Clicker training as a method vs using a clicker

[dalemk90]

This is nothing more than smoke and mirrors based on appearances. How about going a little deeper and explain why the dog is responding for the owner. Is the dog owner being objectified and seen as a means to an end or is meaningful influence happening. What do behavior issues really represent beyond the agenda ?

[dalemk90]

How about qualifying the type of influence being established within your "learning model" ?  This is nothing but exploitation and misrepresentation when it comes to the swiss cheese science agenda.

[100AntesDeMorir]

So id you dont use intimidation nor punishment how aré you going to teach your dog not to bite things or you? Or are you goning to congratulain your dog when he Goes to the bathroom in your own bed?

[MelodyPythonVeria]

@100AntesDeMorir Have you watched any of her other videos? She goes over house training and mentions how to get rid of mouthing in other videos. It certainly is possible to train both of these things without intimidation or punishment.

[Dragontown666]

9 people we´rent clicker trained.

[anvandarnamnnr1]

She dont clicker train her dogs 100%. Pure clicker training is about the dog doing the behaviors by them self. When you put the behavior on cue the dog must know it fluid. Then when you say the cue to your dog it going to know somthing good is going to happen and as that behavior is fluid it dont think about it. Luring is not clicker training.

[rutsableich]

The ultimate proof is her dogs. They look happy !

[ninawidvey]

THANK YOU ! Thanks for informing me about positive reinforcement. i am now trying to help my friends with their dogs, trying to make them see that hindering and posetive interuption is much better than jelling and intimedating.

when i get my dog someday i know it will be so mush better now that i know how to build mutual respect

so keep it up. and know you change people everywere.

best regards from norway

[rockboy201L]

if i cant get a clicker then can i just snap with my fingers?????

[Matyme]

My husband saw that Ceaser guy on tv and he uses his punishment methods. Example: Our dog pulls on the leash my husband yanks the leash. It's terribly sad. Yeah my dog will be more calm with him while he holds the leash but when I have to take my dog out he pulls even more. I think my dog pulls more because my husband is not there and feels like he doesn't have to listen to anyone. My husband will yell at him and sometimes push him if he does not listen. But I try your methods and he does great.

[pageavenue]

@Matyme

using 2 different training methods on the same animal is just bad

[josski32]

@Matyme that's kind of sad :( maybe talk to him and show him her vids. she's awesome!

[Matyme]

@josski32 My husband has stopped using techniques he learned from Cesar Millan. He always felt horrible doing what he did to our dog. I trained my dog to do alot of the tricks kikopup has uploaded and I think it helped to show my husband that being aggressive will only make our dog fear him and my husband hates that feeling. btw I always show my husband kikopup's videos and he agrees with them and does practice her advise. =)

[dobermanlover3]

I try to use all positive training but my dog doesn't listen to me. he thinks he's the boss I guess, he KNOWS what I want him to do (he does it if there's treats) but he doesn't do it, and as soon as I'm gone he does bad stuff that he doesn't do when I'm around (chew, bark, pee on the floor). He has caused a lot of damage and I'm about to give up on being positive. I'm about to buy a prong collar because no corrections isn't working...

[MsZoraZ]

@dobermanlover3 make your reinforcer more reinforcing. What else does he like besides treats? When he does do what you ask or is behaving properly, reward him with a few minutes of play time, a belly rub, or whatever else he may like.

Crate train your dog and them put him in the crate with a Kong toy or chew when you go out, this will prevent him from misbehaving when you are not there to train him.

[Jagervision]

I have a little different view on it but all have opinions, right :) What I can´t understand is how calling cues commands could even suggest the method one uses. I might not understand the context and in english I also use the word cue but I am a bit annoyed that this way of thinking is making people do pretty confusing things. In my language there is no word for cue so they have started to call them hints. I think ue is not a hint and this is, in my mind, very confusing to a beginner trainer.

[MsZoraZ]

@Jagervision When I think of the word "cue," I think of someone suggesting that the dog do something. It's not really hinting, it's more like asking. And when the dog does what you ask or "cue" for, they get a reward!

[Jagervision]

@MsZoraZ This is exactly what I am thinking. The problem is that in my language there is a word for "command" but not a separate word for "cue." So to avoid using "command" they have started to use "hint." That, in my opinion, is confusing to many including me. The difference is that eventually I got it what this "hinting" was about. But many are not aware of why this word is used and why. "Teach the dog to sit on a hint" is in my mind not a good alternative for using the word "command."

[MsZoraZ]

@Jagervision yes, I never "command" my dog, instead I "suggest" what I would like her to do or ask her politely, and most of the time she gives me the correct "answer," which is the action.

I ask her to sit and she sits!

[Jagervision]

@MsZoraZ I also "cue" my dogs. But I defenately don´t "hint" them when saying "sit." Hinting is vague and I want to make it clear for the dog. When in a language there isn´t a choise of using "cue," is "hint" better than "command?" The method doesn´t change and the dog doesn´t know what you call the cue. But their owners do. Their owners are the part of the equasion that is harder to train. Why make it even more confusing? Commanding isn´t automatically shouting or intimidating.

Just my 2 cents

[karlaire1]

@Jagervision  Another word for "cue" could be "signal" in English. Maybe there is a similar word in your language.

[karlaire1]

@Jagervision

[estherlobith]

Great video! I love it. I think clicker training goes even further than training your dog; it's a way of life. It's all about communicating and interacting with your environment. It works for friends, children and yourself. It makes me happy.

[gallarie88]

You mean dogs or puppies only respond to orders ? They don't even know what is right or wrong due to no punishment on them and what if they done wrong ? I recently adopted a 2 months old shih-poo , she was my 1st pet , I have zero knowledge towards dog, can I start training her ?

[HannahB539]

Training with this method /without/ a clicker- wouldn't that simply be 'marker training', NOT clicker training? The same concepts may apply, but to me, it can't truly be called CLICKER training unless an actual clicker is being used.

[NickBenger]

The problem is clicker training as a name doesn't work because it implies that it is simply using a clicker..it should be re-named, won't happen unfortunatly thoguh which just leads to more confusion

[MsZoraZ]

@NickBenger it has been renamed to "progressive reinforcement training"

[montallio]

What I find really interesting is to find ways of having the dog do what you want, without intimidation. My experience is that once you have found a good way, it usually works almost instantly whereas intimidation either takes longer, doesn't work or has some adverse effects. For example, if my dog finds food and I don't want him to eat it and I would try dominating and intimidating him, he might pick up the food and run away with it and possible run away from me in other situations as well.

[briasha765]

one question when you use clicker training is the clicker needed when your dog knows the behavior??

~briasha~ ~charm~

[tigerlily46514]

Kikopup, i LOVE your videos, absolutely LOVE your methods of postive training, and i've learned so so so much from your "How To" videos. I too, now cringe, looking back at previous dogs, now that i have learned so much from your How To videos. THANK YOU THANK YOU for helping us learn more about interacting successfully and positively with our canines, and for generously posting all your How To your videos to help us all learn to understand our dogs better.

[Haappppppyyy]

Thank you for explaining clicker training! I've been kind of hesitant, bc I've always thought, "What if I forget the clicker or lose it?" But I am going to try it asap

[tigerlily46514]

@Haappppppyyy i too, had a similar concern when first learning about clickers. Turns out, you really only need the clicker while training the dog, not 24/7. Well, i suppose some people who 'capture' dog behavior to clicker train might very well carry a clicker 24/7.

but WOW, once i began using a clicker, my dog certainly understood cues MUCH FASTER.

I bought SEVERAL identical clickers.  Oh, btw, do NOT leave them lying about, people will mess with the clicker and confuse your dog, ha ha!

[Haappppppyyy]

@tigerlily46514

that sounds great

and thanks:)

[newbear95]

Great video! Adding this to my favorites!

[vidgirl4444]

clicker traning is awesome I have train my 3 parrots! I cant wait to start my new dog on clicker training. I would like to know if just incase i dont have any treats or clicker would my dog would still do it? how cna i make him not ask for food or treats?

[peachy218218]

My puppy is eleven weeks old and is a maltipoo. She loves to bite my hair and I thought u might have a click training exercise for that. I know u have short hair but mine is really long and it just gets her rowdy. I usually just pull it away or put her back in her house/pen and calmly say I don't like that. But no results yet. Any ideas?

[TheLineman73]

You say no punishment huh? What are you to do when the dogs craps in your living room in front of you? Just go "oh well, hope he learns fast cuz cleaning this sucks"?

[Haappppppyyy]

@TheLineman73

Well if you punish the dog for peeing/pooping in front of you, you are just teaching the dog that it's bad to do the behavior while you're watching. &when you take it outside in the future, you will have a dog that is afraid to pee/poop in front of you. The best thing to do is to just take the dog outside if you catch it in the act. Show the dog the alternate/desired behavior. I house trained my new puppy in less than a week using this method & I learned it from Kikopup's videos.

[tigerlily46514]

@TheLineman73 Punishing a dog after the fact means zero to a dog. zero.

Kikopup HAS "How To" videos on how to get a dog to stop an unwanted behavior. Most dogs who crap in your living room, the fault is the human's...not the dogs.

[operaman83]

oh my god this is painful... you're terrible... absolutely terrible, please never open your mouth again... PLEASE

[cautionneeded]

I greatly appreciate your ability and concerns for proper training of dogs. Unfortunately it is so hard for many of us because we have a difficult dog and no training ourselves. This is a bad combination that lends itself to causing more harm than good while attempting to just get the dog to behave. I have started training with a clicker and will endeavor to stick to clicker training at all times. What do I do when things just seem to be out of control?

[tigerlily46514]

@cautionneeded Not sure what "out of control" means to you. But, if you are frustrated, that is not a good time to try to interact with your dog, take a cue from Kikopup's dog language video, and first off, try yawning, to make YOU relax, really, fake a yawn til you make it, YOU will then relax. THEN, learn how to show dog what you DO want. Find kikopups' HOW TO videos, you can do it, hang in there.

[MrKrashnburn]

hi

i would really like not to have correct my dog at all.so what do i do when i see my dog about to eat some glass off the floor , or stop my dog from eating bad things like poo. or food someone droped outside. i had the same problem as you with my old dog and i now have a siberian husky and i hate haveing to correct her but i still do. please help me on this, this is no joke i would like to go without correct my dog what should i do. she is only 16 weeks old please help us

[mcqueeney]

@MrKrashnburn hello, I am no expert but I think you would train/clicker trainj your dog to DO something instead of eat the rubbish.

For example train a really good "come here" or "leave it"

You need very high value rewatds if you offer an alternative.

I think on lead would be better until you have managed to train. So they cannot get to the poo or food lol!

[bambardinag]

this video is very informative. ive tried many diffrent ways to train my dogs and failed misserably. i have no dog training experience so video guides are so helpfull for me.

ive been wanting try it again with the clicker but havent found any usefull advice in the yt videos so far. some are very good, maybe i didnt like the way the advice/info was

delivered. anyways, love your vids. very practical and usefull information. thank you.

[elizrosado]

What about, when I don't have the clicker with me? The dog will listen to me.

What about use the clicker when a dog growls to a members of the family, can I use the clicker to control that behavior too? My dog dosn't respect my son (7 yrs) my dog 1 yr already bite my son in front of me just because he was trying to take away a plastic bottle that she toke and she wasn't able to have.

[tigerlily46514]

@elizrosado Elzro, the clicker is only used to TRAIN the dog, once the dog learns a cue, you no longer need a click. Btw, you NEVER wanna train a dog to NOT growl. LISTEN to a dog growling, he is giving a warning, "I don't like this, i'm about to bite". LISTEN to that warning, and intervene. The dog is NOT lying, he is in trouble, is too much for him.

If you train a dog to never growl, you will then be left with a dog who skips the all important warning, and goes straight for a bite.

[tigerlily46514]

@tigerlily46514 i should clarify, growling while playing tug-o-war is is innocent, IF that is what you meant? but at any rate, growling is NOT something you ever want to teach a dog to stop. cuz then you will NOT be aware when he is about to bite or fixing to blow a fuse.

Work on the underlying attitude or fear, but never correct a growl, LISTEN to it, help your dog, he is waving the flag, "i'm in trouble, get me away from this!".

[MsZoologist1]

My dog walks away with a dignified expression when I try to train her like, "No Thank You" after I spend like 20 seconds trying to train her, her brothers on the other hand LOVE being trained! and I don't even use treats, I feed them their dry food, and they act like I'm feeding them MilkBones (which I do, but not as a training reward)

[apdgforever]

@MsZoologist1 female pups are usually more independent. Boys are usually more eager to please. Note *usually* My female pup is eager to please most of the time.

[MsZoologist1]

@apdgforever kk, our other 2 female dogs love training though too! lol, Dogs are so funny

[tigerlily46514]

@MsZoologist1 Milkbones are flour based treats, no dog in the world needs flour. Use lil bits of meat for treats.

[MsZoologist1]

@tigerlily46514 They love it though, so I give it to them, I also give them chicken treats (treats which first ingredient is chicken), But they just love milkbones, and I love my dogs, so I give it to them, one each about once or twice a week, I give the chicken more often. And I already knew they were Flour based thanks.

[Laursaurus]

My dog is a little over a year old. We already took an obedience class w/choke collar. But she still pulls on the leash and yanking her back isn't working. Is it too late to try clicker training? She loves her walks and I want it to be more pleasant for us both. Will watch the rest of your videos. Thanks!

[cinnamon8884]

great video!

thanks so much :)

[ferretshoes]

Wow, it looks like you've made a very effective video. Unfortunately, my sounds card is dead right now, but I presume I know your basic argument. Anyway, the point is that I'm reading through the comments and finding, among the few people who prefer training myths over the laws of learning (like physics, gravity still exists if you don't believe in it), there are a lot of people who are quite receptive and apparently have seen the light for the first time. Congratulations, a lofty goal met!

[snowlothar]

It does have a form of punishment though. When the C&T is withheld due to an improper action, it is a punishment. The clicker just gives an instant reward for a correct action, and makes the pooch want the reward rather than the opposite - no reward. It is a very mild punishemnt with a strong reward for the correct action, and that makes for a happy eager dog wanting to please you.

[thatcrazyjack]

great video emily. unfortunately i had no idea of all this stuff when we owned our last dog. she was a great dog, very obidient and loving, but i cant help but feel we could have trained in her a better manner without saying no etc. I feel guilty about that, but at the same time have learned so much so when we get our next dog we are better prepared.

[akyramoto]

I just started clicker training my donkeys. it is AMAZING. I went from having an animal that didn't want me to touch past her knees to an animal that will allow me to pick up her feet in the pasture without a halter or any type of restraint. It makes the animal willing & like your company. it really does change communication with them. I just got a new puppy and have been doing positive reinforcement with her, she has learned so fast by not forcing or punishing her when she is wrong.

[cocotaya]

thank you emily!!!!

[laraskye]

you are great!!!!

[agildogs2]

...it's a shame the wrong people are on television...

[AgilityFox]

This video should be mandatory for all dog owners.

I started my "dog-owner career" with old-school methods, and it's not easy at first to adapt to a different, new philosophy. But as cappuccinoiv said, I'm "training myself to do it right".

I can't help saying "no" once in a while, but otherwise I've done some progress...maybe I need someone to click me when I do things right !

THANK YOU Emily, I'm now addicted to your channel...

[boxofsarpobjects1]

same here! what a wonderful change isin't it?

[sstaikou]

Emily...THANK YOU.

[FutileGesture]

Hi Emily! I have 18 months old Golden Retriever,Shadow.I've started training him with clicker. I'm new in this and it's hard to cope with emotions. We go walking on leash and he starts pulling, so I start being nervous. When you are not during the training and you have to simply go walking and return home, but your dog is too interested in the bushes around and it doesn't bother him that he pulls me around, what do you do?

Sorry for my English. Really hope you'll answer me, it's important.

[cappuccinoiv]

I am trying to train myself to do clicker training right lol ... yeah you are right, I want to be a bestfriend to my new dog and not really a master .... although I too forget at times or get carried away or simply not notice that I'm getting it wrong. More patience I guess ... more patience ... thanks for the videos

[Ega060295]

where can I buy a clicker ? :)

[Dradyn]

@Ega060295 I got mine at PetSmart. They were in the leash section. You can order them online as well.

[ZandersStory]

I hope you don't mind, I shared this video on Facebook with friends/family.. Even if they own a dog(s) and don't train them it's great to get the word out that intimidation/corrections is not a realistic way to show your dog how to live with humans and be their best friend. It's about trust, patience, understanding and love!! Thank you so much for making this video! 5*'s!

[milesfernandez]

Hi Kikopup...first of all, I love your vids! They're very watchable and full of insight! I agree with you 100%. Let me tell ya, Positive Training expects alot out of the trainer/owner. The trainer/owner has to be creative and thoughtful and not just react with punishment or "eh-eh". Keep on, keepin' on.

[mattpkp]

punishment is bad? That is a funny concept, it seems punishment is the one that has gotten the bad wrap, not clicker training.

[MegF142857]

I'm trying to figure out clicker training to use with my horses, but I'm definitely a work in progress. Thanks for posting examples of differences in methods.

[Chey8114]

Very good video. Tthank you for posting.

[removedfromlife]

Did not feel clicker trained during this video. Felt as though I was being condesended.

[kikopup]

yeah, I was annoyed, I can't say I'm perfect. I had just watched some videos that where explaining what 'clicker training' was, but also including Scruff shakes, and Harsh Punishments. I resisted making a video about Mr. Millan, and as you can see since this video, made over a year ago, I have found more 'human' training skills.

[parlin89]

@removedfromlife Get over yourself! This is NOT about you and your insecurities, and we don't care if you think she is being condescending to you. If you feel that way -- maybe you need to be condescended! I have the true dog-from-hell, and she makes quite clear about how one has to go about retraining oneself to make one's dog behave. I was informed to see her explanations laid out so well. It quite annoys me to see comments made about a poster's "feelings" -- you've had too much Oprah!

[parlin89]

@removedfromlife Get over yourself! This is NOT about you and your insecurities, and we don't care if you think she is being condescending to you. If you feel that way -- maybe you need to be condescended! I have the true dog-from-hell, and she makes quite clear about how one has to go about retraining oneself to make one's dog behave. I was informed to see her explanations laid out so well. It quite annoys me to see comments made about a poster's "feelings" -- you've had too much Oprah!

[bboylayz]

@parlin89 agreed! This method is clearly best for the dog. Makes a happier healthier (stress free) dog. It is good that she is might be a little condescending for the sake of the dogs IMO

[TrovadorBohemioGDL]

Im starting with clicker but here (Guadalajara) its not to much info about it, nobody knows nothing, i like to know who are u? what are yours background on this? who show u this methods, where u learn about it? just to take a better perspective about your own point of view... thanks

[kikopup]

Not 'my' view point. Here is a really good book if you want to learn about training animals this way- "Animal Training: Successful Animal Management Through Positive Reinforcement'- Ken Ramirez"

[hilgy1188]

Here's the bottom line. I use a clicker. I like marker training. I lure, capture, freeshape, play clicker games, etc.

I use P+ sometimes. My dog is reliable and thoroughly enjoys training. No lip licking, no averted eyes, no stress signals...

Mysterious, huh?

[hilgy1188]

And please, please do not spew back that "dogs cannot refuse a command, they can only be under/un-conditioned and undermotivated". I suggest you move past the radical behaviorism perspective (since it was thrown out quite a while ago) and accept that dogs have cognitive abilities and make decisions.

[hilgy1188]

You're funny.

O-parent conditioning? For real? LMAO. It's operant, as in, operation, operate...

I find you to be extremely narrow minded and black and white in your beliefs. The fact that you believe saying, "AH AH!" is old school is laughable. Let's be real here.

"Old school" most often refers to punishment BASED training, i.e.Bill Koehler's method, in which a dog is "corrected" physically before he knows a command.

I WILL punish my dog (POSITIVE punishment) for refusing a known command.

[superwoman63]

If you ask your dog to do something, and the dog doesnt do it, then you should not punish your dog but you should ask yourself "why didnt my dog do what i asked him to do?". Is it because he doesnt know the command as good as you wish he does?

You DONT have to punish your dog. The people training dolphins and whales, you think they jump in the tank and beat them up when not doing what told? NO! That would be stupid. They train without punishment, and the animals listen. Same with your dog.

[ChickneSholay]

Because, of course dogs are only products of operant and classical conditioning and are not cognitive thinking beings with the ability to make choices.

It's not like that radical Skinnerian behaviorism model wasn't taken apart piece by piece and found wanting. Without the ability to hold up to real life scenarios where living beings don't live in boxes

...Oh wait, it was

Refusing a KNOWN command- Key word being known, as in understanding and comprehending it fully And willfully refusing

[kikopup]

I am not trying to attack people who use +P, I have close friends that still use +P. I wouldn't call this 'narrow minded' thinking though, as clicker training defined by the woman who basically made up the term believes its only a subset that doesn't include +P. The US Navy uses this form of training to train reliable animals, I wouldn't say they are narrow minded either.

[theworldiscold]

HEY YOU SIT

hahah

that was funny

[FishApprentice]

Awesome, thank you so much for the tips!

[Adipatus]

Great video!!!!!

I also wish I'd run into clicker years ago!

[kikopup]

me too!

[themoviewatchers]

what does the clicker do to the dog

[Tygetz]

can you come and train my dog plz :D have problem with him!.. :( or can you give me some tips :D

[liliannx3]

the clicker is a pathway to a good thing. after your dog does something right, you click and reward (treat or toy, etc). the dog associates the click with the reward and the click lets the dog know when it did something right.

[kikopup]

it creates neuron connections between what behavior it is doing and pleasure, making the dog more likely to want to do the behavior again (basically put)

[kikopup]

thats a good example, my answer would be, if its a puppy, you would probably not know what its response would be to your yelling, and the puppy might run from you and into the road, or freeze, and then dart as you approach the puppy. If you know that your dog will not run in the road during an emergency, then of course yell at the dog!!!! However, there is a way to interrupt behavior in a way that is non stressful check out the dogmantics episode 1 video.

[kikopup]

the problem with using punishment to TRAIN a dog is, that you can never be sure of what you are in fact punishing. An example being, I know a dog that was shouted at for chasing little dogs at the dog park, and instead of associating the punishment with little dogs, the dog associated the punishment with being in the dog park, and took off running. For the next couple weeks, the dog would run away from the dog park when the owner unclipped the leash and also not want to return to the owner

[pjwithbread8]

consider a puppy that doesn't know anything, walking towards the street you cant grab it but u can scare it from going to the street by yelling. saved the dogs life, abuse?? there can be a ton of ways this happens. how would you teach a dog to not tinkle in the house with out him knowing anything... like this u see you pup peeing inside, and u accept. great ruined carpet untrained dog! :D!

[Septimus39]

Why are you letting an untrained puppy play near the street off a leash? Sounds like the owner needs more training than the dog.

[pjwithbread8]

suppose it made its way out? or pulled off the leash? aa dur? dumb ass.

[Septimus39]

I think the point that everyone is trying to make is more about consistent training, not a fluke emergency. If your dog is in a life or death situation and you don't do anything you can to save it, you don't deserve to own a dog.

If you think yelling to save a dog's life and yelling at it for peeing on the carpet are the same thing, I have to say I disagree.

[pjwithbread8]

all im saying is i don't think its such a bad thing to scare a dog from doing something wrong, it is kind of a stupidity to give a dog the perfect like and take away everything bad. there has to be consequences.

[chuntoon007]

ya, just like kids...some will do fine with positive reinforcement...some need to get grounded or yelled at once and a while or what have ya....I rescued an aggressive dog and if I only reinforced positive actions it'd have taken a life time before I ever got to reward it for anything...on the flip side, my new pup is mostly reinforced, though i've yelled "stop digging" and such a few times....still this kikopup is an amazing trainer...her dogs rule and her videos are so helpful

[lilhustler8]

you are an amazing trainer T_T

[greenkitty1980]

by the way, This video and the 'leave it' video really opened my eyes about positive punishment. I often combined mild pos pun. with pos. rein... and I know not to escalate if it doesn't work, but now I realize that using it at all has been my training mistake. It seems so obvious, especially since I know about learning principles and conditioning... :P but I guess I just needed to hear it said this way. I feel silly.. but I'm glad it you schooled me about positive punishment and dog training.:)

[greenkitty1980]

well said. I think a lot of people just loose patience with true clicker training method -(besides not understanding what it is), especially when a little positive punishment gets the temporary result so quickly. I really enjoy your videos. Thank you so much for what you do. Try not to be too frusterated :) people are not used to thinking in behavioral learning terms.. most regular dog owners don't even know what they mean, let alone know how to use them properly! :) Keep up the good work.

[sharbain]

I was wondering if you personaly train dogs? If this is something you do please let me know.

Regards,

[daisydogsoap]

i am sorry but it's not clear to. if i will not said uh! uh! to my dog when she done something that is not allowed, how she will stop doing it especially if she is chewing my sofa? approach her and grab her away? she will of course as you told will intimidate? please enlightened me about this. you are absolutely right my dog some times doing what you describe when she doesn't want to follow. my dog knows a lot of trick but sometimes i feel that she is stubborn and don't want to do it.

[mimilovesette]

hi! may i just ask, where can i buy a clicker?

[pjwithbread8]

petco, walmart, target, bunch of pet stores or department stores that have a pets section.

[bgoodrick]

Thank you for posting this video. I treat my dog very well but I see I am training it wrong :/. I will now only use this method after researching a bit.

[AstR0cH1ck3N483]

I remember my parents dog, when he was 11 had bladder stones went pee in the house because he could not control his bladder anymore

The scared sad look on his face showed me he remembered being reprimanded for peeing in the house before and now that he couldn't control it he was very upset and afraid by what he could not help. I felt so bad watching that happen, I just want t say Thank you for showing me another way!

[IloveDogTraining]

Thanks I enjoyed this one

[chuchudegozaru]

Hi I learn a lot from your videos. Thanks for making and uploading all these videos. I think with the clicker training my dogs' is doing much better! I have one question - If I should not say "eh eh!" or try to intimidate them with my voice tone, then what should I do when my dog barks for really long time at the door every time people come over? I usually said "No" and stand in front of them and make them watch me but doesn't work...

Thanks again! I love your beautiful pups!

[Barksong]

One day soon I need to just sit down and watch all of your videos because every one I watch is so impressive! The title of this one caught my eye as I've been thinking about this concept a lot lately. What's written on the subject, communicating basically the same things you are, is great, but often buried in other information. It is so nice to see this in an excellent video blog form. Awesome job and thanks!

[AnimalLoverLizzy]

Oh I'm very glad you said we don't need a "clicker" to do this type of training. I've always used the word "yes", but lately I've been wondering if I really do need a clicker, but now I know I don't. :) "Yes" works wonderfully for Sparky and I. :)

Thanks so much for posting this, you have some very interesting thoughts on this training method, and I agree with you 100%.

[crazyfleacircus]

Emily, that last comment you made about the dog reverting back to the behavior when you're not there is worth repeating in almost every video as a reason to refrain from using punishment to train your animal. Really great videos; I've learned a lot!

[sddogtrainer]

I love this video so much and watch it again and again when I need a little boost of knowing there are people out there that "get it".

[Dosi0923]

I have a 3 mo old TFT. I trained him some commands without the clicker. I reward him and say "Good boy" at the same time. Now he is used to associating "good boy" with treats, so he looks up or searches my hands. Does saying "good boy" work just like the clicker? or should I start over with the clicker?

[ChillyAndClover]

Wonderful video! I love it! I put off watching this video for a couple weeks for fear that I may have been doing something wrong, but thankfully, I don't have to use intimidation, or NO or ehh ehh. It makes me very sad to see owners who use these methods.

This is going into my favorites!

[sofulaki]

im trying to clicker train my new pup...but what i dont get is.. when you use it 100% of the time your interacting with the pup, you have to always have treats with you? or you click and praise her when she does something good? also...my pup whines ALOT when i leave her in the kitchen or even go to the bathroom. i dont know how to get her to relax when im not there. ive tried giving her lots of toys to distract her but thats not working.

[kikopup]

No you dont always have treats on you, you are just giving info 100% of the time- example- when the dog jumps on you, you are not going to pet the dog , when your dog is lying quietly THATS when you pay attention to him, NOT when he is eating your underwear or barking. Regarding whining when you are in in an other room- you can put a baby gate up between rooms, and click and toss a treat to the dog when you take a step away, etc etc. Also practice the 'settle' -message me for more..

[claudiahoyle]

in Portugal we are flooded with those trainers with clickers, who then turn clicker training into this "balanced" type of training where they use a clicker in one hand and a schoke collar in the other. It is a battle this is.

[coolcarter2015]

I really have no clue what a clicker dog trainer thingy is plz comment my page saying what it is and why you do it. please comment my page. what could i use homemade for a clicker, i was thinking a snapple cap?

[yellowsun4]

Hello Emily, You have inspired me....I like the NO PUNISHMENT IDEA...I AM OF THE OLD SCHOOL ERA..... I have a 5 month old Springer, she is quit shy, and also afraid of people and other dogs...I have not had her long... I am hoping this method will help me ...help her socilize with people and other dogs.... You describe clicker trainer perfect for me...Thank you so much....I cant wait to start working on this method......Kudos to you ...!!! Love your videos....

[kikopup]

Also, instead of thinking 'i dont want my dog to to that' think of what you DO want your dog to do, and train them to do it. Teach what you want them to do, Ignore(attention seeking), Prevent, or Interrupt what you dont want.

[brokenangal]

i feel terrible about how ive been training my dog, using reward and punishment. and was wondering if i could rebuild that trust, etc. how do you go about beginning to do clicker training after youve been using other techniques before? and im a little confused. if you dont correct your dog, how do you let it know a certain behavior isnt acceptable??

[kikopup]

Dont feel terrible. Thats not why I made the video, its a video rant on professional trainers who profess to be clicker trainers or 'positive', and confuse people. The book Positive Perspectives by Pat. B. Miller will explain what to do instead of +punishment ("corrections"). As for +punishment, if it worked then 99.9% of the world would have very well trained dogs. Sadly it doesnt work, there are too many side effects, and thats why zoos and aquariums (and some dog trainers) dont use it.

[kikopup]

I do use punishment- negative punishment (taking good things away+ignoring). I PROMISE I will make a video on this VERY SOON! SOO many people have asked me. But very basically you create a 'positive' (i hate using that word) interrupter. SO instead of a NO! or EH! you instead use a cue that you have conditioned your dog to mean "look to me, stop doing what you are doing". SO now can interrupt the unwanted behavior and then tell your dog what you DO want them to do. I use a Kissy noise.

[brokenangal]

oh OK, i think i understand. I don't actually have any issues with my pup, he's well trained and all, id just prefer to do it with this clicker training method so that i still get the job done its just more fun and less stressful. and i would prefer to just use my voice rather than using a clicker. But, again thankyou, this helps a lot, i look forward to that video.

[kikopup]

I was writing to everyone, because it was a very good question. :)

[BlueAronya]

Hey Emily,

your words are soooo true. Thanks for speaking it out again :))

[jmackoregon]

wow thank you very much for the info i have trained two large dogs with old school methods pinch collar, nooooo etc . we now have a wonderful 5 month old lavender chi, due to his petite size i knew i had to do something different i knew about clicker training but not how to use it after watching kiko and your other vids i know its the method for us and (stanley) i will be looking forward to getting more info from your vids as well as seeking a clicker class near us as well here in oregon.

[kikopup]

cool! Hopefully you'll find a good trainer. :) Good luck with your little chi!

[funtasticjumps]

wonderful. I especially like your clips of tight healing. There are lots of examples on the web of novelty tricks that are fun and easy to train with the clicker but often the most basic behaviors are rarely seen on the web. In fact it's easier to find ecollars under "positive training" searches then a good clicker example. Thanks for the inspiration and reminders of what it should be like.

[HellOnHighWheels]

I've FINALLY found someone who can sum it up just right! Great blog! You won't believe how many arguments I've had with people that still believe they must 'dominate' their dog to get results.. even when I've proven them wrong with my dog, they still argue - sooo annoying. You summed it up just right!

[smilobyte]

I wish i had known about your vids before i got my little chi. I watched this vid and found it very informative. and i feel like i messed up big time with Milo. He always looks stressed with the cowering licking lips and yawning. i taught him "leave it" with the eh eh after i got to the point of putting it on the ground and now he doesnt respond to me trying to teach him your way. Please keep posting your videos they are wonderful thank you SO much! now that i have seen them i cant stop watching

[jasperaliceuk]

I'm so with you on this - thanks for reiterating it so clearly. I find myself constantly coming back to your videos for hints and tips and will always recommend them to friends starting out to clicker train - something for which it is still quite hard to find trainers here in the UK.

[martha198026]

I have a year old male chihuahua he destroys all his toys he barks at other dogs I can't even go to the park or walk him because he is always barking. I recently got a 3 month old female chihuahua I'm afraid she will be learning the things the my older puppy does. Help!!

[Tatelina]

Hmmm... Very valid, true basic points that alot of people (me included) don't realise and often forget.

[Signai1976]

Thank you

[jjrepublic]

Great video! reinstated my faith in +ve reinforcement! Out of interest, what do you think about head harnesses eg. the 'gentle leader' for dogs showing aggressive on-leash behaviours?

[kikopup]

As a tool for training a large dog that pulls you off your feet in a front clipping harness yes. The problem with them is owners dont take the time to get the dogs to 'love' them before they go out and use them. Have you checked out Scaredy Dog by Ali Brown and Click to Calm by Emma Parsons? Those are good for reactivity...

[rorou192]

Oh my god, I've been doing it all wrong.

I intimidate them all the time(like when they try to get to my plate while I'm eating) bc I thought I was establishing myself as the leader of the pack. No wonder my chihuahua (the oldest of the 2) is so stubborn, he looks stressed very often. He is not happy.

I want to start using positive reinforcement ... where should I begin?

Thank you so much for the video!

[sddogtrainer]

I realized after watching your video that I use the phrase "positive reinforcement trainer" rather than "clicker trainer" - meaning the same thing. If someone calls themselves a pos. reinforcement (+R) trainer but uses other methods in addition to +R then they are not a +R trainer. Even if they (claim to) use 95% +R.

Speaking of positive reinforcement, I do want to give lots of praise, M&Ms, hugs to those who are not all the way there yet but are in the process.

Thanks for your video.

[kikopup]

Yes! 'positive reinforcement trainer' would be perfect, except for mix and match trainers who call themselves "positive" or "pawsitive" and confuse innocent owners into mixing and matching too... thinking they are being 'positive' with their positive punishment.....

And yes I need to give praise to people in the process of 'crossing over'!

[sddogtrainer]

Your video is awesome. I've put a link to it on the san diego dog trainers web site and I plan to write about this on my blog and put another link there. Hope that's OK.

[kikopup]

Cool! Thanks! Feel free to link to any of my vids.

[fruitgrrl]

great shelving. : )

[kikopup]

Those are the artsy fartsy books.. ;)

[k9performancedk]

Could not agree with you more - very well said!

[fruitgrrl]

a million times, thank you.

i think alot of people dont recognize their own subtle

reprimands. thank you for being so specific.

[Azoogle]

Very well said. :-)

[istya]

Well said, and for the most part, I agree. However, just to clarify, 'clicker training', or operant conditioning, *does* use punishment, it's just negative (I prefer the term passive) punishment, i.e. not rewarding behaviors that you don't want. I'm looking forward to your future videos.

[kikopup]

it was hard to not make it too scientific, as non-dog trainers dont really get the lingo. The words positive reinforcement, and negative punishment pop up on the screen when I explain about clicker training. guess i wasnt clear enough. next time! Op. Cond. however is all four quads. I use neg punishment very rarely, as its usually the trainers fault when it is called for, a back up method when I screw up basically. I do + punish my dogs unintentionally as well (kiko doesnt like sweaters! etc)

[istya]

Yeah, I think the words 'positive' and 'negative' in this context are overly confusing, I tend to say 'active' and 'passive' instead. It's amazing the looks I get when I say I only use negative punishments (usually followed by, "well, how could you have a positive punishment?").

[melcabral]

aaaah psych 101 ;)

[conclicker]

Saludos.