Starting on Clicker Training

[Kittylove5]

Today I took Jasmine out for her very first puppy education class, There wasn't much hands on mostly introductions, passing out papers and getting to know owners and pets. The trainer did tell us on what things we will be doing in class and she talked of basic training and clicker training.

She gave everyone two clickers and showed us how to use it and did five minutes of watch me commands and socializing the clicker.

We brought home some homework on what we have to do with our dogs before we go back next week so I got home and chopped up some chicken into peices and did some clicker taining with Jasmine.

She was good with it, some of the times she tried to jump at the treats or charge my hand and whine a little but she got the hint and let me teach her.

I cannot get her to lay without a Lure but that is alright, two weeks ago I tought her the Sit command, now she does it on cue everytime without a lure and she even learned to give me her paw when I asked, she learned within five minutes of teaching her.

So today I am working on her lays and watch me commands. I wanted to try teaching her to leave it and she was excellent about it, she shoots back when I tell her to leave it but before I to she charges my hand for the chicken and I want her to not do that. of course I may be asking for too much, she's a puppy and I've got paitence.

The only real problem I have is teaching her name, how do I teach her name? Do I call her name and the moment she looks at me click and treat?

Thanks in advance, I had a fun experience with Jasmine in class today and hope for more. (Course she kept to herself and found the other puppies that were barking a bit startling )

[mum24dog]

The only real problem I have is teaching her name, how do I teach her name? Do I call her name and the moment she looks at me click and treat?

A name isn't a name to a dog. It's just another cue to respond to that gets a reward - or should be.
The problem with humans is that we overuse our dogs' names and expect our dogs to understand the multitude of different ways in which we use their names.
I don't think knowing her name is a precise enough behaviour to bother with using the clicker. C/T when she looks at you is just teaching her that the cue to look at you is Jasmine. She won't necessarily generalise her name to other situations.
Just make sure that every time she hears her name she gets a huge reward, like her meals or a play with you. Don't use it unless you are ready and able to reward her at this stage and do it in as many different places and situations as you can. Don't do it if she is too busy doing something else that she is likely to ignore you. IME it shouldn't take more than a day, if that.

Pam

[Noobs]

Re: Jasmine's name

One thing we've gotten in the habit of at home is NOT to use Murphy's name unless we're talking to him directly. When talking about him to other people we say "the dog" or "this little guy", anything except his name. If you overuse Jasmine's name around her she won't pay attention to it.

I have read so much training material online and in books that I can't remember where I read it but I think you could give her a treat and say her name as she takes it. It may be called "stuff-a-dog" from "Scaredy Dog" or something.

Also, just a suggestion... You might want to save the chicken for outdoors or something. In low-distraction environment, sometimes kibble is enough. I could give my dog broccoli or tiny training cookies when we're inside and I save the meat for high distraction environements like loose leash walking outside or something. Just a suggestion though.

[Pawzk9]

The only real problem I have is teaching her name, how do I teach her name? Do I call her name and the moment she looks at me click and treat?

A name isn't a name to a dog. It's just another cue to respond to that gets a reward - or should be.
The problem with humans is that we overuse our dogs' names and expect our dogs to understand the multitude of different ways in which we use their names.
I don't think knowing her name is a precise enough behaviour to bother with using the clicker. C/T when she looks at you is just teaching her that the cue to look at you is Jasmine. She won't necessarily generalise her name to other situations.
Just make sure that every time she hears her name she gets a huge reward, like her meals or a play with you. Don't use it unless you are ready and able to reward her at this stage and do it in as many different places and situations as you can. Don't do it if she is too busy doing something else that she is likely to ignore you. IME it shouldn't take more than a day, if that.

Pam

This is how I "load" the clicker (let the dog know that click is based on their behavior and means something good is coming) - we call it the "name game." Say dog's name, the instant the dog glances at you, click and treat. My dogs definately know their names, but they also know that when they hear the name, it's a cue to pay attention.