Aug 21 2010

Vizsla Clicker Training

Do you want to know how to clicker train your Vizsla fast?

I get it… there’s nothing worse than an ‘out of control’ dog. It took me 12 months to find relief.

Whatever kind of dog you have, clicker dog training is one of the most effective and impressive methods for controlling and dictating a dog’s behaviour when trying to teach them basic commands. It takes very little time to master clicker training and with a well operated clicker, you can teach your dog nearly anything.

Clicker Training – The Theory Behind It

The concept behind clicker training is that you are training the dog to link the sound of the clicker – a strong, pointed sound that they can hear from 20+ yards away – with a particular command you give. The point of the training is to mark particular desirable behavior and then reward it with the sound of the clicker.

Training doesn’t start with the clicker. You’ve got to first teach your Vizsla that the clicker is a reward for good behavior. This can be achieved with a bag of treats and a simple 2 dollar clicker from your local pet store.

Should you follow this method?

* Your Vizsla will associate the clicker with ‘doing a good job’ and ‘receiving a treat’ only

* Verbal commands are given in a myriad of situations – this can cause confusion in your dog’s mind and therefore verbal commands are often not as strong as a clicker response

Clicker Training – The Method

There are 3 very easy steps to train your dog to respond to a clicker.

Step 1. Entice the behavior – ask your Vizsla to do something you desire. It can be sitting, heeling, lying down, or whatever other behaviours you are attempting to teach.

Step 2. After you’ve gotten them to perform their behaviour, mark it with a click.

Step 3. Give them a reward.

It generally takes only 2 or 3 markings before your dog learns the connection between the behavior and the click.

Once the dog has done the behaviour and received their reward, continue doing it to reinforce the behaviour as much as possible. You do not have to use treats every time. Praise and petting work just as well and can eventually replace the behaviour.

Clicker dog training works well because they will immediately respond, allowing you to reward them and immediately instill it in their minds. A verbal command will take time to get through.

Transitioning to a Command

Once your Vizsla has associated the new behaviour with the click – it is time to transition to a command.

Step 1. Say the command Step 2. Click Step 3. Give a Reward

Your dog will quickly learn to associate all 3 steps.

Ultimately, with good clicker training, your Vizsla will respond to oral cues and praise for behaviour without the need for treats.

As you might imagine, clicker canine training has a considerable number of applications. It can make coaching your dog far easier in some ways. With an easy, pointed command, you can mark and fortify almost any behavior.

The question is, can you change your Vizsla’s troublesome behaviours for good? Yes you can! Download my FREE e-book on How To STOP Your Vizsla’s Obedience Issues For Good!, and become the alpha dog. Check here for free reprint licence: Vizsla Clicker Training.

categories: vizsla,hungarian vizsla,Vizsla Clicker Training,hungarian Vizsla Clicker Training,obedience training,clicker training,dogs,dog training,dog health,clicker obedience tarining,canine clicker training

Aug 19 2010

Vizsla Clicker Training

Want to know 3 easy steps to clicker train your Vizsla fast?

I feel your pain… I spent 12 months with an ‘out of control’ dog before I found relief.

Clicker training is among the best and most effective methods for changing and reinforcing your dog’s behavior when attempting to teach them basic commands. Like any new skill, it takes a little time to master clicker training, however, with a well operated clicker, you can teach your dog virtually anything.

Clicker Training – The Theory

The concept behind clicker coaching is that you are training the dog to link the sound of the clicker – a robust, pointed sound that they can hear from 20+ yards away – with a particular command you give. The point of the training is to mark particular desirable behavior and then reward it with the sound of the clicker.

Of course clicker dog training does not start with a clicker. You must first teach your dog that the clicker is a reward for good behaviour. This can be done with a bag of treats and a simple, two dollar clicker from your local pet store.

Why should you follow this method?

* Your Vizsla will associate the clicker with ‘doing a good job’ and ‘receiving a treat’ only

* Verbal commands are given in a myriad of situations – this can cause confusion in your dog’s mind and therefore verbal commands are often not as strong as a clicker response

Clicker Training – The Method

There are 3 very easy steps to train your dog to respond to a clicker.

Step 1. Entice the behavior – ask your Vizsla to do something you desire. It can be sitting, heeling, lying down, or whatever other behaviours you are attempting to teach.

Step 2. After you’ve gotten them to perform their behaviour, mark it with a click.

Step 3. Offer a reward.

It generally takes only 2 or 3 markings before your dog learns the connection between the behavior and the click.

Once the dog has done the behavior and received their reward, continue doing it to buttress the behavior as much as humanly possible. You don’t need to use treats ever single time. Praise and petting work just as well and can at last replace the behavior.

Clicker dog training works well because they will immediately respond, allowing you to reward them and immediately instill it in their minds. A verbal command will take time to get through.

Transitioning to a Command

Once your Vizsla has associated the new behaviour with the click – it is time to transition to a command.

Step 1. Give the command Step 2. Click Step 3. Give a Reward

Your dog will quickly learn to associate all 3 steps.

Ultimately, with good clicker canine obedience training, a dog will make a response to an oral cue and praise for their action and then they can simply learn it. The necessity for treats or praise will be gone and the dog will simply know the action pleases you.

As you might imagine, clicker dog training has a number of applications. It can make training your Vizsla so much easier in many ways. With a simple, sharp command, you can mark and reinforce nearly any behaviour.

The question is, can you alter your Vizsla’s bad behaviours for good? Yes you can! Check out Andrew Cox’s FREE report on How To STOP Your Vizsla’s Obedience Problems For Good!, and become the APLHA dog. This article, Vizsla Clicker Training is released under a creative commons attribution licence.