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Home
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Training > Basic Dog Training Tips
Basic Dog Training Tips
Australian Shepherd Training Ideas Using Clicker Dog Training
Techniques
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By Lynn Whinery,
Bonza
Canine Education
Lynn provides basic dog training
and clicker dog trainig classes in the Imperial Beach
or San Diego county area and is a full member of APDT
(Association of Pet Dog Trainers). |
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Get your Australian Shepherd
training off to a good start with these clicker puppy training
ideas.
Basic Dog Training Tip:
Name Recognition
Say your dog’s name once. If he turns to look at you, C/T.
If he doesn’t, make a kissy noise. When he looks at you,
C/T.
If he’s already looking at you, say his name and C/T. The
purpose of this exercise is to teach him that his name is a good
thing. After 10-20 times of this, he should instantly look at
you when you say his name. If not, keep working at it.
Have friends and family join in. Get a group of people together,
have one person say Bruiser’s name, and then C/T when he
looks. Everyone takes turns in random order.
Note: If Bruiser already associates his name
with getting in trouble, be sure and use a VERY high value reward.
Try baby food in a jar, chicken, scrambled eggs, anything that
really excites your dog. It’s important he learns that hearing
his name is rewarding!.
Basic Dog Training Tip:
Watch Me
C/T Bruiser whenever he makes eye contact with you, even if you
haven’t said his name. When he’s reached the point
where he’s comfortable looking at you for several seconds,
add the cue ‘watch me’.
As always, start these exercises in a low distraction area, and
wait until he’s responding reliably before adding distractions.
Basic Dog Training Tip:
Sit
Wait for Bruiser to sit. When he does, C/T. It’s okay if
his bottom pops up right away, as long as you clicked while his
bottom was on the ground. Now, wait until he sits again, and C/T.
After a few repetitions he will catch on, and realize the sit
is what’s being clicked. Then you probably won’t be
able to get him to move, his bottom is so firmly planted on the
ground! So take a few steps backward and encourage him to come
to you. Keep moving around the room, and Bruiser will come to
you and sit. When he is reliably offering a sit at least 90% of
the time, start saying ‘Sit’ AS he sits. Then start
saying it just before he sits, and pretty soon the word will elicit
the behavior.
If Bruiser won’t offer a sit, you can lure it. Simply hold
a treat just barely above his head, and move it back toward the
tail. (Be sure the treat isn’t too high, because he will
try to jump to get it.) He will try to follow it with his eyes,
and in order to do so will tip his head backwards. As this happens
he will be forced to sit in order to follow the treat. When he
sits, C/T. After a few repetitions, stop luring. You want Bruiser
to think for himself.
Basic Dog Training Tip:
Down
First of all, be sure that everyone in the household understands
what ‘down’ means. Down means ‘lay down’,
whereas ‘off’ means ‘get off of whatever you’re
currently on’ (person, place, or thing).
The easiest way to teach down is probably to lure it. Tell Bruiser
to sit, but only give him praise, no C/T. (Remember, ‘click’
ends the behavior. You’re not teaching sit, you’re
teaching down, so he hasn’t earned his click yet.) Now,
take a treat, and move it from his nose down just in front of
his front feet. As he follows it with his nose, he will be forced
to day down. When his elbows hit the ground, C/T. With some dogs,
you may have to slowly move the treat along the ground, away from
the dog, to get him to follow it into a down. If Bruiser refuses
to lay down, make sure you’re practicing in a low distraction
area like the bathroom. When there’s nothing interesting
going on, Bruiser will be more likely to cooperate. After luring
a few downs, stop luring with a treat and just move your hand
in a downward motion. Bruiser will follow your hand. Then, start
saying ‘down’ as you gesture. After a few more repetitions
start saying ‘down’ to elicit the behavior. Always
‘fade’ the lure as quickly as possibly, to encourage
Bruiser to figure things out on his own.
Basic Dog Training Tip:
Stand
When Bruiser is sitting, call him forward. The second he stands,
C/T. You can lure it by holding a treat out, and moving it away
from him. When he stands, let him nibble on the treat before giving
it to him, to encourage him to stand still for a moment. Introduce
the cue as you did for Sit and Down.
Stay tuned for more basic dog training and clicker dog
training articles.
If you are interested in trying clicker dog training with your
Aussie you can get the clicker dog training aid i-Click from Karen
Pryor Clicker Training. For clicker dog training classes in
Imperial Beach or San Diego county area contact Lynn Whinery at
Bonza Canine
Education.
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