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Clicker Plus supports the promotion of humane training methods and equipment.
Hi, I'm Josh Pitts, a certified professional dog trainer.
You're probably wondering "What the heck is a
clicker?!" or "Why did you put it in a ring?!"
A clicker is a mechanical noise maker used to mark desired
behaviors and signal to an animal that they are going to get reinforced. The
sound is distinct, making it easily recognizable for the animal in comparison
to using your voice. You can also teach tricks quickly and accurately,
like bow and spin, that would normally take days or weeks to perfect using food
lures (and often you cannot perfect without a clicker!). As you may or
may not know, clicker training is the most effective and humane way to
train any animal.
New to clicker training?
Don't worry! It's
actually VERY easy, but it is a skill that must be developed like any other
skill. To assist you, I'll be adding a simple video course and resource
library with everything you need to get started. I'll also show you how
to train your dog in a way that elicits top performance without being dependent
on food every time, also. The course curriculum goes beyond anything you
would typically receive through a traditional obedience class or private
lesson.
What's the problem with a traditional clicker?
Throughout my eight years of experience helping dog parents,
I've found that people new to clicker training are commonly discouraged from
using a clicker for a variety of reasons. Without a clicker in hand, you have to condition yourself to say "Good!", which some people have difficulty with, as well as understanding the importance of timing. With a clicker, this isn't as much an issue.
More notably, using a clicker in a public setting requires holding a leash and clicker in the same hand so that the other hand is free
for delivering rewards. For people new to clicker training, this can be incredibly overwhelming (even for professionals at times)! Equipment gets fumbled, which is
disruptive to training sessions. When a session is disrupted, the animal
can lose interest and motivation while becoming increasingly distracted by
other stimuli in the environment, leaving the handler frustrated and Fido
condemned to a life in the yard (or worse!).
What the Clicker Ring does
Clicker Ring allows a user to operate
a clicker on the index finger of their treat delivery hand so that the other
can maintain control of the leash. It also eliminates having to
fumble and regain control of the clicker, which is often the case with wrist
coils, allowing your training sessions to be more productive—and fashionable!
All too often have I and my colleagues walked into clients homes
only to see a clicker buried in the doggy drawer, just another thing to carry
and easily lost. This past January, I had the privilege of attending
Clicker Expo in Long Beach, CA, where I spoke with some of the world’s top
clicker training enthusiasts and received nothing but positive feedback on this
concept.
The additional benefits of the clicker ring:
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Capture behaviors anywhere, anytime!
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Easier for handler to work with a leash reactive dog.
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Made in the USA. Not China.
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Waste-free manufacturing.
Clicker Ring Options
Color Chart Coming Soon! You can preview here.
SIZING: Download a printable ring sizer by Lickety Cut
Remember, it's for your index finger (although it doesn't have to be).
It's important to get a size slightly too big than too
small. I will include mole skin with every order (you can always put tape
on your finger, also) however during prototyping I will be experimenting with a
flexible filament (or silicone lining) to provide comfort around your finger
when worn.
The Rewards
The rewards are fairly self explanatory but if you have any questions at all, please ask!
For Everyone: A free video course
By funding this campaign, you'll also allow me to produce a video course for how to use a clicker, how to train basic obedience and loose leash walking with a clicker, as well as beginner tricks like spin.
Why’s your course
different than watching a YouTube video or other professional videos on clicker
training?
First, it would be
free. Not every dog owner can pay thousands for that type of education, nor
should they in my personal opinion. My philosophy is that it isn't fair either
to dog owners or to society that anyone can own a dog but not be provided with
educational resources.
What I intend on doing
is making a series of short clips that would have to be watched in order as you
progressed through the training. Based on my experience, I've found a
good order to teach things in that help clients build off of the previous task.
Additionally, all of
my videos would be a one minute, point-of-view experience, not some static long
video with one continuous shot of a trainer working with an already well
trained dog. One of the things I've spoken to people about is employing a iPal
camera that uses motion and eye tracking software so that the shot is always
focused on the dog, no matter how it moves (it’s also not as invasive to dogs
as a GoPro on your head!). I'd like to buy a few of these cameras and send them
to trainers to collect footage during their sessions with real dogs.
Another thing that makes
my video course different is, eventually, the topics will go beyond anything
someone receives from a traditional obedience class or private lesson. Topics
like public etiquette, trail manners and how to read and understand canine body
language. I’d even like to add trainer
commentary from guest professionals.
$5 OR MORE: eBook & agility pole set instructions
Anyone who donates $5 or more will receive an eBook that I created and use with all of my clients, as well as instructions to make your own agility weave pole set.
Clients are successful with the eBook because it includes a template for a sign you can put on your door to encourage guests to follow the rules.
The agility weave pole set costs approximately $30-$35 in materials from your local hardware store to make eight poles. It's easy to add in more poles and disassembles quickly. This makes for a fun and quick activity when you need to burn a little mental and physical energy but don't have time for a walk.
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T-Shirts - $20 each (includes above perks!)
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The Prototype Pack
This includes three additional product concepts I'm in the process of working on and is intended for those who wish to participate in feedback, as well as promote on blogs and social media. Plus, you're the first to receive finalized versions before anyone else!
Here is a description of the three products:
Clicker 2.0
I've redesigned a traditional clicker to be more slim and compact, with more surface area on the button. It features an adapter groove that allows it to be attached to any leash or clipped to the user for hands-free wear. I'm also considering a separate version for deaf dogs (or fish) by putting a light in the housing. Several horse trainers have expressed their interest in this also.
Clicker Leash
Designed for everyday adventure, this leash has two slim clickers built into the handle for operable use no matter how you hold your leash.
I intent on using a local non-profit called Work Training Center for sewing. It's another way to do good with this project!
Leash Adapter
Designed for teaching loose leash walking, this unit fits between a leash and collar (or harness) and clicks when tension is removed. No image currently displayed in gallery however I do have several sketches of how the mechanism works.
Details & Challenges
My biggest challenge so far has been capital for prototype
development, which brings me here. The project really only needs to raise about $7,000. The additional $3K was intended for any unforeseen expenses (better to ask for too much that not enough to fulfill).
The funding is going toward completing
the product designs, manufacturing the 'click' plates, purchasing micro
screws and purchasing a 3D printer with filament for prototyping and order
fulfillment. You can see a breakdown below.
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I'll be using a Magic Box so that your ring comes out looking shiny
and fabulous, unlike most 3D printed objects. There is a foreseeable
fulfillment delay possibility should this not arrive in time because I will
then have to apply this procedure by hand to each individual piece (You will definitely receive before Christmas and January's National Train Your Dog Month!).
The 3D printing phase is also crucial to three other product
prototypes in development, which fifty (50) people can purchase through this
campaign for a limited time and receive them long before the public.
I intend to return for a second campaign so that I can then fund
injection molds, machine time and supplies for a production run on the ring and prototype products. I'm
doing this so that I have a more accurate estimate of cost and can lower it for
you. If I were to create a mold for every ring size now, it would become
quite expensive and I would likely not be successful due to the stage this
project is in unless I put a hinge in the ring for one size fits all wear
(similar to that of Ringbow).
On the positive side, proceeding this way greatly reduces
the risk of failure and sets me up for the best possibility to succeed. I
have suppliers lined up, and back-ups in place for any contingencies that
should arise.
In the event this campaign is unsuccessful, Indiegogo will take an additional cut. I will be sad,
you will be sad and millions of dog parents might never get to experience this fun and humane training experience.
Since this is a flexible funding campaign, all funds retained will go toward completing designs first and then fulfillment. I will honor requests for refunds in the event I'm unable to fulfill orders. Otherwise, you will receive a credit toward your clicker rings as funding continues through website pre-orders and/or crowdfunding on CanineCrowd.com once it's launched.
The Impact: Why Clicker Ring is important
If this campaign is not successful, these user-friendly clicker concepts may never make it to market for millions of dog owners to enjoy.
A successful campaign will allow me to create the other prototypes, test them and return for another campaign to fund injection molds and production runs.
As important, I can start selling Clicker Ring through ClickerPlus.com so that I can help promote humane, force-free, positive training methods and equipment.
This is also the next step in my professional development. I have other social value projects I'd like to start. While I began conducting market research in college to build a better dog training business, I discovered some alarming statistics.
Only about seven and a half percent of forty three million dog owning households actually purchase dog training services, In addition to my own experiences as a trainer, I've concluded there are many societal problems that ultimately can be traced back to this information. Things like, according to the CDC, the dog bite epidemic. Over 4 million dog bites per year, of which over 400,000 are children. (Sources: IBISWorld, AVMA Pet Demographic Sourcebook).
I once heard there's only about 6,000 humane trainers nationwide, too. : (
I'd like to dedicated my career to solving problems in society through innovation in the pet industry. Ask me what other projects I have going :D
Questions?
Feel free to contact me (dogguyjosh@gmail.com or Twitter @DogGuyJosh or @ClickerPlus). Throughout the campaign, I'll be posting a FAQ section from your submissions and video responses to YouTube. Once the campaign ends, I will continue to update here, as well as the newsletter and community forums (coming soon).
Referral Contest: How You Can Help
Tell the dog lovers in your life. Email them a link
and share our campaign on your favorite social network using the share tools at
the top of the page. Indiegogo will track your sharing so that I can
issue you additional rewards based on the contributions of your
referrals!
When their contributions total at least:
$100 I’ll send you one Clicker Ring per $100 in referrals, up to four!
THREE CLAIMED SO FAR!!!
$500 I’ll send you a prototype pack, plus completed versions at a later date. Optionally, you can be added permanently to the sponsor gallery page!
LOCALS: Get a clicker ring plus one hour of private training for every two referrals that purchase a ring.
Have a suggestion? Let me know!
THANK YOU FOR VIEWING, SHARING AND SUPPORTING!