|
It was developed originally for training dolphins, for whom traditional animal training methods wouldn’t work. For example, you can’t force a dolphin through a hoop by guiding it with your hands. You can’t restrain a dolphin on a lead. If a dolphin doesn’t want to do something, it just swims away. So dolphin trainers had to come up with a way to make training enjoyable.
In addition, dolphin trainers had to find a way to reward dolphins when they did something right – even when they were a long distance away. If they waited until the dolphin swam back to be given a fish, the dolphin would have no idea why it was getting rewarded.
Thus, clicker training was born. The ‘clicker’ is simply a small plastic box with a metal tongue that clicks when you press it. The clicking sound is the reward and that sound means that a treat is on its way for doing something right. A dog can’t make a mistake in clicker training – the only ‘punishment’ is that it doesn’t get a treat and has to try again. Training is fun and you don’t have to shout. Puppies are especially responsive to clicker training.
The first step in clicker training is to make the link in your dog’s mind between the click and the reward. Use easy to eat, desireable treats such as small pieces of chicken or liver cake. Sound the clicker once and immediately give the treat. Repeat the click and treat several times until the dog starts to look for the treat after each click. Some dogs catch on quicker than others – but don’t worry, all dogs learn at different rates.
Once the link between the click and the treat has been established, you can start using the clicker to train the dog: the sit is always a good first exercise, since dogs sit naturally anyway. There are two ways of teaching this. The first is to stand around with a clicker and treat in your hand and wait until your pup sits naturally of its own accord. Then sound the clicker and give him a treat. This method requires endless vigilance, which few people have the patience to do.
The other method is to ‘lure’ the sit. Take a piece of food in front of the dog’s nose, then raise it upwards and backwards over it’s head until it sits. Click and treat. Repeat this a few times until the dog begins to sit without much luring. As soon as possible, get rid of the lure: take a piece of food and just wait. It will not take your dog long to make the connection: when he does, click and give him a handful of treats, a bonus. If he doesn’t sit, tease him with the food a bit, change position and wait.
As your dog’s confidence increases, you can sometimes click after your dog has sat twice or even three times. Keep it guessing as to when the click and treat will come, but don’t make it too difficult. During all this, do not speak. You will only confuse the dog.
Once you are happy that the dog will sit when you want him to, you can introduce the cue word ‘sit’. If you introduce the cue word too early, it won’t associate the cue word with a specific action. When you are ready to introduce the cue word, do it quietly just as your dog is sitting. Within a few short lessons, your dog will sit reliably when asked.
Using this method, you can go on to teach all other exercises in the same way. Downs, heelwork, recall and stays are all easily taught, as are more advance tricks like waving, closing doors and fetching. If you dog has troubles with a particular command, try breaking it down into simpler steps. The trick to clicking is to make sure your dog is always successful – that way training is fun and something to look forward to.
If the clicker training is to be effective, you need to stick to a few basic rules:
- If you click, you must treat – even if you click in the wrong place. The clicker only works because it indicates a treat will follow.
- Only use the clicker to reward behaviours, not to get your dog’s attention or to be a command.
- Always train when you are feeling positive. If you find yourself getting frustrated or annoyed, stop and try again later.
- Train in a quiet place with no distractions, preferably when your dog is hungry.
- Reduce your dog’s food intake to take into account the extra treats.
Have fun!
To get started with a your clicker training and to find loads of other excellent training aids, visit our online shop.
|
