Clicker Training: What is it and what can it do for you?
Clicker training in its simplest form is just using a piece of equipment known as a clicker, as a tool in your training.
A clicker is a little plastic box with a strip of metal in it that makes a ‘click’ sound when it is pressed and released. The ‘click’ sound is clear and consistent; every time you press the clicker it sounds the same. This is the key. The ‘click’ sound is used as a replacement for general praise which is often unclear and inconsistent, therefore the click comes to mean “good dog”. The click is also associated with treats because treats are given sometimes following the click. Because the ‘click’ is fast and clear it can be used to teach complicated behaviors or to just improve the speed of training of other behaviors. Clickers are also used commonly in zoos and marine parks as well as by people training animals for television roles.
The theory
Clicker training is a form of operant conditioning. At its most basic this theory says that animals will be more likely to repeat a behavior for which they are rewarded and less likely to repeat one that they are not rewarded for. According to operant conditioning there are two types of reinforcer (rewards which encourage a behavior to be repeated). These are primary and secondary reinforcers. Primary reinforcers are things that are directly rewarding for example praise, a treat or a fun game. Secondary reinforcers are things that the dog comes to associate with a primary reinforcer for example in clicker training the click is a secondary reinforcer, it encourages a behavior because the dog associates the sound with the primary reinforcer which is the praise, treats or a fun game.
Teaching your dog that ‘click’ means ‘good dog’ and a treat may follow
Start by clicking the clicker while your dog is paying attention to you and then immediately treating. Keep clicking and treating immediately and in a few minutes your dog should start to be very interested when it hears the ‘click’ sound. You can test whether your dog has associated the sound with treats by clicking when it is a few steps away from you and not paying you direct attention. If it comes running over expecting a treat it has made the association.
Once your dog has associated clicks with treats ask it to do a command it already knows and then click and treat. Keep running through a few commands and every now and then use just praise after a click rather than treats so you dog doesn’t become reliant on treats.
Using the clicker to shape behaviors
Once your dog knows what the clicker is all about you can start using it to teach your dog new things. You can teach your dog almost anything using the clicker but start with whatever your dog is ready for, for example if your dog knows all the basics you can try teaching your dog to shake paws. Get your dog into a sit position and hold your hand out palm upwards near your dogs paw (most dogs will have a favored paw for shake paws and this will become obvious early on, work with the favored paw at least to start with). If your dog makes any movement of that paw ‘click’ and treat. Repeat the above steps until your dog is reliably moving his paw a little when you put your hand out towards it. Then you need to increase the level of movement that is required to get a click, for example only click when he lifts his paw completely off the ground. Once this is reliable you can lift the level again until he is only getting a click for touching your hand with his paw. After this only click for proper placement of the paw on your palm like a real paw shake. Once your dog is reliably doing a full shake you can introduce a word for the command such as “shake” and pair this with the action till your dog will reliably shake on voice command. At this point this particular trick will no longer require use of the clicker.
Clicker training as part of your current training
Clicker training can be used to shape a whole range of behaviors. You can use it to teach your dog some fancy new tricks, as part of teaching basic everyday obedience or even as part of your alpha-dog training. If you think a clicker is something you would like to try ask for one at your local pet store.
All the best,
Daniel Stevens and the Secrets to Dog Training Team
"Secrets to Dog Training - STOP Dog Behavior Problems!"
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