Withdrawing the clicker and reward

[SkyeSue]

This is just an example.  Chloe can now put around 10 toys in her box. Up until now, I've been clicking and rewarding for each toy she puts away. The only voice cues I've introduced are "put it in the box" for each toy, and when she's put one away, I say "get another one" and she does all this no problem. I'm just a bit unsure how to withdraw the clicker now. Tonight, I tried to get her to pick up all toys by voice command but didn't click or treat at all until the end, but it took her ages to do it, and I'm not sure if I'm pushing her too hard. She seemed to be getting a bit frustrated.
Any thoughts, comments, much appreciated as always 

[Karma]

I think you've probably moved on too quickly....

Try clicking and treating every second toy she puts away for a while... and build up gradually! 

[SkyeSue]

I think you've probably moved on too quickly....

Try clicking and treating every second toy she puts away for a while... and build up gradually! 

Thanks Claire, it's pretty obvious really isn't it, I feel like a right numpty not being able to figure that out for myself 

[Karma]

It's always easier when you're not sat doing it yourself.... 

[Mudmagnets]

You could perhaps also try not having so many toys out at a time, so it is not so long before she gets the treat and praise and does not get bored with the game?

[Rats and Dogs]

Chloe is doing so well Sue, not sure if you've posted it before, but how did you get her to put a toy away in the first place? I could certainly do with teaching Duggie that one, as he has just discovered how to take them out, bring them upstairs and leave them under the bed!

[Top Barks]

I build it up gradually I click and treat for putting one toy away, then click and treat for showing interest in another, then picking another up then bringing it towards the basket and so on usually when they get the hang of putting all the pieces together I just add one toy at a time and click and treat each one until they are putting them all away for one click.
Try not to tell them what you want but use the clicker to point them in the right direction.
Remember the hotter colder game as a kid, the dog needs to be told it is getting warmer and that is where the clicker comes in.
Hope this makes sense.
Mark

[Crazy Cocker Gang]

i would put it on a variable reward schedule sue. keep her interested by not knowing when she is going to be rewarded. sometimes its every other toy sometimes she has to put four in that type of thing. then i would introduce jackpots which im a huge fan of, rather than always getting one treat for every click occasionally you click and give a handful fed one at a time. my dogs behaviour becomes really strong when i do this. i always vary the reward i give and how much of it i give once a behavior is established with the aim of rewarding it less and less until im only rewarding every so often and sometimes its the huge jackpots it really keeps the dog guessing. hope that helps.

[Top Barks]

Would you put a behaviour on a variable shedule before it was complete and on cue???

[Rats and Dogs]

Remember the hotter colder game as a kid, the dog needs to be told it is getting warmer and that is where the clicker comes in.
Hope this makes sense.
Mark

It makes perfect sense, particularly the summing up - it's something I'm planning to try with Duggie over the next few months. Thanks.

[Crazy Cocker Gang]

i was looking at it as if the behaviour was on cue and seeing its completion as different. sue tells chloe to put a toy in the box and that's the start of the behaviour with the behaviour completed when chloe puts the toy in the box. when sue asks chloe to get another one what shes asking for is a repetition of the behaviour. the reason i said put it on variable reward was because i was thinking it would teach chloe its the original toy and the repetition being rewarded so sue could then fade out the and another teaching chloe to put toys in until told to stop.  am wrong a lot tho :-)

[SkyeSue]

Thanks Jo and Mark for confusing me even more No, just kidding, I think I know what you're on about  I did everything Mark said in his post, and I didn't introduce any voice commands until she was dropping things in the box fairly consistently. I think I just pushed the boat out too much last night by expecting her to pick up that many toys and drop them without clicking or treating. Having said that I praised her excitedly each time a toy was dropped but she was definitely looking for the click and treat. I'll video it, and perhaps you guys can comment for me 
Really interesting point Jo, I "think" I agree 

[Top Barks]

i was looking at it as if the behaviour was on cue and seeing its completion as different. sue tells chloe to put a toy in the box and that's the start of the behaviour with the behaviour completed when chloe puts the toy in the box. when sue asks chloe to get another one what shes asking for is a repetition of the behaviour. the reason i said put it on variable reward was because i was thinking it would teach chloe its the original toy and the repetition being rewarded so sue could then fade out the and another teaching chloe to put toys in until told to stop.  am wrong a lot tho :-)

See what you mean Jo, I just see putting one toy away as part of the behaviour of putting more than one toy away on one cue which is why I questioned your suggestion.
If the behaviour of putting one toy away is fluent then I would be delaying my click after Chloe had put the toy in the box to see what she offered next.
My next click would be any interaction towards another toy on the floor, whether that be a look or move towards etc. Once the behaviour of putting a toy away and going back getting another one was fluent with two toys I would repeat again although because learning had taken place I may be able to click bigger chunks of behaviour.