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| Obedience: Clicker Training |
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Clicker Train Your Puppy Dog.
People try to clicker train their puppy dog and get it wrong. I tried it and got it wrong.
The simple fact is we didn't know how it works. People usually get the clicker from one
of the major pet stores where they are placed strategically on the checkout counter.
The problem is that people don’t know how to use them and neither did I. We either
click to get the dogs attention or we think its some sort of dog remote control. As soon
as we click, something will happen. Well, yes. As soon as we click, the dog will run over
to us to see what new toy we’ve got.
That’s not what clicker training is about and unfortunately, because people are not
getting the response that they want, they think it is just a gimmick and clicker training
gets a bad rap.
Clicker training isn’t a gimmick, in fact, when done correctly, it's a great technique that
will let you communicate to your dog that he has done something that you like.
So what is a clicker?
The clicker is a small metal or plastic device with a tempered metal strip inside. When
you press the button on the clicker, the metal strip is bent causing a click and when you
release the button there is another click.
The sound of the click is very distinctive sound and is always consistent when pressed.
The way that it works is not as a reinforcer but as an event marker. As an event
marker, it is capable of giving incredibly precise and immediate feedback.
A clicker can be used to identify correct performance in the early stages of training a
behavior. When the behavior has been mastered to just the way that you want it, you
can simply replace it with a verbal marker or release command.
The clicker is not a toy and it is not a musical instrument. It should only be used to mark
an event and not used at any other time.
Clicker training is not new, but it is fairly new in the dog world. People have been using
it for the last 15 to 20 years but only as pet owners and not as trainers. It’s only in the
last few years that classes and courses have begun to emerge that has made it
possible for the pet owner to learn clicker training.
10 Advantages of using a Clicker
5 tips on using the Clicker
Return from clicker training to the Home page
People try to clicker train their puppy dog and get it wrong. I tried it and got it wrong.
The simple fact is we didn't know how it works. People usually get the clicker from one
of the major pet stores where they are placed strategically on the checkout counter.
The problem is that people don’t know how to use them and neither did I. We either
click to get the dogs attention or we think its some sort of dog remote control. As soon
as we click, something will happen. Well, yes. As soon as we click, the dog will run over
to us to see what new toy we’ve got.
That’s not what clicker training is about and unfortunately, because people are not
getting the response that they want, they think it is just a gimmick and clicker training
gets a bad rap.
Clicker training isn’t a gimmick, in fact, when done correctly, it's a great technique that
will let you communicate to your dog that he has done something that you like.
So what is a clicker?
The clicker is a small metal or plastic device with a tempered metal strip inside. When
you press the button on the clicker, the metal strip is bent causing a click and when you
release the button there is another click.
The sound of the click is very distinctive sound and is always consistent when pressed.
The way that it works is not as a reinforcer but as an event marker. As an event
marker, it is capable of giving incredibly precise and immediate feedback.
A clicker can be used to identify correct performance in the early stages of training a
behavior. When the behavior has been mastered to just the way that you want it, you
can simply replace it with a verbal marker or release command.
The clicker is not a toy and it is not a musical instrument. It should only be used to mark
an event and not used at any other time.
Clicker training is not new, but it is fairly new in the dog world. People have been using
it for the last 15 to 20 years but only as pet owners and not as trainers. It’s only in the
last few years that classes and courses have begun to emerge that has made it
possible for the pet owner to learn clicker training.
10 Advantages of using a Clicker
- 1. It is a method that will create a stronger bond between you and your dog.
2. It is a positive and motivational training method.
3. It is a gentle and nonviolent method.
4. Clicker training gives your dog instant positive feedback.
5. It is based on a scientific method that’s proven to work. They’ve even trained
rhinos with it.
6. Clicker training is great for young puppies and older dogs alike.
7. It is an effective technique for big dogs. Both you and your dog benefit when
your dog is a heavier breed. You work in cooperation with your dog rather
wrestling with him.
8. Clicker training focuses on what is right rather than what is wrong, which builds
confidence in your dog.
9. Dogs take to this type of training very well because it is stress free.
10. it’s a very forgiving teaching method.
5 tips on using the Clicker
- 1. In each of the lessons I have been talking about working in a place where
there are no distractions. This applies as much to the trainer as it does to the
dog. The dog needs to learn to become focused and the trainer needs to be
focused too. When you are training, all of your attention needs to be on your
dog and the lesson you are teaching.
2. Use the clicker correctly. The key to successful clicker training is timing. The
trick is to give the click at the exact moment that the dog executes the behavior
that you want him to do. If you click late, the click becomes a treat marker and
not an event marker.
Timing your click takes practice so it is better to learn how to click before you
start using it as a training aid. Try this as an exercise to get your click right. Get
a friend to drop an object such as a ball and you have to click exactly at the
moment that the ball hits the ground.
Vary the height from which you are dropping the ball and when it is being
dropped from only a few inches from the ground, you need to watching intently
and getting faster on the clicker.
3. Identify a good reinforcer. Food is usually a good enforcer and dogs tend to
like the smellier treats such as liver or cheese but make sure it is something he
likes. Make sure that you don’t leave food down if you are using food as an
enforcer and try to make your training sessions before dinner so that he is
hungry and will remain motivated.
4. Use the reinforcer correctly. That means the reinforcer must be presented
after the behavior. A reinforcer is used to reinforce the fact that the behavior was
performed correctly not to induce or lure the dog into the behavior.
If you use the treat as a lure, the dog will come to expect it and it will then
become part of the behavior. The best option is to not show the reinforcer until
you are ready to present it. The dog’s attention should remain on you and not
on the reinforcer.
5. Train the responses correctly. When we start using the clicker for puppy dog
obedience training, we will begin with very simple commands such as sit and lie
down. As you become more adept with the clicker and your dog begins to
understand what his response should be, you will want to advance to teaching a
more precise behavior.
For instance, instead of just having your dog sit, you may want him to have a
more tucked in, fast sit or if he is fetching, to hold the object longer until told to
release.
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Click to go: Obedience > Obedient Dog Behavior Guide > Clicker Training