This method of training has been used for more than fifty years. It has been used to train all kinds of animals (birds, whales, dolphins etc.) including dogs. The advantage of this technique is that the trainer is using positive reinforcement rather than negative to teach the dog. There is no punishment, pain or correction involved. The experience for the dog is pleasant, fun and rewarding.

The clicker is simply a maker. It marks the exact moment when a correct action has been done. The clicker by itself will mean nothing to a dog. It is necessary to pair the clicker with a primary reinforcer. The primary reinforcer is usually food but it does not have to be. Some trainers use other rewards, toys or simple praise. What is important is that the two things, the sound of the clicker is always paired with a reward. Without the reward the sound will mean nothing.

‘Charging a clicker’ is the first step in dog clicker training. You have to teach your dog what the sound of the clicker means. You want your pet to learn that the ‘click’ sound means that a reward is on the way. You do this by randomly clicking and rewarding your pet. You want to make sure that your dog is doing different things each time you click. You do not want your dog to associate the click with a particular action. You want him to learn that the sound is what is important.

Once your clicker is charged you can teach your pet virtually anything. Clicker training is very precise, you can use it to curb and modify behaviour until you as the owner have the exact result that you want to achieve. And, the best part about clicker training is that lost dogs are very eager to participate in clicker training. Why? Because it is a positive challenging learning experience. You will find that using this method of training is not only fast but is actually fun for both you and your pet.

More Dog Clicker Training Tips

The basic concept of clicker training is very easy for a dog to learn. And one of the most important factors about clicker training is that it is done in a positive manner, there is nothing negative in the training process. It is a positive experience for both the owner and the dog.

Dogs are very sensitive to the tone of voice that they hear. They often sense and interpret feelings by the tone of voice that an owner is using. Dogs are also attuned to what kind of mood their owner is in. They know when you are angry or tense. You, as a dog owner may use one tone of voice indoors, one outdoors and another if you are in an obedience class and if different members of the family are all training the dog this can become a factor. The clicker removes all these outside distractions. The same noise is used all the time to indicate a correct action, there is no variation.

The click is very fast. There is virtually no time between the action and the click. Even using voice praise it takes far longer to say the words ‘good boy’ then it does to click. And, it is much faster than trying to give a food reward at the exact moment that the action has occurred. By using a clicker an owner can tell their dog exactly when he has done the correct thing. Then he can worry about offering the reward. This becomes especially important when you are trying to teach very precise or difficult commands.

Research is also showing that animals including dogs who were initially trained using a clicker will have a far greater retention of the information that they have learned and for much longer periods of time than animals trained using other techniques. It is believed that this is because in a lot of clicker training the animal is encouraged to actively participate in the learning process. They have to actively learn what gets rewarded and what is ignored. The dog is encouraged to think. The other benefit seems to be that dogs trained using the clicker technique, tend to be more confident and are much more eager to work than ones that were trained using other methods.

Clicker training is also very easy for a dog to learn. Many dogs are able to make the connection between the sound of the clicker and the reward within a day. This means that you can quickly move on to other commands and tricks.

The whole concept of clicker training is to get the dog to want to earn rewards. You are not disciplining or correcting your pet. You are encouraging and rewarding good behaviours and ignoring the bad ones. Most dogs want to please their owners and are quick to learn which actions will get rewarded and which ones are ignored.

Dog Clicker Training – Where To Start

Dogs trained using a clicker will only obey if a clicker is present.

The ultimate goal of clicker trainer is to train your dog to respond to voice or hand signals (or any other signal) that you choose to use. The clicker is only a training tool. It is best used to introduce new behaviours or to modify old ones. Eventually you want to dispense with the clicker altogether.

A Dog trained using a clicker only responds to food rewards.

Food is used in almost every training process not just in clicker training. As your dog learns and understands which actions are correct, you can begin to eliminate the use of food. When you are no longer using the clicker and your dog is responding well to voice commands you can start varying when you reward your pet. You might only give him a treat every third or fourth time. The other times you are going to offer lots of praise and pets.

The clicker is not loud enough in certain areas.

You should always begin training in a quiet place with few distractions. Make sure that your pet has a good understanding of what it is you are trying to teach him before moving to an area with more distractions. If you gradually introduce your dog to more confusing environments you should not have any problems.

The clicker is not loud enough for certain kind of skills, retrieving or hunting.

The clicker is only a tool. You may find that it is not loud enough for certain outside training. But, you can use the same training techniques by substituting a whistle or a horn. What makes the sound is not important. What is important is that you use the same learning method. The sound should be short and quick and you must follow it up with a reward. The whistle can be just as effective as a clicker.

How can you use a clicker in a class situation when all the other trainers are clicking at the same time?

People who have taken their pets to clicker training classes have found that it does not take long before their pet realises that only clicks given to them by their handler earns rewards.

Clicker training is a fad.

Clicker training has been around for a lot longer than most people realise. It began back in the fifties. Training research was being done not only on dogs but on many different species of animals. Using the clicker method, animal trainers have not only been successful with dogs, they have taught every kind of animal from rats to whales. The method is actually gaining in popularity because of the principals behind the method and the fact that it is so effective.

Don’t be afraid to investigate and try clicker training with your pet at home. It is fast and easy to learn. It can be very rewarding and fun for both you and your pet. And old dogs can learn new tricks.