Clicker Techniques in Dog Training

Training a dog can often be a challenging task. Clicker training is a method of training that uses positive reinforcement to encourage a dog to perform a specific task or trick. Once the basics of clicker training are learned by you and your dog, you can work toward teaching your dog almost any trick you want. Before you begin a clicker training program with your dog, it's important to understand some of the essential techniques to get the best results out of the training.

  1. Positive Association

    • Dogs respond well to clicker training because it is a form of positive reinforcement. When they hear the click, they know they've done something correctly. For the dog to realize the clicker represents something good, you have to associate it with that good thing, such as praise or a treat. Do this by offering a treat and clicking the clicker at the same time. After repetition, the dog will respond positively to the click alone. When the dog correctly performs a task, such as sitting, and you click the clicker, the dog will realize he has done something good and is being praised, which will encourage him to perform the task again. The clicker works better than actual praise because it's quicker and can be delivered several times, as the dog correctly begins and ends the task.

    Using the Clicker in Conjunction with Treats

    • If you want your dog to perform a simple task, such as lying down, you can often wait for the dog to perform this natural behavior on its own and then click when it does it. However, not all behaviors can be learned this way. For harder tricks, you can influence your dog's action by using treats in addition to the clicker. For example, if you want your dog to roll over, you could hold a treat, low to the ground, in front of your dog, and urge him to roll over by moving it in a circular motion. When the dog performs the trick, you give it the treat and click the clicker, repeating the process until the dog correctly performed the trick with only the clicker.

    Repetition

    • Repetition is key in any type of dog training, including clicker training. By repeating the steps of learning a certain trick over and over, you make sure that your dog understands what is being asked of it. Repetition of each new trick, and the positive clicker reinforcement, cements each behavior firmly in the dog's mind.

    Adding Cues to Clicker Training

    • Once your dog correctly performs a task or trick with the clicker several times, you can begin adding cues to the tricks to let your dog know that you want it to perform a specific task. As the dog begins to perform the task, click the clicker and repeat the cue word. Repeat this process many times until the dog understands what you want, and then begin using just the cue word, without the clicker.