From Charleen Cordo: I am a member of APDT and have been clicker training and teaching clicker training in my classes for about the past 7 years now. I also have the youth at the Colorado Boys Ranch learning to use it. We work with shelter dogs whom we adopt out to appropriate homes through a program called New Leash on Life. These are "throwaway" dogs but they respond so well that they adapt readily and appropriately into their adoptee families after we work with them for 9 to 10 weeks.
Just for Shelters
Clicking Feral Cats
By KPCT on 06/01/2003Trying to desensitize and tame a hissing, feral cat, whether kitten or adult, can be a slow business. You can speed it up immensely with the clicker. Use a highly-preferred treat, such as canned tuna or any freeze-dried fish cat treat. Approach the cage, let the cat retreat, put a pea-sized treat in the front of the cage, click, and instantly back away.
New Hampshire SPCA Clicks for Life!
By KPCT on 06/01/2003Susan Carney is Community Programs Manager at the New Hampshire SPCA in Stratham, New Hampshire. Spurred by the success of other New England shelters, her organization is planning to incorporate clicker training in their program. Earlier this spring Susan wrote to our Shelter Resource Center, "I've taken the hints and information from your shelter pack and I think we will be OK. I am really excited about all that I have learned. I am going to try to take a crack at training the staff myself. Our first training session is May 6th."
Keeping Clicker Records
By KPCT on 04/01/2003A little clicker work goes a long way toward helping dogs adjust to kennel life. Many different people can work with the same dogs, if they all click for good behavior.
Volunteers Can Play the Clicker Game
By KPCT on 03/01/2003Clicker training can seem mysterious until you experience it personally.
Pick one person to be the subject, and someone else to be the clicker teacher. Use pennies, paperclips, or wrapped candies for treats. Send the 'animal' out of the room while the group chooses an everyday behavior: switch the light on, pour a glass of water, pick up a book, turn in a circle.
