Training Class Homework

With school starting many of our schedules change.  What is your plan to provide your dog with the excersize, training, and attention they need in the coming months?  Please post your answer in a comment below, it may help someone else!

Click on "comments" at the end of the post to post your comment.  :)

Don't Overuse Your Clicker!

Remember, your clicker is for teaching new behaviors, it is not required once your dog has learned what you'd like him to learn.  You do not need to click every single behavior that you would like to treat or otherwise reinforce!  Practice:

8 correct out of 10 repetitions = move up a step

Once you've added your cue for a new behavior, if your dog performs correctly on 8 out of 10 repetitions your next step is to fade out the click, and then to put the behavior on a variable schedule of reinforcement (sometimes you get a treat sometimes you don't). 

If the behavior deteriorates you can bring the clicker back out to work on individual aspects of the behavior until it is what you want it to be, but remember once again, to fade out your click and put the behavior back on a variable schedule of reinforcement.

You don't need a clicker all the time.  It is perfectly acceptable to use a word, such as "Yes!" as a marker, or simply to reinforce your dog with praise, petting, food, etc. when they're doing something you like.  This can be especially good for reinforcing calm behaviors that your dog offers when you are not actively training as some dogs will get more excited and go into "working" mode when they here the click.

Use life rewards as well as treats.  Allowing your dog to play, have freedom, go sniff, are all reinforcers that you can and should use to your advantage.  They can also lead to problems if you aren't actively using them.  For example, if you allow your dog to pull on the leash to go sniff something or get to the gate at the dog park, you are reinforcing your dog for pulling on leash.  You don't need to click when you are using a life reward as a reinforcer.

Remember that you should only be clicking and treating one specific thing in a training session.  If your working on down, don't click sometimes for elbows bending and sometimes for looking at you, that will be confusing to your dog, and the goal of the clicker is to make communication more clear.

Class Homework

With fall (and school) approaching quickly I want to make sure to accommodate schedules as best I can so, if you are currently enrolled in one of our group training classes, or if you plan on enrolling soon, please comment here or send me an email to let me know which class you're in, or will be in, and what days and times work best for you to come to training class.  Don't feel confined to Saturdays or evenings, if you would like to have training class during a weekday morning or afternoon please let me know.

Email: browndogcabt@gmail.com

Thanks!