Good idea, thanks. I'll have to try that.

So how did you do it using a target and get her to touch understand that the "touch" command is not only used for your hand or things you are holding? Also, thanks for the video. Looked like the dog got a little frustrated because he didn't totally understand. lol But he got it and that was awesome.

I don't really understand how to teach your dog the freeshaping method when they aren't used to figuring it out and trying new things to try to get the click. Lacee thinks that if she does the right thing she gets a click and if she doesn't do it right then she doesn't get a click. How do teach them that they're still doing something good but they need to take it a step further on their own and figure it out? How do teach your dog to understand freeshaping?

Look for the tiniest, tiniest movement in that direction.

I had the same problem with you with targetting and that's why I moved onto freeshaping.

The fact that I had food and a toy got her attention... she stood in front of me totally confused and just as she decided 'humph I don't know what I'm doing!' and looked away (in the direction of the drawer) I clicked and rewarded her.
Interest was then renewed so she tried her entire repertoire of tricks again and then walked off to the left 'click!'
She got the idea then that a side step to the left was required so I only clicked the steps that were closer to the drawer.
At some point she suddenly realised 'OH! it's got something to do with that drawer'
We had all sorts then, trying to get in the drawer, removing cutlery, pushing it from the side not the front but as soon as she touched the front 'click!' and reward.
Once she was touching reliably, she was only clicked for actually making the drawer move.
When she closed it, she got a jackpot, and we repeated it again 10 minutes later, and again after that until it took less pushes to shut the drawer. After the first food jackpot, she got to play tug (her favourite) for shutting it completely.

Hope that helps a little - try and pick out the very tiniest movement in the right direction, she'll try it again and when she realises it's working she'll make the movements bigger

Stick with it, you'll get there.

Ok, so today I tried the freeshaping method and I got her to where she would look at the drawer and I would click and treat. But I couldn't get her past that point. She would just sit there staring at me and not try to do anything else. She would do the looking the drawer thing a little bit then go back to just staring at me not knowing what to do. She didn't try to figure it out either. She just sat there. Then she got bored and walked away not wanting to do it anymore so I called her back and clicked and gave her a treat again when she would look at the drawer. She got bored of this and layed down and didn't want to do it anymore.

Help!

After trying to do freeshaping for awhile I decided to take kicks idea and put the tupperware lid on a long plastic spoon. She understands the touch command very well and did well with it being on the end of the spoon away from my hand. So I put the spoon down and told her "touch" trying to get her to touch the lid even though it was now on the ground. I did get her to touch the lid when I said "touch" so I stuck the lid onto the cupboard door and told her "touch" again. She would touch it very lightly not making the door move at all but I would click and treat because it was progress and I was trying to build her up to closing the door completley. This was good I thought so we did that for a little bit longer. Well... it's weird, I guess this is just a part of dog training, but she would understand it and do it and act like she really got it cause she would keep doing it then she would act like she didn't understand again. I did get her to close the door a couple of times and I would click and give her a jackpot for doing it right. Then she would act like she didn't know what I wanted her to do again and just do nothing. I would say "touch" and point to the lid on the door and she would touch it and I would give her a treat but we were kind of stuck there. She got sick of trying to understand and went and layed down. We tried after a little break and she would touch when I said "touch" but we couldn't get past that point and she would get bored and go lay down again. What do I do??????

hi,

i would maybe take it more slowly, start with holding the spoon target right infront of the door, so that in effect she's touching to door (or drawer) via the spoon, if she does that, stop. Repeat that for a couple of sessions, then stick the target on the door but use the spoon to guide her, gradually ease the spoon away over a couple of sessions.

Hope that helps

Hazel xxx

I used a yellow memo sticky and stuck that to the drawer, and encouraged/lured her to touch it with her nose - she already knows Touch.

Then after about 10 repetitions, we had a break. We then went back to it and I asked her to Touch the same memo sticky, but I'd cut it down so it was pretty small. Then I removed it, and asked for Touch and by then she knew what to do.

It's often a case of waiting until the dog is "fluent" in the previous bit of criteria you have asked for (but OTOH if you stick there for too long the dog may not want to move along! )


Don't be afraid to lure, and also to click any movement towards what you want.


Yup, clicker dogs sometimes get frustrated but that is often when they can show brilliance - it's a good form of stress if you like - and very good for keeping minds active

I use the "101 things to do with a box" - just get a box and literally click them forany interaction with it - going past it, touching it, sitting in it - nosing it, anything literally.

This gives them the idea of trying and puts them on the right path.

Ensure the dog has a break between sessions :smt001

Learn to wait the dog out - I occasionally have waited up to 30 seconds - you get to know your own dog, of course sometimes you do have to help a bit but learning to wait for them to work it out is a good thing. Dont take it too far though or the dog may lose interest/confidence. The more you do, the more you will understand.

I recommend Clicker Training for Dogs by Karen Pryor - lots is explained in there, and there's a photo sequence of 101 things to do with a box!

Wys
x

Adding to the excellent advice given above...

If it's a big thing that she has managed to touch the door, then give her a jackpot and walk away.

Try again a little later. You don't need to get the whole behaviour in one session if she's finding it difficult.

You don't want her to get up and go away - you need to leave it at a positive point before she gets fed up.

So as soon as she realises she has to touch it, jackpot and go have a game of fetch/tug of war etc.

Then a while later go back to it - you'll probably find she's remembered that she has to touch it because of what happened last time.

It can be difficult, I tried teaching 'door' using our lounge door but because the carpets thick it's harder to push and Takara got bored and just barked at me instead

Stick with it - and remember to stop the session at a positive point regularly so that she doesn't get bored

PS. Wys is right 101 things to do with a box is a good idea too - they learn the freeshaping method while playing and being naturally inquistive.

Thanks everyone. I'll keep trying and let you know of any progress. I'm sure it's partialy me not knowing exactly what I'm doing with this. I haven't done much clicker training. Really the only thing I've ever done with it so far is teach Lacee to wave and to touch and teach my cat to sit. So I'm still learning too. So thanks for the advice.