After a couple of delays we finally had our first training class.  Boy, things are a bit different than with first puppy 15 years ago.  We used clickers right away (never at the first class, they weren't popular then) and we don't give commands.  It's very weird for me but seems to work.  For instance we worked on "watch me, sit and come" but never said any of those words.  It was all done by luring with a treat, clicking when desired behaviour performed, giving treat immediately and repeating.  We are not to say the words till we are confident pooch has the idea of what the end result action is.  Oban knows the words and the luring come confused him because it is very similar to actions on my part I am using to teach him "stay" but he caught on.  So well, in fact, that as we were to click and treat every time pooch "watch me'd" my clicker was going all the hour.  Thank heavens at the last minute before leaving the house I did put that extra bag of treats in, leftover ham from Easter.  I think he got at least a cup and a half of tiny little ham bits. 

Never heard of that before. Does it not make it quite difficult to get the dog to understand you if you're notusing commands??

Freds Mum -no that is how clicker training works. You never put in a command until you are certain the dog knows exactly what it means. After over a year with one of my girls I still am not using commands for for instance heel! (As it is competition helwork I am aiming for and don't want to get anything but.) The whole idea of clicker training is that the dog has to think and work out for itself what you want it to do, so by not using a command, you can just stand and wait and the dog will work through a variey of actions to see what it is you want. It's very useful for teaching new things. I see a huge difference in my clicker trained dogs compared to my non clicker dogs. Say I stand still with food in my hand. The non clicker dogs will sit and hope that will get them the food. If it doesn't, they just either stay sat, or give up and walk away. The clicker dogs will instead try other things like a show stand or a down, as they know that if they keep trying, eventually it will work.

Yes, the responses are incredible.  We did use clickers for agility and I was familiar with the concept but now wish I had known what to do as far as basic obedience.  Oban, being a Lab, and exceedingly focused on FOOD is getting it well anyway, despite my early training efforts.  I think since we have substituted the clicker for the command, sort of, he will be OK.  The Siberian in the class, who won't take food, from his owner's hand or from a bowl, is having a much harder time.  And we have homework to do.  We were told when we feel so confident the dog has understood the desired reaction that we are prepared to bet $50 he will do it, that's the time to start saying the word.

Never been where you did the clicker training straight away!  prefer it when you have a training session to show how to do it properly.

At my club you have an introductory talk when you first join and they explain about the clicker and how to use it, and then allow you to watch the class going on for the last 15 minutes to get the idea. Then during the week you are asked to tune the dog into the clicker as you have been shown and you join in the class the following week. I find its only really possible for some people to understand by trying it and watching others anyway.

We took Chester to clicker training when he was about 12 weeks old and he took to it really well, unfortunately, the trainer was not a nice man.  Bit of a bully who liked the sound of his own voice!  We signed up for a second course, but that was enough.  Now he's going to a more conventional training club and doing okay, but I'm happier using the clicker, and he seems to pick things up more quickly with it.

We've not been able to find another training club using clickers in our area.  Any ideas how I can find clicker based training clubs?

The Siberian in the class, who won't take food, from his owner's hand or from a bowl, is having a much harder time.

As I'm sure you know, food doesn't have to be the reward with clicker training.  If you don't have a food motivated dog you can and should substitute a reward that YOUR dog values - eg a game, a pat, whatever.  The click marks the desired behaviour and then the reward (food, game of tuggy, pat on the head etc) follows!

really glad that you both enjoyed the class, i remember the thread where you were worrying about it so glad you liked it

I've often wondered about it with Ellie - she has never been clicker trained, but if I get a treat in my hand, she will try sitting, lying down, sitting again, barking, lying down, jumping up, sitting, and so on - definitely using her brain to try to work out what I want. I taught her 'paw' by holding the treat until she pawed at my hand, then adding the command. She does seem to think it means 'enthusiastically scratch mum across wrist with claws' rather than 'hold paw out', but never mind! Doesn't it get confusing with a whole class of mad clicking going on, even with them having different tones / volumes etc?

Doesn't it get confusing with a whole class of mad clicking going on, even with them having different tones / volumes etc?

All classes I've been to (several different classes from puppy to advanced, but same trainer), each dog works indvidually all the time, never two dogs at once unless it is for stays. But I don't think it would matter if more worked as long as the dog has its eyes on the owner. I sneakily clicker train my dogs at the normal non-clicker classes I go to -I use clicker words rather than a clicker so nobody notices LOL.

This is the second class with the same trainer for the Sib. so why they did not come prepared with an alternative to food is beyond me. 

To those who remember my angst about the trainer; it is the same woman but she seems happy and good with the people.  I spoke to her on the phone beforehand and she was really friendly.  She told a young visitor quite firmly to be quiet, let the teacher talk and the doggies learn, something the child's mother should have done.  I hope the child comes back though, she is an extra little distraction we are going to face in the real world so might as well practice on her.

As to all the clickers going off, here's a funny anectdote that surprised me.  Oban was borrowed for a demonstration of "watch me" and would not even look at the trainer.  But he did look at me.  Next he was borrowed for an extension of "watch me" where we hold the treat out at arm's length and click and reward when pooch looks at us, not the treat.  Again, Oban wouldn't look at the treat or the trainer.  He was handed back to me and did it correctly instantly.  Oban's a Lab, I thought he would do anything for anyone to get food.  Not so, only for his Mum, as the trainer noted.  I'm quite pleased.