Canis Clicker Training

Clicker training is a reward based method which follows the principles of Operant Conditioning. In the case of training animals, the clicker acts as a signal (referred to as a bridge) that they have done a desired behavior and they are about to be rewarded for it. The idea behind using this training style with dogs is that the animal has a choice and is not forced into taking any particular action - instead, the desired behavior is "shaped". The theory here is that, because the dog is doing something out of desire rather than fear, the behavior is more likely to "stick" and the dog will be more responsive when being taught other behaviors using the clicker.



The clicker itself is basically a plastic box with a thin metal strip that you depress to create a click sound. The sound is always consistent, so unlike using your voice, the tone will be the same each time, and you can time the click with pinpoint accuracy, so your dog will know exactly what he earned the reward or praise for.

A key part of clicker training, especially in the early stages of learning a behavior, is to reward your dog immediately after clicking the clicker. This reward does not have to be food, and when a behavior is learned, you do not have to reward every action (but you do have to follow every click with a reward). So what rewards can you use? It does have to be something your dog values, so you cannot just break up bits of kibble, but you do have lots of options. Here is a list in no particular order, and yes, food is on there!

Freeze dried liver

Slices of Chicken

Cheese

Slices of hot dog sausage

The chance to chase a ball or frisbee

A few minutes playing with a tug rope

A belly or chin rub

Anything you know he likes!

These can all be interchanged, so you can click and give a food treat one time, and a belly rub after the next click. Doing this makes the training more powerful, as your dog never knows what he will get as a reward, but knows he will love it anyway. You can also reinforce some learned behaviors outside of your training sessions by making your dog "earn" the right to do something fun. Let's say you have a Golden Retriever who really loves swimming. Take him to the lake and reward him with a swim when he has done a sit-stay

Chet Womach uses a clicker for training both dogs and parrots!

You can see him in action teaching his new puppy here: (you will probably have to click twice to play the video). The video only lasts about ten minutes, but you can really see how effective this type of training can be - whether it be for potty training a puppy or adult dog, or general obedience and behavior training.

No, the standard clicker is not an electrical device that needs plugging in to the power socket! You can get clickers that are electronic, but the term "Charging the Clicker" means that you are teaching the dog to understand that the sound of the clicker means a treat will soon follow. It is discussed in more detail in part 2 of the free email training series from 'ClickerTraining - The 4 Secrets of becoming a Super Dog Trainer' (there is a link at the bottom of their homepage), but what you basically do is click the clicker and throw your dog a treat. After about 20 repetitions, you will spot the dog looking at you attentively, just waiting for you to click. That is the point that the clicker is charged and your dog will be receptive to his training

Training your dog with a clicker can be very powerful, but one of the easiest mistakes to make is getting the timing of the click wrong, ie, not clicking at exactly the right time for your dog to associate exactly what he did right. This probably makes it sound more complicated than it is, so lets look at an example:

You want to teach your puppy to sit, so the optimum point you need to click is the second his butt so much as touches the floor. But puppies are puppies, and if you don't get the click on time, he could already be on his way back up - and that is what he thinks he was rewarded for!

Don't panic about this too much, as there are games and exercises you can do (away from the dog and before you start actively clicker training) to practice your timing. Part 4 of the free introduction to clicker training from 'ClickerTraining - The 4 Secrets of becoming a Super Dog Trainer' offers a few exercises to get you started. Just look for the link that says "Free 7 Day Course"at the very bottom of their homepage to get started

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