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I have had quite a few pm's asking advice about clicker-training, and so I thought (and I hope you don't mind) that rather than reply individually to each one I would just start a thread on clicker-training that everyone who is interested can read.
Basically, it is a form of training based upon what is called `operant conditioning'. It is the same theory as that of Pavlov's Dog. Ie - a bell was rung every time the dog was fed, and eventually the dog only had to hear the bell and would start to salivate, expecting food.
The bell (or click, or whistle, or whatever you use) acts as a `bridge' between the command/action and the reward - something that inextricably links the two in the learning process. Eventually the bridge can be removed, leaving the link between the two a solid learned behaviour. Rewards can then be gradually withdrawn, leaving a learned behaviour that feels natural to the animal involved, and more importantly, it is something that places the animal under virtually no pressure at all, and something they generally highly enjoy.
Clicker-training can be used for a variety of purposes - to teach basic commands, to curb bad behaviour, and to teach tricks and agility. It works in ALL animals with an ability to hear. There have actually been successfully clicker-trained goldfish!!
I believe that clicker-training has many advantages over more `traditional' methods of training:
1. It is VERY fast.
2. It is thoroughly effective - behaviours learned in this way are retained very solidly in much less time.
3. It is highly enjoyable for the animal being trained.
4. It is VERY easy to learn for the trainer, and a very rewarding way to interact with your animal.
I have clicker-trained all of my cats and also Ruby, and would like to point out that this is not as a method of control. I intially trained the cats because as kittens they exhibited dangerous behaviours such as chewing on television cords or jumping on benches with knives and/or other hazardous objects on them. It is a method based on reward and encouragement, NOT domination and control.
If anyone would like to know more about it, or more specific training tips, please reply to this thread. Hopefully it will help lots of people!
Basically, it is a form of training based upon what is called `operant conditioning'. It is the same theory as that of Pavlov's Dog. Ie - a bell was rung every time the dog was fed, and eventually the dog only had to hear the bell and would start to salivate, expecting food.
The bell (or click, or whistle, or whatever you use) acts as a `bridge' between the command/action and the reward - something that inextricably links the two in the learning process. Eventually the bridge can be removed, leaving the link between the two a solid learned behaviour. Rewards can then be gradually withdrawn, leaving a learned behaviour that feels natural to the animal involved, and more importantly, it is something that places the animal under virtually no pressure at all, and something they generally highly enjoy.
Clicker-training can be used for a variety of purposes - to teach basic commands, to curb bad behaviour, and to teach tricks and agility. It works in ALL animals with an ability to hear. There have actually been successfully clicker-trained goldfish!!
I believe that clicker-training has many advantages over more `traditional' methods of training:
1. It is VERY fast.
2. It is thoroughly effective - behaviours learned in this way are retained very solidly in much less time.
3. It is highly enjoyable for the animal being trained.
4. It is VERY easy to learn for the trainer, and a very rewarding way to interact with your animal.
I have clicker-trained all of my cats and also Ruby, and would like to point out that this is not as a method of control. I intially trained the cats because as kittens they exhibited dangerous behaviours such as chewing on television cords or jumping on benches with knives and/or other hazardous objects on them. It is a method based on reward and encouragement, NOT domination and control.
If anyone would like to know more about it, or more specific training tips, please reply to this thread. Hopefully it will help lots of people!