(VICT) Clicker Training at GDB
- From: "Shelley L. Rhodes" <juddysbuddy@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:02:05 -0400
This is from the GDB Alumni News sprint 2007
"Click On This!"
By Michele Pouliot, Director of Research and Development
A huge buzz this year surrounding GDB is the exciting addition of an
extraordinary training tool into our formal training program. This powerful
tool is
the training method called "Clicker training." Many of our clients and staff
have already been involved with these contemporary training techniques and
are very excited about our results so far. For those of you either not
familiar with "Clicker training" or those of you who have heard the term but
do
not understand much about it, here is a quick overview.
Karen Pryor is one of the leading experts in the development of clicker
training methods and responsible for providing an enormous amount of
educational
materials about clicker training. The following is an excerpt from Karen
Pryor's website,
www.clickertraining.com.
"Clicker training is the popular term for the training or teaching method
based on what we know about how living organisms learn. Research has shown
that
any creature?whether a dog, cat, dolphin, parrot, fish, horse, llama, or
person?is more likely to learn and repeat actions that result in
consequences
it desires and enjoys. So clicker trainers provide consequences desired by
their animal in exchange for actions or behaviors desired by their trainers.
We call these consequences 'rewards' and the process is called
'reinforcement.' Clicker training, therefore, is a
positive-reinforcement-based system of
training. The essential difference between clicker training and other
reward-based training is that the animal is told exactly which behavior
earned it
a reward. This information is communicated with a distinct and unique sound,
a click, which occurs at the same time as the desired behavior. The reward
follows."
How does this apply to guide dog training? Clicker training techniques allow
us to very precisely communicate to the dogs what behaviors we want them to
do and gain enthusiastic responses from them when they perform those
behaviors.
Traditional guide dog training utilizes praise to inform the dog of what
behavior we want them to continue to perform. It relies on using a verbal
word
or phrase (?Good dog!?, ?Atta boy?) immediately when the dog performs in
order to tell the dog it has done well. Although this clearly works, it is
not
nearly as precise as communicating with an audible event marker like a
clicker. The clicker?s sound has meaning to the dog because the trainer
first conditions
the dog to expect high value reward following the sound of the click. So the
first advantage is the preciseness the clicker?s brief sound has in marking
the moment the dog does a behavior. The second huge advantage is the
immediate emotion the dog feels upon hearing the click. Because the dog has
been conditioned
that high value reward follows every ?click?, the dog is very happy when it
hears the click and will initiate performing in order to get the handler to
click. Think of it as empowering the dog to take part in its education,
teaching it to try harder and harder to cause the handler to click.
Could you use a verbal word, like ?Yes?, as an event marker? Sure you could,
but it would not be as precise as the clicker. Besides not being as brief a
sound, how many times in a day do you say the word ?Yes? in conversation?
How many different inflections of ?Yes? are there in your voice? The clicker
is simply a very effective ?audible marker? tool. It is a very brief,
distinct sound that always sounds the same.
Food reward training without using a clicker is also very effective and
motivating to dogs. It certainly adds a high value to the dog in hearing
praise
and then receiving a food reward. The essential difference between clicker
training and reward training without the clicker is that the dog is
precisely
told which behavior earned a reward. The exact moment in time the behavior
happened is communicated with the distinct ?click?. Think of a ?click? like
taking a still photo of a moment in time. That frozen moment is captured in
the dogs mind and they remember that moment as the reason they are getting
the food reward. Although the actual food reward follows the click a couple
of seconds later, the dog fully understands what exact behavior is being
rewarded.
In more scientific terms, the audible click connects the behavior to its
reward, and is called both a ?bridging signal? and an ?event marker?.
Guide Dogs for the Blind began experimenting and researching clicker
training techniques in 2000, by using the methods to problem solve negative
behaviors
in particular dogs. In 2001, we began to apply some use of general food
reward in our formal training program and with our graduates. Most everyone
is
aware of the historical reluctance to use food rewards in guide dog work due
to the fact that guide dogs have to constantly work around food in the
environment.
Although we were not yet using clicker methods, the experience we gained in
developing effective ways to use food rewards, without creating problem
behaviors
around environmental food, was invaluable. The methods we designed for using
food reward in a guide dog program were successful and prevented any of the
problems that skeptics predicted.
After 4 years of successfully using general food rewards, in 2005 the
training department took another giant leap in adopting clicker training
techniques
into the formal training program of all dogs. This has been a huge project
over the past 2 years that continues to expand and be modified. The first
task
was to educate and coach over 70 instructor staff at two campuses in new
training techniques that were totally foreign to most of them. Although we
had
a few capable clicker trainers on staff, we hired a professional expert as
our ongoing consultant. We could not have chosen a more skilled and
motivational
consultant than Kathy Sdao (pronounced Sa De O), who is located close to our
campus. Kathy continues to work with us each year in modifying and expanding
our use of clicker techniques to ensure we gain the best results possible
for our program. We could not be happier with the results in our formal
training
program and certainly attribute our impressive success rates, in part, to
adopting clicker training.
Two years into our clicker training program, we are now expanding
instruction into client programs. The fact that all graduating guide dogs
are now clickerwise,
opens the ability for our graduates to make use of this powerful tool. This
year?s main clicker project for clients is to provide clicker training
instruction
during class training. This project has been in development for over a year
as the techniques must be modified for use by a blind handler. Clicker
training
is very reliant on the trainer?s observation of the dogs? behavior, which
demanded modifications to enable visually impaired handlers to effectively
clicker
train their guides. What types of behaviors would a client train their
guide dog to perform? Targeting specific locations like finding empty
chairs, pedestrian
crossing buttons, bus stops, specific doorways, to mention just a few. The
first GDB student clicker workshop took place during one of our February
classes
and was very well received by a very enthusiastic group of students.
Although the workshop was optional, every student in class attended and
thoroughly
enjoyed the experience.
This past July, Lori Brown and Michele Pouliot gave an in depth presentation
on our clicker training program at the International Guide Dog Federation
Seminar
in New York City. The majority of guide dog schools around the world,
including within the USA, have paid little attention to this method of
training.
The room was standing room only for the GDB clicker presentation, with over
a dozen people poking their heads in from the hallways trying to see the
video
screen. Most of the audience was guide dog trainers from around the world
with a few guide dog users present. The room was a mix of those just
curious,
those very interested, and several genuine skeptics. The response to the
presentation was phenomenal. Two overseas guide dog schools voiced
immediately
wanting to adopt clicker techniques and requested our assistance. Over 12
other guide dog schools requested copies of our presentation with the intent
of sharing it with their staff for possible implementation. Even a few of
the skeptics commended GDB for our innovation and devotion to excellence in
guide dog work. Since the July presentation, we have responded to a total of
18 requests from other guide dog schools for information on our clicker
training
program. Needless to say, we are very proud.
Here is another notable experience to share with you about recognition over
our clicker program. Each year, Karen Pryor puts on educational conferences
across the US to teach and improve trainers? skills with clicker training.
These events are called Clicker Expos and are attended largely by trainers
of
pet dogs and instructors of clients with pets. An incredible faculty of
clicker experts give presentations and demonstrations over a full 3-day
conference,
including our own consultant Kathy Sdao. Six GDB staff attended the recent
Clicker Expo in Los Angeles to learn more from these skilled clicker
experts.
During the final general session, Kathy Sdao shared some video footage of
GDB?s clicker program to the audience and the other faculty members, and
spoke
of our adoption of clicker. We are proud to report the reactions to these
video clips were nothing short of fantastic. Following the general session,
we
were overwhelmed with flattering remarks over what we have accomplished in
our guide dog program. Several of the Clicker Expo faculty members commented
on how impressed and how inspired they were to see clicker training being
used in such a noble field of dog work. We are also very pleased to report
that
Karen Pryor has invited Michele Pouliot to present on guide dog training at
the 2008 Clicker Expos. To quote Karen, ?I think people would be VERY
interested
in clicker training guide dogs. Lots of people have misconceptions and the
behaviors in general are quite a challenge. You are doing some extremely
innovative
things.?
These are true compliments to the work Guide Dogs for the Blind has
accomplished through openness to change while maintaining the highest
quality. We continue
to learn more about this remarkable training method called clicker training
and will be researching other ways it can enrich any of our programs. One
thing
you can count on, you have not hear the last ?click?.
Want to learn more about clicker training? Visit Karen Pryor?s website at
www.clickertraining.com
where you will find an abundance of information.
Shelley L. Rhodes B.S. Ed, CTVI
and Judson, guiding golden
juddysbuddy@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Guide Dogs For the Blind Inc.
Graduate Alumni Association Board
www.guidedogs.com
Dog ownership is like a rainbow.
Puppies are the joy at one end.
Old dogs are the treasure at the other.
Carolyn Alexander
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