Clicker Training for Puppies
by admin ~ February 25th, 2008I’ve trained many dogs over the years, typically using the standard method of giving a command, like “sit,” pushing gently on the puppy’s rear end to help them into a sitting position, then giving a treat. This seemed to work pretty well.
I recently began taking a beginner’s obedience class with a new puppy. The class is based on clicker training. The theory behind clicker training is that you are able to click (a small metal “clicker” can be purchased at pet supply stores) at exactly the moment the dog performs the desired action, then follow the click with a treat. This provides a more precisely timed reward for the desired behavior (the click), helping the puppy to understand what it is you want faster. Clicker training provides positive reinforcement which seems to work really well with dogs and puppies.
I must admit, I was skeptical at first. We were instructed to stand with the clicker in one hand and a treat in the other, look at our puppy’s backside and wait for them to sit without giving commands or assisting with motion. I was suprised when it worked! But sure enough, after just a few seconds of making eye contact with my puppy’s backside, he sat down and and looked at me, trying to figure out what I was doing and what I wanted. Immediately upon contact between the puppy’s rear and the ground, the clicker is clicked, then a treat follows.
A few weeks into the classes, I’ve found I’m getting a more rapid response to commands. My puppy seems to be grasping new concepts after just a few repetitions of commands with the clicker, vs. the few weeks it would typically take to learn commands the old way. He definitely associates that click with a positive response and a treat. Clicker training receives a thumbs up!
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Trimming Nails
by admin ~ February 3rd, 2008Our great danes and mastiffs have huge nails, and trimming them is not an easy task. We’ve struggled with this for over a decade, and have finally found a great solution - the new dremel stylus.
Though we tried using a dremel to trim our 200lb. great dane’s nails years ago, at the time it just seemed to heat up the nail and cause more discomfort than trimming with clippers. We decided to give it another try and purchased the stylus, which is easier to hold than the older versions. This new smaller tool with variable speeds works great. There are a couple of tricks we’ve learned that help to speed up the task:
- If your dog won’t be still, make sure you have someone else keep the dog still while you hold the paw and nail. One slip of the dremel can leave large cuts on your pup, so it’s crucial that you have control of your dog.
- It seems to work best if you can rest the end of the dremel on the ground for stability, and hold the nail firmly to avoid vibrating the nail rather than filing it down.
- Be careful not to file the nail too much (into the quick) as this can make the nail bleed. Keep some styptic powder on hand just in case…
- Do this outside. Nail dust flies everywhere.
- Use the fastest speed and the sanding tip.
Nail trimming used to take quite awhile, and we have it down to about 5 minutes per dog using the new dremel. The best part is, the dogs seem much less stressed out about the whole nail trimming process.
