Welcome to Clicker Training
Clicker training is a fun and exciting way to train your dog. This unique reward-based system
will allow you to communicate with your dog more effectively, while encouraging your dog to
‘offer’ desirable behaviours instead of always waiting to be asked. Clicker training is especially
effective for dogs that lack attention, or for easily bored dogs that require more mental
stimulation than traditional training methods provide.
Clicker basics
The clicker is simply a small box that makes a ‘click’ sound when pressed. The
click can be delivered in a split second, allowing you to mark exact behaviours
or movements made by your dog. The dog soon learns that the click signals
that the behaviour he is exhibiting at that moment is desirable and will earn
him a reward - and so it is worth repeating. With traditional training, the dog
often becomes confused because the delivery of the reward happens after
the dog has finished exhibiting the behaviour, or the reward has become diluted by overuse
(how many times have you told your dog ‘good boy’ for no reason at all?). The click is a unique
sound that the dog never hears at any other time, plus it always sounds the same, thus making
learning much easier.
Getting started
firstly you need to teach your dog that the click means a reward will follow. Start in a quiet
area with no distractions and have a good supply of small but very tasty treats to hand.
Press the clicker once and immediately give him a treat. repeat this sequence until he starts to
get the idea that a treat always follows the click. You can test to make sure
he understands this by waiting for him to look away and once he does,
click.
He should immediately look back at you in anticipation of his reward. If
he doesn’t, then a few more repetitions are required. The Multi-Clicker has
a volume adjustment; for sensitive dogs, turn the volume to the minimum
setting.
Clicker training your first behaviour
The first behaviour you attempt to clicker train your dog to do should be simple. There is plenty
of time to move onto more difficult behaviours once you are both confident in your training.
Touching a target stick is a fun thing to teach and is perfect as a first behaviour. once he has
learnt to ‘Target’, you can use this as a lure for teaching other moves such as ‘Spin’ or ‘Playbow’.
Have your clicker and treats ready.
Dab the end of your target stick with a small amount of tasty, smelly food (cream cheese
or liver pâté are good).
extend your target stick and offer the end towards your dog - he should
be keen to check out the tasty smell.
As soon as his nose touches the stick, click and then give him a treat.
offer the target stick again and repeat as above.
once he understands that in order to get the treat he needs to touch
the stick, start to move the stick further away from him so he has to
step forward to touch it. As soon as his nose touches the stick, click and
treat.
gradually you can make it harder for him to reach the stick by taking it higher, lower or
moving it away so he has to chase it. remember to click and treat every time he touches it.
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