Teaching Stay With A Clicker
- Thread starter JoAnne
- Start date
Hayley Thompson
Well-Known Member
The click represents that what they are doing right now was what you were looking for and now that behaviour has ended. So click towards the end of the behaviour for a stay, but obviously when they are still staying. So say start off for 5 seconds, if they are still staying at 5 seconds, click treat, and then start again for 6 seconds, stills staying, click treat, etc.
jackienmutts
Honored Member
Said perfectly above. You click as soon as your pup has "stayed" as long you wanted him to - 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, whatever - then click/treat - all done. 
That "click" will indicate to your dog that the behavior is exactly what you were looking for, and is now finished. So - once you "click" - no more "staying" either.
That "click" will indicate to your dog that the behavior is exactly what you were looking for, and is now finished. So - once you "click" - no more "staying" either.
fickla
Experienced Member
As stated most people click at the end of the stay and it releases the dog. But personally I use the clicker for everything but stays!
I want to reward DURING the stay and make the release boring, and I think that clicking for the stay may mark the behavior of staying but the reward is given during the release.
So my favorite method of teaching stay is to to start with say a 3sec average between rewards for a total of a 12sec stay:
2 sec-treat-5sec-treat-2sec-treat-3sec-release-no treat but encourage movement. Basically I extend the amount of time between treats gradually, making it random, but the treat is not the cue for the dog to get up. My release is boring as I want the dog WANTING to stay, not wanting to hear the click so they can get up.
But either way works
I want to reward DURING the stay and make the release boring, and I think that clicking for the stay may mark the behavior of staying but the reward is given during the release.
So my favorite method of teaching stay is to to start with say a 3sec average between rewards for a total of a 12sec stay:
2 sec-treat-5sec-treat-2sec-treat-3sec-release-no treat but encourage movement. Basically I extend the amount of time between treats gradually, making it random, but the treat is not the cue for the dog to get up. My release is boring as I want the dog WANTING to stay, not wanting to hear the click so they can get up.
But either way works
rouen
Experienced Member
When I teach stay I dont let the marker become the release. Reward is given when I return to the dog, not when the dog comes to me. That means the dog has to stay in position to get the reward. I handle it the same way as the position break is handled in this video http://youtu.be/aYlqhVBeuYM
I was actually thinking about makinf a video on how to teach stay using the clicker. I might just do that when it cools down a little.
tigerlily46514
Honored Member
Kikopup teaching a beginning down/stay:
http://youtu.be/7NHqAW66-gE
http://youtu.be/7NHqAW66-gE
tigerlily46514
Honored Member
Kikopups other "STAY" video. She emphasizes we do need to teach a release cue in both videos.
http://youtu.be/Vk4PPcE1CqY
http://youtu.be/Vk4PPcE1CqY
JoAnne
Well-Known Member
JoAnne
Well-Known Member
Thanks everyone for your help w/stay. I've been very busy and just finally cleared all the dogs out of my house, (except for Asher of course) and now I'm back on track. BTW I startd him on a raw diet and he's into week four and doing fab.
But I have a new question; we've been working on dropping things in a box with the ultimate goal: take my clothes off, drag them into the bedroom and deposit them into a storage bench. So here's the question:
How will he know when to deliver something to my hand verses drop it into the box before I name the cue? For his service work he's always suppose to deliver it to my hand. I've been using a shoebox lid that I'm slowly moving to the bench, but while practicing with various item, (not clothing) this occurred to me.
But I have a new question; we've been working on dropping things in a box with the ultimate goal: take my clothes off, drag them into the bedroom and deposit them into a storage bench. So here's the question:
How will he know when to deliver something to my hand verses drop it into the box before I name the cue? For his service work he's always suppose to deliver it to my hand. I've been using a shoebox lid that I'm slowly moving to the bench, but while practicing with various item, (not clothing) this occurred to me.
Right now, I'd say that the box should be an enviromental cue that means bring it to the box and not your hand. So if you want to work on bring it to hand, don't work around the box. That is until you get both on a seperate cue.
Or on the other hand, you could have all clothes be brought to the basket while anything else is delievered to hand but I don't think that would be practical if you dropped a sock on accident.
Or on the other hand, you could have all clothes be brought to the basket while anything else is delievered to hand but I don't think that would be practical if you dropped a sock on accident.
JoAnne
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the advice. I considered that the moment I hit 'send', but it's good to hear I was heading in the right direction. Sometimes I feel like I'm just floundering around out here. Originally I tried getting him to deliver it directly into the bench but I couldn't get him to stand up on the bench rim to get it in which is why I went back to using the lid and I'm moving the lid around, but a lot of times he stops and looks at the bench first, darn they're smart! The Thinking Dog reminded me to go back and break it into little pieces...great book! Sometimes he wants to just chew on the lid and when he does I'll try to refocus him and when that doesn't work, we do an easy one and quit. Any advise if I can't correct him for that?
jackienmutts
Honored Member
Well, JoAnne - my first thought is, good for you, when you see him just starting to chew on the lid and unable to be redirected (maybe getting frustrated or tired?) you'll give him something easy then quit. Some people wouldn't pick up on that, and keep trying, pushing for some success. Click and chocolate for you!!!
I'm trying to visualize this whole scenario - you said sometimes he stops and looks at the bench first (yes!!) - do you ever just throw a big party right then and encourage the tar out of him and just keep 'that's it, right there, come on, come one, come on, you can do it, come on.......' and see if you can kind of pull that one behavior out of him right then? Or is the bench rim a bit high for him (right now) to drop it into? If so, could you make a little step so he could have easy access? Easy may not be pretty, but if it works better for the dog, it may be better for now. Does he need a little step up? Trying to picture your set-up.
Just re-read the whole post - but went further back, I got caught up in the last post and forgot your orig question.
Once he's got the whole concept, you could use something like "bring or pick" for things to bring or pick up *for you* verses "go take" or "go drop" or whatever words you determine, for taking your clothes to the bench - and that would cover picking up a dropped sock, etc - your "pick up" would mean to/for you, verses "go drop" or "go take" (or whatever words you opt for) meaning place in the laundry bench someplace else besides your hand. I'm sure you have words you use for him to hand you things. I've trained mine to pick things up and hand them to me if I drop them or ? (just cuz it gives them a job) and I use "pick up please" and they know they pick it up, and hand it to me, whether it's a pen, or a sock. So a different word - "go take, drop, laundry, etc ... " would be a different command, meaning, .... to the laundry bench.
I do caregiving for someone with 2 Goldens. She has trained them herself to be her service dogs. They're not certified, but they know so much and are so much help around the house (that's what got me so motivated to train mine more!! holy cow!!). Anyway, she lives in a two story house. One day, she had asked me to run an errand, and she was upstairs. Just wanting to see if she could do it (and kind of knowing in our hearts that she could), she gave a $20 bill to one of the Goldens (the gal was at the top of the stairs, I was at the bottom) - and she said, go on, go give it to Jackie, go ahead...". She took it so delicately in her lips, and came right down the stairs to me and stopped - oh man, big treats!!! When I got home, we tested the waters again, I sent her back upstairs with a $5 - go on, go give it to your mom ... and she raced upstairs with a $5 in her mouth. C/t. I then called her back down, and sent her up with a small bag. More treats!! 
(Her dogs are always paid well!!). So - moral of the story, depending on the situation, they do "think" and they can determine what/where you want them to deliver things. It takes time and a lot of work.
Do keep working in small little pieces. You'll figure something out that will work for him (and you) so that he understands it, and he'll have that ah-ha! moment. And you'll get all teary and excited, all at once - cuz that's what we do.
PS - glad you're liking The Thinking Dog - isn't it great? I still thank Gail to this day for helping me with a few issues with my girl. She's a wealth of information.
I'm trying to visualize this whole scenario - you said sometimes he stops and looks at the bench first (yes!!) - do you ever just throw a big party right then and encourage the tar out of him and just keep 'that's it, right there, come on, come one, come on, you can do it, come on.......' and see if you can kind of pull that one behavior out of him right then? Or is the bench rim a bit high for him (right now) to drop it into? If so, could you make a little step so he could have easy access? Easy may not be pretty, but if it works better for the dog, it may be better for now. Does he need a little step up? Trying to picture your set-up.
Just re-read the whole post - but went further back, I got caught up in the last post and forgot your orig question.
Once he's got the whole concept, you could use something like "bring or pick" for things to bring or pick up *for you* verses "go take" or "go drop" or whatever words you determine, for taking your clothes to the bench - and that would cover picking up a dropped sock, etc - your "pick up" would mean to/for you, verses "go drop" or "go take" (or whatever words you opt for) meaning place in the laundry bench someplace else besides your hand. I'm sure you have words you use for him to hand you things. I've trained mine to pick things up and hand them to me if I drop them or ? (just cuz it gives them a job) and I use "pick up please" and they know they pick it up, and hand it to me, whether it's a pen, or a sock. So a different word - "go take, drop, laundry, etc ... " would be a different command, meaning, .... to the laundry bench.I do caregiving for someone with 2 Goldens. She has trained them herself to be her service dogs. They're not certified, but they know so much and are so much help around the house (that's what got me so motivated to train mine more!! holy cow!!). Anyway, she lives in a two story house. One day, she had asked me to run an errand, and she was upstairs. Just wanting to see if she could do it (and kind of knowing in our hearts that she could), she gave a $20 bill to one of the Goldens (the gal was at the top of the stairs, I was at the bottom) - and she said, go on, go give it to Jackie, go ahead...". She took it so delicately in her lips, and came right down the stairs to me and stopped - oh man, big treats!!! When I got home, we tested the waters again, I sent her back upstairs with a $5 - go on, go give it to your mom ... and she raced upstairs with a $5 in her mouth. C/t.
I then called her back down, and sent her up with a small bag. More treats!! (Her dogs are always paid well!!). So - moral of the story, depending on the situation, they do "think" and they can determine what/where you want them to deliver things. It takes time and a lot of work.Do keep working in small little pieces. You'll figure something out that will work for him (and you) so that he understands it, and he'll have that ah-ha! moment. And you'll get all teary and excited, all at once - cuz that's what we do.
PS - glad you're liking The Thinking Dog - isn't it great? I still thank Gail to this day for helping me with a few issues with my girl. She's a wealth of information.
JoAnne
Well-Known Member
Well, JoAnne - my first thought is, good for you, when you see him just starting to chew on the lid and unable to be redirected (maybe getting frustrated or tired?) you'll give him something easy then quit. Some people wouldn't pick up on that, and keep trying, pushing for some success. Click and chocolate for you!!!
I'm trying to visualize this whole scenario - you said sometimes he stops and looks at the bench first (yes!!) - do you ever just throw a big party right then and encourage the tar out of him and just keep 'that's it, right there, come on, come one, come on, you can do it, come on.......' and see if you can kind of pull that one behavior out of him right then? Or is the bench rim a bit high for him (right now) to drop it into? If so, could you make a little step so he could have easy access? Easy may not be pretty, but if it works better for the dog, it may be better for now. Does he need a little step up? Trying to picture your set-up.
Just re-read the whole post - but went further back, I got caught up in the last post and forgot your orig question.
I do caregiving for someone with 2 Goldens. She has trained them herself to be her service dogs. They're not certified, but they know so much and are so much help around the house (that's what got me so motivated to train mine more!! holy cow!!). Anyway, she lives in a two story house. One day, she had asked me to run an errand, and she was upstairs. Just wanting to see if she could do it (and kind of knowing in our hearts that she could), she gave a $20 bill to one of the Goldens (the gal was at the top of the stairs, I was at the bottom) - and she said, go on, go give it to Jackie, go ahead...". She took it so delicately in her lips, and came right down the stairs to me and stopped - oh man, big treats!!! When I got home, we tested the waters again, I sent her back upstairs with a $5 - go on, go give it to your mom ... and she raced upstairs with a $5 in her mouth. C/t.
Do keep working in small little pieces. You'll figure something out that will work for him (and you) so that he understands it, and he'll have that ah-ha! moment. And you'll get all teary and excited, all at once - cuz that's what we do.
PS - glad you're liking The Thinking Dog - isn't it great? I still thank Gail to this day for helping me with a few issues with my girl. She's a wealth of information.
JoAnne
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the advice. There are some things he picks up so fast that I tend to forget the others we worked and worked on. Just the fact I've got him picking up after me is priceless, now I want him to put my stuff away too? Today he pulled my jammies out of the bench on my request and I'm think he may need to learn the cue "feet" to mean to 'step up' on the rim to get high enough to drop things in. Today he had to come with me to Walmart, yes on a Sunday! But then we made a special trip to Petco just for him, personally I'm not a fan of the place but I think he understands it's just for him.
JoAnne
Well-Known Member
I'm happy to announce the sucessful 'drop in the bench' of one fuzzie slipper, (three times!) Which required having to stand on the rim to accomplish. Here's an interesting detail...when teaching him to first drop the slipper in a shoebox lid, I found his reluctency to be in the color or shape of the lid! When I tried it with a different box top he plunket it right in! And prefered dropping it directly into the bench than into the lid, go figure. What all of this means is, if one method doesn't work, don't give up the trick...just the way you're trying to teaching it!
C'mere pooch 'n give momma a smooch
C'mere pooch 'n give momma a smooch