Click & Reward - What Is It?
In the last ten years we have worked with and trained hundreds of lamas.
In that time we have successfully integrated a number of different training techniques to produce our training philosophy. We have built a reputation for getting results. Then in 1993 we were introduced to a training concept that was completely new to us. We talked with people who were using this concept to train elephants, dolphins, horses, dogs, cats and many other animals. The more we investigated, the more we felt confident that this was something we wanted in our training program. We were especially fascinated by how quickly the animals learned new behaviors.
For the next several years we casually started using this concept when working with our lamas using the principles by themselves and in combination with our traditional training methods. The results were fascinating! Our lamas were responding more quickly, more consistently, and with more enthusiasm for learning than ever before. Our communication with our lamas improved 100%! We were able to teach them many new behaviors that we had not even considered teaching before. Because we use a small noisemaker, or clicker when applying this concept, we decided to call it Click and Reward, training for lamas.
What is Click & Reward?
Click and Reward training uses operant conditioning and positive reinforcement to shape behavior. These are very powerful training tools that have been in use for years for training whales, dolphins, elephants, and a variety of other animals. It makes the lama a willing and eager participant in its own training, seeking to achieve success by selecting the "right" behavior that the trainer is desiring. The lama then becomes
a true partner in the training process. Because of this, the lama's mental attitude towards training sessions changes dramatically.
How does it work?
The key to clicker training is selecting a primary reinforcer and a conditioned reinforcer. The primary reinforcer is something that the lama desires - this can be grain, praise, or other reward. It needs to be something that the lama really wants. The conditioned reinforcer is a signal that is paired with the reward and always precedes it. In Click & Reward training, the conditioned reinforcer is the sound of the clicker. When the lama moves towards a desired behavior in a training session, the click is given immediately and followed by a reward. The lama quickly associates the click, his conditioned reinforcer, with his grain or treat, the primary reinforcer. The click translates to the lama, "Good boy, that is exactly what I wanted, when I wanted it, and how I wanted it, here is your reward."
Eventually the lama will start working for the sound of the clicker, rather than focusing on the grain. This keeps his attention on you the trainer, and what you are trying to communicate, rather than him mauling you and searching your pockets for his reward. He quickly learns that the only time he will be fed during a training session is when he hears the click. The lama has to work for it, earning the click gives the lama a feeling of accomplishment, which in turn builds his confidence. The clicker can be used to reinforce specific behaviors as they happen, even if the lama is a considerable distance from the trainer when the behavior occurs.
When the behavior is learned and is being performed consistently, it can then be assigned a command cue, such as "Back," "Stand," or "Come." Once the animal associates the command cue with the behavior, the clicker is no longer needed to reinforce that behavior every time, unless you wish to shape that behavior further,
such as having the lama back up faster, stand still longer, or come to you more quickly.
What can I do with it?
Using clicker training you can teach basic skills such as catching, haltering and loading. You can shape basic behaviors into more complex ones by adding new criteria - defining exactly how long the lama is to stand still, how high he is to jump, or how many steps he is to back up. It also works well for animals that have not responded to traditional correction-based training methods. Animals that have had previous negative experiences can benefit from this training, as their desire to be reinforced can override fears or negative experiences they have had in the past.
This type of training also allows the trainer to teach complex behaviors like retrieving a grain bowl or halter, that would take much longer to teach using traditional training methods, if they were able to be taught at all. It can also be used to eliminated undesirable behaviors, and as an easy way to make your lamas more marketable.
What are the benefits?
Clicker training allows the animal to become a partner in the training process. He quickly finds that he has control over whether or not he succeeds and receives a reward, that it is up to him to determine what the trainer is trying to communicate. As training progresses, the lama's confidence grows as his successes are reinforced.
He chooses which behaviors to offer and finally has some effect and control - this makes training fun and allows him to express his intelligence. The trainer enjoys the experience because he is also in control by reinforcing only those behaviors he desires. Watching the "light bulb" in the lama's eyes and seeing how quicly concepts are picked up and understood, makes training sessions worthwhile for the trainer.
This results in positive training experiences for both animal and handler.
Click and Reward has tremendous possibilities as a research tool for testing lama intelligence, comprehenesion, and reasoning abilities. It can be utilized by anyone who has the desire to grasp its concepts. It has become an invaluable tool for us to better understand how our lamas learn. A delightful alternative to traditional correction based training, it stiumulates the lama's creative thinking and his imagination.
It helps to develop astonishing intimacy and mutual communication with your lamas.
Understanding the basic fundamentals of behavior modification will open up a whole new world of possibilities for communication and understanding. The results other animal trainers have achieved cannot be ignored. With Click & Reward, you are limited only by your own imagination.
