Questions about "pay attention" and clicker training in general!

[jacensolo]

I'm teaching Jack to pay attention and I'm wondering a few things. First I'll tell you how I'm teaching it. I'll hold the treat out and wait for him to look at me in the eyes and click then treat. The amazing thing is he seems to have caught on for the most part already (1 session). He isn't doing right away but he's doing it after a 3-4 seconds which is better than the 40 seconds, which he was doing at first.

After I ran out of Hot Dog pieces I played with him a bit then came and got on the computer. The problem is he looked at me after a while. I didn't know what to do. I had a clicker next to me and a ball next to me, clicked and threw a ball. He did this for a while until I had the idea to go get his new toy, the classic kong. What do I do in situations like this where he's giving the desired behavior but I don't have treats and he's not quite ready for the variable schedule? I think the ball worked, but what about when I don't have the ball? If I just click he might not think the clicking means a good thing.

Also I was wondering if I should teach him a cue for pay attention. One site says I shouldn't because the dog should just do it, while a book I'm reading (Idiot's guide to positive dog training) says I should.

When he's ready to start going on a variable reinforcement schedule what should I do? Should I say nothing, should I just click (but if I do this will he not associate the click with a good job?) or should I pet him?

All tips and advice is appreciated, and I mean all of it. If you have only a bit of advice please give it. Thank you!

 

[RD]

I always want my dog to be aware of me, but I put constant eye contact on cue (I use "watch me"). I don't want my dog staring at me constantly, I want him to be able to be a dog.

Do not click, ever, if you don't plan on backing it up with a reward. I would fade the clicker once he reliably gives you eye contact on cue, and instead just praise him and hand him a treat. Then once the behavior is very strong, skip giving him a treat once. Ask for the behavior again and then reward. Really just be random. If he gives a good effort, give him a "jackpot" (a handful of treats or a few treats fed slowly with LOTS of lavish praise).

 

[jacensolo]

Should I start teaching him the cue before or after I start fading out the clicking?

 

[RD]

Teach the cue before you fade the clicker. I fade out the clicker when the behavior is very strong and the dog no longer needs the clicker or bridge word to let them know what they're doing right.

 

[chowchow186]

I also need help. So, next.

I brought richie out to the GREAT outdoors. I asked for some eye contact and he just walked away. I put treats out and he ignored them. I had tried tons of thousands of treats, liver, chicken breast and tons. But, he still ignores them. I really need serious attention to get him booted up.

 

[Doberluv]

You're trying to teach him a new trick in the midst of high distractions....there are bound to be motivators in his environment which are much more interesting to him than you and your treats. Work with him inside, in the most boring room of the house. Work with him when he hasn't just eaten.

You can hold two treats in both fists out in front of him. He may be curious what's hidden in your fists. He'll look and nose your hand. Finally, he'll look up at you as in...."what gives Mom?" That's when you click/treat....or praise and treat. Do this for a week or so until he's catching on to the game. Then add the cue: (his name or "watch me"...whatever) Say it at the same time that he's looking at you for now. Later, when he makes the connection, after lots of repititions, you can try ahead of time. But continue in this no distraction environment.

Then add some mild distractions and again....be careful you do not give the cue word if you aren't sure he's going to look at you. (and you won't be for a while) If you give a command and the dog is interested in something else and doesn't give a correct response, he just learned that the cue means not to look at you. For some time, I don't give cues ahead of time. I wait until the dog is giving me the behavior reliably which he will if he is reinforced for it every time for a long time.

If he doesn't like the treats, find something he does love and is worth repeating a behavior to get. What is his favorite thing? Treats become tastier if the dog is slightly hungry so work with him before dinner time.

You can also capture the behavior....that is, when he just happens to look at you on his own, click/treat. Or praise and treat or use a marker word. Make a fuss the second he looks at you. Don't worry about the cue so much. Reinforce the behavior. You can stick a cue to it later. Dogs don't understand English the way we do anyhow. There's no rush. Cues don't drive behavior, reinforcement does.

If you don't happen to catch him every time he looks at you with a clicker or treat, don't worry about it. Make a fuss and let him know you like that. Later, if it bugs you for him to be looking at you all the time, then you can reward only when you ask for it....once the cue has been put on the behavior. And he'll stop looking at you every second and stop making you feel self conscious.

Down the road when he is very reliable and give the correct response on cue every time, then you can start skipping a few times as far as treats, skip around, no pattern but it's not entirely no pattern. You don't want to go so many times without a reinforcer that he stops giving the response, so keep him guessing. There will be an average number of pay-outs....just like a slot machine.