Perhaps
you have heard of clicker training.You may have even given it a try and had amazing results.Whether you are new to clicker training
or have had some experience with it, here are the answers you seek.
Clicker
training was invented more than thirty years ago by three marine mammal
trainers, who used whistles rather than clickers to train dolphins.Over the years clicker training has
also been widely used to train animals in the entertainment industry.It wasn't until the early 1990's that
an aspiring dog trainer, Karen Pryor, began lecturing at her seminars about
using a clicker in dog training.What she brought forth to the world of positive dog training was
revolutionary.Studies show that
dogs trained using a clicker tend to show accelerated learning processes,
excellent problem solving skills and will strive to offer behaviors in hopes of
earning a click.
Clicker
training works like this:The dog
performs a desirable behavior and at the exact moment he does, the handler
clicks the clicker.The dog knows
that the click always means a treat so not only does he know he is getting a
treat, he knows why he is getting a treat.Suddenly the lines of communication between dog and handler
are open and the dog knows what is expected of him!Each time the dog receives a click and a treat for a
particular behavior, that behavior is positively reinforced and the dog is
increasingly more likely to repeat that behavior.
What would you say if I told you that
you don't even need a clicker to clicker train?A clicker is a reward marker, a word or sound that marks the
exact moment that a dog performs a behavior correctly.You can choose a word such as
"yes" to represent the clicker if you choose to.Remember that the reward marker is
different than praise and is delivered at the exact moment your dog does
something right.We also use a
no-reward marker to mark when our dog makes a mistake.Again, the no-reward marker is
different and not as harsh as a verbal correction.Choose a word or sound such as "uh-oh" or
"oops" to mark the moment your dog makes a mistake.To condition your dog to understand
that the reward marker means that he has performed a behavior correctly simply
click and treat several times in a row.This is known as "charging" or "loading" the
clicker.Soon your dog will
understand that the click means a treat is on the way.
More
and more trainers are beginning to use clicker training and as a result, more
and more dog owners are reaping the benefits of having a reliably trained dog
who was taught using gentle methods.Unlike traditional training methods ofwaiting for dogs to misbehave so that they may be"corrected",clicker training teaches dogs by
communicating to them that "This is what I expect from you".
