Clicker training

[sarahthegemini]

Hi guys, I have just ordered a clicker to attempt clicker training with the two monsters and am looking for some tips or tricks! I’d like to be able to ‘train’ them to go into their carrier to make vet trips less stressful (Buttercup actually goes in really quickly if there’s food, Peanut on the other hand, oh my…) Where do I start? I’ve read articles but I’m wondering if any has experience and can help me out? I understand that to begin with, I need to get them to associate the click with treats but how do I go from that to asking them to go in their carrier? 

[Azerane]

You are correct that the first thing to train for is that a click, means a treat. And you really need to solidify that before progressing onto anything else.

Do they go into their carrier to explore it just for fun or anything? I would suggest putting the carrier down in their area, maybe with some hay or something in the back and wait until they stick a paw inside and then click and reward. I think the main trouble you may face is that you will have both of them there, and it may be easier to separate them for training so that you’re not clicking when one is doing the right thing, and the other may be doing something completely unrelated which is only going to confuse them.

You don’t have to wait for the full behaviour (completely entering the carrier) either before rewarding. You can do it in small steps which is known as shaping. For example, your rabbit moves towards the carrier, click and reward. You may do this several times until one time you don’t reward them for moving towards it so they have to try something new, like putting their head or a paw inside the carrier to which you click and reward. Then you do that several times before making it harder and only clicking once they have two paws or more inside the carrier, and so on. Then you only add a verbal cue in at the end once they’re reliably entering the carrier. I’m actually currently reading an online book that was recommended by someone on here about reinforcement training and shaping, it’s a hefty read but really really interesting

http://www.k9events.com/Anxious-dogs/pdf’s/Don’t%20shoot%20the%20dog.pdf

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Azerane on 3/18/2017 6:22 PM

You are correct that the first thing to train for is that a click, means a treat. And you really need to solidify that before progressing onto anything else.

Do they go into their carrier to explore it just for fun or anything? I would suggest putting the carrier down in their area, maybe with some hay or something in the back and wait until they stick a paw inside and then click and reward. I think the main trouble you may face is that you will have both of them there, and it may be easier to separate them for training so that you’re not clicking when one is doing the right thing, and the other may be doing something completely unrelated which is only going to confuse them.

You don’t have to wait for the full behaviour (completely entering the carrier) either before rewarding. You can do it in small steps which is known as shaping. For example, your rabbit moves towards the carrier, click and reward. You may do this several times until one time you don’t reward them for moving towards it so they have to try something new, like putting their head or a paw inside the carrier to which you click and reward. Then you do that several times before making it harder and only clicking once they have two paws or more inside the carrier, and so on. Then you only add a verbal cue in at the end once they’re reliably entering the carrier. I’m actually currently reading an online book that was recommended by someone on here about reinforcement training and shaping, it’s a hefty read but really really interesting

http://www.k9events.com/Anxious-dogs/pdf’s/Don’t%20shoot%20the%20dog.pdf

Thank you Azerane  

We actually keep the base of their carrier out at all times with blankets in it and we scatter their morning pellets in there. They have no trouble going in there usually. But as soon as we bring the top of the carrier out, even if it’s just placed next to the base, Peanut gets really edgy and suspicious and will hide under the sideboard. I hoped getting them used to the base at first would help them both (especially Peanut) feel more comfortable with the idea of being in there when it’s fully constructed but nope! 

I did wonder whether I’d need to separate them for training, Buttercup is very boisterous so I feel she’d ‘take over’  I’d love to have some one on one time with Peanut anyway (usually when I’m giving him attention, Buttercup will barge over and he sort of hops out of the way) It would be nice to be able to focus just on my little boy!

The method you described for getting them to enter the carrier sounds really good. Should I put the top of the carrier on or just stick with the base to start with? 

I’ll give that article a good read, better make some tea! 

[Azerane]

If they’re terribly shy of the top of the carrier, it may be worth just starting with the base, but once you add the top you’ll probably have to retrain from step one. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since they’ll have an idea of what they’re supposed to do. Apparently the trick is to set them up for success, rather than introducing lots of big steps which they are bound to fail at, make it smaller steps that they’re likely to succeed at.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Azerane on 3/20/2017 2:03 PM

If they’re terribly shy of the top of the carrier, it may be worth just starting with the base, but once you add the top you’ll probably have to retrain from step one. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since they’ll have an idea of what they’re supposed to do. Apparently the trick is to set them up for success, rather than introducing lots of big steps which they are bound to fail at, make it smaller steps that they’re likely to succeed at.

Okay I’ll give that a bash, thanks  I’ll just be prepared that it might take a while, there’s no rush

[vanessa]

I would have a hard time separating mine to do this… I’m trying to do exactly the same thing. In order to separate them, I’d have to pick one up and take him/her out of the room. And I can only do that by scooping them up in a carrier – which is what I’m trying to train them to do in the first place…

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By vanessa on 3/20/2017 2:19 PM

I would have a hard time separating mine to do this… I’m trying to do exactly the same thing. In order to separate them, I’d have to pick one up and take him/her out of the room. And I can only do that by scooping them up in a carrier – which is what I’m trying to train them to do in the first place…

I was worried about that, but do you remember on a previous thread of mine where I was going to let the bunnies upstairs to burn sone energy? Well, so far Buttercup is the only one that’s dared go up there  So I can focus on just Peanut at least whilst she’s up there. 

[vanessa]

Yay! That’s at least one solution 🙂 I gave a nice new diaper box to Lancelot and Morgana to rip up. Gosh they are noisy with it. They have started in at the linoleum again… so I put the box on top of the linoleum hole that they started chewing. Avalon rips up the linoleum so he can sit on carpet. but I dn’t want the birds (who are loose) to be able to poop on carpet, and Morgana will rip up the carpet to get to the subflooring…

[Author]

Messages