Clicker Training: Tooth Exam

In an emergency, could you open your dog's mouth and look inside if you absolutely had to, or does your dog just barely tolerate it now? This is a demonstration of how to get cooperation with handling (for grooming, vet exams, and more), preparing for emergencies and reducing the risk of defensive aggression.

FAQ:

"What command are you using?"
At this stage of training, I don't use any verbal cues. Once the behavior looks the way I want (he allows me to open his mouth and look inside for at least 5 seconds), THEN I will add a cue. I hope to get video of this process as we continue to work together.

"How long were your training sessions?"
I limited these sessions to about 15 repetitions of each behavior, broken into 3-5 repetitions at a time, with various breaks in between.

"When can I stop using treats?"
When your dog is reliably performing the final behavior on cue at least 8/10 times in multiple scenarios. Then you can alternate between food, play, praise, and other things your dog finds highly rewarding.

However, for a behavior like this which will be used mainly at the vet's office which involves a fair amount of anxiety for many dogs, I prefer to continue to use a high value food reward in order to keep this exercise highly rewarding for the dog.

"Do I have to use a clicker?"
No. But for precision, you do need some form of marker to indicate when the dog gets it right. In the video, I use "Yes" and the clicker interchangeably. Some people prefer to only use a verbal marker and some prefer to only use a clicker.

"Will I always have to use a clicker to get my dog to do this?"
Clickers don't make dogs perform behaviors. They tell dogs when they performed correctly. So, no, you won't have to carry around a clicker. Once the dog has learned the behavior, the clicker is no longer necessary.

"Will this work on a Pit Bull/Rottweiler/Malinois/Tibetan Mastiff/Cane Corso, etc.?"
Yes. This also works on Polar Bears, Orcas, Beluga Wales, Tigers, and other animals which make clicker training a domestic dog of any breed a piece of cake by comparison.

"Where can I learn more about clicker training?"

Check out the website www.clickertraining.com for hundreds of articles, books, dvds and video downloads.