In my experience, my main problem with clicker training is there is no physical contact with the dog to let them know they are right, I have seen too many clicker trained dogs that don’t know how to accept physical and verbal praise and that’s why they just start offering all these behaviors they know to get clickered and rewarded. When they don’t get clickered they tend to be very insecure. The treats come from the handler but there is not enough, if any, verbal praise. Not true in all cases but many and often with very successful trainers in other ways. I agree with Alan not that fear should be used as a tool but at some point in training once the dog knows the exercise and what is expected from him, he needs to know there are consequences for making the wrong decision. Not harshly but needs to understand a correction no harsher than necessary for that dog and I don’t think that should be translated to mean the dog works out of fear. Some dogs require
just a time out, others a gentle collar pop and some a sharp correction with a pinch collar (which is not severe when used correctly).(Gail Budde – THE CLUMBER COLLECTIVE HTTP://GROUPS.GOOGLE.COM/GROUP/THE-CLUMBER-COLLECTIVE [2010])
A multipurpose motivator that’s especially useful for dog’s that are not toy- or ball-orientated is a plastic food container. Fill the container with treats and throw it as you would a toy or ball to encourage your dog to work ahead of you.
When the dog touches the container, you can run up, open the container, and give the dog a treat. Although you could throw food without a container, it is not advisable. The food is usually too small for the dog to see immediately so you would be encouraging your dog to spend time sniffing the ground looking for food.(Jane Simmons-Moake – UNLEASHING THE VELCRO DOG TRAINING YOUR AGILITY DOG TO LOVE WORKING AT A DISTANCE [2007])
Disobedient, poorly trained dogs don’t have this affection with their owners so they never find that freedom of expression that is so vital to them.(Aled Owen – TIME WELL SPENT (DVD) [2006])
Your canine newcomer is just itching to learn household manners. She wants to please, but she has to learn how. Before the young pup can be trusted to have full run of the house, somebody must teach the house rules. There’s no point keeping house rules a secret. Somebody has to tell the pup. And that somebody is you. Otherwise, your puppy will let her imagination run wild in her quest for occupational therapy to pass the time of day. Without a firm grounding in canine domestic etiquette, your puppy will be left to improvise in her choice of toys and toilet. The pup no doubt eliminate in closets and on carpets, and your couches and curtains will be viewed as mere playthings for destruction.Each mistake is a potential disaster, since it heralds many more to come. If your pup is allowed to make ‘mistakes’, bad habits will quickly become the status quo, making it necessity to break bad habits before teaching good ones.(Dr Ian Dunbar – BEFORE YOU GET YOUR PUPPY [2001])