I have another Water Training question. Has anyone ever tried to train the Water Trial exercises with a clicker? Did the training work? If it worked, did it improve the dog's confidence, focus or attitude? I am asking because over the years, I have dabbled in clicker training and would think this may help Ursa with her boat issues. Although being on the ground and being on water are completely different (we have a boat platform on wheels we use to train the boat movement and jumping), I did some clicker work with Ursa this morning and her attitude was better. I would just like to hear about other peoples' experiences.
Water Training with a Clicker
- Thread starter newfiemum
- Start date
pecanpiepatti
New member
Use it all the time; helps transition land exercises to water exercises; clicker helps mark the correct behavior. Don't know about where you train, but our lake is noisy (water, wind, boats, other swimmers); clicker helps keep their attention - they KNOW when clicked they've done something right!
Capri
New member
Clicker is excellent for getting the correct timing of the reward. Therefore, depending on what exercises you are doing and how you're using the clicker you can use it to boost a dog's confidence. Through positive reinforcement of the behaviour (and timing it right with the clicker), the dog'll be more certain (more confident) on what's the correct behaviour and what's not, and therefore be more likely to perform the exercise how it's supposed to be done.
But just know that the TIMING is the most important thing, if you're timing it wrong (or inconsistently) your dog'll get even more confused than before.
But just know that the TIMING is the most important thing, if you're timing it wrong (or inconsistently) your dog'll get even more confused than before.
Capri, if you don't mind, I would like to "pick your brain". In regards to a jump off a boat, when would be the best time to click, when I say the word "jump" or when the dog's starts the jump motion?
By the way, I really wanted to go to the seminar you had here in the states. A friend of mine went with her two newfs and she loved it!
By the way, I really wanted to go to the seminar you had here in the states. A friend of mine went with her two newfs and she loved it!
Capri
New member
You click when she's performing the action, i.e. jumping (actually at the precise moment when she's already contracting her muscles and pushing off the side). Just make sure she's already at the point of no return, i.e. so that there's no possibility for you to click and her to stop the action (i.e. not to jump). If you're unsure or not good with the clicker, click when she's already in the air.
Do practice just jumping off random things, or over things (sand piles, tree trunks, stairs/steps, agility jumps etc.), not just off the one platform you have especially made for training the jump. You want the jump to become a reflex, where she'll jump even in just air when you say the word.
(Remember to train the jumps sitting next to her, or on the ground, not only when you're standing)
If you were to click when you say the word (instead of the action), you're clicking = rewarding for whatever she's doing at the time of the word. So if you say jump = click when she's sitting in the boat looking at you, you're associating the word with the stay (what she's doing at the time you click) instead of the wanted action.
So.. for training the jump..
Click when she's already jumping (not just wobbling about to go), as you want to "mark" the jump as the action.
I'm glad to hear that she enjoyed the trainings, she sure had good dogs so we were able to do quite a lot with the two
.
Do practice just jumping off random things, or over things (sand piles, tree trunks, stairs/steps, agility jumps etc.), not just off the one platform you have especially made for training the jump. You want the jump to become a reflex, where she'll jump even in just air when you say the word.
(Remember to train the jumps sitting next to her, or on the ground, not only when you're standing)
If you were to click when you say the word (instead of the action), you're clicking = rewarding for whatever she's doing at the time of the word. So if you say jump = click when she's sitting in the boat looking at you, you're associating the word with the stay (what she's doing at the time you click) instead of the wanted action.
So.. for training the jump..
Click when she's already jumping (not just wobbling about to go), as you want to "mark" the jump as the action.
I'm glad to hear that she enjoyed the trainings, she sure had good dogs so we were able to do quite a lot with the two
.