Dog Clicker Training the Best Way to Condition Your Pet

Training animals, especially dogs, using a clicker to mark  positive behavior is one of the most effective ways to train your pet. The clicker is a small mechanical device that makes a clicking noise when pressed. It’s harmless, simple, effective, and one of the most popular ways to train animals through positive reinforcement.

The clicker device is used most frequently during the early stages of training a new behavior. Once a behavior is learned, the clicker is usually phased out and not used again for that behavior. This means that, not only can you train your dog to learn a new behavior quickly and easily with the clicker, but you don’t need to continue using the clicker once the dog has learned the behavior.

The clicker is effective because it works on principles of conditioned reinforcement, which are very reliable, and encourage positive behavior in dogs. When the dog does what you want (e.g., sitting when you say ’sit’), you simply click the clicker and then give the dog a treat. The treat is naturally reinforcing to the dog, so by giving the treat right after the clicking sound is made, the dog associates the sound of the clicker to the treat. Thus, positively reinforcing the dog.

The sound of the clicker should be followed by a reward as quickly as possible – the less time between the click and the reward, the faster the dog makes the association between the click and the reward, the faster he learns. This may seem obvious, but make sure you’re using something the dog really likes (like its favorite treat) or dog clicker training will not be as effective.

Because dog clicker training is based on principles of conditioning, when you do it correctly it’s one of the fastest ways to train your dog. Plus, Dog Clicker training is fun and strengthens the bond between you and your dog. If it sounds easy, it is…but you have to do it correctly or it just doesn’t work. Please check out our review of what we believe is the best clicker training guide you can find.

The Positive Way of Clicker Training:

Always train your dog in a reasonably quiet area, away from distractions such as other dogs, cats, and children. Since you’ll use treats as rewards with the clicker, it’s best to train your dog when he is hungry. Start by training your dog the basic commands and reward your dog (click the clicker, then give the treat) as the dog takes any action toward the behavior you want.

For example, if you’re training to your dog to come to you on command, when your dog takes one step after you say “come”, click and give a treat. Then, require the dog to take 2 steps toward you (not 1) before clicking/rewarding. Make the dog to more and more before getting the click/reward and before you know it, your dog will come on command.

Dog Clicker training isn’t just for beginning training, but can also be very effective in advanced training – don’t limit yourself or your dog. Dog clicker training doesn’t force the dogs to follow the pattern but it really helps them in guiding and shaping their behavior. This method is so effective that it’s one of the favorite training methods used to train dogs for films and television shows.

There is certainly no limit to the different behaviors that you can teach through dog clicker training. But remember, you have to do it right, so check out our review of the best guide we’ve seen. And have fun!