Clicker Training for Dogs - Karen Pryor

...solution, I found this Clix Clicker dog training kit and bought it on impulse but so far I am very impressed with it.

~~~~ PRODUCT ~~~~

This is a training kit that contains many different devices to help you train your disobedient or should I say strong minded dog, It is a reward based training method that constantly keeps the dog focused on you, as you are giving them little treats every time they do something right.
.../> If the treat reward clicker wasn't enough, you also get many other things with this kit to help clicker train the dog successfully. Here are the other Clix clicker training products contained in the kit, that also help assist you in getting the perfect obedient dog.

CLIX TARGET STICK. The Clix Target stick, is a telescopic stick that extends to well over a meter in length, as it is retractable it can be shortened small enough to ... more

~~~~ INTRODUCTION ~~~~

I am writing this review to inform any new dog owners about a fantastic product I have found to help with training any disobedient dog. My new dog Meg was a rescue I took on nearly six weeks ago, she is very good but I have certain issues I needed to take control of.

As I have another dog, Meg is always trying to get ahead of her when we are walking. I think she wants the top dog status, but this will never happen as both dogs seem to be a stubborn, and I am not prepared to allow Meg to get away with this.

I need to control this as she is getting increasingly hard to walk as she cuts me up and pulls to get to the other dog, usually I wouldn't mind but as they are such a big breed and me being only 5.2 feet tall I can't cope and I certainly don't want it to get to the stage where I have to take them out separately as this will result in much shorter walks.

Not only does she pull but I also want to train her to stay with us when she is off of the lead, I would hate for her to run off when we are out walking.

Anyway while browsing the internet for a solution, I found this Clix Clicker dog training kit and bought it on impulse but so far I am very impressed with it.

~~~~ PRODUCT ~~~~

This is a training kit that contains many different devices to help you train your disobedient or should I say strong minded dog, It is a reward based training method that constantly keeps the dog focused on you, as you are giving them little treats every time they do something right.

With this you no longer feel the need to shout and scream at the dog, although I have never found myself screaming and pulling at them in the street, I just got really frustrated with them, but I can certainly understand why owners get so annoyed although shouting is not the answer.

As you are rewarding the dog's good behaviour with little biscuit treats, they don't seem to have wondering eyes, looking for what mischief they can get up to next and their attention stay firmly fixed to you, but really they are just interested in when they are getting their next treat.

I don't mind that Meg is only interested in the biscuits and not me, at least she is doing what she is told and she has started to walk at heel with no pulling what so ever.

~~~~ WHATS INCLUDED ~~~~

If the treat reward clicker wasn't enough, you also get many other things with this kit to help clicker train the dog successfully. Here are the other Clix clicker training products contained in the kit, that also help assist you in getting the perfect obedient dog.

CLIX TARGET STICK. The Clix Target stick, is a telescopic stick that extends to well over a meter in length, as it is retractable it can be shortened small enough to fit it into your pocket comfortably. To extend the stick all you need to do is flick your wrist and hay presto it is fully extended.

At the end of the stick is a yellow rubber ball, this is used to help your dog find and locate items or you can incorporate it in to your training so certain actions with the wand / stick will let the dog know what you want them to do, I have found this great in training the dog to sit and even lay down.

When I first found the stick in the box, I thought it was an appalling company as it looks like something someone would use to whack the dog, but as I read through the manual I realised what a clever idea it was and it was actually a training aid and not a whacking stick.

The fact that this fits into your pocket is great, so you can take it everywhere and pull it out if you need to.

CLIX MULTI CLICKER. The multi clicker is a totally different devise altogether, this is a small hand held gadget that emits a sharp sound that only the dog can hear, It fits snugly into you palm and the noise is emitted when you press a little button on the top, you can change the volume and tone on this so it does not have to be to loud that it bursts the dogs ear drums.

This also comes with an elasticated strap so it can be worn around your wrist for easy access.

I have tried this but I don't think it was any good for Meg and her problems, as I only want her to walk at heel. I felt it was unfair inflicting this noise on her when she was doing nothing wrong.

I think this would be a great training aid for aggressive dogs or dogs that like to chase things, as the sharp sound automatically distracts the dogs attention from what it was doing and straight back to you in an instant.

COACHIES TRAINING TREATS These coachies treats are little heart shaped treats in various flavours, they look like cat biscuits only a little bit bigger.

These are great for your dog as they are low in calories, at 1 calorie per biscuit you won't have to worry about giving the dog to many and them spoiling their waist line.

As for the training side of things these are the key ingredient, to get you dog doing what it is told with out these you will be hard pushed to get you dog to listen if it has already slipped into a bad habit.

Once you have finished the treats these can be replaced with any type of dog treat, they are not kept in a clicker tube but a cloth bag so it will not matter what size you get.

I have recently finished this pack and I now use treats from the Tesco value pet range, the only reason I use the cheap one is because she doesn't even taste them and swallows them whole and she it eating as many at the moment to will cost a fortune.

TREAT BAG. This treat bag is used to store the rewards when you are out and about, it can be fastened to a belt of pocket as it has a belt clip and ring attachments on it.

The treats are protected by a drawstring closure, this keeps them fresh and stops the pet from helping themselves.

The bag itself can be washed of sponged off it is gets dirty, which is good because the treats can start to smell really bad leaving the bag very smelly.

I don't really use this as I feel like people will glaring at me with a bag hanging from my side and my whacking stick, I hate to think what they would think of me. I usually pop a few treats into my coat pocket before I head out, this works for me.

TRAINING GUIDE the training guide book is very comprehensive and lists many different training methods, suited to many training problems. If you can find a method to help with any problem I will be very surprised.

The book also lists how to use the kit and what everything is used for.

~~~~ PRICE / AVAILABILITY~~~~

I bought this marvelous clix clicker training kit from a website called canine concepts, www.canineconcepts.co.uk It cost me £9.99 plus 3.95 postage costs.

The package actually took ten days to arrive although my card was charged straight away, I was disappointed as the company promise you will get it within two days, but I wasn't going to complain it arrived in the end.

I have since seen the exact same clicker training kit in pets at home for the same price of 9.99, so if you are interested I would advise that you buy it from there.

I have also noticed that you can buy all of the training aid separately from pets at home and they cost approximately 3.99 each, so if there is something that interests you and you don't need it all just pop in to pets and home and give them a try.

~~~~ MY OPINION ~~~~

This is a must for any owner who is having issues with their dogs, it will soon get them to listen to you as they get treats for it but in the mean time they are learning to obey you. Eventually you will not have to give them treat to do what as you say, they will just learn.

I feel that this will teach any dog, even if they are older dogs with a few bad habits. All you need is a little bit of determination and some perseverance on your part and the dog will soon learn, the worst thing you can do is shout and scream at the dog because in my experience this just makes them worst.

I only use the treats and a stick and I have found Meg has improved rapidly she now ignores my other dog and concentrates on my coat pocket, I have even got it down to only four treats on every walk so I am sure this is not going to be a problem for much longer.

The stick is mainly used in the house, she can now sit, lay, give paws and beg with both feet in the air. This is all thanks to the whacking stick as I have nick named it.

I just feel sorry for the other dog at the moment she has always been a good girl, but now she just glares at me as if to say I don't get that attention, so I compensate and take her to work with me. When I took on the rescue I was told to spend time with the older dog so this works well for me and her. 

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