[Storm]

Originally posted by BarryMcD
Dogs have acute enough hearing to discern the difference in sound and also the exact location of each clicker.

So what are you saying? The dog forms the required associations with that specific "click" not distinguishable by the human ear? So you got a boot full of clickers, each time you rock up for training you grab the first one you get and click away. Now there must according to your post, be a distinguishable difference in the click. The dog has already formed associations what now, does he just tune into another frequency?

Originally posted by BarryMcD
Second misnomer. Cute poem, but Pavlov had nothing to do with clicker training.

Irrespective of where it originated you form an association that is pleasant with the cue. This is no brain storm. But you are limited by a click and once the association is formed and the dog no longer feels the motivation, you get the finger then what? Do you want to tell me that CT forms a dog 100% motivated to please all the time. Dogs do have a brain, as well as a sense of stubbornness and any top trainer will tell you that once associations have been made and the dog has an understanding, things still have to be proofed. There are many ways to motivate a dog whether food, toy via drive in conjunction with you the handler and leash. This group of aids has proven itself over and over again. What happens when you forget your clicker at home and your dog decides to take off after another dog? Is it even useful in this situation? People make out as if it is some sort of magic wand. There are various elements of training let it be police work, rescue dogs, narcotics, explosives etc. whom all play vital roles in preserving lives etc. Then sports dogs, protection dogs, ring dogs etc. etc. How does one build drive for schutzhund with a clicker?

[i]The dog does what IT feels like doing, and when that coincides with what you want it to do........[/b]

What if it does not coincide, get yourself another dog? Compulsion and pressure have enabled dogs to take a turn for the better when applied knowingly by experienced trainers. I have seen dogs that would have crapped in there pants with the mere click of a clicker but have become dogs who can hold a bite with a drive and even take two stick blows.

[i] About a month ago I Clicker Trained our 80 lb. Rottweiler, who is very protective and does not usually react well to strange or new dogs, to accept a 6 week old puppy we had just gotten. First meeting: Old Cheyenne, the Rott, was barking and ready to bite the head of the pup. Within one week, we felt confident enough to leave both free in the house unsupervised. They were just playing out in the backyard this afternoon.[/b]

Well done what is so special about this, please explain exactly how this was done also we are talking about a 6 week puppy here, a little young to be out there already. Throw a two year old rottie, experiencing his prime into the equation........... Also any advice for fence fighting, food refusal, outs etc.

[i]You train a behavior with the clicker. Then you attach a verbal cue: STAY or whatever. An aggressive dog will attack another dog, and no click will stop it. (You, using conventional training and saying "AWAY" or "SIT" probably won't stop it either!) But that same aggressive dog, in a short period of time, can be clicked into behaving and not being so aggressive, so that the next time it meets its rival, it will have a good chance of walking by or responding to a simple call away.[/b]

How do you teach a behavior with no cue other than a click? The dog hears a click what now? What must I do? There must be some sort of prompt. Conventional training has once again proven itself a million time over. Using some sort of motivation to direct a dogs attention elsewhere is a form of distraction leaving a dog at its own will if the level of aggression exceeds the desire to obey or be motivated forget it. Your example of a recall doesn't make sense the dog still goes through all the motions and dogs are not always trained on compulsion alone. Dogs coming as a result of been motivated will fly across and almost knock you over.What if the dog diverts or you are walking of lead and he doesn't come, if a clicker guarantees a 100% recall with the dog been anywhere, I'll take a hundred. Tell me are you involved at all with sports or PP dogs? What is the association between clickers and drive. How have you found the uses of a clicker within this environment?

Once again barry I have seen all the things mentioned in your post done by alternative various methods. I just get so ticked off when all you hear is Clicker, click, click, clicker training is the only way to go. As posted the dog world is bigger then that.