Click for Joy - Questions and Answers from Clicker Trainers and their Dogs book by Melissa C. Alexander
This book covers all of the basic questions, terminology and techniques necessary to be a successful clicker trainer! The author shares the encouragement, advice and success of clicker trainers all over the world in this easy-to-use cross referenced clicker title. Practical instructions, positive solutions and clear explanations with a complete glossary of clicker training terms, concepts and common questions. A must have for anyone interested in learning more about operant techniques! If you have a question about training with a clicker or markers, it's likely here.
Chapters and a
FEW topics from each of them include:
- Chapter 1: About Clicker Training
- What is Clicker Training?
- Will it work for my dog?
- Where can I find a class or private trainer?
- more…
- Chapter 2: Equipment
- What kind of equipment to I need?
- How do I juggle all the equipement? I need eight hands!
- Where can I get a clicker?
- Chapter 3: That Magical Click
- What does the click mean?
- Does the click have to end the behavior?
- Do I have to treat after every click?
- Does the click have to be followed by a food treat?
- My dog doesn't seem to know the clicker means anything except that a treat is coming. How can I teach her that the click is an event marker?
- Should I carry a clicker around and click and treat every time I see the dog doing something I like?
- more…
- Chapter 4: Reinforcement
- What can I use to reinforce my dog?
- Shouldn't my dog be working for me or for the love of the job instead of food?
- My dog isn't interested in food/is on a restricted diet/is overweight. Can I still clicker train?
- What if I can't offer a food treat or if my dog isn't interested in the reward I'm offering?
- more…
- Chapter 5: Getting Started
- What is "charging the clicker" and how do I do it?
- Is the timing of the click important? How can I improve my timing?
- My dog is too food-obsessed to anything but stare at the clicker and treats. What do I do?
- What's a "crossover" dog?
- more…
- Chapter 6: Punishment, Mistakes, and Errors
- Aren't unpleasant consequences a normal part of learning?
- What do I do when my dog makes a mistake?
- What do I do if my dog intentionally disobeys a known command?
- Shouldn't I tell my dog both what he does right and what he does wrong?
- What is punishment?
- more…
- Chapter 7: About Training Sessions
- How long should I train at one time?
- How often should I train?
- Can I train more than one behavior at a time?
- Should I keep records?
- My dog gets bored easily. What should I do?
- more…
- Chapter 8: Getting the Behavior
- What does "getting the behavior" mean?
What do you mean by "criteria"?
When should I click? (How do I choose my criteria?)
How do I know when to "make it harder"- increase my criteria for training?
- more…
- Chapter 9: Making the Behavior Perfect
- How can I train a behavior before I add the cue?
- When and how do I add the cue?
- My dog is responding slowly to the cue. How can I get a faster response?
- When and how do I fade the clicker?
- more…
- Chapter 10: Reliability and Fluency
- Are clicker trained behaviors reliable?
- All this cookie training is great, but how do I teach my dog there are some instances where he has no choice?
- I don't simply want to participate- I want to win! Are clicker-trained behaviors precise enough and reliable enough for competition?
- You say I can do competition obedience, but I can't use a clicker or food in the ring. How can I clicker train?
- more…
- Chapter 11: Specific Behaviors
- If my dog already knows a behavior, should I use a clicker?
- What is targeting, and why should I do it?
- How can I get my dog to pay attention to me even in a distracting environment?
- How do I train my dog to sit?
- more…
- Chapter 12: Solving Problem Behaviors
- How do I stop destructive chewing?
- How do I stop my dog from barking?
- How do I stop puppy mouthing? (Bite inhibition training)
- How do I stop jumping?
- more…
- Chapter 13: Beyond Training
- How do I build a good relationship with my dog?
- What is management? How do I "set my dog up for success"?
- What are the practical uses of training in everyday life?
- How can I establish myself as the "leader" in my home?
- more…
- Chapter 14: Beyond Method: The Underlying Science
- What is Operant Conditioning?
- Are Clicker Training and Operant Conditioning the Same?
- What's a "no reward marker" (NRM)?
- What is a Jackpot and when should I give one?
- more…
Click for Joy- Questions and Answers from Clicker Trainers and their Dogs, Melissa C. Alexander, 2002 with foreward by Robert Bailey, softcover, 208 pages.
