[VIDEO] Clicker training basics!

If you are new to click training, you might want to check out our introduction to clicker training, what it is, why we use it and how it it is a fun and effective way to train dogs, but why it is particularly good in working with aggressive dogs.

Clickers are handheld devices that make a distinct clicking sound. That’s it.

You make the sound, and then give the dog a treat immediately after. Do this enough times, the dog starts to associate the sound with a treat, the same way the clink of a dog bowl might mean dinner is coming. In time, the sound itself produces a good feeling and dogs learn to pay attention to what makes the sound happen.

Why make giving a treat “more complicated”?

Whereas a treat always comes after a behavior, with good timing the click sound can “mark” an exact moment when the dog has done something that will soon produce a treat when the dog learns the system. This helps communication between you and your dog becausde your dog learns that it marks what they were doing, rather than the dog wondering what promoted the treat.

The added complication for beginners is that you need to hold the clicker aloong with whatever you are holding, and you need to get your timing right. But this is something you can proactice with people easily enough.

The other complication is that beginners soetimes start using the clicker to get the dog’s attention. This will undermine it’s effectiveness as a communication device.

If you understand the principal of clicker training, you might want to see it in action. From Virginia Broitman and Sherri Lippman’s The How of Bow Wow, this clear overview of clicker training gives you the basics in just one minute!