Sunday, April 29, 2012

How to train your Labrador to focus on you employing a clicker.

By Steve Cote


A basic training methodology that teaches helpful control to your dog is showing him how to focus on you. Clicker training can help you to do this simply by simply fortifying the action when your dog investigates you naturally.

The following stages will help you to tune up your dog into a clicker and also use it to teach him focus on you. This is a great training technique to use with Labradors and other food inspired dogs.

- Make preparations for each session with a clicker good number of small treats. Tiny is better as the dog will get a little taste of the treat which is inducement in itself.

- Press the clicker and straight away give the dog a treat and repeat this a number of times. This is known as "tuning in".

- At last the dog will expect a treat each time he hears the sound. You can test this by his reaction to the sound. He should look to you immediately for reward on hearing the sound irrespective of what else he does. This can take 1 or 2 sessions of 10 minutes or so at a time.

- When the dog is sufficiently tuned in to the sound only click when he is looking immediately at you. Evidence this by keeping his attention for varying periods of time and alternating by quantity of clicks used while he's taking a look at you.

- Introduce your focus word; it can be anything but must be consistent. "Look, watch", or "focus" are all options.

- If you are having difficulty getting your dog to have a look at your face you can slowly move the treat to behind your head. The dog's eyes should follow it and when he's looking directly at you then click-treat.

When your dog is taught to focus effectively this will be useful in several situations. It's an satisfactory way to control your dog without putting any unwarranted stress on him.

I'm hoping that this has given you some revelations into how to train a labrador, and you continue on your journey. Good luck!




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