General training information:
What is Positive Reinforcement Dog Training?
A cute poster summarizing positive dog training.
Clicker Training 101: A Quick Beginner’s Guide
What is a clicker, and how and why would you use one?
Frequently Asked Questions about Clicker Training
This page answers frequently asked questions about clicker training.
Why “Sit” Happens: Cues Vs. Consequences
“Once you’ve practiced this a few times, Buddy has a pretty solid recall going! He comes running happily as soon as you call. Is that because of the word you’ve chosen as the cue for this behavior, or because you’re using just the right tone of voice? No – it’s because the behavior of running to you when you call, has a nice strong reinforcement history! So as long as that keeps up, the behavior will keep happening whenever you cue it. Now, you can gradually start to increase the difficulty level (new places, harder distractions, etc). You’re well on your way to having a nice reliable recall, as long as you continue making it worth his while to respond correctly.”
“Sharing your life with a teenager can be overwhelming. Just as soon as you finally make it out of puppyhood, suddenly your teenager is starting to behave in ways you have never seen before, or certain skills you have been working on have started to unravel. What does all of it mean? Is this just a phase, or will my dog be this way forever?”
Say Goodbye to Teenager Troubles
“The most challenging of all may be our mindset about it all. While our dogs may be bigger in size and strength, their thinking capacity is closer to that of a puppy than an adult. So, it is up to us to help set them up for success in all our training sessions to help them through this difficult time. But how can we do that?”
Reducing Fear in Your Dog: A gentle hand or a tasty treat doesn’t reinforce fear, it reduces it
“First, no amount of petting is going to make it worthwhile to your dog to feel panicked. Fear is no more fun for dogs than it is for people. The function of fear is to signal the body that there is danger present, and that the individual feeling fearful had better do something to make the danger, and the fear that accompanies it, go away...
Tossing treats (or toys) to a fearful dog can teach him to associate approaching strangers with something good, as long as the treat is really, really good, and the visitor is far enough away to avoid overwhelming the dog.”
“When working with an animal that is worried, fearful, concerned or uncomfortable, the most important thing that you can do, besides pairing the scary thing with something good, is to let them choose. Give the animal some control of their body and give them some choice. The power of choice goes a very long way.”
“But having a high rate of reinforcement is hard for most of us, even when we’re fully on board with using food to train. I know that I personally struggled with that when Maisy and I were first working on her reactivity. I was afraid she’d become dependent on the treats. I was afraid that I’d have to carry food with me everywhere I went. I was afraid I’d never get her back in competitions because food is either not allowed or is very limited in the ring... When I finally began to reward Maisy for as many good choices as I could, even if that seemed like “too many” treats, she began to make PHENOMENAL progress. In fact, these days she’s practically normal.”
I have a need! Demand behaviors and how to “fix” them
“A demand behavior is a way for a dog to communicate that they want or need something. They typically grow stronger once they realize which behaviors produce the greatest chance of the desired outcome... So here’s the dilemma – we don’t want to reward the demand behavior by telling our dogs to stop, but we also don’t want the behavior to continue (after all, practice makes perfect). We also don’t want to teach our dogs that demanding us will create an opportunity for reward for them – for example I see a lot of dogs that will jump, the owner will say “off! sit!” in a stern tone, the dog gets off and sits, and then the dog gets attention, praise, treats, etc.”
The Premack Principle Behavior Modification Program
“This program works on the basis of The Premack Principle, which states that more probable behaviors will reinforce less probable behaviors. In simpler terms, a behavior that the animal wants to do (eat, play, sniff, greet, go out an open door, play tug) will be the reward for a behavior the animal is asked to do (sit, wait, step back, target)... Anything that motivates the animal – from the very basics of food and attention, to the very complex requirements of toys and play, even something as mundane as sniffing bushes – can be Premacked, or used as a reward for a requested behavior...At its very core, this program is about allowing good behavior to become normal and bad behavior to be extinguished. Instead of jumping to greet people, or demanding attention by barking, a dog learns to sit and is rewarded with the attention he or she is seeking...This program provides a way for animals and their handlers to build a relationship based on trust and mutual respect. Animals learn that the best way to get what they want is through working with the handler, not in spite of or against the handler. In this way, they learn to cooperate and comply without the use of confrontational, aggressive, painful, or risky tactics. This approach also builds confidence through reward based training, instead of teaching fear and mistrust through the use of punishment.”
Does ‘No Food = No Work’ With Your Dog? Here’s How to Fix That
“How many times has your dog watched you prepare treats, pop them in your pocket or bait-bag and then been rewarded for their diligence with a fun training session? And how many times have they done as you've asked, when you don't smell like a deli or have a bait-bag on…and they've NOT been rewarded for their compliance? Can you see why a smart dog might think that it's not worth listening if don't have food on you?”
How to Put an End to Counter-Surfing
“This leaves us with the remaining two options: extinction and training an alternative or incompatible behavior. If you are new to clicker training, find an index card, write down the following, and stick it to your fridge: What is reinforcing this unwanted behavior and how do I remove the reinforcer? What would I like my dog to do instead of this unwanted behavior?”