Dog Clicker Training

How Do You Clicker Train A Dog?

2009-04-21T23:48:00.000-07:00

Dog clicker training is fast and easy. It is a simple training method for you and your dog to learn. You as the trainer have to understand two basic things about clicker training. Unlike other methods of training you are going to work in small steps and stages and the second thing to realise is that your ultimate goal is not having to use a clicker at all.

The first thing to teach your dog is what the clicker means. The process of teaching a dog to recognise and respond to the sound of a clicker is commonly called ‘charging the clicker‘. You are going to teach your pet that the sound of a clicker means that he has done a good action and that a reward is on the way. You must always follow a click with a reward.

Once your dog recognises the significance of the sound of the clicker you can move onto other training. If for example you are trying to teach your dog to ’sit’ using the clicker method you have to start with small steps. You begin by rewarding the dog each time he makes a motion of sitting. When you click is very important. You do not want to click after the dog has finished the action. It is rather like taking a picture. You want to capture the exact moment when he is in the process. That is the picture you are trying to get. If you click after the action you will have missed your picture.

Each time the action is repeated you want the dog to go a little further. You want to wait to click until he is closer to the floor. You still do not want to click late but you do not want to click until you see the exact action that you want. By making your dog go a little further each time you are teaching him what is a good action. This sounds slow but with most dogs it is usually a very fast process. Some dogs can even learn to sit after only a day of practicing.

As your dog's understanding grows you can add in the voice command. You no longer reward a spontaneous action. You only click when you have given the command. You keep repeating this process until you are certain that your dog knows the meaning of the command. You can then gradually eliminate the clicker until you are relying solely on voice command. Be sure to reward after each correct action.

This is the basic idea of how dog clicker training works. You gradually work small step, by small step towards the final goal. You encourage and reward your dog for each success and ignore all other unwanted actions. Your dog will quickly learn what will earn a reward and what action will be ignored. You will find that training can be simple and easy using the clicker method.

An Introduction To Clicker Training

2009-04-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

Why Clicker Train?

2009-04-21T23:29:00.000-07:00

Many people who have not looked into clicker training scoff at the idea. They claim that they ‘cannot be bothered’ to have to have a clicker with them all the time and who wants a dog that will only respond to the sound of ‘click‘? But these same people think nothing of using a leash or food rewards when training their pet. Is there really a difference between getting a leash and doing dog leash training or getting a clicker?

The ultimate goal of dog clicker training is to have an animal that will respond to voice and/or hand signals without having to use a clicker. The clicker is only a tool to be used in the beginning of training and to teach new behaviours or tricks. The same way a leash is used to train a dog to heel before you begin more advanced training.

The clicker method is also one of the only training methods that relies almost solely on positive reinforcement rather than on correction or discipline. We have all seen trained killer whales perform, can you imagine trying to train one of these huge animals using discipline or correction? No. Trainers use the ‘clicker method’ to get the animals to want to perform certain actions.

People who train dolphins and whales get the animals to behave in certain ways by teaching the animals that certain actions get rewarded and other actions are ignored. The animal learns that if it wants a treat it has to do certain things and the more often it does these actions the more rewards it receives.

These same principals can be applied to training and teaching your pet. It is a fast, simple and easy training method to learn, both for you as an owner and for your dog. All members of the family can learn how to train using this method. And the relationship you build between you and your pet is built on trust rather than fear.

Clicker Training as a Method vs Using a Clicker

2009-04-21T01:47:00.000-07:00

In this video the author states that there needs to be a new term for 'the clicker training method' as people are getting the wrong idea about what 'Clicker Training' really is. Some people are under the impression that by just using a clicker, you are in fact 'clicker training'. I believe that 'clicker training' is a precise method that is being used 100% of the time, NOT just when the dog does something correct... listen and find out what I believe 'clicker training' is all about... ;)