Clicker Training for Dogs is Really Effective

There are many training methods used for dogs. The most effective one is one that works for you and your dog! But have you tried clicker training? So what is a Clicker?

Different breeds of dogs have different temperaments. Some are excitable, reacting to everything that is happening around them while others are more mellow, happy just watching the world go by. This is true with my friend’s dog Etta. She is a pug. Nothing fazes Etta. Whether it is street noises or children playing in the park, she just goes about doing her thing. She is so calm and placid that sometimes, when she’s still, you’d think she’s sleeping! But she actually is not. She watches everything that is happening! And training her with a clicker was such a breeze.

A lot of dog owners now use clicker training for dogs of all breeds and sizes. It is one of the more effective ways of getting good behaviors from dogs. This method works because it reinforces positive behavior and is not punishment based. It also works because dogs are trained over time that certain behaviors can be associated with desirable treats. And who could say no to that?

A clicker is simply a device that makes a metallic sound when you click it. The sound is loud enough for your dog to hear even if he is a few feet away from you. The system of rewards is what makes it effective. Simply put, when your dog exhibits good behavior or does something you like, you “mark” this behavior by clicking the clicker. Over time and with consistency, your dog will associate the click, the reward and the behavior as one single component. This kind of conditioning is effective, humane and safe.

Dogs are social animals. They want to please their owners. They want to be rewarded. The clicker method works because it reinforces what your dog already knows to do! There are a few basic things to remember when using this method:

When your dog exhibits a behavior you like, use the clicker. The sound it makes will get your dog’s attention. Follow it up with a reward. It could be a simple pat on the head, a rub or a treat. Because your dog likes being rewarded, the behavior will be repeated. And so will the reward. It is this consistency that will reinforce what your dog is slowly learning: that particular kind of behavior results in a treat! And because it is immediate, meaning the clicker sounds as the behavior is done, there is less confusion on what exactly the good behavior was.

If for example you are exercising your dog and he barks at the birds by your vegetable patch to scare them away, then clicking at the first sign of his barking at the birds and giving him a treat later will not be confusing. He knows that the sound you made was associated with his barking and scaring the birds away, not his going back to you. The immediate click following a behavior that he just made will stick as the desirable behavior.

Clicker training requires repetition and time. With the clicker, you communicate with your dog in a way he understands. There are no extraneous voices or words to confuse him!

The clicker is also best when you are walking your dog and are surrounded by other dog owners and their dogs. Voices and commands float around. Your dog will instinctively know your voice, but because there are other voices that are heard, he may have a hard time hearing what you said. The clicker has a loud volume that your dog will surely hear and recognize. So it does not matter that you are with other owners in the park, or that there are other dogs to distract him. Your dog can pick up the sound of the clicker, isolate the sound and associate it with what he has learned. That certain behaviors result in yummy rewards!

Because it is effective, some owners think that it can replace commands, such as “Sit” and “Stay”. It does not. What clicker training for dogs reinforce is that these behaviors when exhibited are desirable. So your dog must learn to follow these commands first. Having said that, clicker training makes it easier to make these behaviors stick. Once your dog learns the commands, all you have to do is go through your list, and every time he does them right, click on the clicker. The sound will mark the behavior as it is being exhibited. This behavior is what the dog remembers and the reward, be it extra food or a playful rub.

This training technique is born from scientific studies about conduct and applies in different animals from the 1940s. It is based on operant conditioning, by which all animals, including humans, learn new behaviors. The operant conditioning explains learning based on the consequence that produces a certain conduct, which can be nice (positive reinforcement) or unpleasant (punishment). The clicker training uses operant conditioning, a positive way of teaching and reinforcement. The sound (of the clicker) marks the desired behavior.

The clicker communicates the dog very accurately what they want to do, so learning new things becomes easier. In addition, as it uses no punishment or physical manipulation, it can be used with puppies. Also, because the tone of our voice is picked up by dogs, they sometimes become confused when the tone changes, even if the word stays the same. With the clicker, the sound is mechanically produced, so there are no tonal changes. When the dog does not hear a sound after he does something, it means that the behavior is not approved. There are now a lot of clicker training videos that show you how owners use them successfully. It truly is amazing how easy clicker training for dogs is!