Clicker training
Encyclopedia : C : CL : CLI : Clicker training
Clicker training is the process of training an animal using a conditioned reinforcer, which indicates to the animal ("marks") the precise behavior that was correct. It was originally used in training animals such as dolphins and pigeons, for which traditional methods of obedience training aren't useful. Although it is a form of operant conditioning, the more popular name "clicker training" comes from the fact that the conditioned reinforcer used by many dog trainers is a small mechanical noisemaker called a clicker. Clicker training has been successfully used in horse training too.
Advantages
One of the challenges in training an animal is communicating exactly when the animal has done the behavior that the trainer is attempting to reinforce. As a simple example, consider teaching a dog to back up. At the instant that the dog moves backwards, the trainer must let the dog know that it has done the correct thing. However, the traditional "good dog!" takes so long to say that the dog might already have moved on to some other behavior. By the time the dog realizes it is being praised, it might be moving forward again, or even sitting and scratching.Besides the imprecision in timing, using the trainer's voice for information means that the actual signal will vary. The trainer's voice, pronunciation, tone, loudness, and emphasis can change even during the same training session, and training is slowed when the animal has to realize that some variations (loudness or enthusiasm) aren't important while others ("good dog" vs. "bad dog") are.
A conditioned reinforcer solves these problems. The conditioned reinforcer can be any signal that the animal can perceive, so long as the signal is brief (to prevent the problem of imprecise timing) and consistent (to prevent the problem of variations that may confuse the animal). Dogs and horses are often trained with a clicker or cricket, a small metal tab that makes a "click" sound when pressed and released. For dolphins, the conditioned reinforcer is usually a whistle. However, not all conditioned reinforcers are sounds. Goldfish can be trained using a quick flash of a flashlight as their "clicker" [link] , and deaf dogs can be trained with a vibrating collar [link].
Methodology
The first step in clicker training is to teach the animal that the clicker sound means that they will get a reward. To do this, the trainer does what is called "loading the clicker." Over a few sessions, the trainer clicks the clicker and immediately thereafter gives the animal a reward (usually a treat to start with; later, favorite toys can be substituted), clicks again and rewards again, and so on for about 20 repetitions each session. Dogs, for example, learn the association very quickly.After that, the trainer can use the clicker to begin marking desired behaviors; each time that the animal performs the behavior, the trainer clicks and, quickly thereafter, rewards. The primary key to clicker training is the trainer's timing; clicking slightly too early or too late can quickly establish an incorrect association in the animal's mind.
Karen Pryor, a scientist with an international reputation in the fields of marine mammal biology and behavioral psychology, is widely heralded as a founder of clicker training.
Examples
Training the nose touch begins with getting the dog to touch a target with its nose; trainers sometimes use a guided method, such as placing a dab of peanut butter on a small plate or plastic target; others prefer shaping, where the target is placed in easy reach, such as in the trainer's hand between the trainer and the dog, and the dog is rewarded each time he moves in the target's direction or actually touches it.
When the dog is consistently touching the target, the trainer progresses to a target with and without food and in different positions. Eventually, the trainer can transfer the behavior to a bell, for example by holding the target behind the bell so that the dog has to touch the bell to get at the target, and then rewarding the touching of the bell. When the dog is reliably touching the bell, the trainer now adds the act of opening the door to the reward each time the dog strikes the bell.
Targeting for Horses: For horses, loading or charging the clicker is usually not done. It's best for horses that a clear marker is used so that the horse does not expect "unearned" treats.
External links
- [Clicker Training Basics]
- [The History of Clicker Training - Karen Pryor speech to the Association for Behavioral Analysis]
- [Bailey & Bailey, the preeminent clicker-trainer trainers]
- [Dogpatch.org clicker training index] (the entire Dogpatch site has a lot of useful training info)
- [Gary Wilkes site]
- [dog clicker training resources]
- [Starting kit for horse CT training] by Alexandra Kurland
- [Clicker Training Basics] An informative clicker training article by an www.IHeartPaws.com forum member
- [Dog Training Information]
See also
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.