ACA Online Orientation

• Rules of ACA
• Rewarding Training Supplies
• How to Teach a Behavior: Sit
• The Behaviors to Begin Teaching Before Class
• Hints for success
• What to do if your dog is afraid of the clicker…
• More Terms and Training Theory
• Recommended Reading and Viewing
• FAQs

1. All dogs must be on lead on ACA property at all times, unless otherwise directed by instructor.
2. All Children under the age of 15 must be directly supervised by an adult at all times. Children may not "entertain" themselves while class is in session or at any time on ACA grounds.
3. Please do not drive more than 5 mph down the driveway.
4. Please clean up after your dog. There are pooper scoopers and trash cans at both ends of the building (outside). You are responsible for completely cleaning up after your own dog.
5. We have a zero-tolerance policy for aggression (full contact)—instructor determines action to be taken in cases of aggression. Dogs who exhibit aggression can be removed from class at the discretion of the instructor and A Click Above partner, Elsie Maylott.
6. In case of snow/ice OR severe storms, a message will be placed on our Facebook page regarding class cancellation.
7. Make-up classes can be taken with the permission of your instructor, in cases of canine or human illness. Please see your instructor for details.
8. Your instructors have an "open door" policy. You can email them at any time regarding class content, policies, etc. If you have questions regarding registration, please contact our registrar (registrar@aclickabovellc.com).
9. Please exercise your dog and potty him before entering the building. We have installed a very pricey state of the art floor that is super hard to clean. If your dog soils the floor, you will incur a $5 fine. No exceptions!
10. Please refer to the Operating Policies form that you agree to upon registering regarding building rules, etc.

Training is work as well as play for the dog. Therefore, he needs a "paycheck" for his efforts! A paycheck or reward is defined as anything the dog values such as food, toys, and activities (interactive play).

1. Food Rewards: Food such as kibble, yummy dog treats, cooked chicken, turkey, or beef, hot dogs, cheese, etc. The food should be small enough to be consumed in one tiny bite.
2. Toy Rewards: Toys that allow the dog and handler to engage in interactive play such as tug toys (Rope toys, fleece tugs, balls on rope/bungee/string, etc)

Define the behavior

What do you want to teach? If it is a sit, what is your definition? Picture the behavior in your mind, very clearly. Be meticulous in your mental image. Got it? Which photo shows a dog sitting? Was your definition of a sit, rear end on floor? If so, both dogs meet criteria. However, only one of them is actually doing a "sit." So you can see how specific you need to be with your criteria.

Get the behavior to happen and Reward

1. Get the behavior to happen. How do we get a dog to sit? (Keep in mind, dogs do not speak English!). Yes, they learn verbal cues but that comes later.
   • Food lure: A food lure can be used to get the dog to sit. A lure is defined as anytime the reward is used as an enticement into doing the behavior.
   • Patience! You can wait for the dog to sit
   • Physical manipulation. (Not recommended)
2. Mark the behavior with either the clicker or a verbal marker such as "good," "yes," etc.
3. Reward!
4. Repeat. If using a food lure, it is not recommended to use the food lure more than three times to get the behavior to happen.
5. Once you have done steps 2-4 approximately three times, wait to see if the dog repeats the behavior. (They usually will). Then reward again!

*A food lure should not be used more than three times to get a behavior to happen. In fact, the less you lure, the more your dog learns to offer behaviors.

Now to Add a Cue

Once your dog is offering the sit, you need to decide on a cue. To make sure your dog understands that the cue is paired with the actual behavior you want, you will add the cue last. A cue can be anything such as a hand signal, word, sound, action, etc. For this example, we will use a verbal cue: "Sit." Imagine a sit having three parts: a beginning, middle and end/finished behavior. We start adding the cue at the end of the behavior and then as the dog continues to offer "sit," we move the cue forward until it is placed at the beginning of the behavior.

1. The end of the behavior: Dog is sitting. Handler says "Sit" and marks/rewards.
2. The middle of the behavior. Dog is in the act of sitting. Handler says "sit" and marks/rewards as the dog is in the action of sitting.
3. The beginning of the behavior. Dog is in any other position, a stand for example. Handler says "Sit" and marks/rewards once dog is sitting.

Once your dog demonstrates the ability to sit when you use one cue, he is well on his way to understanding the cue.

1. Ask for behavior when you know it will happen.
2. Start in a quiet environment.
3. Add small distractions first and build on success.
4. Keep sessions short (2-5 minutes max) many times/day/week. Always keep your dog wanting more, not waiting to stop.
5. Make sure that your dog is physically capable of doing the behavior.
6. Use rewards that your dog likes or loves, not what you want him to like.
7. Split behaviors into their smallest parts for optimum success.
8. If your method is not working, don’t blame the dog! Re-evaluate what you are doing and try to break the behavior down so that the dog can be successful.
9. Up the criteria when your dog is 85% successful at the current level.
10. If your dog is confused, frustrated, or has made repeated attempts that are "wrong," have the dog do something he can do without thinking (sit, attention, etc) and reward him. If the dog keeps trying the wrong thing and does not get rewarded, he may stop trying.

Every session, at least one dog is afraid of the clicker noise. If this occurs, discontinue clicker use immediately and follow these desensitization steps:

1. Put the clicker away and use a word such as "good," "yes," etc. Say the word, then give the treat. Watch the dog for signs that he is relaxed. Do 3-4 sessions like this for about 1-1.5 minutes each session. DO NOT USE THE CLICKER AGAIN YET OR PUT DEMANDS ON THE DOG!
2. Get a Snapple lid (yes, a Snapple lid (the metal kind)). Use the word you used previously, just after "clicking" the Snapple lid. (It’s very quiet). If the dog stays calm, drop the word and just use the lid (treating after each click). Do 6-8 sessions like this for about 1-1.5 minutes each session. DO NOT USE THE CLICKER AGAIN YET OR PUT DEMANDS ON THE DOG!
3. Muffle the clicker. Take electrical or first aid tape and wrap it around the clicker. Then place the clicker in your pocket and click. You need a click that is slightly louder than the Snapple lid but not as loud as usual. Click the clicker, in your pocket, and feed. If the dog gets stressed, back up to the Snapple lid.
4. Once your dog acclimates, you can gradually take the clicker from your pocket and unwrap it. The key is to keep your dog calm. The clicker needs to be a conditioned reinforcer, not a conditioned terrorizer!!!!

A Clicker/whistle is a tool used for communication with another species (in our classes, a dog). It emits a unique sound at a faster rate than the spoken word. It can be used as a conditioned reinforcer.

When your dog is conditioned to the clicker, he/she will understand that it means two things (1) whatever he/she is doing at the time the click is heard is a desirable (and therefore rewardable) behavior, and (2) a reward is coming.

The reward is the primary reinforcer. The reward can be anything the dog finds desirable. We use a combination of food and toys in agility and obedience training--food for stationary exercises and toys for moving exercises. The clicker is the secondary (or conditioned) reinforcer.

Until your dog becomes "clicker-wise," begin each training session (maybe the second through fourth session) by "loading" the clicker. Click 5-10 times and follow each click with a desirable treat. The food should never be in sight or in the handler’s hand since we do not want the dog to be focused on the food. This applies to toys as well.

Click only once. If your dog does something exceptionally well, or has a significant breakthrough during in a training session, use multiple rewards (called a "jackpot"), not multiple clicks.

If you click, then you must reward the dog. If you do not reward after each click, then the power of the clicker is diluted. Remember to click first and reward after. Make sure you are not "tipping your hand" by putting your hand in your pocket, treat pouch, etc. as you are clicking. This could significantly muddy the waters for the dog!

The "click" ends the behavior. What your dog does after the click and while waiting for the reward does not matter.

Do not add extra body language before or as you click. Your dog should be listening for the click, not watching for a signal from you. This is especially important in agility where the dog needs to focus ahead on the obstacles.

Shaping Behaviors

The process used to teach an animal new behaviors using a clicker is called "shaping."

In clicker training, the dog must take responsibility for learning. We do not physically manipulate the dog to teach the desired behaviors. Instead, we wait for the dog to offer increments of the behavior, and use the clicker to communicate to the dog that such behavior is the desired response.

If the dog is not offering the behavior, or is confused, we may help them out in the beginning by "luring" using a piece of food. This assistance, however, is used typically no more than three times, since we do not want the dog to become dependent on the food lure.

As the dog progresses, we raise our standards so more is expected from the dog in order for him/her to get a "click." As further progress is seen, we switch from a schedule of continuous reinforcement (clicking every time the correct behavior is offered) to a schedule of variable reinforcement (clicking randomly, after 1, 2, 3, or more offerings of the correct behavior).

A schedule of variable reinforcement is where we want to eventually head. When an animal does not know when he/she is going to earn the "click," he/she will actually put forth more effort. The ultimate schedule of variable reinforcement in agility is the dog’s ability to complete a 20 (or more) obstacle course at a constant speed and level of enthusiasm—they know they will be reinforced, but they don't know when so they continue to work for it. This is something that is built up over time from single obstacle (or behavior) work to sequence work to full course run-throughs (or multiple cued behaviors).

The Four Parts of Operant Conditioning

Note: In operant conditioning "positive" means "adding" and "negative" meaning "subtracting" or "removing."

Positive Reinforcement: Adding something the dog values (food, toys/play, petting, praise) to increase the probability of the behavior happening. We use positive reinforcement as our primary method of training.

Negative Reinforcement: Removing something from the dog to increase the probability of the behavior happening.

Positive Punishment: Adding something the dog dislikes (collar jerk) to inhibit behavior.

Negative Punishment: Removing something the dog wants (such as your attention, or the opportunity to earn rewards) to decrease the behavior from happening. We suggest this method of “punishment” to refocus an inattentive dog both during and away from agility class. Put them in a crate or tie them safely on a short leash and ignore them for a period of time. To make the "punishment" even more "severe," play with and /or feed another dog in full sight of the offender.

Terms

Premack Principle

The opportunity to engage in a desired activity reinforces the behavior required to earn the opportunity. Example: A dog who loves car rides must sit before the car door is opened and he earns the car ride.

Reinforcer

Anything the dog finds rewarding.

Cue

The name or signal understood by the dog to initiate the behavior

Lure

Reward used as an enticement to get behavior. This should be used sparingly, as a rule of thumb, no more than three times.

• Don’t Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor
• ****Ruff Love***, Crate Games, and/or Shaping Success by Susan Garrett (available at www.cleanrun.com)
• Clean Run Magazine. A *must* have for any agility enthusiast. (available at www.cleanrun.com)
• Agility Folks: Mary Ellen Barry’s Foundation Series in Clean Run Magazine and her DVDs also (available at www.cleanrun.com)

1. Can I use praise instead of food in training?

   Sure, you can use praise. However, how long would you work on something very difficult for an ,"Atta boy!"? While dogs love praise and petting, they value food and play much more.

2. Can my children come to watch training?

   Yes, they may come! We encourage interested family members to attend training. Keep in mind that children must be directly supervised by a parent at all times.

3. My dog pulls. What type of collar would you recommend?

   We recommend the use of a Gentle Leader and/or an Easy Walk Harness. We sell and can fit your dog for either option.

   The Gentle Leader

   The Easy Walk Harness

4. My Husband and I both want to train our dog. Can we both come to class and take turns training?

   We understand everyone’s enthusiasm to train and encourage family members to participate in training. What we recommend is that the dog have one consistent trainer in class. Consistency of training and trainers can help your dog progress more quickly in class, avoiding confusion. Check with your instructor about her suggestions on alternating trainers at home or in class.