Why is clicker training good?
Speeds up learning process
-Cuts training time in half.
Always exactly the same
- neutral
- non emotional
- consistent.
Used during the acquisition phase of training a new behavior
Muscles in motion.
- click before the dog stops moving.
- observation is the precursor to good timing.
Accidentally reinforce the wrong behavior.
Clicked too late so dog is rewarded for mouthing your hand instead of touching.
Brought to dog training by Karen prior and Gary Wilkes
Two types of markers?
Terminal
Click signals the end of a behavior
- Conditioned to hear sound- behavior finished- reset.
Continuation
Lets dog know to continue engaging in current behavior.
- great for chaining.
Targeting
Teaching a dog to touch a specific body part to a designated location.
Eg nose to a target. Paw to a hand.
- have to teach targeting first before acquiring new behavior
Chaining (def)
2 types:
Pairing behaviors to complete a new behavior.
Forward chaining - teaching first element in the chain to the last element. (A,B,C)
Backward chaining - (C,B,A)
Jackpot
Large, unexpected reward.
- dog makes a breakthrough.
Application of clicker training.
Great for desensitization
- eg nails clipped
Fears or phobias
- going to the vet
Training movie animals, marine mammals and horses.
5 methods
- luring
- molding
- modeling
- capturing
- shaping
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Luring
A reward held in front of dog to guide into position
- need to wean away ASAP or dog becomes dependent on lure.
Molding
Physically assisting into position.
- dog may become dependent on physical prompt
Modeling
Watching and imitating behavior.
Eg dog watches another dog get a reward for sitting so he sits as well
- dogs don’t imitate humans
Capturing
Dog offers a desired behavior on its own and is rewarded with a timely click.
Eg. Sit. Dogs offer this behavior more often.
- can’t capture is dog doesn’t offer behavior.
Shaping
Rewarding close approximations of desired behavior
- need to understand the behavior you want.
- what are you clicking for?
- what are you not clicking for?
- hold off from clicking an earlier learned behavior.
What is clicker training?
Neutral marker paired with primary reinforcement.
- a conditioned reinforcer. Dog learns the marker means a reward is coming.
Taking a picture of the behavior at that exact moment.
Bridging stimulus between behavior and reward
When do you use clicker training?
During the Acquisition phase of teaching a new behavior.
