Clicker Training 101 Basic Clicker Training Is The Best Training Tool

Clicker Training 101: Basic Clicker Training Is The Best Training Tool

Animal training is all about effective communication. The more precise, consistent and accurate that communication is, the quicker the animal learns. And one of the best tools to use is a clicker.

Clickers are used to communicate to your dog, quickly and precisely, that what they did was exactly what you were looking for, and at the exact moment they did it. And it signals to the animal that they are about to be rewarded for what they did.

Clickers come in many shapes and sizes. It is basically an inexpensive toy that makes a cricket-like sound. Most clickers are small matchbox-sized plastic boxes.

How It Works

Initially, a clicker has no value to a dog, so you have to make it mean something. To give value to the clicker, you simply click and give your dog a piece of highly valued food like chicken, cheese, liver treats and so on.

Food is one of several “primary reinforcers” that dogs respond to and it's the easiest thing to use in this process. Other primary reinforcers include physical affection, play time, and water. If you click and give your dog a piece of food and repeat this ten to twenty times, the clicker now becomes associated with the food.

This process is called classical conditioning. And the clicker now becomes known as a “secondary reinforcer”. In the dog's mind, the click has actually taken on some of the quality of the primary reinforcer, in this case – the food.

(For any of you that know of Pavlov, the guy who rang a bell and linked the “ding” with food, you'll quickly understand the process.)

When your dog has made the association between the clicker and the food, you can begin to use the clicking sound for training. This is called operant conditioning.

Click Now Means “Good Boy!”

Using a clicker is essentially the same as saying “good boy” whenever he does something you want him to. If your dog puts his behind on the floor, for example, and you click the moment that happens, he learns that what he did has earned him a treat.

So now he will more readily repeat that behavior in the future. So the clicker, in essence, “captures” your dog's behavior because it quickly identifies it and the dog understands he will be rewarded.

The clicker is quicker and more precise than saying “good dog” because people have a tendency to remember to click with more consistency and precision than when using verbal praise. People say “good dog” so often throughout the day, this phrase often has less value than the special clicking sound. And quite frankly, it takes longer to say “good dog” than it does to click.

BONUS : Clicker Training 101: Creating Positive Associations

Another wonderful thing about using a clicker to train your dog is that it can be used as an “occasion setter”.

Here's What I Mean:

You know how excited your dog gets whenever she hears the bag of treats rustling? Or when you pick up the leash?

She has made associations with these activities and learned that something good is about to happen. The rustling of the treat bag signals a meal occasion and the leash is associated with going for a walk.

As a result, she really focuses on you in anticipation of what's about to happen. She will often offer behaviors like sitting or lying down or spinning in circles as if to say, “What do you want me to do? Sit? Beg? Jump? Get you a beer?”

In other words, your dog is really excited to do what you're about to ask because you have something she really, really... really wants!

With this in mind, whenever you show your dog a clicker, you flip that same switch in her head that says something good is about to happen. So your dog really looks forward to the occasion of training sessions and becomes intent on paying attention.

Using The Clicker As A “Connection”

The other nice thing about using a clicker is that it allows you time to get the treat to your dog. As I mentioned earlier, good training is all about the speed of rewarding. The quicker you get the treat to your dog, the more effective your training.

So let's say you've asked your dog to lie down from twenty feet away. As soon as she does, you can immediately click, signaling she did a good job, but then you have several seconds to actually get the food treat to her.

The clicker acts as a “connection”, signaling the food is coming, but because you marked the behavior with the click, it's as if you gave the food the instant her behind hit the floor.

Moving On To Life Rewards

Clickers are used to teach your dog a new behavior. When she knows what to do and does it when asked, the clicker is no longer necessary. You can maintain the behavior by using affection like petting and praising your dog. But you can also keep the behavior sharp by using “life rewards”.

A life reward is anything your dog wants that isn't food related. For example, if you ask your dog to lie down, the reward is going for a walk. If you ask your dog to sit, the reward is chasing a ball.

Clicker training is all about positive reinforcement, so it's a terrific way to train your dog and have fun at the same time!