The clicker makes it clear! Clicker training is a method for teaching our dogs through the use of a distinctive sound. When used consistently, a clicker helps you communicate clearly with your dog when training new or complicated behaviors.
Imagine learning something for the first time… riding a horse, learning a new dance step, or playing soccer, for instance. Your teacher has a habit of saying “Woot!” and giving you a gold star every time you do some element of that skill correctly. After a while, you come to appreciate the “Woot!” because it means another gold star is on the way. It also told you that you did just what she wanted and, no doubt, it made you feel GREAT!
Clicker training is like that. It is a method that has turned a simple noisemaker into a device to communicate with your dog. The clicker creates a unique sound – a sharp “Click!” – to tell your dog instantly that she has done something right. That “Click!” is hard to replicate in daily life. It is a distinct sound that can be used to mark any action or behavior a dog does. Clickers have been used to train marine and other animals for many years, and, because of their effectiveness, they are a common tool used for reward-based, positive dog training.
So… the “Click!” is your dog’s “Woot!” But that’s only half the equation. The other half is the reward – a piece of yummy food, a toss of a beloved toy, or anything else your dog will work for – that brings the lesson home.
How does clicker training work?
What makes clicker training so powerful is that your dog quickly learns that the sharp, unique sound of the “Click!” is followed by a reward, usually a yummy treat. That’s her “gold star”, and the combination can be VERY powerful and motivating.
Let’s say you’re teaching your dog 'touch.' When she touches your hand, you press the clicker and promptly hand her a yummy treat as a reward. This gives her instant feedback and reinforces what she just did, making it more likely she’ll do the same thing again and again. Using a clicker doesn’t just help dogs catch on to this or that new skill, it also creates an eager, motivated learner for every new skill. Pretty soon, your dog will be keen to learn something new, so that she might hear that special sound and get the yummy treat or other reward that it promises.
How to 'charge’ the clicker
When you use a clicker, you first need to give it value to the dog. That’s called charging the clicker:
- Start with a handful of really delicious treats cut into small enough pieces for your pup to eat them quickly and frequently.
- Every time you click, give your dog a treat. The click is always a promise that a treat is on the way.
- Do not click and treat at the same time; the treat must follow the click.
- Repeat the process while you are standing up, sitting down, or moving about and in different kinds of environments, so your dog understands that, no matter where she hears the click, she has done something that earned .
- Repeat this exercise for a few minutes at a time until, when you click, you notice that your dog is eagerly anticipating the treat.
- Click only once each time your dog does anything you like. She looks at you – click then treat. She sits on her own – click then treat. She simply stands there quietly – click then treat. It won’t take long before she gets the connection.
- If you click, you must treat. It bears repeating: the click is a promise that a treat is on the way.
- Hold the clicker by your side or behind your back – NOT pointed at your dog like a remote control.
- NOTE: If your dog is bothered by the sound of the clicker, muffle it in your pocket, purchase a softer clicker, or use another type of marker.
Example: Teaching a dog to lie down on cue with a clicker:
You can use a clicker to help teach almost any behavior, so let’s take an example and see how the clicker functions.
- Catch your dog in the act of lying down. For our purposes, this means she is lying, relaxed on the floor, head up, with her hips resting to one side. Choose a quiet location, like your kitchen or living room, and watch her casually. As soon as she lies down on the floor … click, then treat. This is called “capturing a behavior.”
- Be watchful. Repeat this each time she lies down.
- When it starts to look like she is lying down more deliberately, say “Down”, followed by a click at the moment her body hits the floor. Then, give her a treat.
- Repeat this a few times per day for a few days, depending on how quickly your dog responds.
- When you believe your dog is catching onto the connection between the cue “Down" and actually doing it, you are ready to ask her for it in advance. You’ll know she’s ready when she looks at you and then lies down spontaneously or when she starts to lie down more frequently as if she expects something good to happen again.
- Ask your dog to “Down,” then wait and give her a few seconds to think. Do not repeat the cue!
- As soon as your dog lies down, click and immediately reward her with a treat. Some happy praise would be great right now because she just did something awesome!
- If she didn’t lie down when you asked, simply go back a couple of steps to reinforce the connection between the cue and the behavior a bit more before trying again.
Troubleshooting
I need three hands! Handling the clicker
You have to hold the clicker in your hand to make it work. Put it together with treats and a leash, and you might feel like you're juggling, at first. You can wear the clicker on a badge clip, a lanyard, a flexi bracelet, or even on your finger like a ring so that you can reach for it only when you need it. The treats can go into a pouch or in your pocket. Then… voila! Your hands are free to hold the leash if you need it.
Are there alternatives to the clicker? My dog is afraid of the sound
Some dogs are noise-sensitive and are bothered by the sound of the clicker. If that’s the case or if the clicker just isn’t your cup of tea, you can certainly use a different marker – the sound that, like the clicker, tells your dog “That’s it!” It just needs to be short, sharp, and distinct. Some people prefer to use a simple word such as “yip” or “yes” in a quick happy tone. Another possible verbal marker is the tongue click often heard in horse training to get a horse to alter his gait. Whatever you use, it needs to be precise and consistent and separate from any additional praise, like “Good job!” or “What a good girl!”
Do I always have to carry a clicker and treats?
No, not at all.
Clicker training is a great way to bridge the communication gap and help our dogs to learn new things. However, once your pup has become proficient at whatever new trick or behavior you’ve taught her, you can fade out the clicker altogether.
And remember, you can always pick it up again later to teach her something else.