Clicker training DVD / video
For over 25 years the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People has been training dogs of all sorts of different shapes and sizes – a real hotchpotch of different breeds, crossbreeds and mongrels – to become invaluable working assistants for people who are deaf. Not only that, but the vast majority of these dogs have come from dog pounds and rescue centres, and many of them have had very poor starts in life. Our challenge of transforming these dogs into hearing dogs is therefore all the greater as each and every one of these dogs is so different, requiring special attention because of bad experiences in their upbringing. It is no surprise then that we have developed very effective, sympathetic training techniques.
The principles of training dogs for any given task are straightforward: break the task down into easily achievable steps and encourage the dog to make gradual progress, rewarding him or her like mad when he gets it right. We use clicker-training at Hearing Dogs. This technique, borrowed from the world of dolphin training, simply helps us to fine-tune our timing when we reward our dogs.
It sounds complicated, which is why, for many years, people have asked us to write a book or make a video, putting some of our training tips on record – not the intricacies of training dogs to work as hearing dogs (that would take a lot longer!), but rather the basics for teaching good doggy manners which would be useful to every dog owner. Thanks to the generous support of Chestnut/BFM Productions Ltd, at last we’ve done it! Our video shows several very different types of dogs learning some basic but vital exercises.
Stars of the show are tiny Vickie who starts to learn all about the clicker; Scout the terrier who learns to ignore chickens and goats and concentrate on hand signal commands instead; Tabby the 11 week old cocker spaniel puppy who starts being introduced to the lead (there are always some fun and games with that lesson!); Woody, a paralysed spaniel who has been trained to walk; Doree, a Labrador who shows how she begins off-lead recall training; Pippa, a mongrel who demonstrates how easy it is to teach your dog to go and lie quietly on a mat; and Teal (Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever x springer) and Fizz (border collie) who learn some new tricks. Not only that but the video also shows a young dog detecting cancer, and others learning agility and gundog retrieving.
A free clicker is included with every video/DVD.
You can order your copy from Hearing Dogs for £12.99 (plus £1 p&p) by calling 01844 348100 or by downloading, completing and returning the form below.
Thank you for supporting Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, and we hope you and your dog enjoy training together.
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