What is Clicker Training?
 
As positive reinforcement systems for training dogs become more and more popular, many families are coming to clicker trainers to learn more about this approach.
 
Clicker Training is an approach to teaching dogs what we WANT them to do, rather than focusing on what we DON’T want them to do. Based on the science of behaviorism, clicker training requires the pairing of a marker tool (the clicker) with food to establish a conditioned reinforcer and then the sound of the “click” is used to indicate the moment the dog does something the trainer would like them to do again.
 
When the mechanical skills of the Clicker Trainer are mastered, they are able to give very precise information to the animal and because they are gaining access to reinforcement with each click, the dog enjoys the process as well.
 
But How Do I Use a Clicker With my Deaf Dog?
 
Establishing a conditioned reinforcer through the use of a marker tool is a really great place to start your training. Even though your deaf dog can’t hear, they can see and feel touch, so you have many other options to use as a marker.
 
My first choice is always a key ring LED flashlight. They are light and compact, can be attached to a wrist coil just like a regular clicker and they give a nice, bright flash that your deaf dog can see. Please do not point a laser pointer in your dog’s eyes, ever as this can be very dangerous. I found a key ring LED flashlight at my dollar store for literally $1…considering the cost of clickers, I may switch to a silent marker myself (lol).
 
The flash is easily perceived by the dog from a number of different angles, which makes it an ideal marker tool, especially when you begin to shape more complex behaviors.
 
To “charge up” the flash, you follow the same protocol you would for a regular clicker. Here are the steps:

• Grab a bowl of yummy food, either their kibble or something healthy like some cooked chicken.
• Stand or sit, with your dog in front of you and point the flashlight towards the dog so that they can see it. Don’t be too close.

 

• Briefly push the button and make a flash and then give the dog a piece of food.
• Repeat this procedure, with no behavior requirement, at least 10-15 times to establish the connection between the flash and the food. “Charging Up” the flash essentially means that the flash, which previously had no meaning to the dog, will now be predictably paired with food and therefor, each time the dog sees the flash, they will know food is on the way.
• Once the connection is established, the flash will bridge the gap between the dog’s behavior and the positive reinforcement that will make it more likely to occur again.
• When you can press the flash and your dog looks at you, you know the process is done, the conditioned reinforce has been established and you can move forward with your training.
• Please DO NOT allow your dog to chase the flashlight. This can cause confusion, arousal, frustration and it can also, lower the value of the flash as a marker signal.

 
Other Types of Marker Tools
 
You could also use a hand signal, such as a “thumbs up,” as a click. A signal like this would allow you to mark your dog’s behavior from a distance, during the daylight when the flash is a bit harder to see.
 
If you were working at a distance outdoors, you could also use a higher-powered flashlight, or a strobe light like the one that photographers use. This is one way how bird trainers mark the behavior of their animals while they are in flight.
 
You could also use a particular touch, such as a quick tap on the cheek. This can be aversive for some dogs, so make sure that it is a gentle touch and always paired with something amazing. To click from a distance, perhaps to release from a down-stay, you would return to your dog to give them their “tap” and then return to your position to continue on with the next behavior cue.
 
Attention, Please!
 
At the sound of a human voice, dogs with normal hearing automatically look up and usually find this type of action very rewarding with human interaction and attention. Deaf dogs don’t have the same experience, and really may never look up at you on their own.
 
I love the “It’s Your Choice” program, however, it may be a lengthy process to wait for your deaf dog to offer you attention and considering this, prompting your deaf dog for attention, at least in the beginning, will most likely be necessary.
 
This process of prompting must be discontinued as soon as the dog is offering lots of attention and gets the connection that paying attention to you pays handsomely!
 
Without attention and connection, whether your dog is deaf or hearing, you really can’t achieve much in communication with them. Life with a deaf dog may seem like it will come with a boat load of unique challenges, but through reinforcement-based training systems we can teach them the same way we would any dog, they are just going to have many different signals to use as a cue for, “hey you, look at me, I have something to tell you.”
 
Some attention cues that can be used are a rump tap, gentle collar pressure, a waved hand, flickering lights in a room, flickering the porch light, waving a hand or even a stomp on the floor! You can be creative, just make them distinct, easy to understand and simple for you to remember.
 
Here are some great games to play to get attention. Remember to keep your training sessions short and fun! No longer than 3-5 minutes at a time and only a few sessions a day.
 
Game #1 – Yoyo Game

• Place the dog on a long leash and have them close to you
• Toss a piece of food away from them, within reach on the leash; make sure they see you toss it.
• Wait for the dog to look back at you, then “flash” and give him a treat.
• If he doesn’t look back at you, move into his peripheral vision, if he looks great! Flash and give him his treat. If he doesn’t look right away, flash first, and then give a treat. But remember, we don’t want to get stuck prompting, so try to move on from this step as soon as possible and het him looking at you on his own.
• Repeat this game for a minute.

Game #2 – Hey You Game

• Start with the dog looking away from you. Just when you see that the dog is going to look back at you, give him a double tap on his back end. Use the same amount pressure you would use to tap someone on their shoulder to get their attention.
• Flash and treat as the dog's head comes around to face you.
• Repeat the exercise a number of times over several sessions. 
• Test your dog's understanding of the tap cue by tapping him when he is not looking. If he responds correctly eight times out of ten (within 3 seconds of the tap), he's got it! If not, go back to tapping him just before he looks at you for a few more sessions.
• When your dog is successful, ask for his attention at random times, gradually working in increased distractions.

Game #3 – Wave Game

• Start with the dog facing you.
• Wave your open hand, fingers outstretched, just above his line of sight. The movement should capture his attention.
• When he looks toward your hand, flash and treat.
• Repeat at least 10-15 times.
• Mix it up a bit by introducing wave from different angles, the side, higher up. Flash and treat generously for attention to your hand.
• Start to practice this game, on a leash or long line, in low to moderately distracting environments.
• As your dog gets better and better at responding to this cue for attention, you can then increase distance between you but still use a long line for safety.
• As the distance increases, you may need to make the wave larger so that it is easier for your dog to see.
• Use your thumbs-up instead of the flashlight when working on this exercise outside during the day.
• When you can get their attention by using a wave, then you can start to give them other cues as well, such as come, sit, or down!

Game #4 – Lights Flicker Game

• Stand in the doorway of the room and flick the light switch on and off until your dog looks up (in any direction).
• Toss him a treat, rewarding attention to the light. You may need to work on your aim or use slightly larger treats than normal to be sure your dog sees the treat being tossed.
• Repeat this 5-10 times. Tossing the treat each time.
• Finally, reserve the reward for when he looks to you in the doorway. At this point, signal him to come or make the treat toss shorter and shorter until he comes to where you are standing for his reward.
• Once this response is established in the house, you can use the patio light the same way when the dog is outdoors after dark and you want to call him inside. Follow the same steps above to do this, but keep your dog on a leash to make sure he can’t run out into the yard for fun, and completely ignore your signal.

 
How does the process of clicker training work?
Now that you’ve got your deaf dog’s attention, you’ve charged up your flash and understand a bit about how to teach behaviors using it, you can start to teach other behaviors such as come, sit, down and walk on the leash.
 
Use the procedure below to capture or shape new behaviors:

• Briefly push the button and make a flash and then give the dog a piece of food.
• Watch carefully for the desired behavior, or an approximation of the behavior. 


• Mark the behavior with a “flash” while it’s happening. At the very precise moment it happens.
• Give a piece of food to reinforce the behavior and make it more likely to happen again.       
• Repeat this process until the dog is reliably offering the 
behavior and then add a cue. 


 
Vibrating Collar
 
If you choose to use a vibrating collar for your deaf dog, there are a few of things to consider.

1. A vibrating collar is not the answer to your training problems. It is not a magical device, it is a tool that when used effectively will give you a way to communicate with your deaf dog.
2. The vibrating collar is the equivalent of a person using their voice to get a hearing dog’s attention.
3. Introduce the vibration the same way you establish a connection between a flash and food. Keep the dog on a leash, or tethered close to you. Page the dog by pressing the button and then give a piece of yummy food right away.
4. You cannot use a vibrating collar for both an attention-getting device and a clicker - it will be too hard for the dog to tell the difference.
5. Another thing to consider is how much elapsed time (lag) there is between the time you push the button on the remote unit and when the dog feels it. Timing is very important to clicker training, which is why the vibration collar is not an effective marker tool. You could end up marking the wrong behavior and confusing your dog.
6. If you happen to be training a dog that is both deaf and blind, this may be your best choice as a marking tool, but you could use a distinct touch as well.

  Keep clicking, or flashing, and have fun!