Some questions about "look at that" clicker training

[aelphaba_fae]

Hello all

Comments

[papilio_luna]

I think you need to maybe back up with the "Look at That" game. The book that this game comes from, Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt (which I just can not recommend highly enough) goes in to a lot of detail about the foundations for this and how to train it starting off in a boring room with a duct tape "X" stuck on a wall. The behaviorist that ran the Feisty Fido class we just finished began us training with it with just a weird random object that she'd approach our enclosures with (because of the nature of the class each dog worked inside an X-pen covered with sheets) and hold up. Doing an appropriate "look at that" with a dog's triggers is like PhD level "look at that".

[miss_teacher]

I would also check out the yahoo group: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/CU_Dogs/

The author of Control Unleashed, Leslie McDevitt, is on the list and regularly answers questions from users.

If he does not turn to look at you when you click then he is too close to his trigger. Immediately back up so you get his focus *before* he reacts. Or if you click and he doesn't instantly turn you need to immediate shove the treat in his face to get his attention.

[papilio_luna]

When I attended a workshop with Leslie she talked a lot about how people seemed to be really latching on to the LAT game, but attempting to do it without laying the proper foundation first, which she said she really wished people would not try.

[theclamsman]

One of these would probably help

http://www.kooldawgtees.com/gentleleaderorder.html

Stillwell (on "it's Me or the Dog") usually recommends it for overreactive dogs. I'm going to get Henry one as well. If you don't get them thru the website, they have them at various pet stores.

[omnipoodle]

I tried a GL for my dog for a very brief time and discarded it because she hated it. Head collars work well for some dogs, but they definitely don't work for every dog. This interesting article discusses some of the GL's cons: http://www.flyingdogpress.com/headhalters.html

I absolutely second the suggestions to read Control Unleashed and check out the corresponding Yahoo group. Leslie McDevitt is pretty much awesome, and she discusses everything everything you need to know about the LAT game.

[rozae]

but they definitely don't work for every dog.
I just want to highlight that because this is very important to note.

My shy Australian Shepherd completely shuts down when wearing a head collar. My old ACD would fight it to the bitter end, injuring himself in the process, even after days of careful training to get him to accept it. My ACD mix hates it and no amount of desensitizing has made him truly accept it. I have since tossed it.

[papilio_luna]

I didn't even try a head collar for my reactive dog. I was pretty sure it would not go over well--he's quite soft and shuts down easily and I didn't want any piece of equipment that would simply mask his issues, I wanted to really address them at their root. We did just fine using a front clip harness for about 4 months, and I only went that route instead of staying on a flat collar because Conrad weighs 95 lbs and I often have to walk him with Marlowe (who isn't a problem on leash but it does mean more stuff to juggle) so I needed physics to be as much on my side as possible. We're back to the flat collar now and I only pull out the harness when we're going somewhere really chock full of distractions and chaos.

[dinnee]

It sounds to me that he's a little bit confused as to what 'look at that' means. When the object is far enough away he looks at you, but when the object is to close he will forget everything else that's going on around him