The use of a clicker has become a particularly popular way of training dogs. A clicker is a small plastic device. When you press the device, it makes one distinct “clicking” noise. The theory behind the clicker is that it is a way of marking an animal’s behavior. It is quicker and more consistent than praising your dog. For instance, one day you might say “good boy” while another, you might say, “You’re a good boy”. Not much difference to a human, but it can be very confusing to dogs. Armed with a clicker and a pouch full of treats, a clicker can be used to teach your dog an array of behaviors.
Instructions
1. Get the desired behavior first. The biggest difference between clicker training and traditional training is that with clicker training you wait for the animal to offer you the desired behavior. For instance, if your dog keeps jumping at you in greeting, you would wait for the desired behavior, in this case, for your dog to sit, before clicking.
2. Mark the behavior with a click. As soon as the dog gives you the desired behavior, go ahead and click the clicker, just once. You have now marked the desired behavior. If you want to, you can also praise your dog; just make sure that you clicked first. Clicking at the right time can often be one of the hardest things for beginners to master.
3. Reward the behavior. As soon as you have clicked the clicker, go ahead and give your dog a treat. If possible, make sure that it is a particularly juicy tidbit that your dog does not normally receive. By rewarding the behavior you are creating an association between the clicker and rewards.
4. Shape the behavior. Eventually you will find that your dog will continue to repeat the behavior in order to get clicks, and of course, treats. Continue to shape the behavior. For instance, if you are trying to teach your dog to sit, try and get them to do so for longer periods of time, or with you further away.
5. Add a verbal and hand signal. Once your dog has mastered the behavior, you are now ready to add a verbal and hand signal to the behavior. If you were teaching your dog to sit, then this is where you would verbalize the sit command.
6. Move on to the next behavior. Once your dog is able to perform the behavior on your verbal cue, you can stop using the clicker and giving treats for that command. Your dog is now ready to master a new behavior.
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