Hi,

Have a boy who isn't really food motivated, have tried everything in the ring from scented cat toys, balls, squeakers, etc. He is totally excited and goes ape sh#$%t over the clicker. Loves it! Its mainly the sound and the treat he receives afterward. Can you take one into the ring? Do you think this would be too distracting for the other dogs and handlers to take it into the ring as it can be kind of loud to some?

Some clickers are really loud and could be a problem in the ring. Try a Snapple cap. They make a nice click but are much quieter and probably would not bother others in the ring.

I think if you practiced enough with a clicker and had a method of suggesting the clicker - like putting your hand in your pocket - that might trigger the response you want.

I think that if I were in the ring - it would distract my dogs if someone was using a clicker.

Some people really go crazy with toys and squeakers and it can be very distracting to someone else's dog, particularly when you are trying to free bait at the end of a class.

I find it interesting that you say that your dog isn't food motivated but is totally excited about the clicker. The clicker is merely a conditioned reinforcer which means it is an indication that food is about to follow. SO, if your dog works for the click, he is working for food.

The issue may be that without the clicker, he is not actually getting the food but is mainly just baited with it? I would continue to train him with the clicker as you are doing as you are happy with the results, then put the behaviour on cue and begin to use a verbal conditioned reinforcer instead of the click (Yes or Good) and make sure the food follows every Yes or Good the same as it would the clicker. Make sure you reinforce him in the ring and you shouldn't need the clicker at all. When he stacks the way you like, say Yes and flip him a cookie and he will act the same in the ring as outside it, and the same with the clicker and without

There is nothing worse than having your dog set up perfectly in the ring and then have somebody in front or behind start clicking or squeaking toys. It totally destroys your dog's concentration and, believe me, dogs will hear a clicker no matter how soft. Their sense of hearing is a lot better than ours. I firmmly believe that all aids and toys that are audible to another competitor's dog should be banned from the ring.

Or just train your dog to not get distracted with stuff happening in the ring?

You cant control the whining of babies, the clapping, the squeeking in other rings, whistling of people etc.

Toys in the ring should be promoted, it has to be fun for the dog. A reminder of play time in the ring help people keep their dog happy! They shouldnt be robots.

My dogs are attention trained. However, I have had a professional handler use a squeakie toy to the extent that my dog was excited about his toy. I do believe it was done on purpose. I had to turn my dog around so that she wouldn't see the handler waving around a toy.

I use toys in the ring myself. Small and discreet.
I get very annoyed when someone in front or behind me throws their toys and they land right at my dogs feet or even worse, my dog catches them! It has happened soo many times.
Thats very rude, so please be careful and try not to throw your toys, PUH LEEZE

First of all I have occasionally used a clicker (in my pocket and only quietly clicked) in the ring but not in the way you are wanting to use it. A clicker is not meant to be used to get the dog's attention but rather to mark a behavior that you want the dog to keep offering. So if the dog was standing perfectly still and wagging their tail with ears up (and that is what you wanted) you would click and treat for that. You wouldn't click to get them to do that behavior but to mark that they were already doing it.

Instead of a clicker, you could instead go to a "marker word" which you could say softly. For that I use the word "yes". You may not always have a toy or squeaker in the ring but you always have your voice with you!
Start by holding some treats in your hand, when your dog looks at you say "yes" -- they start to learn that "yes" will get them a reward. Then ask them to do something such as sit, once they do it say "yes" and give the treat, etc. Very easy to teach. Had 15 4H students last night getting a response from their dogs to this method in 5 minutes. E-mail me if this isn't clear.

some people use toys/balls to hype their dogs in the ring.

and the dogs get so agitated that they become possessive/aggressive.

If the dogs get possessive aggressive in the ring, then as far as I am concerned, they have failed a major temperament test for Labradors. No, I don't want to hear a loud clicker or a LOT of squeaking behind me, but what the heck is the difference between bait and a toy or a ball in the ring if the dog is going to get aggressive? Wouldn't the same dog get aggressive over another handler's bait, or bitch, or whatever? Wouldn't we want to know which dog is aggressive in the breed ring--I sure as heck don't want to breed to him or her! We may all have slightly different interpretations of the physical standard of the Labrador Retriever, but I deplore the perpetuation of bad temperaments. Mutt or purebred, we don't need possessive aggressive family dogs!!!