By now many folks have integrated Click & Reward into their own training programs. You’ve probably noticed them over this past summer, training their lamas to pose or square up on cue for halter classes, to poop on cue for those long van rides, or just having fun by retrieving their own halters and leads. We are thrilled that so many have “seen the light” and are so freely embracing this new training technology. With this new technology come questions. After so many years of using correction-based training (bad lama!) it is not surprising that folks have questions when utilizing “catching their lama doing it right.” We would like to address some of the most commonly asked questions.
How old does my lama have to be before I can use clicker training?
Clicker training can be used with any lama once he is weaned, usually around 5-6 months of age. We don’t work with lamas until after they are weaned, since handling and training a lama before weaning can cause behavioral problems later, including spitting and other forms of aggression.
When clicker training a weanling, remember to keep training sessions very short, 5-10 minutes at a time. These youngsters’ attention spans are brief, and they will learn much faster if sessions are kept short and positive. Clicker training works with older lamas too, including the senior citizens of the herd. Lamas of all ages enjoy the interaction and stimulation of clicker training.
What if my lama won’t eat?
All lamas eat, they have to! All we have to do is find out what our lama likes and is willing to work for! Food is a great motivator, and works well for most animals. Other rewards can be used as well, such as a scratch on the neck, but remember, it has to be something that the lama really likes! Experiment with different grains and pelleted feed,types of hay, fruits and veggies, until you find something your lama is crazy about. Once you find a food that your lama really likes, you can slowly mix it in with the grain or pellets that you choose. Your lama has to eat anyway, so why not use it to your advantage? Simply take your lama’s regular daily ration of grain or minerals, and divide it up to use in your training sessions. He is receiving the same amount of food as he would normally, but you are using it to teach and modify his behavior to make life easier for both of you.
Will my lama become pushy and spit at me from hand feeding?
Absolutely not! Clicker training does not cause spitting or aggression. We have trained and hand-fed hundreds of lamas over the past 15 years, and have not had one lama become pushy or spit at us. Remember, clicker training is not about standing there and chucking food at the lama, nor is it about bribing or distracting the lama with food. After the lama has become conditioned to the clicker he begins to work for the sound of the clicker, instead of focusing on the food reward. The food becomes truly secondary in the lama’s mind. The clicker and the stimulation of the training sessions become much more important than the food reward.
You can successfully use clicker training to eliminate undesirable behaviors such as pushiness and spitting. The lama has learned these behaviors from you and/or other humans in his life, or from premature training and handling. The lama that has been pushy and spitting before clicker training will begin clicker training with these same behaviors. There are positive ways to eliminate such behaviors, such as training an incompatiblebehavior or removing the motivation for the behavior.
Do I always have to carry the clicker and the food around?
No! The clicker and the food are simply tools for building behaviors. The clicker is used as tool to build new behaviors, or to add-on or modify old ones. Once the behavior has been learned and is assigned a cue, the clicker and the food can be put away. They are not necessary to maintain the behaviors on a day to day basis, but can be brought out again at any time to modify behaviors (such as to get a faster “back-up”, etc.) or to teach new behaviors.
Many folks ask about using the clicker in the show ring. By the time you have reached the show, your lama should be trained. Using the clicker in the ring is considered inappropriate in other species competitions. If you still feel the need to provide special encouragement or communication in the ring, you can plan ahead of time. It is easy to pair a verbal or physical cue with the click in training sessions, so that the lama can make the connection between the special cue and the clicker. You can then use this cue to letyour lama know what he’s doing right!
Isn’t clicker training just for teaching tricks?
Clicker training is used to teach lamas behaviors. Yes, you can use it to teach your
lama to play ball, fetch its own halter, shut the barn doors, turn off the lights. These are all behaviors. But you can also teach your lama to stand still for grooming, to load easily into vehicles, to cross a pasture and put its nose into a halter you present, to allow you to pick up its feet. These are behaviors too! The only difference between behaviors and tricks are distinctions we make in our own minds. It’s all a matter of perception. Personally, when we have to catch a lama and all we have to do is go out to the 2 acre pasture and hold a halter in the air and the lama approaches and puts his nose inside and waits for us to buckle it, we think that’s a pretty neat trick and a big timesaver as well.
The rules of operant conditioning say that you can teach your lama anything that he is mentally and physically capable of doing. Some examples include - squaring up or posing for photos or for the judge in halter class; all phases and types of obstacle work; all variations of stand, catch, halter, lead, load; maintenance behaviors for vaccinations,toenail trimming, shearing, grooming, vet checks; public relations behaviors such as picking up trash for litter pick-up days; fetching their own halters and leads; collecting and stacking up grain bowls, the sky is the limit. So use your imagination and go for it!
I just got my very first lamas. Do I have to be an experienced lama handler to use clicker training?
No! Some of the best clicker trainers are new owners, who haven’t been programmed by traditional training methods using force. New owners haven’t learned those “tie ‘em up, wrestle ‘em down,” training techniques. Put your cowboy suit away, there are no rodeos here! We’re training lamas, remember? Clicker training is a more elegant and sophisticated way to train. Granted, it isn’t as easy as yanking lamas around on a lead rope since it does require thought and planning on the part of the trainer. But it has a great advantage since it does not rely on manhandling and physical force to get the lama to do what you ask. Kids make great clicker trainers. With the clicker to communicate, you can teach your lama almost anything!
Are there any disadvantages to clicker training?
There are some disadvantages to clicker training. You’ll find yourself spending inordinate amounts of time outside with your lamas. Your lamas will start to exhibit unusual behaviors, such as crossing a pen or field into a heel position when you present the halter. You’ll want to install better lighting in your barns so that you can clicker train at night. You won’t want to end your short training sessions because you and your lama are having so much fun! Seriously though, clicker training will change the way you look at all behavior, not only your lamas’ but your kids and your spouse and your boss - no one will be safe. The more we learn, the more we find we want to learn. Be careful! Clicker training is both addictive and contagious! And it works!
We encourage all lama owners to call, write, or e-mail us with any other questions. Remember, there is always a better way! Keep it positive!
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