Clicker Training Your Dog Is Easy

Using a clicker to train your dog is simple and easy to learn. The clicker itself is a piece of thin metal enclosed in a plastic box. When the metal is pressed it emits a clicking sound that alerts the dog. The click is used to reward your dog for a correct behavior faster than saying "good dog." When it is used in conjunction with treats it is highly effective, and is a good positive reinforcement training tool.

Training your dog to the clicker:

This is also referred to as "charging the clicker." Start in a quiet place with no distractions. Click the clicker and immediately give him a treat. Once you have done this several times over a few days to a week, try clicking the clicker when the dog is not paying any attention to you and see if he turns to look at you and looks for a treat. If it gets his attention and he seeks a treat, you are ready to move to the next step.

Basic Commands:

To teach your dog to sit, take a treat and hold it above his head and move it backwards away from his head so that he needs to lean back into a sit to get it. As you do this you are saying the word "sit." As soon as he sits press the clicker and give the treat. Keep practicing this until he will sit with just the command. Always reward with the click and a treat.

To teach your dog to shake, have him sit and pick up his paw while saying shake. Immediately click and give him a treat to teach him that this is the desired behavior you are rewarding. Practice this several times until when you say shake he holds the paw up for you to take. Always reward with a click and a treat.

Trainers opinions differ as far as whether the treat needs to follow the click every time once the command is learned. Most trainers believe the treat should be given at least some of the time, but some trainers still believe that the positive reinforcement that the dog is getting from the click is enough and the treat can be weened away completely. Which ever way works for you and your dog is fine.

Clicker training can be a very simple way to train your dog or puppy, but just like any other training method, it isn't for everybody. Some owners never get the hang of it, and some dogs never get the hang of it. You may also find that if your dog is sensitive to sound, it may be scared of the clicker and in that case it would be best to find another training option.