Hi, I’m Adele, a canine behaviorist and training advisor here at Battersea, and today I’m going to show you how to introduce a clicker when training your dog. Click eyes can be a useful tool for training as they’re a clear and concise signal that allows the dog to recognize that a successful behavior is being completed and that a reward will follow. Where we usually mark a behavior with a yes, marking with a click can be far more effective. Clicker training is useful for strengthening known behaviors and teaching new ones, which can be fun for you and your dog.
A clicker can also be a clear marker to change the way your dog feels around certain triggers that they might be fearful of. The click must come exactly on the desired behavior, and you must provide the reward within 3 seconds if you don’t, this could frustrate your dog and reduce the effectiveness of the click, so timing here is key.
- Before you train your dog, you must train yourself.
- We’ve gotten help from a friend, and you can practice your method and timing.
- Ask your assistant to bounce a tennis ball.
The aim is for you to click at the precise moment the ball hits the floor.
Karen pryor clicker training
The ball could be dropped at different heights, speeds, or not dropped at all. This will help to test your accuracy, observation skills, and response times. When using the clicker before you start training, you need to associate the clicker with something positive. This teaches your dog to anticipate a reward after they hear the click, beginning the calm environment without any distractions. If your dog is food motivated, you can use some of their dinner to avoid using too many treats.
Have some food to hand but out of your dog’s sight and hold your clicker behind your back. When your dog is nice and calm, simply click and follow up with a food reward. Repeat this process several times and you will notice that your dog’s ears might pick up or they look at you and they hit a click. Remember, even if you accidentally click, you must still reward your dog to keep up that association. Don’t hold your clicker like a remote or direct it towards your dog as this could be off-training. putting If your dog is noise sensitive, you may need to use the clicker in your pockets and muffle the sound. Now that your dog is anticipating the food, you can start to introduce the clicker as a marker of desired behavior since your dog for a simple cue that they already know, such as a sit or done, as soon as they perform the behavior, click and reward them.
What is clicker training
Practice regularly over a few short sessions so that you can improve your timing and your dog can get used to using the clicker.
- Now we’re going to show you how to utilize a clicker when teaching something new.
- The example we will be getting your dog to go to a mat and settle.
- We’re going to use the clicker to mark each step that your dog takes towards the end behavior.
Start by clicking and rewarding any interest your dog shows in the map. Delay the click until your dog puts a port on the mat and then click and reward.
Repeat this process until your dog is reliably putting at least one port on the mat before you click on “roar.” Next, wait until your dog puts at least two paws on the map before clicking and rewarding. Continue this process until you are only clicking and rewarding for four paws on the mat. Now you can progress to asking your dog for a down when on the mat and only click and rewarding for a down. See our article on how to teach this behavior.
Learning something new can be tiring, so make sure you give them regular breaks or go back a step if they are struggling. If you’d like to learn more about how to teach your dog the Boston way, visit our website and follow our websites.
Commonly Asked Questions – 💬
❓ Is a clicker good for dog training?
A dog-training clicker can be a brilliant tool for training dogs using positive reinforcement. Clicker training, which relies heavily on positive reinforcement, is an effective and fun approach for training your dog. You can use clicker training to teach your dog basic commands or complicated tricks.
❓ How do you train a dog with a clicker?
To use a clicker or other marker, you'll first need to teach the dog what the marker means.
- Sometimes called “loading the clicker,” you pair your chosen marker with a reward.
- So, click, then immediately treat.
- After about 10–20 repetitions, your dog will understand that the marker predicts a coming reward.
❓ How long do you clicker train a dog?
Around 10-15 minutes Click at the exact moment your dog performs the behaviour you want them to. Keep training sessions short – around 10-15 minutes at most, though you can repeat them a few times a day.
❓ When should I start clicker training?
It's never too early to start clicker training—and that goes for both dogs and humans! One of the benefits of clicker training is that it works for learners of any age.
References:
- “BEHAVIOR ADJUSTMENT TRAINING 2.0: NEW PRACTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR FEAR, …” by Grisha Stewart, M.A., CPDT-KA – Dogwise Publishing, 2016
- “Cadaver Dog Handbook: Forensic Training and Tactics for the Recovery of Human …” by Andrew Rebmann, Edward David – CRC Press, 2000
- “Dog Zen: Everything You Need to Know to Transform Your Dog” by Mark Vette – Penguin Random House New Zealand, 2017
- “Poodles For Dummies” by Susan M. Ewing – Wiley, 2007
- “All about cat training” by Elizabeth Williams – Blu Editore, 2019
My border collie is aggressive towards other dogs, as she wasn’t introduced to other dogs as a puppy. She is 7 years old, and I got her in september. She’s as good as gold when other dogs aren’t around. I’ve just purchased a clicker, and am wondering if it can help me, help her. I don’t like to see her like that. I don’t know what to do! Help, please???? 🙁😕
I have trained animals for the majority of my life, this is the first time ive ever heard of click training. Honestly i think id rather have my pets respond to voice commands its more of a natural solution for bother you and your pet! Lmfao how are you gonna stop your animal responding to every click and pop that occurs in the environment? Sounds more like a gimmick lol