Clicker Training: 5 Popular Myths

from Wileypup

Clicker training. You have heard of it and even seen some folks walking around at the pet store with their bag of treats on their waist and an eager dog waiting for the sound: CLICK….Yum! Learn more about clicker training here.

You may have also heard some myths surrounding this training technique. Some “Old School” trainers and common-sense-experts may have made the case that clicker training is a fad and that the only way to train a dog is with a rolled-up newspaper and plenty of consistent reminders of “their place.”

Let’s take a look at some of the mythology a little closer:

Myth #1: Dogs will only obey if you are “dominant” over them.

The so-called “Alpha Dog” theory that is so prevalent in popular culture is supposedly based on the behavior of wild wolves. It must be correct, right? Unfortunately, the original studies that first floated this theory were actually done on captive wolves by animal behaviorist Rudolph Schenkel in the 1930’s and 40’s. 

His experiments were repeated and confirmed: Yes, when you place unrelated wild wolves together in a contained and artificial prison with limited resources, they will have bloody struggles over those resources. Call it dominance if you must, but the struggle for survival is hardly unique to wolves, or dogs, or humans.

It turns out, recent studies in wild wolf populations suggest that constant dominance struggles are not even typical of wolves (David Mech, 2000). In fact, wolf society includes a wide variety of social interactions, only some of which can be understood through the rhetoric of dominance. It’s a limited paradigm that has been grossly overextended. Domestic dogs are still paying the price for this hubris.

Are humans capable of dominance posturing? Obviously, yes. Should the sum total of human learning and psychology be based on how people act in prisons or in survival conditions? Obviously, no. 

Just like humans, dog psychology is complex, emotional, and sometimes even just plain old logical.

Myth #2: Dogs that are clicker trained will only work for food.

Clicker training does involve using food in rapid succession during the training of new behavior. Techniques such as luring, shaping and refining are used to encourage certain behaviors. When a dog offers up behavior in the direction of the final desired behavior, the sound of the click “marks” the behavior, followed by a reward.

Your dog will quickly learn how it works. He hears the click and he knows that what he was doing that very instant is what earned him a reward. For him, clicker training sessions are just a fun game he plays with his person—a game that is totally rigged in his favor!

When using reward-based training, the faster you can dispense rewards, and the more accurately you can pinpoint the correct behavior with a sound, the faster learning happens. This is why almost all professional dog trainers that have devoted their lives to competitive dog sports, training companion and service animals, and rescue dogs have shifted to using clicker training or other reinforcement-based techniques.

Food is preferred for clicker training because it can be repeated very quickly without disrupting the flow of training. Sure, you could use a toss of the ball as a motivator during clicker training, but it would really slow down the learning process. When it comes to training NEW behavior, or reconditioning emotional states in response to certain stimuli, nothing beats food. 

However, using techniques such as chaining, fading, and randomizing rewards, professional trainers know that once a behavior is perfected, it is time to move away from food rewards as the dominant source of reinforcement.

Just because you use food to teach a new behavior, doesn’t mean you are stuck with food as the only reward to reinforce the behaviors you love most. 

Myth #3: Clicker training only works for teaching silly tricks.

While it is true that you would be hard pressed to train a silly trick in less time than using a clicker (or similar audible or visual marker), it is by no means the only training domain that lends itself to this powerful tool.

In fact, professional trainers also use clickers for reconditioning work. Have a dog that lunges on the leash around other dogs? Clicker training can fix that. Have a pup that is afraid of walking on shiny linoleum tile? Clicker training is still the best training method to help her overcome phobias. 

Myth #4: Clicker training is too complicated.

• Decide on a criteria. (Set the bar for what behavior you will accept to earn a reward.)
• 
  
• Wait for or use various techniques to encourage the desired behavior. 
• 
  
• Click the instant your dog offers the behavior. 
• 
  
• Follow with a small food reward (many dogs will actually just work for pieces of their kibble!)

There, you have the basics down. Sure, will you need some practice getting your timing down and perfecting technique? Absolutely. However, while you learn you will be improving your relationship with your dog because your training program is built on trust and focusing on success rather than failure and fear. 

Myth #5: Trainers that use clickers don’t believe in punishment.

While there are some trainers that claim to never use punishment in their training, the fact is that most trainers do use punishment in the “proofing” stage of training. However, people that understand the power of reinforcement in training don’t use punishment as a “go-to” method.

Instead, professional trainers follow some basic guidelines before bringing punishment into play:

Manage the environment to make problem behaviors impossible to practice as the first step in extinguishing “bad” behavior.

Focus on training positive alternative behaviors FIRST, ignoring inappropriate behavior as long as it is not unsafe.

Never use punishment in formal training contexts since the goal is to have a confident, focused, engaged learner that has no fear of volunteering new behaviors—critical for shaping and refining behaviors.

Take advantage of the power of non-physical punishments such as a “Time Out” when adding a consequence to an already learned behavior. This and other “negative punishment” techniques operate by taking away something good (like freedom to run around) as a means of communicating to the dog that xyz behavior is not paying off!

Conclusion

Hopefully this article has encouraged you to reconsider clicker training, and other rewards-based training programs by debunking some of the common myths surrounding this wildly effective training technique.

If you have a chance to get involved in training classes that teach this technique, definitely give it a try. You and your dog will be well on your way to developing a language to communicate with each other based on rewarding success. Your dog will quickly gain confidence, and so will you!

Note from Family Disaster Dogs

Many people who visit Family Disaster Dogs are training dogs to find people and working actual Search dogs or police K9s and scent discriminating dogs. 

For trainers and handlers who will be working dogs in garbage dumps, and landfills full of discarded food it's easier not to train with food :) and here's why.

Most working Search dogs or K9 are not trained with food because these dogs have to work in garbage piles and dump locations that contain discarded food !

Many drugs, explosives and human cadaver parts are hidden in garbage cans too. Especially at airports and public places where dogs work to detect and discriminate illegal items in garbage cans where food is discarded. 

Not only will a food rewarded trained dog either want to eat the discarded food in the public garbage can instead of continuing to look for the scent he was looking for; the dog becomes confused as to why he could not eat the food in the can instead of the food in your hand...the reward just came before the job was finished..so he will think he is done finding the drug or explosive scent he was put on. 

So to use food rewards in training a dog who will be looking for items in food creates extra steps in training that have to be made to insure the dog only accepts the food in the hand first and foremost which adds more to the teaching or the dog would have to be untrained on food in the can which again is another step and if the dog is not confused by then, the handler is :)

  

Also how does the handler or court attorneys, judges and jury in a criminal case know if the dog is indicating (testifying) on the food in the backpack or the drugs hidden if the dog is trained with food ? A good lawyer , jury or judge will throw the case out and the criminal get away. Bloodhounds go to court all the time and have to prove exactly what they are indicating.

A bloodhound is not expected to do obedience work to pass certification qualifying to work under fema and other agencies like other breeds of dogs that must be obedient because we want the bloodhound most determined (some call stubborn) once on a scent trail. There is no stopping a good bloodhound so consequently a bloodhound on a food trail is not going to stop until dinner is done :) The dog will expect us to find the items without him, job done, he found the reward and is sitting down to eat! 

3 Dog Care Essentials Most People Overlook

If you want to make sure you are looking after your dogs as best as you can, then you will need to think about what you need to do in order to make sure that they are being well looked after at all times.

As it happens, there are a few key things which many dog owners overlook, and if you manage to do these then you will already be in the top percentage of new dog owners. But you can only make sure that you are doing the right thing by also researching what you actually need to do for each of these, so you should be sure to spend a little time looking into the ins and outs of these to see what you should be trying to him for. Let’s take a look at what they are, so that you can be an even better dog owner in no time.

Pic Credit

Grooming

Whatever kind of dog you have, you need to make sure that you are using some kind of grooming regime in order to keep the dog’s hair in the best possible condition. This is more important for some breeds of dogs than for others, but all dogs will benefit from at least a little tender loving care from time to time when it comes to their fur. The amount of grooming varies too, but the basic rules remain the same. Brushing at least once a week ensures that knots come out and that the fur isn’t causing any pain - while taking them to get trimmed every few months is good for their ongoing comfort and flexibility. Make sure you don’t overlook this essential, as it really does make a huge difference.

Nail Clipping

Your dog has nails just like you, and like you they would rather that they were not kept long at all times. If you are keen to keep your dog as comfortable and happy as possible, then you will need to think about what you are going to keep their nails in the best condition possible. As it turns out, getting some decent nail clippers from somewhere recommended by www.dogsbynina.com will be a great start, and once you have found the right ones you should make sure that you clip your dog’s nails at least once a month. This will reduce any unnecessary pain and make it easier for them to run around.

Pic Credit

Mental Health

Your dog can suffer mental health issues like any other mammal, and you need to make sure that you are not allowing them to become sad or depressed if you are to really look after them as well as possible. It is actually relatively easy to ensure that your dog does not become depressed; mostly it’s just a matter of keeping them active and feeding them right - and showing them lots of love.

As long as you do that, they should be perfectly happy at all times and you can officially consider yourself a good pet owner as well. See https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/p/pets-and-mental-health for more on this subject.

Does Your Dog Need More Training?

Dogs are extremely obedient animals, even when they have a mind and personality of their own. Humans first domesticated them partly because of this fact, and it worked a treat coupled with how much we enjoy their company. And yet, there are a lot of dogs out there that misbehave from time to time, or a few times every single day, and usually it’s not their fault.

But a lot of people don’t realise this, and expect our beloved canine companions to learn how to sit patiently on their own. And whilst a very well trained and loving dog can help you find a lost member of your family, it doesn’t apply to every canine out there.

Picture

Maybe Fido Barks a Lot

If your dog barks a lot it could be for a variety of reasons, so the first step is to make you know what causes you to bark. Maybe it’s the postman, maybe it’s people walking past the house outside, maybe it’s even you! Either way, it’s time to convince Fido out of his habit, and make sure he’s a lot calmer when it comes to meeting new people and having his home ‘invaded’, even if you live there!

When Fido gets going, try to distract him, or teach him a counter behavior to make sure he gets into another habit. Of course you don’t want your dog to stop barking completely, it’s both a warning sign and a way they communicate, but it doesn’t have to be excessive either. So next time he’s outside and goes off, choose to ignore him to show you don’t appreciate his way of getting your attention.

Spot Seems to Have Selective Hearing

If your dog ignores you, it’s probably because you’ve accidentally reinforced this behavior before now. So you need to learn to undo this, and start to communicate with Spot on her level. And by that, you’re going to have to become a lot more visual with your movements and commands, and don’t talk as much as you used to.

Reward Spot when she does listen to you, and try to keep your verbal commands to a minimum if she doesn’t.

You Think Fluffy Has More Potential...

Fluffy is a good dog, and you know for a fact their talents could be put to better use elsewhere. So it’s time to enter a training program; this could be for a dog show or something more heavy duty, like that of being seeing eye dog or a hearing animal. If you go through a program like certapet to get an official certificate out the other side, your dog is going to be a first class service animal, and you’re never going to be more proud. There’s always a strict criteria, and don’t get put out if Fluffy fails it, it’s for their own good!

When you train a dog, you need to be consistent in what you show, and firm but fair with your commands. A dog always learns from us!

Is Your Dog Playing Up?

Dogs are arguably the best pet there is. They’re loyal beyond belief, and want nothing more than to please their owners. But do they know what is needed to please their owners? Not really. Sometimes a dog's excitement and lack of training can get the better of them, and it can be taken as the dog misbehaving. This can escalate so much so that the owner feels like giving up all hope, when in fact a few simple changes can make the world of difference. So, if you feel like you have a dog that is a bit disobedient, here’s what you can do to make sure they become the perfect pooch.

Image Source

Misbehaving On The Lead


There are two main ways that a dog can misbehave whilst on the lead, and when they do it can be an absolute nightmare to have to walk them. But a lot of dogs just actually hate being on a lead, which sort of creates more of a problem as you know they need to be on a lead for their safety! So, the first way they can do so aggression to other dogs whilst on the lead. 

Often it’s the fact that they’re on the lead that is causing what might look like aggression, when really all they want to do is play. Rather than keeping them on the lead around other dogs, let them off and let them interact, it’s the only way they’re going to learn that vital socialization. If you know you’ve had troubles with other dogs before, and the aggression is genuine, then you can read articles on how to stop on lead dog aggression to see if you can find any advice that might work for you. As a last resort, you could try taking them to doggy training. 

This will allow them to have that interaction with other dogs in a controlled environment, and it is often easier for them to learn through methods like that. The second way they can be a pain on the lead is through pulling. When you’ve got a big dog that is pulling you things can go wrong very quickly. What you can do is use treats and gently tugging the dog to a halt to stop the pulling. Every time they pull, bring them to a stop by pulling on the lead, but not too sharply. Then reward. Repeat the process and hopefully the pulling should stop!


Misbehaving In The Home

Misbehaving in the home can sometimes be more of a pain than when they’re on a walk. The main way they can misbehave is by tearing up your belongings whilst you’re gone. Now, there are some sprays that won’t smell bad to you, but will put a dog off things like furniture. There’s always the option of trying that. But most of the time dogs do it due to seperation issues. 

So, you could always make it a routine of yours to go home half way through the day to either feed them, spend some time with them, or just talk them for a walk to get them out the house. Sometimes this is the best option so that they aren’t alone all day.