal HenchHounds
> Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
> "It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point 
> out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half- wit, 
> and the emperor remains an emperor."-- Neil Gaiman
> http://www.pawpowercreations.com/retreat.html
> pawpower4me at gmail.com
> AIM: Brissysgirl
>
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