Need assistance with my newly rescued BC

[dereklum]

I just skimmed through that article and it has A LOT of things that I've read about that many people look over and I often need to remind myself of. Thanks for that! I'll have to read it in more detail in a bit. I just wanted to let everyone know that he's actually stopped licking his anus out of nowhere. I think I did see some kind of liquid squirt out at one point though. Could that be his anal glands releasing on their own? It seems like since then, he's stopped.

 

I also found out last night that he prefers when I hand feed him his meals. That is setting his food down in front of him. It also has to be out of my hand or someone else's hand. Not too long ago, I tried just pouring it out of his bowl and he didn't eat it, but then I picked it up and set it right back down and he ate it. I actually don't think this is a bad thing since this allows him to willingly interact with either me or someone else. And note that I did say set his food down, meaning that he actually gets close enough so that no tossing is necessary. He'll tell me when you get too close to him, but he's still relatively close (in arms reach), although still won't eat out of the hand.

 

I think I remember reading something similar to this in Kelso's thread, if D'Elle would like to clarify this. It only weirded me out a bit because he was fine eating out of his bowl before, and just recently he's more comfortable with me feeding him directly. I chuckled as I told him "I spoil you too much" haha. But in the end, I feel like this is actually some bonding possibly? Maybe he's telling me he wants me to watch him eat and that he actually wants some direct attention now.

 

He is definitely forming a bond with me. He seems pretty excited when I come back from class, tail up, and a bit of wagging when I say his name. He also starts wagging when I talk in a high pitched voice and move my hands really fast. He gets excited and after a few moments he'll sniff my face, then my arm, and that's when he doesn't mind me giving him a quick touch on the chin since he's playing with my hand.

 

 

I've got a few questions for everyone. One is a potty training question. When I want him to go, I'll let him out with no ball, no treats, nothing. I'll take him to a certain gated part of the yard to go potty, and he'll only do number 1. He'll almost never do number 2, but once he has the house to himself, he goes right away. Sometimes I'm gone no longer than 30 minutes and there'll be a number 2 somewhere in the house. Any suggestions? When I first brought him to the house, he was pretty good about it for the first couple days. After the first time he went inside the house, it seems like he'll rarely do it outside now. He doesn't really show me signs that he has to go either unless I find him in the act, which is hard to do since he knows when he's home alone.

 

Second question are about toys. Do you guys store your toys away when it's not play time? A lot of times, usually late late at night, he'll get up, find his ball, and start playing with himself. I don't mind so much as I find it kind of cute and he seems to have a lot of fun.

[dereklum]

I actually got him to go number 1 and 2 outside just now! I gave him BIG BIG BIG praise and found out that if I use the right tone in my voice with the "good boy" he actually wags his tail. Before when I said "good boy" he would walk away from me, so just another sign he's warming up to me. So proud of him.

[G. Festerling]

I am not quite following the food thing somehow.

But I would say eating out of your hand is good but I would have to be a bit more specific with him. I know people who's dogs eat every bite of their food out of their hands. Two types. For the super shy and feral types. And the super your world revolves around me training types.

As long as your boy is not refusing to eat out of his bowl due to him not being sure if he is allowed to (funny how some things can shape themselves without intent) or due to a need to watch you all the time, I would think it is great for him to eat out of your hands. But for me, I would still insist on him eating out of his bowl at times.

 

All of my toys are put up. Admittedly because I don't want them chewing and swallowing something is the main motivator. Again, I have heard not to let them have gratification by themselves. That a lot of the value of the toy is the interaction with the owner. Which of course means no lazy letting the dog work himself either. Mine do pick up sticks and stuff at times and goof off. I love watching them be goofy. But I will admit, training as well as toy access management combined has really helped with one of my pups. The other one could care less. Toys are not important to her.

[dereklum]

WOOOOO BIG BIG PROGRESS THESE LAST COUPLE DAYS! I believe it's just him getting more and more used to me, but he now lets me pet him under the chin, around the ears, and on the chest! As long as I can get him to sniff my hand, he's okay with the pet, even with two hands. I also found out that he really enjoys when I talk in a high pitch voice. It makes him go nuts. He absolutely loves it. His tail goes crazy and he starts jumping around. He even jumped on me once.

 

The last two days, I had to leave for a couple hours to go to work so I had a friend that he's familiar with watch him for me and found out that he gets really anxious when I leave the house. Apparently, he actually goes looking for me around the house for a few minutes and when he doesn't find me, he'll whine for a few minutes. When I get home he goes crazy. He also recognizes the sound of my car. I think someone told me that when an owner leaves a dog, the dog believes that he/she is leaving and will never come back. If this is true, it makes me real happy that he acknowledges me as his owner.

 

He's also getting really comfortable being around my friends and family. I had a couple friends over today while I was working on my cousin's car and he followed me into the garage where we were. At first, he just stayed back, lied down, and was just watching us. After a little bit, he came towards us, sniffed my friends (I did tell them to ignore him), and was just wandering the garage. It was pretty awesome.

 

I stopped by the pet store on the way home as well and picked up a few more chew toys and a clicker. We'll be starting some awesome clicker training tomorrow. I did pick up a new collar for him as well and I showed it to him, but he wasn't having it. It did frighten him when I approached him with it, so I'm going to set that aside for another time.

 

I think that's all the updates I have for now. I was talking to my friend earlier about how he was when I first brought him to my Riverside home two weeks ago. I can't believe how far he's gone since then. He's gained so much confidence in himself. I couldn't have done it without everyone's help. Definitely more updates to come!

 

Here's a really terrible picture of him I took last night. He's got the cutest little spots on his nose. And this might be too close of a picture, but he doesn't really have those whale eyes as much anymore. He seems much more comfortable around me and the people he's familiar with and will even just lay in the middle of the room going at his rawhide.

[GentleLake]

He really looks so much more relaxed in this picture. What great news that he's doing so well, thanks to your patience.

 

Great jobs, both of you.

[Camden's Mom]

Although I haven't contributed anything to this conversation thus far I have been following your journey with Dexter with great awe and admiration. I'm a pretty inexperienced dog person and can't even imagine the project you've taken on with this boy... but I am impressed and inspired by how much you are doing to help him. Bravo!

 

 

 

The last two days, I had to leave for a couple hours to go to work so I had a friend that he's familiar with watch him for me and found out that he gets really anxious when I leave the house. Apparently, he actually goes looking for me around the house for a few minutes and when he doesn't find me, he'll whine for a few minutes. When I get home he goes crazy. He also recognizes the sound of my car. I think someone told me that when an owner leaves a dog, the dog believes that he/she is leaving and will never come back. If this is true, it makes me real happy that he acknowledges me as his owner.

 

I just wanted to comment on his getting anxious when you leave. I think most dogs will get a little bit uncomfortable when their owner leaves (and I'm certain he sees you as his human at this point ) but you want to make sure it doesn't turn into something more serious, like separation anxiety. It's flattering that our dogs miss us while we're gone, I won't argue that point, but you do want him to be able to handle you leaving without turning into a pile of mush. Some pacing and a little bit of whining doesn't sound like a huge deal right now, but just be careful it doesn't turn into more.

 

Advice I've heard (and others will correct me if I'm wrong) is to make coming and going not a big deal at all. IOW don't make a big scene (hugs, kisses, long goodbyes) when you are leaving. Maybe just give him something yummy to chew on, a pat on the head or a calm word, and then head out without making anything of it. When you come back act like it's no big deal you've returned. Let him know it's nothing to be overly excited about. *Of course* he can be happy you are home (what owner doesn't want to return to a smiling face and a wagging tail?!?) but make sure the "You're Home!!" celebration doesn't get too over the top.

 

Once again, I want to congratulate you on your progress and efforts up to this point. I'll continue to follow Dexter's story and look forward to more posts and pictures!!! Speaking of which, I totally agree with GentleLake, Dex looks a lot more comfortable (from what I can see of his ears and his eyes) then he did in the previous picture you posted. Well done and all the best moving forward!!!

[GentleLake]

Sorry, I didn't have much time earlier to respond, but have more time now.

 

Camden's Mom's advice is spot on! I often don't say anything at all to my dogs when I leave, maybe a calm "Watch the house" but nothing more and not even that much of the time.

 

And when I come home, I really don't acknowledge them either for a few minutes. I come in, take off shoes, coat, put down whatever I may be carrying, etc. and then talk to the dogs. I have 3 dogs and while I love that they greet me happily at the door, I hate being ambushed at the door by a bunch of frenzied dogs who won't even let you enter without being all over you.

 

So, don't reinforce his getting crazy when you come home. Yes, it's really endearing, but you don't want to encourage it for so many reasons, such as enabling possible separation anxiety and just not reinforcing excitability in general (which is so common in border collies anyway, and you really don't know how excitable his personality is yet).

 

Coming and going in and out of the house shouldn't be any more of an event for a dog than my/your moving from room to room within the house. (ETA: It will be for them, of course, but it shouldn't be for you.)

 

That said, I think dogs are smart enough to know you're coming back if they have the expectation of your returning. IOW, if it's a well established practice that you return. Of course, a newly adopted dog won't be sure and may be more anxious, but by now I think Dexter has the expectation that you'll return. That's not the same thing as saying that he may not particularly like it when you leave. As Camden's Mom said, you're definitely his person now and he likes it better and maybe also feels more secure when you're around. But the fact that he whined for only a few minutes is encouraging.

 

It's possible, too, that he was a little anxious about being left with someone he doesn't know and trust as well as he knows you. That should also get better with time and more confidence around other people. It sounds like you've got some great friends, though, who heed your instructions about not pushing him. What a wonderful asset to have them to help you socialize this fraidy dog.

[dereklum]

Today I had a little play date with a friend and his pups. They had a lot of fun. The first time I've ever seen him so happy. His tail was all the way up and wagging like crazy. I was hoping this would help him get better with people if he saw the other two dogs happily coming up to their owners and me and also me interacting with other people. It kind of worked, he was coming up to my buddies and sniffing them. My friend even tossed him a treat and he jumped up and caught it. First time I've seen him do that with food. Also I know it's always a good thing to have him around other dogs once in a while.

 

Also the touching has been getting better. He's pretty comfortable with me touching him anywhere as long as I let him sniff me and have him approach me. He even enjoys a little pushing around. I want to get a collar on him, no leash, just a collar. I got him a new one with a tag on it, but he won't let me put it on. When he sees it, he knows and he goes to his little safe spot, which is now in his dog bed in my room. That's the only spot he won't let me pet him in. Do you guys know of any exercises that will let him get used to the collar and/or leash?

 

I was thinking maybe setting the collar down on the floor and having him be around it and then progressing to me holding it and rewarding if he makes any movement towards me. He already knows what it is and I'm guessing he's associating the collar with an unpleasant experience. And then once he's comfortable with the collar, do the same exercise with the leash (if you recommend this exercise and it works). Another approach that I was thinking is coaxing him into putting the collar and leash on. That's what I did when I brought him to the second, permanent, home. I was coaxing him with the ball and when he was really comfortable I had someone pass me the leash and I clipped it on. I did show him the leash before clipping it, so I'm pretty sure he knew. The only thing about that is that it kind of seems like I'm tricking him into it, which I don't really want to do. I don't think it'll teach him that it's a good thing. I really need his leash and collar on so I can give him a bath. He's getting really dirty and I'm afraid he's going to catch something. He got especially dirty today while playing with the other dogs. They got all crazy in the mud in the backyard.

[GentleLake]

Sounds like things are just getting better and better.

 

I agree that play time with other dogs is important,if he likes it, and it sounds like he does. And dogs can learn from watching how others behave, so it just could help him be more comfortable around people.

 

Best to respect Dexter's safe spot. He needs to know there's somewhere he can go where he won't be bothered. Good that you acknowledge this. Chances are good that he won't always feel this way, but while he needs it, respect it.

 

You can work to desensitize him to the collar with your clicker. Have you "charged" it yet? If not, do that first. Once he's very solid on the idea that a click = a reward, get out some high value treats and the collar. At first, just click when you pic the collar up. Put it back down and pick it up again and click & treat. Do this over and over again until he's interested in your picking the collar up. Do fairly short sessions, so that he doesn't get bored with this new game. You want to get -- and keep -- him interested in the collar.

 

If he ever comes toward he collar, to sniff it, or to just approach you when you have it in your hand, click and treat. Especially if he sniffs it give him a jackpot of several treats. But it's all baby steps. Once he's doing any one phase solidly and has done anything even a little bit more bold, jackpot it and then make that the new bar to meet. If he can't do it, then go back a step.

 

This, btw, is shaping behavior.

 

Remember I'd mentioned teaching him to "touch" (or target) your hand? If you haven't started that yet, definitely do that in some other training sessions. When he's reliably targeting your hand and he's pretty comfortable in the proximity of the collar, you could try putting the collar over your arm -- maybe up near your elbow at first, or even your shoulder if necessary -- and see if he'll target your hand. When he will, gradually inch the collar down until he'll target your hand with the collar in it. Go slowly, very slowly. You don't want to spook him, but have him learn to associate the collar and the collar in your hand with good things.

 

When you get to that point, hold the collar as you would if you were going to put it on him. Click and treat if he'll sniff it. Then if he'll let you touch him with it. Eventually you'll be able to put it on him.

 

The hardest part of desensitizing like this is knowing how slowly to go. We tend to get eager to move forward and end up moving too fast, even though it seems like baby steps to us. Watch your dog's reactions for the stress signals. When you see them, back off to an easier step in the process. He'll tell you if you're moving too fast if you're willing to hear him, and I know you are.

 

As for his getting dirty, don't worry about it. He won't catch anything or get sick from being muddy or dirty. The worst that will happen is that you have to sweep the floor when it dries up and falls off. Later on you'll be able to do more of these things with him when he becomes more comfortable with being handled. So unless it's really something yucky -- like he's rolled in something dead and stinky -- don't worry about just some plain ol' dirt.

[dereklum]

I tried to charge the clicker on Monday, but he didn't really get it. I think either the environment was too distracting or my treats aren't rewarding enough. Or he may just need a few training sessions to understand it. I'm going to try again when I find a time where I can be more consistent with it. How long are typical training sessions? 10 to 15 minutes? Is it also good to use a variety of treats when rewarding?

 

And that's good to hear about him getting dirty. I don't mind cleaning up after him, but I do mind if it affects his health. He actually seems to clean himself off pretty well. He does get his dirty whites back to white on his own.

[alligande]

You can keep training sessions as short as a couple of minutes, the key is to stop while the dog is still interested. Try a variety of different things for treats, it took me a couple of years to realize that my rescue dog Brody would do anything for cheese, he loved a nice strong cheddar, some of my more creative things like homemade dog pâté he enjoyed but it turned out that tasty cheese was the key. Some of the things I have tried are hot dogs, oven roasted liver, Parmesan and garlic covered chicken, roast beef, roast turkey, then there is a whole range of good treats available such as freeze dried fish, liver and heart.

 

Most border collies have coats that are self cleaning, if you search these boards you will find threads that discuss how infrequently most of us was our dogs.

[urge to herd]

Keep the sessions very brief for right now. Click, toss treat maybe just 4 or 5 times. Make sure the treat is a stinky one that he can smell and find if it doesn't land right near him. Then put the clicker away for an hour or so.

 

If at any time he starts to have that whale-eyed look, or moves away from the clicking sound, stop using the clicker for now. Some dogs are very bothered by that sound. You can try using a ball point pen, clicking the retractor thingy, or you can just make a little noise with your tongue.

 

He'll get it, but for right now you need to keep things very brief. As he gets used to more formal training, you can increase the length of the sessions gradually, but keep it under 2 minutes for now.

 

Ruth and Agent Gibbs

[GentleLake]

Good suggestions above. There was recently a thread on people's favorite treats for training. There were a couple simple recipes for stinky fish (tuna & sardine) based treats that a lot of dogs love.

 

Also make sure he's hungry when you're training. Don't try to train right after he's had a meal, but right before. The trainer I worked with most recently always told us not to feed the dog before we came to class. And don't forget to compensate for the extra treats by reducing his regular food allowance.

[dereklum]

I took your guys' advice and kept the sessions real short and brief while trying to keep his attention on me and the clicker. At first, he wasn't really getting it. I felt like he was just thinking "Ooooo treats", but after a couple sessions, I think he started to actually pay attention to that *click*. It's still a bit iffy, but I think it's getting much better. I also looked into that favorite treats thread and went out and bought some sharp cheddar string cheese. Man does he love it. I opened up one stick of it and he was already at my heels. I think the more valuable treats helped out a lot as well.

 

I found out a way to teach him how to eat out of my hand as well. He's getting more fond of my petting, sometimes he actually nudges my hand to pet him. I always start on the chin, and then I thought, what would happen if I put food in my hand and pet his chin at the same time. At first he didn't take it even though it was right in his face. I was practically shoving it in his mouth, but he didn't back away, he just didn't take the treat. Tried it a couple more times, and eventually he started eating them out of my hand. I do have to be petting him though. I tried to hold it between my fingers and he wouldn't take it. I think it's a way, good or bad you guys could let me know, to let him get comfortable eating out of my hand.

[sandysfarm]

maybe you need to just make sure he's got the concept of the clicker by 'charging' again it with the cheese treat you've established that he loves. Cut 10 small pieces of treat, sit on the floor, put them in a pile behind your back out of sight so they don't confuse him and don't say a word. Take 1 treat in your hand and the clicker in the other. Now 'click' and in less than 1 second get the treat to him- sounds like you maybe roll it to him from close up for the moment -if that's how it gets into his mouth the fastest. Now you just do that 9 more times, making sure the time between the click and swallowing is as tight as you can get it. I always start the clicker with a dog that I know is hungry for a meal because then they're predisposed to make the association quicker, and no matter how smart I figure that dog is, I have a 100-click rule. Repeat with another 10 and another 10 spacing them just to hungrier times of the days. It won't take long for him to figure out that the click means there's food coming, but you want him to believe with all his might that one equals the other - then you can move forward with your new, REALLY strong tool that you'll need to practise with to get your timing lightning fast. GentleLake on how to mark?

[GentleLake]

GentleLake on how to mark?

 

Is this a question directed toward me? If so, I'm afraid I don't understand the question.

 

But, Sandysfarm, your instructions to Derek are perfect!

 

Cheese is often a very high value treat for dogs. Good you found it! I tend to buy it in the biggest bricks I can find while I'm training and then cut it up into teeny tiny pieces. Remember to keep the treat pieces small for training -- about the size of your pinky fingernail -- so that he doesn't gt full and loose interest.

 

As for eating out of your hand, whatever works. (As long as it's not forcing or otherwise punishing, which could create negative associations. But I think you already know that.)

[sandysfarm]

ugh, sorry, unclear, I know -I was being an insomniac.

 

So, dereklum, you seem very smart to me I'm guessing you'll love the clicker results. Once the dog understands that a click is shortform for food-reward you use the click sound to mark the exact thing you're looking for out of him. The reason is that your thumb can hit that lever way faster than your hand can get food into his mouth and you need that speed to give him a photo in his mind of what he did to get you to click...hunger is your friend.

so you make one represent the other for him. Then you decide what it is you'd like to encourage

- it gets referred to as 'shaping'. What you do is, break the thing that you want to happen into as many tiny parts as you can from A

to Z- it's a bit counter-intuitive but most of the work is your personal ability to break it down. . After that it's a matter of reflexively clicking each tiny part and rewarding it.

Just to get you going, if you pick something and

break it down, and post it, there's lots of

people here who will look at it for you before you begin to teach it.

At the risk of being very lengthy (i'm new here and conscious of overstaying) the way you get the dog to go from A to B, B to C, etc is to wait till he understands that A gets him a click/reward - you'll know this because he'll do A and

flick his eyes your way, anticipating the click. When he does that, Don't Click. This will frustrate him just enough to make him wonder if you've turned into an idiot. The *very next thing he does should be in a straight line and it should be B - which gets him a lightning fast click and reward. Now the Only thing that gets him a click is B until you see him flick his eyes at you when he does B -at which point you suddenly turn back into the idiot and stop clicking B - which frustrates him until he finds C - and again your lightening-fast click imprints C into his mind. You can take as long as you want to get to Z. The trick is to make sure that each letter is the new default behaviour, so that the next time you pick up the clicker and treats, you may see him 'scroll through' ABCD for you till he lands at his current letter...from which you continue.

Huge fun for the dog ( "it's a food-game!!") Huge fun for you ("it's a fast reflex game"!) Huge bonding strides for you both ...and THEN there's whatever new behaviour or trick you end up with. When the dog does 'scroll' for you he's demonstrating operant behaviour: he's taught himself that he can make you reward him by doing, say, D. if you check the internet, you'll see it designated in "behavoiur" as B=C. (behaviour equals consequence) The beauty is that things we teach ourselves are the things that truly stick and make us progress - dogs and humans.

[GentleLake]

What you do is, break the thing that you want to happen into as many tiny parts as you can from A

to Z-

 

Well, yes, but there's also back chaining -- i.e. starting with C and working your way back to A -- which many people are finding to be more efficient.

 

However, Derek's just trying to do some confidence building leading to some very basic behaviors for the moment. What you're talking about is for more complex behaviors that Dexter's not anywhere close to being ready for yet.

 

The basic information's correct, but with Dexter just stick to eye contact and maybe targeting your hand for now. Then on to "sit" and "lie down." You can worry about how to approach more complex behaviors later.

[Sue R]

I am really pleased to hear how you and Dexter are coming along, and the improvement he is making as you take it carefully and slowly with him. Too many people can be impatient or overly eager to make progress that they actually may retard the progress rather than move it along. Slow and steady steps that lead to a good foundation for the two of you are producing good results already, and you are to be commended for coming here, asking questions, reading and listening, asking more questions, and putting what people have said to good use in working with Dexter.

 

You have received such terrific advice and information that I have to compliment the people on this board who truly care for the dogs and who are willing to share their expertise with you (as they have with others). Folks here can get a bit passionate but they always have the well-being of the dogs (and their owners) in mind.

[sandysfarm]

yes agree totally! I thought chin scritches and collar familiarity to start maybe.

[dereklum]

Thanks for the advice. I'm actually still in the process of charging the clicker. He didn't seem to get it the first couple sessions, but I think he's coming around. I also didn't realize that my timing could very well be off. I need to get on that quickness from now on. I was hesitant on being quick (giving a treat RIGHT after the click) because sometimes he's not focusing on what we're doing and will walk away from me. I've done one session since I discovered the cheese, but he seemed to be way more interested. I think I just wasn't using high enough value treats. I'm going to go get a pack of hot dogs some time this week as well and see how he likes those too. I think I just need to step my treat game up. Thanks again for the advice and will keep you guys updated!

[Shazmnldb]

I am new to owning a border collie our little girl is almost a year old so I can't offer any advice as such but I just wanted to say god bless you for giving this beautiful boy such a loving home. This forum is a godsend with so many experienced people offering great advice. Keep up the good work and Dexter will get there with your love and patience.

[GentleLake]

Thanks for the advice. I'm actually still in the process of charging the clicker. He didn't seem to get it the first couple sessions, but I think he's coming around. I also didn't realize that my timing could very well be off. I need to get on that quickness from now on. I was hesitant on being quick (giving a treat RIGHT after the click) because sometimes he's not focusing on what we're doing and will walk away from me. I've done one session since I discovered the cheese, but he seemed to be way more interested. I think I just wasn't using high enough value treats. I'm going to go get a pack of hot dogs some time this week as well and see how he likes those too. I think I just need to step my treat game up. Thanks again for the advice and will keep you guys updated!

 

Charging the clicker essentially means getting him interested in the clicker and creating the association that click = treat.

 

So, the lack of interest at first isn't a huge deal right now, because that's one of the things you're working to establish. But definitely go out of your way to find as many very high value treats as you can. Hot dogs are usually great. So are chicken nuggets (my trainer used to stop at McDonald's on her way to class to buy nuggets!) and cheap frozen meatballs (thawed, of course). You can tear off tiny pieces or pre-cut them, just don't feed them whole or you'll sate your dog too quickly. I'll feed my dogs a lot of junk food when we're training that I wouldn't normally.

 

The treat coming at the same time as the click is a beginning stage, too. Once you've created the association, it'll be the timing of the click that's critical, not the timing of the treat. IOW, the click becomes a marker for the desired behavior, so it has to happen immediately, otherwise you'll be marking whatever behavior followed it however many seconds later you clicked.

 

But once you've clicked, the click itself essentially becomes a promise to the dog that there will be a treat, even if it takes a couple seconds to get the treat out of the treat bag or even having to walk somewhere else to get to a treat. (Best to try to always have a treat on hand, though, in the early stages. And also a good idea also to charge a mouth click or a marker word like "Yes!" in case you don't have your clicker ready when an opportunistic great behavior appears and you don't have your clicker ready. But wait till the clicker's fully charged first before introducing a second marker.)

 

Whatever you do, do not neglect to reward if you've clicked, even if it was mistimed or in error. You'll diminish the effectiveness of the click if you do.

 

Sounds like things are coming along quite nicely for you and Dexter.

 

ETA: Dexter will be more receptive to the treats if you keep him a little hungry, too. From what you've said in the past, it doesn't sound like he's a huge chow hound, so as long as he's at a healthy weight, which he appears to be in the pictures, don't worry about cutting back on his regular food for a while. A hungry dog is more likely to want to work for food.

[gcv-border]

IMHO, another reason the clicker can be so valuable in training (particularly with border collies who can pick up on the slightest differences) is because the sound is ALWAYS the same. As in other areas of training, consistency helps to get the message across faster.

 

The way it was explained to me was that, as humans, we can not say YES the same way, all the time. Think about it, you can say yes, YES, Ye-es, Yessss, etc. -- different intonations, different volumes, different energy, etc. As a beginning trainer, the clicker will give you more consistency.

 

I will also use YES as a marker, but usually try to incorporate it at a later stage. Also, once a dog is older and used to training, I find that the varying intonations of YES can be less confusing to the dog, but paradoxically, different intonations, volume, etc. can also be used to indicate different levels of happiness which your dog will pick up on too.

[sandysfarm]

there's also some thinking that the click is faster to the brain than the word

yes (or whatever you use). I don't have backup for that because I don't remember..., so I'm qualifying it