Clicker Training

Welcome to the Clicker Course

Thanks for coming and being part of a great experiment. For the last couple of years, I while attending the obedience roundtable at the Beagle Nationals in the States I have heard 'Clicker' and Karen Pryor mentioned as being the way to train, and to accomplish anything you want. Last fall I was lucky enough to find a clicker seminar with Sue Ailsby, from Regina, and an
obedience trainer and obedience judge who raises Giant Schnauzers and Llamas.

I was lucky enough to take a dog, Painter. He is now my cross over dog.

I learned so much. What was so amazing to me was that I actually saw an entirely new expression on my dogs face. I had the idea that I made brain contact. I saw my dog think. I equate it to the same thing that Helen Keller felt, when she first realized that she could communicate with another human being. I doubt that my dog will ever be a writer or a poet, but my clicker dog constantly a happy worker.

After that week-end, I wanted to learn a lot more. Every one knows about time and lack of it. We all seem to be on a treadmill and the faster we run, the faster we need to run. When Andy canceled his classes in the spring, I was able to spend more time, but I needed someone to talk me through a course or teach me more.

I was very fortunate to see a Click Start ad, and I joined Jackie McGowans first course. I had a five year old beagle female sitting at my house without any obedience training. This was Crocus. Friends know her as the 'bad seed'. I feel like a born again clicker trainer. I would never go back to traditional training.

The purpose of this class is to cover the basic obedience exercises, sit, down and stand stay, the recall and the heel. I feel that we can accomplish that. It will be hard work. The first couple of weeks are going to be very frustrating. You will feel that you are going no where. You will find that once your dog starts learning, he/she will want to learn more, and will asking you for training sessions.

As with traditional obedience, start in a quiet, isolated place. Later you will have to work in other environments, with more distractions.