Where Is My Cheese: the Power of the Clicker

While taking an 8-day respite from dog agility, I started reading Jane Killion's When Pigs Fly training book on my Nook.  I was curious about the author’s training methods after hearing such positive reviews from a few of my agility friends.   It makes for a quick read and gives wonderful tips and hints on how to shape your dog’s behavior.   The only supplies needed:  a clicker, plenty of cheese and a box.

The first 3 days starting my clicker regiment included “loading” or powering - up the clicker so that Jefferson would associate the clicker with yummy goodies.  Two times a day I performed the following:  click-treat-wait a half second…click-treat-wait a half second…click-treat-wait a half second….up to 20 times!  Needless to say, Jefferson thought he had died and gone to doggie ‘n cheese heaven!!  After this initial exercise, the next 3 day assignment included adding his name to the exercise:  “Jefferson”- click-treat-wait a half-second…”Jefferson”- click-treat-wait a half second…again, up to 20 times.  As a result, Jefferson enthusiastically responded to his name and now associates yummy goodies with my saying his name.  

So far, so good…and now I was excited to learn a fun way to teach Jefferson new skills by using the “shaping” process.   This is when I had the opportunity to use my training “props" – the box.    I found an old Mizuno shoe box and threw it in the middle of the living room floor; grabbed my clicker and about 20 small pieces of cheese; stood and observed to see what Jefferson would do.  Of course, my little chow-hound was licking his lips and crying for some of the cheese so I had to hide my hand behind my back.  Slowly, he turned his head and looked at the box so I “clicked” and gave him cheese.  Again, he looked and walked over to the box so I “clicked” and gave him more cheese. Then, when I wanted to increase the criteria (add more “stuff” for him to do) I waited for him to walk over to the box and nudge it.  “Click” and treat!  This really worked and he caught on in less than 5 minutes.  

Since the box was getting a bit boring for us both (not a lot to do since these new shoe boxes do not have a separate lid), I placed his plush doggie pillow in the middle of the floor and repeated the whole process.  My desired behavior was for him to go to a “down” position on his pillow.  Again, he cried and barked for cheese and offered all kinds of behavior to earn his tasty reward…turning left, right, sitting and going to a down.  But, I patiently waited until he turned his head toward the pillow..."click” and treat.  Another head turn, “click” and treat.  I wanted more, so I waited for him to walk to the pillow, then “click” and treat.  A few more times of this and I increased the criteria and waited for his back legs to get on the pillow, “click” and treat.  Next, a sit on the pillow, “click” and treat.  Finally, he went to a down so I “clicked” added verbal praise and treated with lots of cheese (called a “jackpot” reward as in “Hey, I hit the jackpot in performing this trick!”)  Believe it or not, this also took less than 5 minutes.  What a smart boy!!  I was so thrilled at how easy this game of “shaping” Jefferson’s behavior was and more importantly, how much fun we were having training together.  

Later on last night during an episode of  NCIS featuring an especially good-looking Gibbs (Mark Harmon is such a hottie), Jefferson wanted to keep learning (or should I say eating?) so I clicked during the commercial breaks and had him turning left and right and performing all sorts of fast running downs.  He and I had such a great time during our training sessions!  I am looking forward to transferring the clicker work and behavior shaping to our agility practices.  Oh, the power of cheese…

Mmm...I love cheese!

  

For fun, take this "Cheese profiler test" (Jefferson's profile is "Back to Basics"!) to determine the best cheese to use for training:  http://www.ilovecheese.com/cheese_profiler.asp

“Being in the uncomfortable zone is much better than staying in the cheese-less situation.”
- Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese?