# Alternative to clicker training? And early puppy training advice



## Ainsley (Apr 22, 2013)

I like the idea of clicker training except the whole idea of having to carry a clicker around all the time and not being able to click when walking through the house with a pile of laundry or something. Does anyone use a word instead of a click? I'm thinking about using "yes," but wanted to see if anyone uses a word and what word is used. Our baby is 10 weeks old, is it too early to start? We are so in love with him it's unbelievable. He's so laid back and has melded into our crazy family so easily! He will sit when I hold the treat above his nose properly, but he doesn't get the word association yet. Is this normal? I just made him some salmon treats tonight itch canned salmon, eggs, and whole wheat flour that he loves so now that I have a high value treat we can afford to dole out like candy it's time to get serious. Anxious to talk training with anyone who has experience. Like baby stuff in the 5 years between my kids, the 12 years between puppies seems to have come with many changing philosophies. 


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

I used "yesssssss!!" And yummy training treat  works like charm!
I keep treats in my pocket still

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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

You can certainly say "Yesss," or something like that instead of a click; just try to keep your voice very consistent and neutral.

Also, be very careful not to lure with the food. You want the pup to focus on what he's *doing,* not orient on and follow the food. Check out the popular YouTube "It's Yer Choice" for a good primer on the art of developing self-control with your dog. 

Don't worry about putting a cue on the behavior until you are getting the behavior very consistently. A big mistake that a lot of beginning trainers make is to introduce the cue too early. 

Good luck! Your pup sounds like a dream!

--Q


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## PammiPoodle (Jul 16, 2011)

I use "Yes" for Lumi and "Right" for Amala. Comes in really handy when I'm rewarding one for staying by my side while the other retrieves or anything else involving the two of them. They each know when they've done the right thing. : ) I still bring out the clicker for one on one training sessions sometimes, especially when teaching something new. I just can't time my words as precisely as a click! I noticed with Amala, who is still just a pup, she really didn't seem to understand her reward marker word until we got in a good number of clicker sessions, which she did understand. Since the clicker timing is clearer, it seemed to better teach her the concept of a reward marker, and then she was able to realize that the word was one, too! You can do both and use the word whenever you're clicker isn't in hand, which is understandably most of the time! One of my favorite things about the word marker is that you can add a lot of emotion. When I'm rewarding my dogs for something like remaining in a stay, I will say their word calmly and quietly and they just barely perk up for their treat. When I'm rewarding, say, Lumi for dropping some high-value contraband, I can squeal "YES!!!" and she jumps for joy as I get her treat! Now she's not only getting a treat for good behavior, she's getting a par-tay!! : P I did have to keep my voice very consistent when she was just learning the word, so that she would recognize it, but now she knows a yes is a yes is a yes!


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## Lene (Jan 18, 2013)

Ainsley said:


> I like the idea of clicker training except the whole idea of having to carry a clicker around all the time and not being able to click when walking through the house with a pile of laundry or something. Does anyone use a word instead of a click? I'm thinking about using "yes," but wanted to see if anyone uses a word and what word is used. Our baby is 10 weeks old, is it too early to start? We are so in love with him it's unbelievable. He's so laid back and has melded into our crazy family so easily! He will sit when I hold the treat above his nose properly, but he doesn't get the word association yet. Is this normal? I just made him some salmon treats tonight itch canned salmon, eggs, and whole wheat flour that he loves so now that I have a high value treat we can afford to dole out like candy it's time to get serious. Anxious to talk training with anyone who has experience. Like baby stuff in the 5 years between my kids, the 12 years between puppies seems to have come with many changing philosophies.


Whichever method you use for clicker training, you need to 'charge' the clicker, the word, the mouthclick etc... To do that take your puppy into a quiet area and just start to click/treat - yes/treat... Give the treat immediately after the click/yes... (I find using a clicker in short training sessions (without laundry) works best....) The puppy should soon find out that a click means a treat, and as soon as that happens you can begin training...

I like using a small box, one that is low enough for the dog to get into, large enough for it to lie down in... Put the box on the floor, make yourself comfortable on a chair with clicker and treats and let the fun begin... First click/treat (c/t) for any interaction with the box... When the puppy reliably interacts with the box to get a c/t - up the criteria... You might want him to put his leg/legs inside the box, so you only c/t for that...

Ah! but you didn't ask about how to clicker train! Sorry!

When you are carrying a load of laundry you should just tell your puppy "Good BOY", if he does something right.... if he doesn't, say nothing... After he has learned his skills using clicker training, you fade out the clicker and use 'good boy' instead...


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## Milo :) (Mar 10, 2013)

I always start with the clicker and transition to "yes". 


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## plr (Oct 20, 2012)

I was just researching the web for suggested marker words. These are the ones I found that sounded like good possibilities - "ping", "click", "tick", "x", "yes". Or make a click sound. I was going to use ping, but I found that the most natural sound for me was a click.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I use yes I do not use a clicker. Yes is very organic to me which helps with timing. PammiPoodle's observation is very true. Modulate your voice depending on the behavior. Calm and relaxed for stays, down and sit. Happy and excited when he is coming or has made the right choice (like drop it). I use oops for an error - less judgement laden than no. It is not to early to use a marker word. Your puppy will probably get the connection better if you use a hand signal. I only name a command once he has it pretty much down.


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## Ainsley (Apr 22, 2013)

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies! They are definitely helpful! I love the idea of oops instead of no. We have been using a tssst sound bc we are constantly yelling no to our almost 5 yr old so didn't want to confuse the puppy. We are Texans so rarely say the full yes in conversations (much to the dismay of my English teacher mom) so haven't worried about using that word for the cue. I worked to charge the word and when I say yes he looks right at me for the treat. It took a few times to remember today, but for a 10wk old I will take it. Yesterday we worked on the "it's your choice" video posted above and he did SOOOO great. How long until I can expect him to totally remember it the next day? He's like me and forgets when he sleeps, but remembers quickly when you show him again. Oh my goodness I'm in love with him!


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## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

I gave up using clicker because I lose it often and the good behavior left unmarked plus I got frustrated with myself for losing the clicker make me less focus on what good behavior the puppy is presenting. 

Edison (15 wks). 

For Edison, I use "Yes, good boy!" in a happy voice and for bad behavior I would do a swap. Since Edison is still a growing puppy like yours, his bad behavior would consist of chewing, peeing on floor and barking. So far this is for Edison. For chewing, if I caught him chewing improper stuff (like my pants, my fingers, etc), I would take that away from him and replace with a chew toy quietly. He will learn from the gesture itself. For peeing on the floor, I choose to ignore it and clean it quietly but if he gets it right on wee wee pad, he'll get a party of "Yes, good boy" and I would rub my hands around his face while saying it. For barking, I would wave a treat in front of his nose and that usually distract him from barking.

For Charlie, I use hand signal (like a fist on the air) for sit command for Charlie. At first, it was a lure to get him to sit then after a week of practicing that, now its just the hand signal. For down, first sit then down by pointing the finger to the floor then treat.

Seems to early to expect the 10-wk pup to get a hand signal but it maybe done perhaps. Currently, for my 14-wk old pup, my only expectation is for him to know where the toilet is, to eat on schedule and to play with his toy and/or buddy and not my house stuff.

I did manage to teach Edison "off" though. I don't want him growing up and jumping up on people.


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## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

How about sitting in in a local obedience class, if its allowed? Also, I heard Zoom Room accept puppies as young as yours. Is there any Zoom Room in your town?



Ainsley said:


> I like the idea of clicker training except the whole idea of having to carry a clicker around all the time and not being able to click when walking through the house with a pile of laundry or something. Does anyone use a word instead of a click? I'm thinking about using "yes," but wanted to see if anyone uses a word and what word is used. Our baby is 10 weeks old, is it too early to start? We are so in love with him it's unbelievable. He's so laid back and has melded into our crazy family so easily! He will sit when I hold the treat above his nose properly, but he doesn't get the word association yet. Is this normal? I just made him some salmon treats tonight itch canned salmon, eggs, and whole wheat flour that he loves so now that I have a high value treat we can afford to dole out like candy it's time to get serious. Anxious to talk training with anyone who has experience. Like baby stuff in the 5 years between my kids, the 12 years between puppies seems to have come with many changing philosophies.
> 
> 
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## Ainsley (Apr 22, 2013)

I can not take puppy around other dogs, to puppy classes or groomer until 16 weeks based of the breeder and vet rules. My dh had a puppy die of parvo as a child and is serious about keeping him safe. Our only saving grace is we have over 1/4 acre fenced backyard to walk him in and a 75 ft driveway to use when it's wet like yesterday and today. I will be starting obedience class in July after we are off house arrest. I'd really like the star student when we do go lol. Overachiever I know, but come he's a poodle! 


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## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

Understood. I don't mean bring him right now to obedience class. You need to carry him around and it is better to expose him by carrying him around to places you go to. Otherwise, he is going to be a scarity cat like Charlie.

My husband also has a dog died of Parvo when he was a kid, thus he hold Charlie hostage inside our house until he finish his third vacs and his rabies. As a result, Charlie is so afraid of human, so afraid of the sound of a car, so afraid of leaf blowing, etc. We are in training for about 3 months now and he has get so much better.

With Edison, he is now 15 weeks and not yet finish his third shot, I carry him around every where with me. We go to the mall, Petcos, Petsmarts, Centinelas, not to shop but just hang out. I have done conversation with other people while Edison is in my arms just hanging. I hope this one will not be as scaredy cat as Charlie.

Yes, I was advised by Edison's breeder that it is very important to socialize him (not putting him on the ground though) at this earlier stage of his life because all this socialization will teach him to trust you and he will be okay as long as you are around. I believe it is call imprinting.

Edison is like my second chance at getting it right. As of today, I believe that knowing command such as sit, down, stay, off are not as important as the ability to stay calm in the present of other people, other dogs, street noises, children's noises, etc. The ability to stay calm in your presence can't be taught without exposing them to the environment in their very young age, even before their third vaccination. Parvo effect is from the ground so make sure to carry him around during walking, etc. 

I'm merely speaking out of personal experience. Enjoy your new pup!


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## LauraRose (Dec 26, 2012)

I use "yes", but we'll be working with a clicker in our advanced classes. 


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## Ainsley (Apr 22, 2013)

He has been quite a few places, but has stayed in the car and the people come to him. Plus we have quite a few people in and out of our house. He hasn't been around other dogs except the ones at the breeder, but he's going back to her for 6 days soon so he can have some time with her pack while we go on vacation. I definitely don't want a scaredy cat! 


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## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

Ainsley said:


> He has been quite a few places, but has stayed in the car and the people come to him. Plus we have quite a few people in and out of our house. He hasn't been around other dogs except the ones at the breeder, but he's going back to her for 6 days soon so he can have some time with her pack while we go on vacation. I definitely don't want a scaredy cat!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


This is sounds awesome. This is definitely not the house-arrest that poor Charlie was subjected to in his earlier months of life. Don't worry, looks like there will be no scaredy cat for you.

Sometime I thought Charlie name should be Scooby Doo.


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## Ainsley (Apr 22, 2013)

Oh my goodness that is the cutest thing EVER! I hold him now and think 'one day I'll miss holding you', but this gives me hope!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I have never been good at timing the clicker. I also find it awkward to handle while trying to pay attention to my lead handling. I use good or nice said brightly for moving work and calmly for stays or halts. For mistakes I try really hard to avoid saying no. Instead I will say "uh oh" "oppsie" or mutter some silly thing that sounds like blahblahblah.


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