Dog Community

Clicking for competition??

Posted : 3/4/2007 2:23:24 PM

How do I click for "perfect" heels, downs, stays, and the like? Joy has a really nice loose-leash walk, and I can get her to look at me if I say to watch. Her downs are half-hearted, and she doesn't down from a stand. She sits, then downs. I re-trained her for going to the stand from the down, but she isn't really getting the hang of it.

Any suggestions?

agilebasenji

Posted : 3/4/2007 2:27:07 PM

Clicker Training for Obedience by Morgan Spector
It is written to take you through the upper levels of OB. It's really one of my favorite clicker books.

Haleigh

Posted : 3/4/2007 2:35:37 PM

Thank you! I think I'll order that with my other clicker books[

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dobedvm

Posted : 3/4/2007 5:19:49 PM

yup, anything i could really recommend would come from morgan spector's book!

spiritdogs

Posted : 3/4/2007 11:44:33 PM

I really like Spector's book, and I also like Shirley Chong's heeling DVD. You can get that at Tawzer Dog Videos.

mudpuppy

Posted : 3/5/2007 11:55:17 AM

If you want to improve a behavior, think about what the dog is currently offering, and try click n treat only for those that are above average. So your dog is slow in the down-- lets say the average is five seconds between cue and down. So for the next week, you give the cue, count in your head until the dog is down, and if the dog made it down in five seconds or longer, you simply praise; if the dog made it down in under five seconds, click n treat. After a few sessions your dog's average time should have improved, so now you shift your criteria to requiring a slightly faster down than before before you give a click n treat.
Only work on one aspect of a behavior at a time or you will confuse the dog. For example, don't work on the straightness of a sit at the same time as you work on speed of sitting.