Clicker training a heel with a 10 week old American Bulldog

Norcal's Pink of D&D learning the beginning steps of a focused heel. All training at this age is done off leash. The pup is regarded for attention and focus - lack of attention receives no reward and NO correction. As the dog matures I will start cleaning up the behavior to make a prettier picture.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• dog
• puppy
• puppies
• american
• bulldog
• obedience
• heel
• clicker
• training
• train
• focus
• heeling
• norcals

[gingawolf56]

There's nothing wrong with corrections, and to this day I've never seen a properly trained dog without them. You never teach a behavior using them--all it does it demotivate the dog, and doesn't make any sense. Correction doesn't mean prong collar. Someone should read Gary Wilkes article on punishment--he is one of the founders of clicker training, and says anyone who claims they're 100% doesn't understand the definition of punishment.

[abirdslife]

Excellent training... love the Positive !!

[MultiAnimalcrackers]

excellent work and lovely to watch.  that is exactly how i taught mine...i try to do everything off lead to start with so it is their choice to make..they learn better when given choices and realise for themselves that the most rewarding place is being with YOU:))

[andysepul1]

I wish i would of known about leerburg when i got my dogs 4 years ago. i was using the compulsive training method. Im a dumbass for that.

[andysepul1]

it sounds like AMYNORCALSAB knows her shit. I totaly agree with everything she has to say. Michael Ellis one of the best trainers out there. check him out on his website or leerburg.com.

[sdpt897]

@amynorcalsab Then you should be able to make it 100%.

[amynorcalsab]

This doesn't mean I only use corrections or even that I mainly use correction; 98% of all my training is positive.

[amynorcalsab]

Yes, rewards are varied often but that wont matter if there is something greater the dog wants than what you can provide (i.e. decoy on the other side of the field). The dogs are very motivated but again, at some point you are going to need to communicate more than just the withholding of a reward. I am not talking pet dog obedience or agility, I am talking in terms of protection sports. Again, all of my foundation work is positive and motivational but later on I do add corrections.

[amynorcalsab]

Have you trained a dog in protection sports? At some point what the dog wants is going to be greater than what you can provide. Nobody said anything about relying on corrections but I do utilize them when appropriate.

[sdpt897]

If you're not motivating the dog enough, that's on you, not the dog. Change the reward or step back in training to help the dog work through it. Don't stick to 1 reward, but use various ones (incl. life rewards). Instead of relying on corrections, think why the dog is not motivated, work on that. I've never not been able to figure out how to motivate a dog. And I wouldn't resort to corrections for my inability to do so.