Clicker Training For Dummies.

[ErikaRobin]

Let me just say that I am not a dog trainer.  I never knew the first thing about training our dogs.  I wanted to share these short videos of my one year old Bernese Mountain Dog, Brinkley.   He's one of the best dogs we've ever had.   In the first clip, he's ringing the bell to go outside.  Obviously I'm prompting him in the video, but he will ring that jingle bell on his own any time he wants to go out.   Amazingly, he doesn't ring it constantly!   

The second video is of him following a few simple commands.  He's just a year, mind you, and Samantha is quite a distraction, but he gets the jobs done.  :) 

I used "clicker training" to teach him these commands.  You use the clicker to "mark" a good behavior and follow it immediately with a treat and repeat it until it's a learned behavior.  We "clicked" our way to housebreaking and sitting and to "kennel up".   I had read that Berners tend to be sensitive to harsh training methods and heard about using the clicker as a positive and gentle alternative.   By giving the commands with a hand gesture as well as my speaking voice, he's able to follow the command in either form.  He also follows the commands "up" to climb up and "off" to get down (since the command "down" means to lay down for him).   I hope you enjoy them.   He's a cutie.  That's a good boy, Brinkley!   :)  

I wonder what I can teach my husband and kids to do using clicker training! 

[Lovelylis]

Apr. 6, 2008 at 6:19 PM haha!! if it works for your hubby n kids, please please please let me know lol!!! i dont own a dog so i dont really know much about clicker training:( sorry; just wanted to respond to u haha!!! goddess luv!!!

[JoyeAustin]

Apr. 6, 2008 at 6:24 PM

Oh your dog is awesome! So beautiful. And Sam is just such a sweetheart. I want to play with them both. She's so funny.

Oh lord, is that Sara's butt I smell? Dear gods!

[MichelleK41]

Apr. 6, 2008 at 6:47 PM Your dog is gorgeous!!  How cute!!

[tristansmom74]

Apr. 6, 2008 at 10:31 PM Brinkley is so pretty and smart.  That makes me want a Bernese! 

[J-M]

Apr. 9, 2008 at 7:25 PM Does he "come here" on command?  My Gracie Dog will not obey that one to save her life.   squirrelsquirrelsquirrelsquirrel   catcatcatcatcatcatcatcat

[ErikaRobin]

Apr. 9, 2008 at 10:36 PM LOL!  That's so funny that you asked that.  It was one of the last things we taught him.  We learned the hard way with our past dogs (no common sense) that if you yell your dog's name furiously, he will refuse to come.   If we're all "sweetness and light" when we called them they'd be there in a second.   I had a V-8 moment with that whole "coming when you're called" thing.   He gets it and since we never use his name and "NO" in the same sentence (there's a hard thing to break yourself of) he hears his name and says "Oh, they're calling me.  They think I'm so wonderful.  I'd better go see what they want."  (At least I think that's what he's saying.)   For squirrels and cats we use "Leave it".  It breaks his train of thought.  Then we follow it with "kennel up".   Even if we're outside, he'll head to the door.  Yay, Brinkley!   I'm telling you, this dog is the bomb!   (giggle)

(Original Poster)

[Emjay]

Apr. 9, 2008 at 11:56 PM Can you train a box of rocks? Please tell me that the almighty Goddess Erika has the power to do so. Sakari needs help! LMAO

[ErikaRobin]

Apr. 10, 2008 at 1:00 AM Yes, Emjay.  They can learn sit and stay in one short afternoon!  Zero treats!  :)

(Original Poster)

[chickadee8654]

Sep. 27, 2008 at 4:57 PM

Holy Moly,

Your Berner is WAY different then mine... I have a pic of her on my home page entitled BAD DOG. I'm amazed that Brinkley looked excited, but didn't bark. My dog barks if you look at her. Ugh...