[nagdu] clicker training

[Hope Paulos]

Rox'e, I think you gave a wonderful explanation of the pros of clicker 
training. How did you get Laveau's food refusal skill to be good? That's 
something I'm trying to work on with Beignet.  You'd think the clicker would 
make her want food all the more-- but I'm really interested in hearing how 
you got her to refuse food from others.
Thanks.
Hope and Beignet
----- 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 12:28 PM
Subject: [nagdu] clicker training


> Meghan,
>
> I began using clicker training with Mill'E who is my crossover dog, 
> meaning that I started her training with traditional jerk and praise  type 
> training, before making the switch.  Laveau has been trained  using only 
> clicker training and the difference in her work is  incredible.  I wish I 
> could adequately describe how different it is.   She loves to work, she 
> doesn't rush to her destination; just getting  there is so rewarding for 
> her.  She has excellent food refusal skills  while working; she 
> occasionally backslides at home but that is my fault.
> Clicker has taught me to take responsibility for my part in the  training 
> process.  It has taught me that behavior is just behavior,  and that there 
> is really no such thing as good behavior, or bad  behavior.  There is only 
> desired behavior and undesired behavior.   This may seem like a small 
> thing-- just semantics, but the words  "good" and "bad are really quite 
> loaded.  When I used words like that,  I found that my relationship with 
> my dog was very adversarial.  My dog  is trying to flout my authority by 
> doing bad behaviors, or my dog is  testing/disrespecting/ignoring me and 
> is trying to be the boss so is  doing bad behaviors.  By using the words 
> desirable/undesirable, I'm  taking responsibility for reinforcing the 
> behaviors I find desirable.   Jumping on people is undesirable to me.  I 
> don't want my dog to do  it.  She isn't jumping on people so she can be 
> the boss, she's jumping  because she wants to greet people and when dogs 
> greet one another  there is a great deal of face sniffing and licking.  If 
> I find jumping  to be undesirable, then it is my responsibility to teach 
> her an  alternative behavior, and set up the situation so that she cannot 
> do  the undesirable behavior, or if she does do the behavior, it isn't 
> rewarding for her.
> I want my dog to be a thinking dog.  I want working and other  behaviors 
> to be her idea.
> That is one of the things I love most about clicker training, my dog  is 
> working to earn a click and is thinking.  She is not trying to  avoid 
> punitive action on my part.  That difference in mindset is  amazing to 
> watch.
> I hope more of the programs begin to use clicker training and teach  the 
> science and mechanics behind it to the handlers.  I think there  would be 
> wonderful benefits for the dogs, less stress for the handler,  and more 
> pleasing to the public at large.
>
>
> 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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