Dog Scholars - Clickers

Clicker Training

Trainers and dog owners all over the country are going clicker mad and there is some justification in their enthusiasm. It is fun, it is very effective and it is stress free for dog and owner. However I agree with a speaker at a recent seminar who proposed that the clicker was best suited for the fun times with your dog and not for control (i.e. obedience). The clicker requires that we wait for the dog to decide to do something that we can incorporate and 'shape' into the final result This requires a lot of patience and most owners need to show the dog what is required for a given control exercise.

John Fisher, among others, has given us lots of soft and gentle ways of guiding our dogs into control exercises and these methods mean that the dog can learn more quickly and the owner doesn't need vast amounts of patience.

What is Clicker Training?

The most important thing to remember about the Clicker is that it is not a command or a warning it's a signal that says "Well Done"!!!

Clicker training is started by teaching the dog that the click means treat. Just click and drop a small treat on the floor. When puppy hears a click and looks down for the treat instead of up at the click, you know he has learnt what the clicker means.

Now you can start on the party pieces. Don't start off with a goal in mind. Wait and see what your dog does to try and make you hand over a treat and if you can see the slightest opportunity to use the action and turn it into a trick - click!

Every tiny step on the way to a perfect conclusion is clicked and the dog rewarded, normally with a tidbit. Take your time and because it's playtime, don't worry if it seems unproductive at first. You'll be amazed at the things your dog will do to get that click.