Clicker training involves the use of a small plastic box that makes a clicking noise when pressed. Hearing a click lets your dog know that it has performed the correct behavior. Clickers and food rewards provide a positive way for you to train your dog instead of resorting to punishment or dominance training.
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Introducing the Clicker
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Before training, get your dog used to the clicker. Keep it with you, along with some treats. Press the clicker and give your dog a treat. Wait several minutes before clicking and rewarding again. After this, use the clicker at different intervals, ranging from one minute to five minutes. Keep your dog guessing at when the next click will be. Your dog will begin looking forward to hearing the clicks in anticipation of getting a food reward.
Performing the Desired Behavior
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Your dog needs to perform the desired behavior before you can begin pairing clicks with treats. Use a technique called "catching" for simple behaviors that your dog does naturally, such as sitting. When you see it sit on its own, use the clicker and give a treat right away. Your dog will learn to associate this behavior with the click and rewards as you repeat the procedure.
Use "shaping" when you want your dog to learn a new behavior or one that consists of several steps. Click and reward the first step while slowly moving towards the final goal. For example, if you want to teach your dog to roll over, click and reward it for lying down first, then for rolling on one side. Follow this up with clicks and treats for rolling on to its back, then rolling on to the other side. Gradually cut down on the rewards until you only give a treat for rolling over completely.
For a faster and more efficient method, use "luring" to teach your dog a certain behavior. Use a treat held in front of your dog's nose to direct it to the desired position. If you want your dog to sit, lower the treat gradually until it sits. As soon as it does, click and let it have the treat. With enough repetition, your dog will learn to follow your hand movements only without getting a food reward.
Adding the Cue
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Add a command or cue word once your dog is familiar with the clicker. The cue word will replace the clicker, since you won't be carrying it around with you all the time. Your dog will respond to the cue word just as it does to the clicks and treats. If you used "catching" or "shaping", substitute a cue word once your dog performs the desired behaviors repeatedly. For "luring", begin using a cue word when your dog responds to your hand movements. Use the cue word once, then click and treat if your dog does the correct behavior. Work your way towards only giving rewards for the toughest tasks.
Training Tips
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Only click once when your dog does what you want and immediately pair the click with a treat. Keep training sessions under fifteen minutes so your dog doesn't get tired or bored. Always finish training sessions on a positive note instead of ending after your dog fails at performing a task. Give your dog a handful of treats when it succeeds at a complex task.
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