What have I done wrong now

[*Theresa*]

I would like to try and blame Glen but I know I must be doing something wrong as clicker training works for everyone else.

We started off quite well I thought click treat click treat etc but somehow I have managed to get Glen to associate click treat with sit and now he its all he will do when I click. How do I get him to see he is being treated for the click and not for the sit? The second I click he sits and I can't beat him to giving the treat before he parks his bum.   Argh   

[clairep4]

How about if you click, but don't give him the treat till he's standing up again (I think there can be about 15 seconds between the click and treat for them still to connect the click with the treat). So maybe have the treats at the other end of the room where you're training so that hopefully he'll come with you to get the treat? Tricky one though!

[Cob-Web]

What behaviour are you clicking for?

The click "marks" the fact that he is doing something right, but to start with will also mark the end of the action too 

Once you have got a reliable response to a verbal command and/or hand signal, you can begin to extend the time they are in position before you click, and also start to string commands together before you click and treat - puppy push-ups are a great way of reinforcing commands, clicking after a series of three or even more commands 

[Max X 2]

Max does this the majority of the time too    I'm still trying to teach him stand  

I'm trying clicker training to help with the loose-lead-walking at the moment, so have to carry on walking when he has his treat as he automatically stops, sits & looks up at me with his gorgeous eyes which say Where's the treat?  

[Cob-Web]

Max does this the majority of the time too    I'm still trying to teach him stand 

I'm trying clicker training to help with the loose-lead-walking at the moment, so have to carry on walking when he has his treat as he automatically stops, sits & looks up at me with his gorgeous eyes which say Where's the treat? 

Sounds like he's doing great - just begin to extend the time between clicks and he'll be there 

[*Theresa*]

We discovered the problem when we were trying to get him to associate the click with a treat. I then moved onto sit stay but to be honest he pretty much had that sussed already which might be where I went wrong, I maybe should have tried something else. When I tried to get him to respond to me calling him the second he looked my way I would click but then and he would sit down like he'd been shot.   Not really the response I was after.  

[Cob-Web]

He obviously understands the click means treat, so I would try training another behaviour - down, stand, paw may be good ones to start with as you can lure him if you want - clicker-training recall can be a bit more tricky and needs good timing 

[Max X 2]

Max does this the majority of the time too    I'm still trying to teach him stand 

I'm trying clicker training to help with the loose-lead-walking at the moment, so have to carry on walking when he has his treat as he automatically stops, sits & looks up at me with his gorgeous eyes which say Where's the treat? 

Sounds like he's doing great - just begin to extend the time between clicks and he'll be there 

Yes I've started clicking less as the little devil automatically pulls as soon as he's had his treat, otherwise his eyes are firmly fixed on my hand, licking his lips  



Good luck with Glen.  I have to admit I think it's usually the trainers (ie us  ) that are getting it wrong, not the dog!

I think I did the same as you as when we did alot of the basic training I never used a clicker, so now I want to teach him more I thought if we started by doing the basics (ie sit) that he would then register that the click+treat come when he's done as he's told.

[*Theresa*]

Ahh the whole walk before I can run scenario  . Thought it might be something like that. Will aim for paw next then as everyone keeps asking him for one after he has sat and he just licks their hand when they hold it out. The looks on their faces was enough to avoid training him not to do it. 

[Max X 2]

We found the best way for paw was to have a treat in the hand (palm facing down to the floor) & put your wrist near his shoulder (ish?), although we didn't use a clicker for this. 

[Cob-Web]

You could also try varying the way you *give* the treat - sometimes dropping it at the dogs feet rather than giving it from your hand 

[LouiseH]

We discovered the problem when we were trying to get him to associate the click with a treat. I then moved onto sit stay but to be honest he pretty much had that sussed already which might be where I went wrong, I maybe should have tried something else. When I tried to get him to respond to me calling him the second he looked my way I would click but then and he would sit down like he'd been shot.   Not really the response I was after.  

Don't worry about the click-treat thing, move onto something else and forget about the association, from my experience sit is their favourite command and easiest to do, first thing they think of to get what they want  probably because it's the first thing we drill into them! He obviously has the association sussed as no dog would do anything to get a click unless there was a treat involved in the early stages, too clever for that. From what I understand you click at the same time as giving the treat...which should be as soon as the dog performs the command you have asked for, what they decide to do after is irrelevant so I wouldn't worry about it.


JMHO

[Joules]

My problem with Coco is that when I tell her to sit, she does, then immediately goes into a down.  How do I get her just to stay in a sit?  At the moment I have to go through the sit command again but then she promptly drops into a down    Perhaps she is just lazy and fancies a lie down! 

[LouiseH]

My problem with Coco is that when I tell her to sit, she does, then immediately goes into a down.  How do I get her just to stay in a sit?  At the moment I have to go through the sit command again but then she promptly drops into a down    Perhaps she is just lazy and fancies a lie down! 

Try teaching her to stand following a sit, i.e. teach it as a combo, where she will get the click/treat only at the stand position, then once she has mastered that change the combo to confuse her 

[Joules]

Thanks, I will try that!