# Clicker Training to Decrease Bad Behaviors?



## lessgravity (Oct 4, 2011)

So I've been clicker training Luna for a little while, she's pretty good at "sit", "up" (rising up on her hind feet), "come" sort of, and we're working on touch with a target.

I was wondering if clicker training could be used to decrease unwanted behaviors, like counter surfing. The idea being that when she jumps "off" of a counter, a click and then reward is given. Would this wind up just rewarding the behavior of getting on the counter? Would she try to do it just to get food? Not sure how the cat's mind perceives all these things, but I don't want to enforce something like that. She does also respond well to praise or toys as a reward.

We've tried the squirt bottle, which sometimes works, but I don't particularly care for it. The jar of coins is around for particularly bad times, but again not too fond of that either and also don't want her to get desensitized to it, so that when we really need it, it will actually work.


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## Shenanigans (Jul 23, 2011)

I don't know a whole lot about clicker training, as Apollo has never had the patience for it, and the clicker wound up startling him and he's have to go inspect where the noise came from.

With that being said, it seems to me like using the clicker and a treat when she jumps off the counter would be rewarding her being on the counter in the first place. 

With any cat I've ever had, counter surfing has been impossible to stop. Diablo finally got tired of me pushing him off the counter, so he started hanging out on top of my fridge, where he knew I couldn't ever reach him. I'm only 5'3 so he would look down at me and with evil happiness in his face, lol. 

Maybe someone else would have better advice to offer.. Cats are just too smart for their own good.


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## Milky's Mammy (Oct 17, 2011)

I want to start clicker training too as I've heard it can correct a lot of bad behaviour. I honestly don't have the answer to your question, but I'd like to know if it's working how you would like it to?


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Not sure if this will help but some time ago Librarychick posted a thread about clicker training.

It can be found here: http://www.catforum.com/forum/37-behavior/142326-clicker-training-cats.html


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

The link Mowmow posted is exactly right.

I use clicker training with my four and I do find that it helps. There are three main things that cause people (yes, people.) to be unsuccessful with clicker training. 1. Not understanding the method, and therefore not using it correctly. 2. Being impatient and expecting instant results from a cat who has never seen/heard a clicker before. 3. Lack of consistancy. If you don't react the same way every single time they WILL NOT get it, or it will take a LOT longer.

Clicker training will help with teaching her to get off when asked, but the best way to teach her to completely stay off the counters is to make them less fun. Never leave food out (even for a second!), wash them with vinegar (cats hate that smell), and don't leave anything interesting there.

As far as teaching her to remove herself, this means you need to teach her a cue. One way of using clicker training to prevent behaviors is to put them on a cue, and then never ask for it. If done properly this will cause the behavior to become less and less rewarding. Especially if you replace the naughty behavior with a good one that you can reward.

Step one would be to teach her to jump onto the counter. I know that shoulds counter-productive, but it will help in the long run. I use 'Up!' for my cats, and I practice everywhere. Boxes, tables, chairs, the counter, the exam table at the vets, book shelves, ect. I ALWAYS follow 'Up', with 'Down'. They get the reward after doing the down.

Start by loading the clicker, if you haven't already, by clicking it and then feeding them a small yummy treat over and over. When they start perking up at the click noise you can start teaching.
Show the cat a yummy treat and put it on top of something too far back for them to just reach up and grab it, letting them watch. I used a low table to start with. Don't say or do anything else, let them figure it out. It might take a bit but they should jump up. Quickly grab the treat and hold it to their nose, then put it down on the ground. They should follow the treat back on to the floor. NOW they can have the goody. Do this a few times until they are quick to jump up or off.
Now say "Up" as you put the treat on the table. They jump up, click. Say "Off" and when they jump down click and give them the treat and a big fuss.

Once they've got it start seperating the two. So they jump up, ask for a sit or a touch, then ask for 'off'. They never get treated for jumping up, but the other things DO get treats.

Next move to practicing on the counter. It should go well, but they might need a middle step for a bit. Chairs work well.

While you are training the 'off' it also helps to give them areas of the kitchen where they can sit to see what's going on. A stool near the counter would work. As them to 'up' onto the stool and give them periodic treats for sitting there and 'helping'. My four are allowed to sit on top of the gecko tanks next to the counter, and if they are good they get bits of whatever i'm cooking. Always tiny peices, but it's a good reward for being nice kitties.


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## lessgravity (Oct 4, 2011)

Will definitely give that a try, and thanks for the other link.
This helps a lot as I wasn't sure how to go about it. She loves training though and usually starts purring, though that could be the food. 

I'll let you know how it goes, thanks for the help!


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## Cats&Plants (Aug 20, 2011)

Shenanigans said:


> I'm only 5'3 so he would look down at me and with evil happiness in his face, lol.


ME TOO!! I know the evil look very well.

Thanks for the links and tips, I may try this in my house too, there are a few behaviors I'd like to change


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

Going on counters is really hard to fix because just being on them is rewarding in and of itself. They get to be up high and if it's my house they get to find the best sun spots lol. I think the only way to eliminate this behavior without using punishment would require a replacement...like a cat tree or big windowsill. That way you could reinforce the cat for choosing that and redirect the cat when he makes the wrong decision and goes on the counter or table. Without a replacement it would be very hard to positively eliminate the behavior as there is no way to consistently reward him for resisting the urge to go on the table as you never know when he's making the choice not to go on or when he was never thinking about it in the first place.


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## Milky's Mammy (Oct 17, 2011)

Thanks for the helpful info librarychick! I may start clicker training soon, although without it I've still managed to teach Milky kiss and sit.


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## lessgravity (Oct 4, 2011)

We are working on getting a cat tree for her, right now she's got a homemade castle of cardboard boxes, but she'll outgrow that soon. It was fun making it though!


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## lessgravity (Oct 4, 2011)

Update: Training is going really well. Definitely see a decrease in table/counter surfing. When she does, she actually knows what the word "down" means as opposed to just getting told no. Makes perfect sense now that I think about! 
Thanks for all of your help!


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