Training Small dogs can be a challenge. Dogs that weigh less than 10lbs move quickly. They are also so close to the ground already that using a Food-Lure (a treat held in your hand, close to their nose) can be challenging. For medium and large dogs Food-Lures are a convenient ways to move dogs into positions like sit or down. However, with small dogs Food-Lures can sometimes cause more jumping-bean action than is conducive to training.
For really small, fast-flying dogs I prefer to sit back and relax when training. For this type of training a CLICKER is really, really handy. A clicker is a small device that makes a click-sound when the metal flap inside the small box is pressed down and released.
Clickers are used to train dogs, horses, cats, pigeonsrats and even marine mammals. Using a clicker is simple. In the beginning the animal in training needs only to learn that each click-sound will be quickly followed by a small reward (technically it must be a reinforcer) that the animal will enjoy and working for. I like using small, tasty bits of food like cheeses or meats.
The rules are simple.
1. Click what you like.
2. Click at the EXACT moment the behavior is accomplished.
3. Don't command the animal to DO anything, JUST WAIT for something -be patient!!!
4. Reward the animal after every click.
5. Train is short intervals 5-10minutes
Sometimes it is helpful to think of the clicker as a camera. At the end of the training if each CLICK was a PHOTO, and if you placed all those photos on your kitchen table you would have only photos of the behavior (sit, down, bow) that you were hoping to train.
Here are two Kinder-CLICKER lesson for fast-flying, jumpy little-dogs.
1. Click (and reward) the dog anytime they are NOT moving. Click the dog for being still in any position. Offer extra treats for clicks that marked exceptionally cute still positions (like sit or down). After 2 or 3 sessions, raise the bar and click only certain positions.
2. Click (and reward) All Cute Behaviors. This is my favorite. I will click anything cute!!! Head-tilts, play-bows, prairie-dog position, sit, down, waving. Then I pick one behavior that gets clicked and a special bonus treat (gorgonzola). I like to see how long it takes for the dog to offer only that behavior.
Should I use a clicker to train my dog?
A clicker is a fabulous tool for teaching new behaviors to a dog. Ideally it is used while the dog is learning. As the dog approaches competency, the new behavior can be named (a command added) and then the clicker can be faded out.
A clicker is much like a camera when used to get action shots. For example if you were using a clicker to teach a puppy to sit, you might lure the action. Luring a sit requires that you hold a treat in your hand right up to the pup's nose. Then slowly, very slowly you would move the treat up and behind the puppy's head. This causes the pup to lean back and their back and their tail-end to drop down. At this moment, you would CLICK, and THEN give the dog the treat that was in your hand. The noise the clicker makes tells the dog, "Right then, you earned the treat!"
Later you can lure the behavior without a treat in your hand. You would still use the same hand-motion & click your puppy for completing the behavior. After every click you would treat your dog. The nice thing about the clicker is that you don't need the food on you or in your hand when teaching. As long as you are good at clicking at the EXACT MOMENT of success you can use 5-10 seconds to get the treat to your dog.
RULES FOR MARKING BEHAVIORS WITH A CLICKER
Click your dog when they do something you like. Be precise and click the exact moment of success.
If you click-it, you MUST treat your dog.
If your dog does a REALLY, really good job, you still click only once! You can give them several treats, but click only once.
It is not necessary to aim your clicker at your dog.
Never click unless you intend to train and treat your dog.
The clicker MARKS successful attempts, it does not tell your dog what you want.
NOTES ON MARKING BEHAVIORS WITH A WORD
-
When you mark things that your dog does that you like, use one word.
-
Always use the same word.
-
Pick a word that is special -something you don't use al the time.
-
Use the marker word like a camera to catch exactly the moment of success.
-
Always follow the marker word with a valuable reward (food, toy, access).
-
When your dog has learned the behavior and is successful 95% of the time you can start giving rewards for only the best responses. Continue to prasie your dog for all correct responses, but use the marker word only if you intend to reward the dog with food, toys, or access to something they wanted.
Are you sure you are telling your dog what you want?
Dogs do not KNOW the "meanings" of words as we understand them. This means we have to be careful not to confuse our dogs. In general trainers share a set of common commands that have consistent expectations: come, sit, down, stay, heel. But since you will have to teach your dog what you want them to do anyway, you can pick whatever command you feel comfortable using. Here are some general rules to help you be successful.
RULE ONE -Be consistent. Use the same command for the same expected result all the time. When working with a new dog avoid confusing differences such as LIE-DOWN, GO-LIE-DOWN, DOWN.
RULE TWO -Be clear. Avoid confusing situations and unwanted behaviors. Don't pick similar sounding words for different activities like: GO (as in you are released from stay) and NO (you were about to get up, don't do it) or HERE (as in come-here) if your command for walking is HEEL.
RULE-THREE -Be Fair. You can't use the same word in commands for different activities. DOWN can't mean lie-down & get-down and SIT-DOWN is a terrible command choice.
Here is an example: A client of mine was frustrated at her dog who was "deliberately disobeying" her when she wanted her dog to move off the furniture. If the dog was sleeping on the couch and my client commanded the dog, "Get Down." The dog would not move.
For my client DOWN had two meaning: 1) Lie-DOWN 2) Get Down from there.
For the dog, down meant LIE DOWN and since he was already lying down on the couch he didn't feel a need to do anything further.
We taught a new command OFF and used a toy to lure the dog off the couch and reward the dog for Four-On-The-Floor and soon everything was solved.
Some command suggestions:
DOWN: Lie down where you are.
BED: Go to your bed and lie down.
OFF: Get your paws to the floor (off a couch)
SIT: Place your bottom on the ground.
STAY: Do not move form that position until told that you are free.
WAIT: Do not move forward, jump in or out, cross the threshold.
GO: You are free to do as you like (released from STAY or from COME).
COME: Run to me immediately.
THIS WAY or HERE: When you are done... (sniffing, playing, peeing) please come find me over here.
DROP/OUT: Spit out the item.
GIVE: Place item in my hand.
LEAVE-IT: Don't go near it, smell it, look at it, think about putting it in your mouth.
OUT: (if not used above) Get to the other side of the threshold (room), or the the nearest surface texture change (tile to carpet, sand to grass).
UH-OH/AH-AGH: You are about to mess up, stop and I will forgive you.
TOO-BAD: You messed up (timing is important) right there. Aways leads to Time-out or Party-Ends
