What is Clicker Training?

Clicker training is a method of training an animal involving positive reinforcement to do something you want it to do. When the animal hears the click, it knows to expect a treat. Birds, dogs, seals, dogs, cats, dolphins and small pet mammals respond well with clicker training. Generally, a pet owner uses clicker training in the beginning stages of the learning process to encourage behavior and, once the behavior is learned, the clicker is no longer necessary.

  1. Concept

    • Pet owners use a clicker in conjunction with commands. The command is given and when executed properly, the animal will hear a click and the owner will reward the pet with a treat immediately. The effect is powerful because most animals quickly respond to the click and learn to the click with the treat. Good behavior always brings a treat and animals remember this. Within the learning process, the clicker is additional reinforcement that the treat will come.

    Time Frame

    • Short sessions produce better results because most animals have short attention spans. Some animals learn the association between the click and the reward almost instantly. Different animals learn at different rates and remaining consistent with your animal is one of the most important things you must do when working through this process.

    Equipment

    • The only thing needed to begin training with a clicker is a clicker and the treat for your pet. Clickers are small and generally made of plastic and are available in most pet stores. You may want to keep your dog on a leash if you are working with him in a public area.

    History

    • Clicker training, or "click and treat," became popular in the 1950s. The process works on horses and dolphins and many trainers enjoy using this system because it is one of the most humane training methods. Before clicker training, positive and negative reinforcements were attempted, with some negative reinforcement involving pain. The training of dolphins and killer whales eventually progressed to clicker training because there was not a way to punish these animals into behaving, according to the Pet Place.

    Misconceptions

    • Many people believe if you use a clicker to train your animal, you must continue to use a clicker for the rest of your pet's life. The truth is, after an animal learns the behavior and the reward, you will not need to click because your pet understands the message of good behavior, according to Parrot Training.