# Clicker Training!



## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

I have looked around and can't find much on it... anyone have any tips?


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

Well the book "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor is excellent on the subject. I don't know a whole lot. Just the basics of capture, bridge, reward.
But your bridge doesn't have to be a clicker, it can be a vocal bridge. For my hawk it's "atta girl".
It's all operant conditioning (OC training).


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## DavyHollow (Jul 14, 2011)

Yeah, google clicker training and you'll find a lot on it. The main idea is to associate the sound of the click with a treat, and then move on from there. Click-treat


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

On NAFEX (the US falconry forum) there is a whole sub-forum on the subject.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Thanks guys! I will tell you all how it goes.... as soon as I get a clicker from my aunt.... :roll:


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

You can get a clicker at Petsmart or Petco (up at the register) real cheap.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Ok that is good to know! I will have to stop at petco for a collar that I think will look really cute on my new doe..... My aunt should be coming to visit soon so I will remind her and if I don't get it I know where to go!


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

I'm going to start trying OC training with Pan when he gets old enough to love raisins. We can compare notes . I think I'll use a word for a bridge instead of the clicker though. It's handy to have your hands free (no pun intended).
Also, I really recommend checking out Don't Shoot the Dog. It's concepts are used for everything from hawks to horses to dolphins.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Cool, definitely! and I will have to look into that!


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

Cool!


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## use2bwilson (Aug 4, 2011)

i foster a lot of dogs and use clicker training on most of them. it's a super powerful and positive tool. you can have a lot of fun with it ... i'd love to see how goats take to it ... i'm sure it will be a great fit.

the one thing that is very important with clicker training is the timing of the click. the click marks the exact moment that the right thing is being done. for example, when teaching a dog to sit, it is when the dog's bottom hits the ground. you can also you the click to "shape" the behavior and mark the beginning of the sit and gradually expect more of a sit each time. shaping is used for more complicated tricks. you break the trick down into baby steps to get to the final behavior.

i've read that your hand is quicker to mark the moment of good behavior than using your voice. so just beware if your marker is not the actual clicker and is your voice ... it may take your goat a little longer to catch on. 

good luck and keep us posted on your progress!!


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Awsome thanks! And I will!


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

I've just asked my Dad to make me a "target wand". THis is a very useful tool for OC training. You use it to teach targeting, which means the animal touches the end of the wand. It's very useful for moving an animal where you want them.
The wand is simply a dowel, about two feet long, with a ball at the end, about the size of a golfball, maybe a little bigger. You paint the ball red and you are good to go.
They sell these online, made from arcrylic sometimes, but I'm just going to use a home made one.


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

I'm going to start clicker training Sprite today. I hand fed him a little grain yesterday, so he knows how to eat grain from my hand.
So today I'll start with a fanny pack with 1/8 cup of grain in it and the clicker. I'll offer a tiny handful of grain and as soon as he takes a bite I'll click. I'll do this until I run out of grain.
That will be all the grain he gets today.
Tomorrow I'll do the same thing, only in two sessions; one in am one in pm, upping his grain ration that way.


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

Sprite did well enough for a first session. I'm not sure that he made the connection between the clicker and the food, but I got my timing right and thats what matters at this point.


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

I started Sprite on Target training today and I think he caught on to it. I have to keep our sessions pretty short because he can't get much grain, but he was hitting the target every time as we wrapped things up. He's a smart little guy!


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

I've also changed my treat/grain mix a little bit by adding a few raisins to the mix. He loves raisins and it makes him really eager for the reward.
My targeting wand is working out perfectly. My Dad did a great job on it and I love it .


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## zubbycat (Oct 14, 2012)

How is the clicker training going? 

I clicker train my horses and donkeys, so I plan on doing it with my goat too. I need to start with some manners lessons as he is 1-1/2 now and hasn't had any training. 

I really like Karen Pryor's book 'Don't Shoot the Dog.' Also her newer one "Reaching the Animal Mind" is a fascinating read.


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## .:Linz:. (Aug 25, 2011)

I've done a bit of clicker training with my girls. For awhile I was working with Fiona and she caught on so fast - in two short sessions she learned to "come touch" my hand, and I can still use it and she responds, even without the clicker or a treat. Of course I still give her a reward in the form of pets and verbal praise. 

I need to get back to it now that Maddie and Charlotte are getting older and enjoy treats like raisins.


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## redtailgal (Mar 29, 2011)

I've trained critters most of my life......hawks, horses, dogs. But I had never messed with clicker training until I got goats. It was MARVELOUS. I first tried it with Socrates, my strange wether.

I began by giving treats by hand and clicking each time they touched the food so that they associated the sound with something positive. Then I went to target training, I am a cheap-skate and a tightwad, so I used a flyswatter.

Goats are nosy critters, so the first thing he did was check out the flyswatter. As soon as he touched that flyswatter, I clicked and he looked for his treat. Within minutes, he was touching that flyswatter quicker than I could click. Within two days, he was running about 15 feet away from me to touch it, and coming back for his treat.

I began putting the swatter in various places.....he would go to it, even if he had to climb. So I held it up, and he stood on his hind legs to get to it. THEN I started raising the swatter and saying "ally-oop"......THEN I took away the swatter, raised just my hand and said "ally-oop". 

Within 7-8 days of starting the clicker training process, I could simply say "ally-oop" and he would rear up like a horse on command. He also learned to "place" on a raised pedestal. 

I stopped the clicker training at this point, as my curiosity was satiated.

Then we got our two meat wethers, who had never been handled and were very fearful and WILD as they could be. We are talking climb the walls and scream like a wild banshee at the sight of a person.

I fasted them by having them skip one meal (hay was available).

I began by placing feed in their trough, and sitting on the other side of the stall. Once they would eat, I would click. The next time, I placed the trough closer to me and clicked when they would eat. On about day 3, I sat a bowl of feed near me, and had them eat while standing directly next to me, again clicking while they ate. 

THEN, I made them work for the click. When I went in the stall, they immediately began looking for feed, I could not touch them at this point. However, this time, when they took a step TOWARD me, I would click and lay down the food trough, allowing them to eat for a minute. WIthin 10 minutes, they were standing at my feet. I upped the anty.........they had to let me touch them to get the click and therefore the treat.

The following night, I made it hard for them.........they had to TOUCH ME before they would get that blessed CLICK. In less than a week, they were crawling all over me to get their food.

I have also used it for training them to stand for foot trimming. I started by showing them the target when picking up the foot, when they touch the target while I am holding their foot, they get the click.....then we moved to....When I pick up a foot, and they stand quietly without pulling away, they get that coveted "click". The only problem that I have for this is that now Socrates will sit down like a dog and hold his foot out like he is going to "give howdy" EVERY SINGLE CHANCE he gets. One of my does no longer needs the click......she just lays down and goes to sleep (not quite what I was going for, but it's better than a fight).

My biggest tip......use target training and start it on day one. I just used a flyswatter, but there are nicer things to use, lol. Once you have that target well established, you can get them to go ANYWHERE, and you can get them to FOCUS. At one point my little herd of six was frightened of something (dont know what) and I needed to move them to another area. Frightened goats dont move well, but I got out the swatter, the focus changed from the imagined boogerman to the swatter and wah-la! the goats moved easily for me.

Get yourself a chair, sit down with your focus object, your clicker and some treats. Take time to firmly establish a focus.......the rest is easy.


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## StinkyOlBuck (Nov 13, 2012)

We've been clicker training our goats for a few months now. The girls and I can teach a new trick in about 15 minutes. Tonight I simply said 'IN' and my goats quickly ran into their pen. I can say 'follow' and the herd runs to me from anywhere on the ranch, even while raiding the horse's hay. My friends are simply amazed at how well they obey/listen. 

On command they do about twenty 'tricks' (up, down, left and right around cones, shake, walk on two legs, stay, over, under, turn around, give me a kiss, go 'half way' up a ramp, walk along any object, 'jump' between things, 'don't kick' during milking, 'move' out of my way, 'out' of the pen, 'in' the pen, 'no'/clap to get off the car or out of the horse stall manger, kneel down, etc.). 

A tail wag means they think they deserve a reward. We don't use the clicker much anymore and simply say 'good boy/girl', and rather than a treat we simply give pets and praise. My whethers get really pissed if they miss getting a reward and storm off, but five minutes later they're back again for more. Lastly, we use our fist for a target since a hand is something we always have with us.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

I have my opinions on Clicker training animals and I am positive no one wants to hear it here on this forum. I will say something that most might like: If I were to use clicker training.. a goat maybe the only animal I would attempt to use it with. There are a lot of bad examples of it out there so.. as with all training.. make sure you do the 'right' clicker training method. Just my opinion. But don't bother asking why I don't like clicker training because I am not going to get into it. Too many people love it so.. that is what is the trend.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

StinkyOlBuck said:


> We've been clicker training our goats for a few months now. The girls and I can teach a new trick in about 15 minutes. Tonight I simply said 'IN' and my goats quickly ran into their pen. I can say 'follow' and the herd runs to me from anywhere on the ranch, even while raiding the horse's hay. My friends are simply amazed at how well they obey/listen.
> 
> On command they do about twenty 'tricks' (up, down, left and right around cones, shake, walk on two legs, stay, over, under, turn around, give me a kiss, go 'half way' up a ramp, walk along any object, 'jump' between things, 'don't kick' during milking, 'move' out of my way, 'out' of the pen, 'in' the pen, 'no'/clap to get off the car or out of the horse stall manger, kneel down, etc.).
> 
> A tail wag means they think they deserve a reward. We don't use the clicker much anymore and simply say 'good boy/girl', and rather than a treat we simply give pets and praise. My whethers get really pissed if they miss getting a reward and storm off, but five minutes later they're back again for more. Lastly, we use our fist for a target since a hand is something we always have with us.


Sir: It is amazing what you have accomplished with your goats. You have mastered the correct method it seems with the clicker training and can encourage people to do the same. This is awesome that you can do this. So many misunderstand how to train animals and it seems like you do very well but I wouldnt give it all to the clicker method.


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## zubbycat (Oct 14, 2012)

I have been clicker training my horses for a couple years now, donkeys for a year and just started with the goats. Positive is the only way I will go now. People definitely need to be willing to put in the time to learn the theory behind the method and learn why it works, but I don't think anyone should be afraid to try it. I am in the process of completely saddle training a horse with the clicker and the results are amazing. Not to mention a completely force free experience halter training two donkeys, one who had never been touched by a human before. Donkeys especially respond well to it - the old saying is pretty true that you can tell a horse and negotiate with a mule, but you ASK a donkey. My donkeys are extremely well-behaved individuals and are 100% clicker trained. I'm a huge advocate for it over other methods.

If anyone is interested in following the adventure of saddle training a horse with clicker training, you can go to my webpage www.ridingrainqh.com and click on The Rainy Project.


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## StinkyOlBuck (Nov 13, 2012)

packhillboers said:


> Sir: It is amazing what you have accomplished with your goats. You have mastered the correct method it seems with the clicker training and can encourage people to do the same. This is awesome that you can do this. So many misunderstand how to train animals and it seems like you do very well but I wouldnt give it all to the clicker method.


I have a secret weapon: A friend who has been clicker training dogs and cats for many years. She recommended *'Don't Shoot the Dog'* and she allows me to bounce successes and frustrations off her. I've also trained dogs, and we both agree goats are WAY easier than dogs. We started training a pair of ponies yesterday too so our clicker is going to be getting a serious workout again here.

I also agree that improper clicker training can do more harm than good by frustrating both the trainer and the animal. If you want to do it, please read 'DSTD' first!

-Γreg


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## zubbycat (Oct 14, 2012)

DSTD is an excellent book! I also loved Karen Pryor's other book, Reaching the Animal Mind. It's such a great read and something I think everyone with animals should read even if they never intend to touch a clicker. I gained so much understanding about how animals think from that book.


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## StinkyOlBuck (Nov 13, 2012)

zubbycat said:


> I also loved Karen Pryor's other book, Reaching the Animal Mind. It's such a great read and something I think everyone with animals should read even if they never intend to touch a clicker. I gained so much understanding about how animals think from that book.


Thanks for the recommendation; I just ordered a copy from Abe books for $7, including shipping .


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

zubbycat said:


> I have been clicker training my horses for a couple years now, donkeys for a year and just started with the goats. Positive is the only way I will go now. People definitely need to be willing to put in the time to learn the theory behind the method and learn why it works, but I don't think anyone should be afraid to try it. I am in the process of completely saddle training a horse with the clicker and the results are amazing. Not to mention a completely force free experience halter training two donkeys, one who had never been touched by a human before. Donkeys especially respond well to it - the old saying is pretty true that you can tell a horse and negotiate with a mule, but you ASK a donkey. My donkeys are extremely well-behaved individuals and are 100% clicker trained. I'm a huge advocate for it over other methods.
> 
> If anyone is interested in following the adventure of saddle training a horse with clicker training, you can go to my webpage www.ridingrainqh.com and click on The Rainy Project.


ZUBBY!!!! I KNEW I'd run into you here on the forum at some point. Are you going to clicker train your new wethers too?


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## zubbycat (Oct 14, 2012)

You bet!! Herbie already has a lust for carrots, so he'll be the easiest. Lol. We are about to start working on hoof clipping training. ;-) 

Thank you sooooo much for introducing me to this forum! I am learning so much!


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## Lehcarjt (Dec 25, 2012)

Yikes. I am SO excited to see there are already others clicker training goats. I used it on a horse 10 or so years ago (at the time everyone thought I was nuts as it was primarily a dog technique) and was so wildly successful that I use it for all my animals (I'm even going to try our new chickens). We just brought two does into our lives and as soon as the kids (human kids) go back to school I am going to get started. Interesting that most people start with target training. I've always done that as well, although usually with a cone. 

I'll have to post updates once we get going. How is everyone else doing?

Rachel


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## zubbycat (Oct 14, 2012)

Awesome! I love meeting other clicker trainers. 

I haven't been doing a lot lately with the cold winter weather. But I'm starting agility with my donkeys, and I think I'll teach Herbie the Goat to do it too. Lol.


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