# Smarty goes to school



## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

12 weeks: Smarty started to school this week and she was a star!!! She took to the leash and clicker so fast. Most of the dogs were much larger, older and totally out of hand. She did not realize she was smaller and looked at some of them with a "what's your problem?" look. I hope she will go into agility.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Thats why she is called "Smarty"


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Great !! It sounds like Smarty knows her stuff. Too cute!


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Shelby went to Puppy Class last night and did great. We are doing agility now. Last night we continued with jumps and started tunnels. We also do recall, where the trainer holds your dog, you go to the other side of the room and call your dog. When the dog gets to you, you "sit" it and then "down". She learned so fast.

This past Sunday, we went to a fun B-Match and I put Kodi through the agility course. He never did it before, but he was a pro. I was so proud of him. 

These dogs are so smart.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Very cool! What do they do first in your clicker training?


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

The training was devised for dophins. When they do what you want you treat and click, it is a form of positive reinforcement. Smarty will do anything for her liver so she probably would work without the clicker. She was sitting and going down in a matter of minutes. Walking on a loose leash is something we worked on when I first got her. In 3 weeks we all have to have a new trick. Something the dog may do naturally, but with treat and click do on command. I'm thinking of wild dog having a fit or destroy the house plants.


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

I've been clicker training here at home. Ricky learned things SO quickly, still does! Sammy, on the other hand.....  lol I didn't have Sammy with us until he was 7 months old and he didn't know very much, so we are working on it. 

I SOOOOO want to take classes with these guys, but they get car sick!  There are two places that work with methods I like and are highly recommended, but they are FAR, too far for two car sick pups that is.  I find it terribly frustrating that I can't go to where I'd like to go. There is a new class starting up at my local pet food shop, which is right around the corner. I called the instructor to get a feel for the guy and it sounds o.k. Not great, but o.k. Do we join anyway?? $110/pup adds up, so I HOPE this class will be good for us. Once we get basic obedience down, then I want to do Agility very badly.

I love hearing about all your dogs that are enjoying these classes and agility, etc... but I am very envious, I have to say.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Car sickness would be rough. Do they ride in a crate or loose? My daughter found with her dog if she rode in a crate she was fine, loose in the car she through-up on every thing. Maybe your vet can help. My son took classes at Pet Smart, he has a standard poodle he tells every one it is a "German Water Retreaver" because poodles are not manly, and she did very well with the class. Agility is where I would like to go. It just looks like so much fun.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Smarty, so was "sit" the first thing they taught?

I was asking because I've already started clicker training the four-week-old puppies here. We are just in the conditioning phase of getting them to realize that click=treat, but they definitely have that part down now. I don't plan to move to "sit" for a few more weeks and have some other things to teach them first, but I wondered what they do first in a class.

Marj, that would be very frustrating. Is it an anxiety problem? If so, I don't know if this is such a great idea, but I've heard recommendations of giving them something to calm them about 30 minutes before getting in the car so you can break the cycle of getting in the car, getting anxious, getting sick and round and round.

Marj, one other thought... if you can break the upset cycle, I wondered if you could use your clicker training to reward them for making it around the block without getting sick and slowly expand their range for handling it in the car. If it motion sickness, then it wouldn't do any good to treat them for it though.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Kimberly, yes, sit was the first command. Then down, on loose leash was third. You will be ahead of the game starting your puppies so early.


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## judith (Dec 15, 2006)

i don't know what loose leash means, please explain. TTA, judith


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## dboudreau (Jan 12, 2007)

Judith: A "loose leash" means that the leash should hang down from the collar then loops up to the handler. Kinda looks like the letter "J" 

Marj: Will the store let you attend one class before committing to the whole session? That way you can get a better idea of the training methods ect.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Thanks, Smarty!

Judith, "loose leash" means that the dogs are not pulling on the leash when you walk. It's a _loose_ leash and you two are just walking together without the dog pulling.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Classes are addicting! I am taking way too many right now myself! 

Clicker training is a lot of fun. It can be a bit more difficult for some people. Timing is everything with the clicker and that is the step a lot of trainers miss. I have one in my training bag and it really helped with the "Back up three steps" sign in rally excellent. The dog needs to stay at your side while you back up three steps. Dora had a heck of a time learning this and the clicker really was able to clarify when she was doing the action I wanted her to do and when she wasn't.

Good luck and congrats on doing so well,
Amanda


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

I agree, Amanda, clicker training is tricky and you really have to know what you're doing or you can mess things up. I learned a lot from Karen Pryor's book and website, as well as the first book I bought before even getting Ricky, "The Idiot's Guide to Positive Training for Dogs". Love that book! 

Kimberly, I hadn't thought of the clicker for the car rides. Great idea!!! I will be taking them out today for their nail trimming, so will see how that goes. I also have a homeopathic remedy for travel anxiety and will use Gravol on Sammy if we bring them to my sister's tomorrow - she lives a good 20 min. drive from here. 

Debbie, I will be signing up today actually, but will mention that I have some concerns so will see what they say over at the store. It would be nice if this class was really up my alley! 

Thanks for the tips everyone!


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

I watched some of a clicker traing class and I don't think I'm that coordinated  It's a lot to concentrate on.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

I agree the clicker takes some training on the owners part. I have never used before, always gave food and a good loving for the proper behavior. But all of the agility trainers I have spoken to recommend the clicker method. so this is what we will do for now. Good luck to all. I am having a great time with Smarty as she is so receptive to anything we try.


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## DAJsMom (Oct 27, 2006)

We did a clicker training class with Dusty. It took some coordination at first, but we caught on, and it is fun. Even the kids were able to understand and do it with a little practice. My nine-year old came to every class and did much of the training herself in the last couple of classes. My ten-year old used the clicker yesterday to teach Dusty to play tetherball. 

When I signed up for the class I didn't realize it was entirely clicker-based. If I had realized that I might have kept looking because clicking before the treat just sounded like an extra step to me, but it does help you let the dog know exactly when they did something right. We're sold on it now. If Dusty's not quite sure what I want, she'll keep trying till she gets it right and hears the click. 

Does anyone remember studying Pavlov and his dogs in school? Pavlov would have loved to have a clicker for his experiments I'm sure!


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

A lot of "non-clicker" people (for whatever reason) will use a marker word. I do this sometimes when we are working on something Dora already knows or when I dont have a clicker handy. I just use the word "yes" then she knows a treat will eventually follow. Dora sometimes gets too excited with the clicker as she knows click means treat immediately! 

Might be something to try. Remember you still have to have a release word- I use "okay"

Amanda


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Oh, and if any of you are going to the Havanese National Specialty in Denver this August, there will be an introductory class for clicker training there too. (I am not sure, but I believe it will be free of charge.)


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