[nagdu] Starting with clicker training?

[Julie J.]

Daryl,

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by starting clicker training alone.  I 
started using clicker training with Belle.  I did read lots and lots of 
books.  I had a couple of email lists specific to clicker training where I 
asked lots of questions.  For a while I had a trainer I worked with by 
phone, but that didn't turn out so well.  she was sighted and could only 
give sighted people instructions.  I was too new to the concepts to be able 
to problem solve non visual ways myself.  I was frustrated and gave it up 
for a short bit.  that's when I found the email lists, which turned out to 
be much more helpful.

I live in a really small town, so there are no group classes or local 
trainers that use clicker training.  I've always wanted to go to a weekend 
workshop on clicker, but those don't come anywhere close.  All my 
connections to clicker knowledge have been through the computer.  If that's 
what you mean by starting alone, then I think there are several folks on 
this list that fit that description.

You can totally do it yourself.  Just read and get comfortable with the 
ideas.  when you are ready start with the very basics of getting Jenny 
introduced to the concept of click means reward is coming.  then move on to 
a hand touch.  From there you can teach most anything.  Just remember not to 
go too fast or lump too much in together.  that's my biggest challenge.

Think of it like building a block tower.  One block in the right place gets 
a click and a treat.  Sure one block looks nothing like you want the 
finished tower, but it is the first step.  Next time it's two blocks, and 
the next it's three...until she gets the to the finished behavior.  At first 
it will seem really slow.  That's because you are still fine tuning your 
technique and Jenny is learning to think differently.  The time it takes to 
teach a completed task will become dramatically faster the more you use 
clicker.

HTH
Julie


-----Original Message----- 
From: Daryl Marie via nagdu
Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2014 2:09 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] Starting with clicker training?

hi!

As I am moving away from the correction/choke collar, I am considering using 
clicker training in my partnership with Jenny.  Has anyone started clicker 
training on their own? Any pointers? Dos and Don'ts?  I know Raven posted 
www.clickertraining.com as a great resource, but it feel really really 
overwhelming!

Daryl and Jenny

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