My K9 Land

Linda:

The clicker type training didn’t work nearly as well as just giving a treat at the time of obedience.
Rating: 2 / 5

Anyse Joslin:

This is such a nice “starter set” for learning how to train your dog (horses and other critters are mentioned as well). Each new task is broken down for you in workable parts so that the task, overall, can be learned easily by your dog as well as by you! Yes, you need to know how to be a good teacher for your very best friend in the world!

The set includes a nice clicker that is not too high-pitched or too loud so that it will not scare your darling friend. Yes, I got a couple of other clickers that were larger, really loud and high pitched such that it actually scared my sensitive buddy! Karen Pryor also has a nice set of 5 even smaller clickers at a very low price here on the Amazon site. Get them if you don’t already have a few extra clickers so that you can keep them everywhere around thehouse wherever you go as well as one for your pocket when you go out of the house with your dog.

The “Help Cards” are sturdy as well as attractive. These help to “remind” you of the steps and each facet of the training that you will have to do to help you as well as your friend to master each task. She makes it so easy.

There is a small bag of tiny treats included (about 100 or so) to get you started. You need to figure out the “level” of treats that you want to use to train your dog. They go from “high” to “low” value. Basically, for simpler tasks and steps, you will use “low” value treats for training. Something your pal likes and will do the trick for the “usual” training sessions. However, there will be times that “high” value treats (hot dog pieces, beef stick pieces, or even a toy that your dog really loves to play with) will be needed when you want to train your dog to do more complex tasks and to keep her attention throughout the process. I have learned to use food treats less and less and to use high praise and breaks after so much time (every 5-10 minutes). Some complaints about “clicker” training is the food reward all of the time. I prefer not to use food as a reward. I am the only person who feeds him and, when I do, the words “Roo-roo” get him going, he perks up, is excited while I prepare his raw meat and is more than happy to get his one meal each day and the 1/4 cup of meat kibble to gnosh on during the day. He loves this time and I strive to keep food and performance as separate as possible. It works very well. Also, this is a great help to those of you who have heard that a food reward for everything that your dog does for you (from step-by-step rewards to a reward for the task itself each time it is completed satisfactorily) is not the best thing in the world.

The book is fantastic and it should be your “FIRST” clicker training book! I then recommend another book, which is a compendium of many more task, as a follow-up: “Click for Joy! Questions and Answers from Clicker Trainers and Their Dogs,” also by Karen Pryor!

I wish you the best for you and your dog. My dog has achieved a greater level of confidence from doing these tasks, learning them, and the deeper relationship that he and I have developed through this process. He is more of the dog he can be as a result and you will be proud of both yourself and your dog as you both achieve the learning of each task!
Rating: 5 / 5

L. Lucas:

Great, fun way to train your dog. This pack has everything you need to get started. It’s for the professional or for the first-time clicker trainer. Highly recommend.
Rating: 5 / 5