Click it! (Introduction to Clicker Training your dog)
Ever wondered how Sea World trains dolphins to do those tricks? Ever watched the YouTube videos of dogs doing intricate dance steps with their owners? The animals aren’t on leash and in the case of the dolphins they can’t even hear a tone of voice, and yet they happily do the most amazing things.
Operant conditioning, or as we will teach it at Flying Fur, clicker training, forms an association between a behavior and a consequence. The dolphin learns that jumping through a hoop earns him a fish. The dog learns that waving his paw earns him a piece of cheese. In both cases, the behavior that will earn the reward is “marked” with a sound (a whistle for the dolphin; a click for the dog).
The animal tends to repeat an action that has a positive consequence (the fish or the cheese) and tends not to repeat one that has a negative consequence (no treat). Trainers can take advantage of that natural tendency by providing positive reinforcement following an action that they want the animal to repeat, marking the behavior with a click and reinforcing the “click” with a tasty treat.
Clicker training is a popular dog training method because of its gentleness. The dog is not punished for not “getting it right” but each step in the right direction is rewarded. The behavior we want is built in small increments.
In this class you’re going to learn how to use a clicker to shape your dog’s behavior, and have fun while training your dog. You will need a dog and plenty of small, soft, high value treats to reinforce your clicks. We will provide the clicker.
This is a four week-class. Call for the dates of the next "Click it " series., You can register by calling 540 544 WOOF (9663) or e-mailing us at flyingfurdogs@gmail.com.
Cost: $40