For the trainer

I recently started watching the Julie Flanery's 'TAP Dancing' DVD seminar. I'm only halfway through the first disc but I already have learned some good tidbits. 

'Clean Training' is something I struggle with, but becoming a clean trainer is one of my biggest goals. I was not taught to train clean, and judging from what I see on YouTube and in person, not many trainers are. It has made training alone much harder than it already is.  

Note: I don't have a following on this blog, I don't write for others, I am not wanting to be noticed. I will never post controversial stuff or EVER engage in training wars. I refuse to. I fully expect few, if any, people will ever read my little corner of the 'net. And that's fine with me. I am mostly using this as a place to store my thoughts on training, share pictures of my dog with her breeder, post brags, and have a place I can come back to from time to time and review how my dogs and I have progressed. I've tried training journals and it just doesn't work. A blog is easier to throw thoughts up on, post a video or two and some pictures on. 

Now that that's been said, here are few thoughts I jotted down during the time I watched last night.

Some of the qualities of a good trainer:

• Patience
• Clear Communication
• Consistent
• Predictable 

 We trainers also need to understand:

• Clickers/Markers (doesn't matter what you use, they all work the same)
• Reinforcers/Rewards
• Lures - anything (toy or food) the dog will follow that is also a reward
• Prompt - anything that the dog will move to to get the reward (ie targets)
• Guides - gating, barriers, platforms, expens, etc

Remember: Any method or combination of methods can be used to create precision. Not everything works for every dog. Use what works for yourself and the dog. 

^This is something that I think isn't said nearly enough by the majority in the clicker training world. 

Lures don't train behavior. They show criteria.

Reinforce. Don't hand out free food! (something I really struggle with, as I mostly only personally know less than stellar 'treat dispenser' trainers in person. The the better trainers I know live too far away to get hands on training with.)

Avoid becoming lure dependent. Get the food out of your hand ASAP. 

When adding cues:

•  If luring, verbal cue predicts physical cue (hand signal, etc), then behavior, then mark and reward.
• if shaping - verbal cue predicts behavior and then mark and reward. 

Add a cue when you can predict the behavior is going to happen. (Another weakness, I tend to rush into putting a cue on the behavior)

Foundation skills need to be maintained to a high degree throughout the dog's lifetime. (something else no one ever told me.)

Training sessions are for gathering information

• what works
• what doesn't
• where is my dog lacking
• what's my criteria
• what do I need to do in the next training session