# question about clicker training technique



## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

I started using a clicker with Ellie a week ago and so far, I've had good success. But I'm not sure what to do under these circumstances:

I want her to sit and to STAY seated until I say OK. So if I say sit and she does, I click and give a treat. Then she gets up. How do I both reward the sitting behavior and get her to maintain it until I say OK?

It seems like once she gets the click and the treat, she thinks it's over. The same thing applies to down - I can get her to do it, but I can't get her to hold it beyond the click and the treat.

I think I'm doing something wrong - or in the wrong order.

Suggestions?

Thanks.

Louise


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## Jill in Mich (Feb 24, 2008)

You'll get advice from more experienced people, but my 2 cents worth...

Many dogs take the click as their release signal, so her getting up as soon as you click is not unusual. What my trainer suggested was just to increase the length of time that she's in the sit before you click. It doesn't solve your problem but she learns to hold the sit longer.

Also, once she's learned the cue (such as "sit") with the "stay" and with the clicker, then when you are then doing it without the clicker (like for her meal or when on a walk) she will learn to sit until you tell her it's okay to move. 

The other suggestion was for things like "stand" where once you click the dog tends to sit back down was to hold the treat in the clicker hand, which will allow you to get the treat to her quicker after the click and before she has the chance to sit down.

Good Luck and just keep at it!


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## sweetlotus (Nov 26, 2008)

I second what Jill said. You gradually increase the time from when you say sit to when you click. At first 3 sec, then 5 sec, then 10 sec, etc. If she breaks the sit, just go back to square one and start over again. When you click, you should say OK. Then she'll associate her release from the sit with the word OK.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

I am only a novice at clicker training, but both Jill's & Lotus' responses are what comes to mind intuitively as the method for increasing the stay.

For those that are more experienced, could you add the word "stay" to the behavior? For example, "Sit" and she sits, then "Stay" as soon as her butt hits the floor, avoiding the clicker until you are ready to release her from it? I think it would be very important for her to be reliable and consistent in her "Sit" before adding this.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Get the DVD "The Dog Whisperer" Beginning and Intermediate Dog Training for Puppies and Dogs. It's not Cesar Millan but the original one. It's a little silly in parts, I think to interest young children, but has some very good training sessions on all sorts of basic commands including some with clicker.

http://www.dogwhisperdvd.com/

His book "The Dog Whisperer" is well worth the price than Amazon is selling it for too.

Amazon.com: The Dog Whisperer: A Compassionate, Nonviolent Approach to Dog Training: Paul Owens, Norma Eckroate: Books


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Once my dogs know something they don't get a click cause it would be impossible to add more behaviors cause I would be clicking like crazy. I personally use the click for the training of the new behavior if that makes sense? I don't always use a clicker just for training that I like to cue certain behaviors to. I tend to do a lot of luring- hey I am lazy and my dogs like food! 

So if you feel like she knows the sit. You could work on the new part as a stay- like Kimberly suggested new word "stay" and click that out "good stay" and increase the time. Start out in short increments. click, and be quick with okay. I do find my dogs really know CLICK=FOOD so I never tried a clicker with stay.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

sweetlotus said:


> I second what Jill said. You gradually increase the time from when you say sit to when you click. At first 3 sec, then 5 sec, then 10 sec, etc. If she breaks the sit, just go back to square one and start over again. When you click, you should say OK. Then she'll associate her release from the sit with the word OK.


You've got it Lotus. Hey Tom ,good reference to Paul Owens (the original dog whisperer.) He's good. I also like Karen Pryor. She's got a new book coming out in June. If you order now you get an autographed copy and a discount. Bonus.


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## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

Thanks - I'll look into it. I just remembered that when I first got Ellie my daughter bought me DVDs about training. She got Cesar Milan (I dislike his whole attitude) and I didn't look any further. However, it seems she also got me the original Dog Whisperer which I never watched - but I will now.

Using the clicker without much knowledge, I've gotten her to lie down in a total of 45 minutes of training.

Louise


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## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

I too have been using a treat after I click. But I started giving the command down and having her wait for the click and the food. It sort of works. It does work until she is completely beside herself waiting for the treat and then she begins to wriggle and bark and express herself in every way possible. But she is getting the idea that she has to hold the command until I let her go and then she gets the food and the click.

Louise


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## Jill in Mich (Feb 24, 2008)

Louise, if you haven't done so, you might want to consider taking an obedience class that uses clicker training. Using the clicker at exactly the right moment is critical since it marks the behavior you're looking for. Based on your last post, it doesn't sound like you're using the click at the right time. If you're trying for the sit, when you're just starting, you click when her but hits the floor, then you treat. The dog starts to realize that whatever she's doing at the moment you click is the behavior you're looking for and that a treat will be coming. (You never click without giving a treat. Which doesn't mean you'll be using the clicker for the rest of her life since you will ultimately withdraw the clicker). Then you start getting a little more discriminatory. You don't click unless she sits immediately or you wait for a duration until you click. In a class they will also teach you about luring, hand signals and not adding the verbal cue until she understands the hand signal and the desired behavior. Even working with a trainer, I find myself giving verbal commands way too soon and confusing the dogs with unclear (or changing) signals - and sometimes it takes me a while (or takes the trainer pointing it out) for me to realize it. By that time the dogs are looking at me like I'm an idiot!


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Louise, Jill has great advice. In clicker training, it is really important to click when the right behavior is done and it needs to be immediate, nearly simultaneous. You might want to consider picking up a DVD by Karen Pryor called Puppy Kindergarten. It gives the basics in clicker training for a young dog and explains the "why" behind what you do.


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