Clicker Training...is It Effective With A Whippet?

[llannon]

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Hi, I have been reading various books about dog training and the various techniques.

Does anyone have any experience with clicker training and a whippet?

Any advice, books recommended etc...

At what age would you start the training...my pup is only 7.5 weeks at the minute.

Thanks again

 

[Alfiewhippet]

IMO your best bet may be to get him along to puppy classes first so he gets used to lots of other puppies, smells, noises etc :blink: they usually have obedience classes to follow on once your pup is a certain age which brings i the more "formal training" if thats what you want. You may find some trainers say "oh a whippet you know how difficult they can be to train" well take no notice you will get there eventually. Its taken me 18mths to turn Alfie from a naught rascal :- " to a model pupil. mind you i have aged 15 years in the process (w00t) .

Good luck whatever you decide

Ps have no idea about clicker training :blink: rambling on as usual :teehee:

 

[firesprite]

dunno about whippets, ours ignore it, but it works a dream on ferrets!!

 

[jean.dunbar]

I don't know about clicker training for whippets but it seems more appropriate to me to let them know you've got a pocket full of treats! seriously tho' i think that training classes then obedience classes are the way to go. :luck: whatever you try.

 

[Zephyr]

I think clicker training is brilliant and works like a dream with greedy whippets as it associates the click with a treat - I have found that the things I taught with a clicker are never forgotten and it makes the dog very willing to work with you. There are lots of good books, but nothing beats seeing someone do it, so ask around about obedience classes and find one that uses clickers. You can start very early on, but it makes sense to see it being done before you start, to get the timing right.

Good luck! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

PS the lady who started it all, Karen Pryor, has a website called www.clickertraining.com which explains the method.

 

[jezza]

I'd give it a go if you fancy it and I think you can start them at any age. I started to train mine like that and it was quite effective but I kept forgetting to take the clicker out and kept losing it but if your more organised than me it might just work :lol:

The book I had was a Karen Pryor one, can't remeber what it was called. Sort of like a step by step thing, off amazon.

Check out some of the training schools in your area because some do clicker training, but deffinately go to puppy classes as well.

Also, if you find it does work make sure you have a clicker in every room (or tie it round your neck!!) and a bowl of treats. I was forever clicking and then running around trying to find the treat bowl while the dogs sat there salivating :lol:

 

[llannon]

I'll give it a try over the coming week...when you start clicker training do you still stick to short (5-10mins) sessions, or do you click on the required behaviour all the time???

Many Thanks

 

[chelynnah]

Absolutely works with whippets!! Best bet is to find a trainer who uses it so they can demonstrate - much easier than trying to figure it out in books and things. A lot of people have completely the wrong idea about what clicker training is all about and think it means you'll always have to have a clicker, when actually it's completely the opposite - it's just used to train/shape the behaviour then you no longer need it once the behaviour is learned.

I clicker trained Chelsea when she was 3.5 years old - and teaching her new things then were even easier than all the luring and positive methods I had used to train her as a pup, because with the clicker you click at the EXACT moment the behaviour happens, then it does't matter it if takes you a second or two to get the treat. With just treat based rewards often the treat arrives when they've moved out of position or changed what they were doing and you accidentally reward the wrong behaviour.

Best of luck!

Wendy

 

[llannon]

Cool...i'll be giving it a try soon...was going to pop out and get the Karen Pryor kit (seems to look the best)...but can't find any local shops that stock it (I'm near Llanelli in South Wales if anyone knows somewhere that stocks it???)...I guess I'll have to order it online and be patient

One thing I can't work out (if someone knows the answer that would be great), when you are 'shaping a behaviour' do you have to click for that behaviour every single time you see your dog do it, or do you still stick to several short training sessions a day?

Thanks for everyone's help and advice

Matt

 

[chelynnah]

Cool...i'll be giving it a try soon...was going to pop out and get the Karen Pryor kit (seems to look the best)...but can't find any local shops that stock it (I'm near Llanelli in South Wales if anyone knows somewhere that stocks it???)...I guess I'll have to order it online and be patient 
One thing I can't work out (if someone knows the answer that would be great), when you are 'shaping a behaviour' do you have to click for that behaviour every single time you see your dog do it, or do you still stick to several short training sessions a day?

Thanks for everyone's help and advice

Matt

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It's on Amazon

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1860542...=UTF8&s=gateway

Wendy

 

[alilemur]

The clicker worked brilliantly for us when Willow was a pup. The second she associated the noise with a treat, we were sorted!

 

[kim & Tilly]

where can you buy a clicker from?

 

[Millie]

where can you buy a clicker from?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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Pets at home :thumbsup:

 

[kim & Tilly]

ace im gona give it a go

 

[~Sarah~]

I did some clicker training a while ago with Bobby and Dolly and found it really successful. :thumbsup: They both learned very quickly and seemed to enjoy it. Have rather let it slip this year, but I really must start it again. I bought the clickers and a book via the internet (ebay I think).

I would definately recommend it. :thumbsup: