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Our friend Deirdre Martin,
Shangrila's Matador's owner decided to try out one of our weanlings
Shangrila's Astro on our obstacle course. He had just attended a PR
event where he had done really well with Clicker Training. He is a
chow hound and will do pretty much anything for food. Luckily I had my
camera with me. All these pictures were taken in one
session. This was the very first time he had gone over the obstacles. |
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The first jump he just
sort of stepped over but he still received a click and reward for the
effort and not balking. This made him much more enthusiastic The
next jump he actually did jump over. Deirdre brought |
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him to
the next obstacle to teach him back. She walked him into the
obstacle of landscape timbers and had Astro slowly back up. We use
a "Back" command to get them to back out of the restraining chute so he
knew this command already. He still did well and stayed within the
obstacle. So of course he got a click and reward. Then she
took him to the bridge. He wasn't to sure about this one so she
took it one step at a time. The most important thing I have learned
from training with a clicker is to break it down in little
steps. And to click and reward even the smallest
accomplishment. |
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First he had to put at
least on foot on the bridge. To do this Deirdre used a
little pressure on the lead until he was on the bridge then he was clicked and given a
little grain. And I mean a little, just a few grains.
Then he followed Deirdre's closed hand onto the bridge and was
clicked and rewarded. |
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Teaching a llama to target a closed
hand is one of the "handiest" training tricks I have
learned to do.
I have llamas that will follow my closed hand
(fist) from the middle of the pasture into the barn. I may
have to click and reward part way there if I have food and a
clicker. But if they have done this before I can get them all
the way in even if I do not have food. This works so much
better than shaking the grain bucket when you just need one llama.
If you have grain and no clicker I have found you can use a word
like "good" and give just a little grain (never an entire handful).
But the clicker is still a better marker.
And even if they have
mastered a command and will do it on cue, go back and click
and reward it every once in awhile. So that they see the
benefit of doing what you ask. Even something as simple as
putting on a halter is worth adding to a training session. It
makes the halter a good thing not just what gets put on before
giving a shot. It's sort of like recharging a battery.
Back to Astro.
You can see by using the targeting of her hand she was able to get
Astro to complete the bridge on a loose lead. She then had him
do the obstacle the other way with less clicks and rewards. |
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To
see an entire article about training the Tunnel obstacle you can go
to
http://www.shangrilallamas.com/clickerTunnel.htm.
Astro was in the groove and was willing to follow Deirdre in with a
little coaxing and a few clicks and rewards. It went so fast I
just had time to get the ending picture. We usually need to
get them comfortable with the tunnel itself before they will go in
it.
Astro and Dierdre then
when up the ramp obstacle, clicked and reward him for that and then
worked with him to walk down the stairs on the other side holding
his head down so that he does not |
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jump off the
obstacle instead of walking down step by step. You may notice that
we have "training wheels" on this obstacle. The llamas are much
more willing to go up the ramp and stairs with the gates attached on the
sides of this obstacle. Of course you don't have this luxury at
the shows.
Deirdre walked Astro
up the stairs to |
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our deck which she starts
training our babies to do when halter and lead training. She also
likes to bring them into the house in case they end up as therapy
llamas. And every llama needs to jump into the trailer at sometime
so this is how she often ends her session with them. |
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