Associating vocal command with behavior during clicker training (cats)

Question

I've been clicker training my youngest cat (Romeo, 3-4 years old, male, neutered). He associated the clicker with a treat, and now we're working on "down" (as in, jump off the counter you troublemaker).

He knows that during a training session (we work in the bedroom away from the other cats) that if he jumps off the bed he gets a click and treat. So he'll jump up and down off the bed repeatedly (without the voice command) and then make frustrated noises at me for not rewarding him. Once he's done that a few times, and sits down, I'll give him the "down" command (a few times) and when he jumps down I reward him.

Am I responding to him in the right way (and he just needs more repetition to associate the voice command with the behavior?), or should I be doing something else. I don't like to see him get so frustrated at not getting the reward, but I've never done clicker training before. Is the frustration part of the process?

Answer 1

You're basically on track. The trick earns a reward only when done on request. Otherwise he is training you to give treats when he jumps, which isn't what you had in mind.

It's not an easy distinction for a car to learn, unless he's already used to talking commands.

Mine seem to have learned a few words and sounds without deliberate training ... Down, excuse me, in, whistling as come-here, twanging the cab's pulltab as announcement that gooshyfood will soon be available ... but that's been seven years of casual mutual training. And I'm still not sure how much they understand the words as opposed to tone of voice.