Service Dogs, Inc. uses positive reinforcement based training to turn Strays into Stars. A clicker is an effective training tool. If you don’t have a clicker, you can use the word “Yes!”
Why Use A Clicker?
A clicker improves communication between you and your dog so it can learn more
effectively.
Timing Is Everything!
It’s important for you dog to understand what you want. Your dog does something that you like, but by the time you get him the reward, he may already be doing something else.
For example, you have a wiggly puppy. He finally sits! You say ‘good dog’ and reach in your pocket to get him a treat. By the time you feed him the treat, he’s already bouncing around again. So, he may not understand that you meant the treat to reward that sit and not the wiggling he is doing by the time the treat reaches his mouth.
How Clicker Training Works
The clicker makes a short, instantaneous sound. When you click for a certain behavior, the sound accurately catches the behavior. You teach the dog that the clicker means he is about to get a reward, such as a treat.
How Do I Use A Clicker To Train My Dog?
You introduce the clicker by clicking and immediately feeding a treat to your dog. Click-and-treat, click-and-treat. You do this until every time the dog hears the click, he looks up because he knows a treat is coming. Sheri and Pearl the Wonder Dog demonstrate:
Putting It All Together
The key is to click immediately for the behavior you want. Then, you can take your time delivering the treat. Connecting the click to the behavior tells the dog: “That is the behavior I want.” The clicker is like a promise saying, “a treat is coming.”
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