You may be wondering what exactly is clicker training. First of all, clicker training is an effective training mechanism that is used by trainers all over the world. It is a method that does not hurt your dog, but it conditions them to respond to a recognizable "clicking" sound. With the use of a small device, you can train your dog to recognize and respond to your requests. The use of a clicker can be much more effective than any noise, command, or word you might choose to use during training. This is because your dog begins to recognize the sound and responds appropriately.
Here are some tips you can use to successfully clicker train your dog:
It's best to starting clicker training during times when good behavior is being exhibited. Don't click when the good behavior has already occurred. Instead, you should click during the behavior. You do this in order to reinforce good behavior. In essence you train your dog to perform wanted behaviors in order to hear the clicking sound. To make this effective even more positive, you can also couple it with treats. To do this, you will award Fido that delicious treat he wants after you give him the click. The reason clicker training works so well is because your dog becomes accustomed to receiving positive reinforcement.
Don't attempt to stuff a bunch of training time into your sessions. Instead, make each session short and to the point. Instead of one long session, have several shorter sessions during the day. This will produce a much better result than having long sessions one daily. Just like kids, dogs have short attention spans and can tire easily. Shorter sessions keep everything fresher.
Always remember that the goal of click training is to promote desirable behaviors. For instance, if your dog has a bad habit of running out the door before you, you have to teach him to sit patiently and wait. Therefore, you will click when you say sit. Don’t click when he is already outside. This let's your dog know that you approve of him waiting patiently. Just remember to click when your dog does something you tell him to do or approve of.
Just remember that yelling at your dog to train him is never a good idea. Instead, choose clicker training because it allows you to train your pet in a quieter and more loving manner. Before long, you’ll soon find that your dog will recognize the click as a positive thing, realizing their positive actions will result in a recognizable sound and reward. Soon, he or she will do more positive behaviors and less negative, while anxiously waiting for that wonderful click.
It is best to click train on one item successfully, before moving onto another. When you see them exhibiting catching themselves in the negative behavior, you can then work towards another behavior. However, you should also be combining the click and a command at the same time; this will help ensure you don't always need the clicker to get your dog to exhibit the appropriate behavior.