Clicker training police dogs? - Page 5

even in aggression, if you've done it right, you won't have to resort to the sharpened prong and out or die scenerio.  Clicker training is no different than what most people do something like right now.  It's timing, and makes it easier.  It's consistent, more so than your voice.  could you train the dog completely with a clicker?  I tend to have my doubts, not one that is going to be biting people.  But I could see a narc dog being done with nothing but a clicker, and I could easily see a patrol dog being taught a lot with a clicker, but I don't think you could finish one without doing some other things.

Sucks I've been doing it wrong all these years. Ha ha ha.
Actually I usually teach my dogs the out command when they are little, with their toys, well away from the training field. I rarely have occasion to use a sharp pinch, but I do use a regular pinch often. the older and more arthritic I get, the better I like my pinch collars.
I could see how a clicker might work on a detection dog, but don't see the use in having to carry an extra piece of equipment when my voice will do just as well or better.
One more thing to lose...

I don't recall hearing any clickers during training exercises at the Hessen Politzeihundeschule. LOL

SS

what's the difference if you use your voice or a clicker?  I don't use a clicker either, but "clicker" concepts are just good dog training.  It's timing and consistency.  I use my voice, i'm better with that than I am fumbling with a clicker, but the concepts are the same.  So if somebody is good with a clicker, why couldn't they use it to train a police dog?  all it does is associate a behavior with a reward.  That's just dog training, clicker or not.

Actually, Shelley I spent two weeks with Bernhard Flinks last year.  He did a seminar for my K9 unit.  He talked about  very impressive training with a clicker for a passive alert drug dog.  Again, I wouldn't use a clicker for protection work.  I also wouldn't use an out command on the street if my dogs biting a bad guy.  My dog outs very well and very clean.  Saturday we apprehended a subject wanted for a probation violation for rape.  The guy ran and we tracked and caught him.  The dog engaged the guy and we wrestled on the ground. When other cops got there I lifted my dog off.  No out command, it wasn't needed since I was right there with the dog.  Most K9 guys will lift the dog off the suspect and not say out.   I really don't want the dog to out until I have full compliance and can see both hands.  It's just as easy to lift the dog off as it is to call the dog off a bad guy.  In training I may out him periodically, but I don't want my dog outing automatically like in SchH.  He used to do that and I am training it out of him.  He should hold until commanded to out, even if the bad guy is standing still and not resisting.  I'll determine when it's safe for him to out and I'll lift him off by that point. 

Clicker training hs merit, it may not be for every situation or exercise.  It is certainly good for shaping certain behaviors.  The more tools in the tool box the better.

JMO,

Jim

I have not read the whole thread, just some of the posts which indicate that a number of people are prepared to diss a training method who have no experience of it.

FWIW I have seen clicker trained police dogs and there is no reason that you cannot do this anymore than you cannot train ANY sentient being using a clicker to do ANYTHING.

There are plenty of top dogs in all sorts of disciplines that have been clicker trained including Schutzhund, Mondioring, etc

I have met Nina several times and she is a gifted trainer.

FWIW by the time the dog is on the street/sports field etc you no longer NEED a clicker and you can train a dog to ignore a clicker used by someone else the EXACT same way as Field Trial dogs do not respond to a whistle used by another person even though it is the same pitch.

But  you have to see it to understand it........

I think the thing to remember is that not ALL clicker trainers are purists................... ;)

Aye!  That is very, very true!

The Monks of New Skete seem to agree with your assessment of "clicker purists". I was surprised to read their opinion last night that to only use this type of training without "a balanced approach of praise and appropriate correction"  can have "significant limitations," for example "when misbehavior borders on the dangerous." Also, they didn't care for the "moralizing tone of the practioners".