Clicker question?

[Romy]

When you're clicker training, do you have to make sure your other dogs are out of earshot? Will them hearing the clicker as you're training your other dog mess up their training by reinforcing whatever random thing they are doing at the moment, or desensitizing them to the sound?

I started clicker training Charlie, and it's like OMG MAGIC!!! Previously nothing worked because he has no attention span and moves at warp speed, so by the time I could get a "good dog!" out of my mouth when he sat, he would already be leaping into the air. He has already stopped jumping up, even when we bait him by squealing like maniacs and dangling treats and toys above his head!

 

[Doberluv]

If I'm teaching a new behavior, I need to keep my other dogs out of the area. They may hear the clicker, but if they're in another room, I think they realize it's not about them. It takes concentration on both my part and the dog I'm working with. The added distraction of other dogs around is not something I want when teaching a new behavior. Plus, each dog may be doing a different thing and I'd be reinforcing whatever they were doing because if they think it's about their behavior, I must give a reward following the click. You don't want to lose the power of the conditioned reinforcer by not pairing a reward with it. It's hard enough to pay attention to your timing and everything with one dog so if I'm working with a clicker, I work with one dog at a time....either inside with the other dogs put away or on a walk with just one dog.

Also, what I think is important is.....to give each dog a turn...a short session, even 30 seconds to a couple of minutes, one after the other. This way, when they're isolated in the other room, they learn that they will get a turn. At least I think they get it. It use to be that the ones put away would whine and carry on when they heard me working with one dog. After doing it this way, they seem to know that all is not lost. LOL.

I'm glad to hear how successful clicker training is for you so far. Way to go! Isn't it great?! :thumbup:

 

[Romy]

Cool thanks!

I do put the other dogs away while I'm training him. They just get shuffled off to my bedroom. I didn't know if that was right or not so I'm glad I did. After seeing how successful it is for Charlie, I'd like to try it on Kaia.

Strider is pretty much perfectly behaved, but I thought I might use it for some conditioning. He isn't reactive to other dogs anymore, but once in a while he does get stressed by them (usually if they are lunging or barking at us). When that happens we just leave the situation before it can escalate. I think using the clicker may be a good tool to help switch him back into being really chill and happy around all strange dogs again.

It is like magic. I was seriously at my wits end with Charlie. He's incredibly smart. He figured out how to open round doorknobs for instance, we keep our doors deadbolted now. But he is just so impulsive, with such high drive and little focus it was hard to communicate with him. Robert resorted to trying aversives (it made me sad ) but Charlie is so resilient and pain proof he just pulled through the prong collar, barked through the bark collar, all attempts to roll him were interpreted as play wrestling :rofl1:. Basically, the same problem applied to correction based training. He didn't associate any corrections with the right behaviors, and none of the corrections were harsh enough to stop him. I think you could probably cut off his feet and he would still run around all happy. He likes to rub his back on the electric cattle fence after jumping in the bay...soaking wet. He just wiggles like, "tee hee, that tickles!"

Now he's like, "Oh! You like THAT? I'll do THAT thing then!" Also, he's having better focus because I started out by click/treating every time he looked at me. It's a miracle! I can communicate with him now!

 

[lizzybeth727]

At work we often train with many dogs in earshot of the clicker, and it doesn't seem to be a problem. We do a lot of training in a large training room that has tethers attached to the walls, so we can have several dogs on tethers at a time, and just work with one dog at a time. We also put dogs in crates where they may be able to see/hear us training. I think they learn pretty quickly that if they're on tether or in a crate, we're not going to be clicking them... though we do give a lot of reinforcement if they're being quiet and relaxed, we just don't click it.

That said, the other dogs do need to be out of the way when you're training one dog, like on a tether, in a crate, on a bed, etc., so that they don't interrupt your training session or cause a distraction.

 

[adojrts]

I have had my dogs in stays in a circle around me while working with another dog in the center with a clicker. Having said that, each dog had been trained one at a time to hold a stay with increased distractions. I make a game of it, recalling and sending to their places along with working them in the center. Kills many birds with one stone once the dogs have reached a certain level of training.

Btw, huge congrats and welcome to the Clickside. Now you journay really beings, enjoy.

 

[lizzybeth727]

I have had my dogs in stays in a circle around me while working with another dog in the center with a clicker. Having said that, each dog had been trained one at a time to hold a stay with increased distractions. I make a game of it, recalling and sending to their places along with working them in the center. Kills many birds with one stone once the dogs have reached a certain level of training.

Yep, we've done that too. It's a lot of fun training several dogs at once!

 

[Promethean]

Clicker+

4 sounds at low and high options.

 

[marfak9]

When ever you are communicating, no matter the method of communication, you need to be aware of the effect of the communication on "eavesdroppers.

 

[Zoom]

I never had much of an issue training Sawyer and Virgo together yet separately. The dog that I wasn't working with would be in a down stay on the bed and the other dog would be on the floor with me. I'd work on something for a bit, then switch dogs. I think eye contact has a lot to do with it as well.

Romy, I'm really glad you found the magic of clickering! That was what really got Virgo and I to connect and lead to huge leaps and bounds in her training.

 

[Doberluv]

I work on things sometimes with all my dogs together, but it's usually things they already have somewhat of a grip on. For example, they all learned how to come and sit in front of me in a semi circle around me. Each one learned to take a treat when their own name is used and not crowd their noses in when it wasn't their turn. This was for Toker's benefit, as she use to get snarky to a dog sitting next to her when I handed them a treat. So, she had to learn to keep her head away when another dog's name was used and wait her turn. Now, each dog appears to know when I say one dog's name, that it's that dog's turn and keeps his/her nose and focus straight ahead....no looking over toward the other dog, no pushing toward my hand with the muzzle. They wait their turn. It's a pretty cute trick.

I might have them all come and sit in front, then have one get around and sit next to me while the others wait. Out on a hike or walk, they all get some training together. They practice "checking in." One or more dogs might get told, "trail" which means to return to the trail. I didn't use a clicker for those kinds of things. So, it's for things all three will tend to do together and things they have a handle on.

But with teaching most brand new behaviors, skills or tricks, I find it easier to just work with one dog until he/she gets it pretty well....especially when using a clicker. I want to be sure that that dog and I can concentrate on what we're doing. Other dogs in the room are a huge distraction and I want to make it as easy as possible for the dog I'm working with when learning a new behavior.

I think someone relatively new with clicker training, as the OP would benefit from working with one dog at a time with new behaviors. Or at least, make sure somehow, the other dogs that she's not working with don't think they're getting clicked but not getting a reward. I don't think the skill of using a clicker well, the coordination and observing factor gets proficient over night. I still screw up my timing or don't pay attention when I should at times. Maybe I'm just uncoordinated and addled.:doh: Of course, I don't use a clicker that much. I go in spells, it seems. So maybe that's why.

 

[Criosphynx]

the dogs seem to know that iam working with whoever Iam looking at. That said I tend to separate, but they can still hear it. Tippy lately has been a problem as if she hears it she gets very frantic trying to get to it (shes an adict "trainme!Trainme! LOL)

I do alot of the "sit in a circle" type stuff but I tend to mark with my voice then, or just hand out the treat quick enough that the dog understands.

 

[Doberluv]

They do seem to know who you're working with, don't they. They seem to recognize that when we're looking at one dog's face...up close or whatever, they're not the ones being clicked. But I haven't clicked my on-lookers enough for being quiet and staying well out of the way (in enough contexts), so they can be a distraction to the one I'm trying to work with. Of course....this is mostly past experiences because lately, I don't work that much with any of them on much...(maybe a few tricks here and there.) They're already perfect. J/K. :rofl1:

 

[Criosphynx]

absolutely...I do find, since they are so small, that when I stand up...they tend to get confused with who Iam looking at. So if I stand for tricks, I work with them singly. But sitting...they completely get it IMO

 

[lizzybeth727]

But I haven't clicked my on-lookers enough for being quiet and staying well out of the way (in enough contexts), so they can be a distraction to the one I'm trying to work with.

I want to be clear that I don't click onlookers at all. If they're doing extended stays, or just getting reinforced for being quiet, IMO they don't need the behavior marked since you're not training an action. But it is very important to reinforce the other dogs for staying out of the way and staying quiet/calm.

 

[Doberluv]

But it is very important to reinforce the other dogs for staying out of the way and staying quiet/calm.

This is what I was referring to. They can be pests when I am working with one dog. That's why I put them in "lock down" ......OR I'd have to work on them and their manners about staying the heck out of the way and keeping quiet while they're not getting the attention. So, being me...I naturally take the easier route and get rid of them termporarily. Anyhow....the fewer distractons around, the easier for the one dog I'm working with and ME when it's a new trick or skill. Like I said, they have learned to not be pushy when one dog is getting the attention, like with Dremeling or some other thing, but not in enough contexts, I guess to make the best results if I really want to concentrate on one dog and give that dog the best chance to pay attention to learn something new.

 

[Romy]

This is pretty interesting. I was kind of wondering in a class setting, how the dogs process all the clicks around them and know which click applies to them and which doesn't. If the eye contact is part of it, that makes sense.

Our home is land of the baby gates, lol. So it wouldn't be hard to keep the others out of the way, but it's just easier to put them up than try to make sure Aurelia isn't trying to ride them, or feed them playdo, or poke their eyes, etc. while I'm working with Charlie.

And Promethean, that is a waaay cool gadget. I kind of geeked out when I saw it, will have to watch for when they get their new version out.