Clicker Training For Dogs       

Clicker Training is not rocket science! Because it has become associated with terms like "operant conditioning"and "classical conditioning", clicker training has gained an aura of something complex and difficult.

Let’s dispose of these terms first. Classical conditioning means that the dog reacts to a command or sound and performs the desired move. Operant conditioning means that the dog understands the connecton between action and reward and intentionally performs the move to "trigger"the reward.

The clicker is a small, hand-held device that emits a sharp metallic sound when the button on the clicker is pressed. You’ll be glad to know that the way it works is dead simple!

Morten Egtvedt & Cecilie Koeste are Norwegian experts in Clicker Training. Their book "Clickertraining - The 4 Secrets of Becoming a Supertrainer" has sold over 45,000 copies and is now available in English (and it can be instantly downloaded). Get full details here, at  The Clickertraining Course.

The main advantage of the clicker is that it is very quick and precise. This enables the trainer to get the animal’s attention at the exact time that it performs the desired action. So the animal thinks "I sit, I hear that noise and I get a Reward ... Ain’t that good? I’ll do it again"

This, after all, is the basis of all good dog training (as opposed to those methods based on fear and punishment). Get the dog to perform the required action and then reward him with praise, or a pat or a treat - or maybe all three! This interaction with the trainer reinforces the action and the positive result in the dog’s mind, so he learns that much quicker.

It is most important that the dog understands which action is being rewarded. Using the clicker means that the very instant that he performs the move, he hears the click, so he knows exactly what he has done to earn the praise or the treat.

Let’s take an example: Assume we are teaching the dog to "Stay" with clicker training. He stays still for 15 seconds and comes to you, when you praise him and give him a treat. But he may think he’s being praised for coming to you! Far better if you walk to him and praise him before he moves. Then he won't be confused as to what he what action has earned the reward.