I am an avid clicker trainer when it comes to dogs, but I've never really tried it with cats. I know there has been some success with it, but have any of you tried clicker training your cats/kittens? If so, what were your observations?
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clicker training?
- Thread starter animalgirl
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I wouldn't try it, I'm not here to control my cats..
We did very basic training for my cats (when I lived with my parents). Making a clicking sound would call them, but we never advanced beyond that.
We didn't use clicking, but my first cat did learn some voice commands, like beg and I believe 'stay'. That was a while ago, though.
We didn't use clicking, but my first cat did learn some voice commands, like beg and I believe 'stay'. That was a while ago, though.
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I used it with Sashka when she was so mental that I thought she was going to hurt herself. I don't see it as a method of control - it's training, same as with dogs or other animals - including children. Sometimes they need to be taught to stop doing things that are dangerous to themselves or others.Originally Posted by WellingtonCats
I wouldn't try it, I'm not here to control my cats..
I've had a very high amount of success with it with my puppy - on Sashka I just used it to stop her from chewing on the television cords or jumping up on really high benches she couldn't get down from, or scratching me to pieces when she played. She really loved it, too - she was always so ready for her little training sessions!!
How does it work?
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cliclker training in dogs .. works by positive reinforcement.. say doggy sits you click the clicker and give a treat ...
I am clicker trained by my cats not the other way around...lol
I am clicker trained by my cats not the other way around...lol
i havent used it on my cats but dogs and horses. they LOVE IT its not control alot of them will actually BEG to hear the clicker
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It's formally known as `operant conditioning' and it is used by associating the sound of something (ie, bell, whistle, clicker) to teach an animal to recognise a good behaviour and then receive a reward for offering that behaviour.
For example, when I taught my puppy to sit, I waited with a clicker and a treat until she sat by herself without being told (as puppies will, if you leave them long enough - to start with you need patience!!!). As soon as she did this, I clicked and gave her a treat. Then I waited until she did it again. After about three or four minutes she started associating the behaviour with the click and then the treat.
When she was really starting to offer a `sit' very consistently, knowing she would be rewarded, I added in the word command `sit' with the click and treat. After a few more minutes you move to a different environment and do it a few more times, and then start using the command before they offer the action. So when you say `sit', they sit. Then you can stop using the clicker at all, and just reward when they do what's been taught, and then you can stop giving a treat. If they still sit when told, they've learned a behaviour through absolute positive reinforcement - a behaviour they started by offering you in the first place (no forcing involved) and a behaviour that is taught by conditioning so they never, ever forget it.
Ruby learned to sit in less than ten minutes, has never forgotten and loved her training to bits! It's a very nice way to bond with your animal. It does take some practice but it's wonderfully rewarding and fun.
