> Will it be a problem that I'm not a clicker trainer? I love the concept of > clicker training ... I'm just not particularly talented with the > clicking/treating coordination.
Try this then--this is how I learned click training w/ a great local dog trainer. Instead of carrying around a manual clicker, just click w/ your tongue. Not that loud "cluck cluck" that some people use to ask a horse to move up, but a softer click sound. This way you don't have to fool around w/ coordinating a clicker box in your hand. You've got both hands free to handle the animal and dispense treats. And you don't have to be speedy w/ the treats either--the concept is that you use the click to tell the animal "Yes! You did the right thing and now you're getting a reward" whether it be food, release from work, a scratch in a favorite place, etc. That click is what you need to coordinate quickly w/ the behavior that you want. And sometimes the clicker box will fail, you won't hit the click properly, you drop it, etc. But I've never messed up clicking w/ my tongue. Robyn
