PetLifeRadio.com - Teacher's Pet - Episode 60 TRAINING SESSION #20 -- Shaping Game Using A Clicker

Shaping is one way to get behaviors from your dog. When we use shaping as a means of obtaining behaviors, we reinforce small incremental steps to the final behavior. For example, if you want your dog to roll over, you would start off by reinforcing the dog lying down. Once he is easily lying down, you will wait for him to move to a hip or lure him onto his hip before you reinforce. The third reinforcement step is when the dog’s shoulder is on the ground. Eventually, step-by-step, you stop reinforcing the beginning steps and only reinforce the dog at the end of the final behavior -- when he rolls over. This takes patience but is a great way for your dog to use his brain, especially on a cold or rainy day when you cannot get him out for physical exercise. In today’s session, you will teach your dog some behaviors through the process of shaping. If you have a clicker, make sure you have it handy and ready, along with a bag of soft treats.

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Teacher's Pet focuses on command training - and command training is as simple as (and as complicated as) communicating clearly with your dog. Dog's aren't born understanding what sit or come means. Every single thing your dog understands about a command - both the good and the not so good - he learned from a human, probably you! So, if your dog doesn’t obey as you would like, guess who has to change? You do - your dog can change but you have to change first. At Teacher’s Pet on Pet Life Radio, obedience training is something to do with your dog, not to your dog and it is fun for both ends of the leash so - give us a try!