Clicker Training 101

For going on two decades now (I don’t know why that seemed easier than saying 20 years, but it was) I have been interested in clicker training. When I first heard about it, I found a little metal frog clicker (that should prove how long ago it was) and attempted to use it on my old bay gelding with out much success.

I have had a book here: CLICKER TRAINING FOR YOUR HORSE by Alexandra Kurland for several years as well and just never… you know… took the time.

For whatever reason while looking up another item on eBay, I came across a set of four training clickers for a really good price and FREE SHIPPING – next to CLEARANCE, one of my favorite things to see. The clickers arrived and have been here for a couple of weeks. I carried one around for several days to see if I could self-modify any negative behaviors I might exhibit, but it was obvious, even to me, that I did not have the basic principles understood.

I had been carrying the clicker book around with me after the clickers came. I would tuck it under my arm on errands in case anyone made me wait in line, and I would lay it on top of the ever present pile of books that surround me hoping I would have a lightning strike of motivation to open the cover.

Last night was the night. I cracked the cover and did not just look at the photos and close it. I read the beginning chapters. Interesting stuff! The dogs were at my feet, there were meat scraps from supper nearby, the clicker was within reach… let’s see, I need a “target”…. Ah, a dressage whip on the desk (don’t we all?) I had been meaning to take out to the horses. I rubbed the end of the whip tassel with some of the meat to make it smell interesting and placed it where it was just above Radar (the rat terrier’s) nose. He reached up to sniff the end and touched the tassel. I clicked and fed him a treat. He is definitely interested now. Bella, the wonder dog, approaches to see what we are doing. I put the end of the whip close, Radar touches the end, I click, he gets a treat, and Bella runs. She still has some baggage she is working through. She did come back and watch and was able to tolerate the clicks and finally got a treat when she did not bolt when I clicked.

By attempt number three, Radar has this game figured out. I put the whip out, he touches, I click, and he gets a treat. We vary the pattern. Once in a while I ask for a “sit” instead. Click and treat when he does. I move the end of the whip up and he stands up. Partway up and he sits up. Move it as he is reaching and he walks on his hind legs. He has most definitely decided touching the end of the whip means something good. I ran out of treats and we stopped playing for the night. The look in Radar’s eyes and the wheels churning in his little noggin was fascinating.

Now, what good is it teaching the dog to touch the end of a dressage whip I hear you ask? That’s the beauty part! It was not about the whip, it was about the positive association with the clicker. Today at lunch we had chicken strips and I peeled some of the breading off for dog treats and held the end of the whip out. Radar touched it immediately and got his treat. He remembered his lesson from the night before. Now I ask him to lay down by saying “Down” and putting a treat in my fingers with my hand curled away from him and my knuckles against the floor. The position of the treat should lower him to a laying position by chance eventually. I wait. He tries sit. No good. He dances. He digs at my fingers. No, that doesn’t work. He suddenly lays down in a sphinx position to study his puzzle and I click and give him the treat. Within less than two minutes, he is laying down on command. He was never taught that cue until today and it was that quick for him and best of all, he figured it out on his own. Bella was able to tolerate the clicker near her and that was enough for her to earn a treat until her confidence gets better and she can move on to better things.

Ever since I combined the horses into one herd, feeding any grain can get to be a pain, especially when it is muddy and slimy like it has been the last week. If I can’t wade out to separate them, the bully, pushy horses get the lion’s share of the grain and, of course, they are the ones who need it the least. Tonight I took my grain bucket out and placed a few piles of grain for the alphas to squabble over and took the rest up to the gate and called the lower ranking (all mine) over. A couple of them wanted in on the bickering, but Cirrus came over to check on me. I had an orange soccer cone about 6 inches high in my hand (but it could have been anything, just an interesting object), and the clicker and some feed in the other. Being curious, Cirrus reached out and touched the cone with his nose. I clicked and gave him the grain. When it comes to food, this boy is a genius! He ate his nibble, immediately touched the cone again, got a click and another serving. Now he is getting into it. He was like a lab monkey hitting the target and eating grapes. Bang bang bang. Now, brother Nimbus sees something is going on and comes over to watch. When he hears the click the first time, he flinches away and thinks it is the sound of the electric fence zapping him. Cirrus is busy playing the new food dispenser game and before long Nimbus decides the click is not aimed at him. He approaches cautiously and very carefully touches the cone. Click! He gets the grain. I hold the cone up for him again. He touches. Click. More grain. Nim decides to step back for a while and mull this situation over. Reo steps in. He blows very hard at the cone. Stretches and reaches to see what it is, but won’t quite touch it. I finally help, and let it tip towards him as he is reaching and he touches it accidentally. Click. Treat. Reo is not sure what happened, but you can see him studying the circumstance. I hold the cone out. He studies it. Cirrus comes in and touches the cone. I click and treat him. I offer the cone again. Now Reo understands. He touches the cone, gets his treat and is in on the game. Nimbus comes back in to play and would really like to move the other two off, because he thinks he has this game all solved and would like to take over, but he ends up by standing in line with them.
This is where it got really fascinating for me. Treating Cirrus can be like feeding a shark sometimes. He can get grabby and impulsive about his food and you want to be sure and see all your fingers come back with you. He was in control of this treat though, and never once did he get excited or too brusk. I had three horses that would have been chasing and biting and arguing over a bucket of feed, all standing at attention focused on that cone. And even though I had grain right there in my hand that they could see and smell, no one tried to get the grain directly. They had all figured out that touching the cone was the secret to getting grain. On top of that, when I would hold the cone out and one would touch it before the other two and got the click, the other two did not try to get his grain. They stood patiently and waited. They knew they had not touched the cone and earned it! How wild is that?

I was able to feed my horses without a mad stampede and fights. The bully horses thought the clicker was the electric fence zapping and left us alone and I had no intention of changing that impression. I put the little girls into the round pen and played the same game with them so they could have their grain in peace as well.

It took a long enough time for clicker training to sink in, but I am going to try to clicker train every thing I can find!

I can’t wait until Jet Ranger gets home so I can try it on him!