There is nothing like a good dog training. But not every training method is suitable for every dog or every dog owner. Clicker training is still a popular method. It is suitable for both young and older dogs and can be implemented very well by experienced and inexperienced owners. Let’s take a closer look at what clicker training is all about. Then we will also find out why it is so popular.
Why is clicker training used?
Every dog wants to be praised often and promptly on his tasks. This is a very natural thing to do. Many dog owners praise with their voice, others pull out a small treat every time. And still others click!
Yes, you heard me right. So, clicking is a reward that the dog has done something well.
Let’s very briefly clarify the term “timely”. A dog is a very forgetful creature. So the period of time that remains to reward one, so in this case to click, is infinitesimally short. Exactly said it concerns whole 2 seconds, in which the reward arrives also as such with dog. Thus, most of the ways in which we humans are used to praise – such as the shout of “Great, great job” or the tap on the shoulder or the gift of a treat – are already much too late. The dog will no longer necessarily associate it with the completed task.
Back to clicker training: In this training method, the owner or trainer has the so-called clicker in his hand. This produces a click sound, which is not particularly loud, but is definitely heard by the dog. It arises exactly in the second, in which one operates the Clicker. If the dog has completed its task, the clicker is pressed immediately – the praise has been sent out and registered by the dog. Now there are two options to use the clicker.
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- Clicker only: The clicker can be used as the only reward. If the clicker sounds, the dog knows that it has done everything right. If it remains silent, something was probably wrong. Of course it requires various attempts, until this link has set itself as knowledge with the dog.
- The clicker plus a treat as a reward: In this case, the clicking announces that the lesson has been done correctly and with a treat or an appreciative pat or stroke comes the “real” reward.
No, you are right. With this short version probably only the fewest can educate their dog. That is why there should now be further information.
“Capture behavior” – a variant of training
Observe your dog. If he stretches now, for example, immediately click and comment with the command “bow”. Repeat this a few times when the animal stretches. After that, try to form and recall a specific command from it. This allows the dog to associate the command with stretching and repeat the new lesson on demand.
“Forming behavior freely” – a second variant to carry out the training.
Let’s stay with the trick of bowing. In this variant, the dog’s nose is guided to the ground with a cookie. In doing so, he must not bend his hind legs. If this is successful, confirm this trick with the clicker.
As you can see, even with the clicker, there are different ways to achieve the goal. So you can still use the method that suits you best. The only thing is that every action is confirmed with the clicker.
If you feel better when you learn clicker training in dog school under professional guidance, you should have no problem finding the right dog school.
All beginning is difficult
So far, you have been able to read about this method at your leisure. But if we are honest, everyone will realize that clicker is not so easy. Because for the beginner, even clicking in the 2-second time frame is a really difficult matter. That is why the experts give the advice to practice clicker dry, so to speak, without a dog. Ask someone to do the following exercise with you:
- Your exercise partner taps the tabletop with all his fingers in an irregular rhythm.
- As soon as he raises his index finger only, you click. And keep in mind that you only have 2 seconds to trigger the click.
When you have mastered this exercise without any problems, you can practice with the dog.
Practice and patience make perfect
Patience is basically necessary when training with a dog. But we know that anyway. The exercises must be repeated constantly, of course, so that the dog can remember them. Until they become second nature to him and he already performs these exercises based on your thoughts. This is no different with clicker training. The experts say that the dog can learn the lessons even if “only” 80% of the clicks could be set correctly.
What can be practiced with clicker training?
Basically, any lesson can be practiced with the support of clicker training. This of course includes the basic commands that every dog must learn. For both, dog and owner, it is a good exercise to start with the basic training for the dog. After all, they need to be practiced anyway, right?
And what about the tricks that everyone is so eager to teach their four-legged friend? First, take a look at what tricks seem possible to you. Believe it or not, it’s not that easy to choose. Everyone thinks of his dog that he will master the greatest tricks with clicker training, because he was so well guided with the clicker during the basic training. But what tricks are even in demand, well – a very individual decision. What would be available?
- Playing dead
- Loud giving
- Pawing (although this is actually part of the “basic training”)
- retrieving newspapers, slippers and other things
- Throwing away garbage (into the garbage can, of course)
- Opening doors
- The “High Five” – the high five
- Making a man
- The roll
- Spinning in a circle
- Slalom through the legs or alternatively through poles / cones
- Jumping through the arms (at least possible with smaller breeds)
- Crawling forward on the belly
- Balancing treats on the nose and catching and eating them at the end (rather something for advanced and very inquisitive)
This is only a small list of tricks that you can teach your dog with clicker. Of course, it can be extended by a lot.
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And before you ask, of course, the clicker can be used in other dog sports to help the training process. To do this, you must understand that it is conditioning. This could, of course, be done through other methods if so desired. But today we are going to deal with clicker training.
How do I start with clicker training?
The most important thing is that the dog understands that clicker training introduces a reward, or is ultimately the reward. To do this, the easiest way is to bring the dog to you and place a bag of treats next to you and hold the clicker in your hand. Click once and give the dog a treat. Repeat this several times.
You can repeat this exercise several times a day – until you feel he has understood it, the new reward system.
To be on the safe side, you can now start with commands that the animal already knows. You will see that he will quickly implement the clicker system. Why don’t you check it out quickly: just let the dog roam around the garden once. If he is fully taken up by something else, then comes your cue: click!
When success shows itself
If the success lets itself be seen, it goes on to the next milestone: The treats, which were used so far as a reward, are now replaced by normal food chunks. Of course, this change should be done slowly. After all, you don’t want to mess things up with the dog again right away, do you? But you know your dog best and know what pace you can set.
What if …
As with any other training method, there are of course the go’s and the no-go’s with clickers. Some of which we have already touched on.
- Calling: No matter how tempting it may be, the dog should never be approached or recalled by clicking. The reason is simple. The approach and recall has to work in EVERY situation. Therefore, the support of clicking is not really appropriate.
- The thing about the weight of the dog: Yes, clicking goes hand in hand with rewarding with a treat / chunk of food. BUT still make sure that the dog does not get too much food. The weight gain does not agree with the dog at all. In addition, it is like with humans – to get rid of the excess pounds again is a difficult process. However, there are enough types of food or treats that actually consist only of fillers. If you have found such a treat and the dog accepts it, you should definitely stick with it.
- Sometimes this way, sometimes that way: if you have decided to use clicker as a support, you also have to stick with it. The dog would be quite confused if you reverted sometimes to one, sometimes to the other method of education. Of course, this also applies to the other family members who are taking care of this dog.
- Long practice sessions: Once the dog has learned a trick or lesson, leave it alone for that day. Then the lesson can sink in, settle, and the dog can rest until he’s ready for the next one. Feel free to leave a few days in between.
- Don’t overwhelm: Start with simple exercises and work your way up bit by bit. Please do not overtax your dog, whether with or without a clicker. If a certain frustration arises, it will be difficult to practice further lessons sensibly with him.
- Not every day: Do you enjoy following the same routine every day? Neither does your dog. So don’t practice every day. Make the day or your time with the dog varied if possible. Only when you both enjoy exercising will progress occur.
- Only one exercise? Yes, sometimes you can have the impression that the dog really only knows the one trick. Because that’s exactly the one he shows over and over again. Be consistent and practice the new exercise over and over until it sits as well. Even if it takes a few weeks.
- Are there really exercises that a dog cannot learn? Yes, sometimes it feels like you’re treading water. But honestly? Not every dog needs to master every exercise.
- What to do if the dog gets scared of the clicker? Just try a different model. Clickers come in different volumes. Often it is possible to try them out directly on site in the specialized trade. Then you can directly try out whether this model is compatible with the dog or not.
- The dog does not want to do the exercise without hand signals, despite verbal announcement and clicker. – Well, most dogs prefer visual commands. Therefore, they are often confused when these are absent. But if you really want to do without the visual cues, it is necessary to practice the verbal prompt as well as the clicker more, so that the animal does not need to focus on the hand signals anymore.
Conclusion
Clicker training is a wonderful way to educate the dog in a calm manner. Everyday life as well as many dog tricks can be rehearsed very well with the support of clicker training. The dog knows that he can rely on the clicker and is thus positively supported in his trust in his trainer.
Like any other training method, clicker training requires patience, mutual trust between dog and owner, and a lot of practice. Under these conditions, it is a true blessing for both dog and owner.
