Welcome, to Service Cat Monday with RaenaBelle. That’s right, in keepin’ with the thought that sis Dezi is off at Summer camp (it’s really virutal, she’s right here), I’s takin’ over the bloggy includin’ Service Cat Monday. You all ‘member to tell her I’s did a good job, K? Anyways, I think I’s s’posed to get the disclaimer stuffs outta the way furst. The followin’ post will be written in human English fur translator and reader ease. Our Trainin’ posts aren’t meant to be a step by step training manual but rather, Tips/Tricks/Techniques that mommy has used/developed throughout her many years of training animals, cats on purrticular. Training is all about Repetition and Rewards and takes time. Ifin you have any questions or topics you would like us to cover, purrlease leave them in the comments section or send us an email. Ifin askin’ about behavioral issues, purrlease be as specific as pawssible. And, ifin you’ve missed any of the posts in this series, you can ketch up by clicking the links below. Now, let’s get to our question.
Layla, from Cat Wisdom 101 asked, “What are your thoughts on Clicker training and Operant Conditioning?” Well, we explained a bit about Clicker training in a prior post, but we’ll talk a bit about it for those of you that missed that post. First, let me explain what Clicker Training is. The trainer, holds a small clicker in one hand, a treat in the other, and clicks the clicker when the animal performs correctly, immediately followed by a treat as the reward. The hopes are that the animal will eventually learn the behavior and will no longer require the clicker to perform the appropriate action. Operant Conditioning is when behavior is modified based on rewards and punishments.
We can tell you right away, that altho’ mommy believes most actions taken by animals, both of the two legged variety and the four legged, are somewhat a result of Operant Conditioning; it is in NO way a form of training she approves of. The reason for that is the necessity of a Punishment for incorrect behavior. For Operant Conditioning to truly work, there must be the risk of punishment. And as you know, mommy doesn’t like the idea of punishing us. Mommy says there’s a huge difference between Positive Reinforcement Discipline and Punishment. So, that’s our thoughts on Operant Conditioning. Now, what about that Clicker Training?
Operant Conditioning in action. Altho’ we’re not fighting,
sis Dezi is letting me know, she’s had enough.
As we mentioned in a previous post, the idea of Clickers was still very new when mommy began training. She looked into them and found at that time, they were quite costly. While preparing for this post, we looked again, and found they still cost a little more than mommy would pay. And then of course, there’s the treats. When using a clicker, you have to have that tasty reward waiting. If you would prefer to use the clicker method but don’t have the money to buy one, you can always use your fingers to snap, or your mouth to make a click sound. Just don’t forget to do it as soon as the appropriate behavior has occurred, followed by a treat. Also keep in mind, that anytime you use treats during training, meals should be adjusted to account for the extra calories. You don’t want training to result in an overweight kitty or doggy. Because of cost, having to carry treats all the time, and the fact that most of the things we do for mommy occur when she’s not exactly dressed, we’re not fans of Clicker Training either. That being said, it is a great tool if that’s the method you want to use.
Enjoying some silvervine after a training session.
So, our thoughts are pretty simple. Clicker Training is a great method for dogs and can be successful with cats as well. But, it’s not a method mommy chooses for numerous reasons. And altho’ we’re probably all acting a bit due to Operant Conditioning, it is NOT a method of training mommy likes or recommends. Please, Do Not Punish your cat or dog, especially during training.
And sissy gets treats even when it’s mine’s training session.
Well, I’s sure hope we answered awnty Layla’s question. As most of ya’ know, mommy’s purrfured method of training is the Love Rewards method. It works, needs no extra props and can be successfully used for both cats and dogs. Remember, ifin you have any questions, purrlease leave them in the comments or send us an email. And ifin you missed any posts in this series, click the links below.
Till the next time…………………………………..Be Blest!!!
Luvs and Hugs and Kitty Kisses
RaenaBelle and Deztinee
Service Cats
Service Cats U.S. 
I’d never heard the term Operant Conditioning before, but agree with you on that. I volunteer with the Jackson Galaxy Foundation and one of their major initiatives is clicker training with cats in shelters. It’s definitely helped a lot of cats get adopted faster!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dat’s great, dat it helps. It can be a useful tool ifin used correctly. Big hugs
Luvs ya’
Raena and Dezi
LikeLike
You did a good job Raena. Excellent post, I don’t think kitties should be punished either.There is always a reason for their behavior and it is up to us to figure out why they act out. XO
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fanky fanks awnty Ellen. We so agree. Big hugs
Luvs ya’
Raena and Dezi
LikeLike
Thanks Raena, an interesting post. Mom decided to try Shoko with a clicker. Heck, she’s a bright girl so they went into the bedroom where it was quiet but left the door open… Mom was armed with rewards…treats and the clicker. Mom decided to call Shoko and pressed the clicker. Mom took one look at her and left the room. Mom got her back in the bedroom and used the clicker once more…Shoko ran out of the room this time. Over the next week mom and Shoko tried the clicker but Shoko kept running out of the room or hiding under the bed. They finally abandoned the idea.
Kali
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry da clicker didn’t work fur ya’ll. Mommy doesn’t like ’em either. But it is a great tool fur those who like it. big hugs
Luvs ya’
Raena and Dezi
LikeLike
I enjoyed reading this learning more about this subject. I really didn’t know much about clicker training. I’m so glad you make a strong message against punishment and I really like the idea of Love Rewards. Is the spray bottle bad too? I don’t use it but was wondering because I think a lot of people do use it. Raena, it’s obvious your mom is doing all the right things with you two!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aaaaaaaaaaaw Fanky fank ya’. Mommy says fanky fanks too. And great question. We’ll tackle it soon. Big hugs
Luvs ya’
Raena and Dezi
LikeLike
I love the love rewards method too! I can’t imagine Amarula ever responding to a clicker – she would probably eat it to spite me!
LikeLiked by 1 person
MOL We hear they’re made with metal. Purrobably not much fur good eatin’. Big hugs
Luvs ya’
Raena and Dezi
LikeLike
Mommy is a behavioral psychologist and does not believe in punishment. Don’t tell the other behaviorists! When she was working with Lexy and me on getting along she used a lot of positive reinforcement. Eventually it worked because Lexy stopped trying to eat me like a mountain lion.
LikeLiked by 1 person
One of my pet peeves is hearing about “punishing” one’s cat or dog. Nonononono. I understand that sometimes we inadvertently act in a way that makes behavior worse (like for me … your comment about how if Ellie and Bear fight. I shouldn’t break it up and then cuddle one of the cats). I was doing that! I was trying to comfort Ellie – but didn’t think of how Bear might see it. I think things have gotten better since I stopped doing that. Thank you for the advice and for being such wonderful friends!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s good dat you were able to learn how your behavior was affectin’ them. Mommy says as mommy’s it’s just nature to wanna purrtect your younguns and pay special ‘tention to da youngest or newest. But in doin’ so, us kitties don’t learn da lesson we needed to learn, which is others boundaries and tolerances. We’re glad things are gettin’ better. From da fotos, you really have a great balance. They’re gettin’ along better than you think. Most of those “fights” are just them tellin’ da other where they feel comfurtable and their boundaries are, but like us, they’re doin’ it gently. Just have faith in them and believe things will go well and they will. We truly believe dat. Big hugs
Luvs ya’
Raena and Dezi
LikeLiked by 1 person
We sure are sorry that it’s been so long since we’ve visited you! We love your training tips, and we were so happy to visit you today and see that you’re still doing them. Though we don’t use a clicker, the kitties and the pup here have gotten pretty good at responding to various noises made by their mom. She isn’t very good at whistling, but she sure can make some weird tongue clicking noises that gets some furbabies’ attention. And we are also not in the slightest bit fans of training that involves any semblance of negative reinforcement. We know some folks who insist on using that darn spray water bottle method, and we can’t stand it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you stopped by. Yes, humans can make a myriad of noises fur furee, so we don’t know why anypawdy would spend money on a clicker. Altho’, mommy finds da clicker to be a bit obnoxious and purrfurs her method. In da end, any method dat doesn’t involve punishment is a good one. Big hugs
Luvs ya’
Raena and Dezi
LikeLike
We’ve got Beau trained with a couple sounds! We even have him alarm conditioned for feeding! (Which is super helpful for whiny kitties)
LikeLiked by 1 person
ConCats to you. Dat’s pawsum. Big hugs
Luvs ya’
Raena and Dezi
LikeLike