The Potential Detrimental Effects of Clicker Training Your Dog

When I first started clicker training my dog Maggie I couldn't believe my eyes. Within a matter of minutes I could have her standing in the middle of a box, jumping over a hurdle, or dancing around in circles. Why couldn't everything in life be this easy?

We were both having a great time. I remember one day while rustling through our kitchen pantry I dropped a clicker on the floor. Maggie came running in the room and saw the clicker sitting there.

She immediately started going through her assortment of tricks--sit, down, play bow, sit-up pretty--trying to figure out exactly what I wanted. It broke my heart when I had to put the clicker away and try to explain to her that it was time for me to make dinner--not clicker time!

I also remember one occasion while watching TV and Maggie ran up to me with a clicker in her mouth. Apparently I'd left our travel bag on the floor and she pulled it out! I thought it was really cute that she ignored all other items (including her treats) and decided to bring me the clicker!

Training is meant to be fun for both you and your dog. If you haven't started clicker training your dog yet then you don't know what you're missing!

Visit Clicker Training Secrets and you can get started today.

Some dogs may be afraid of the sound of the clicker. You can try muffling the sound of the clicker by putting it in your pocket or using the lid from a glass drink container instead. The clicking sound made from these lids is much softer. You can also try clicking from another room while your dog is eating.

If none of these ideas work you can substitute the clicker with another sound, like a soft whistle. You need to try really hard to find a neutral sound (other than your voice) as a conditioned reinforcer as this is an essential key to training using the techniques of operant conditioning.

Some people find that their dog isn't interested in treats. It's possible that the treat isn't "valuable" enough. Using plain old kibble, for example, just isn't going to cut it! Cooked liver is almost always a hit.

If you're dog still isn't interested in food you need to find something else that motivates him, like a favorite toy. A reinforcement in this case would be to click and let your dog sniff the toy briefly before hiding it behind your back.

Most times however, the problem is just finding a food that the dog finds good enough to work for.

Clicker Training Secrets has all the answers to your clicker training problems including the 4 Secrets of Becoming a SuperTrainer.