Recently, clicker training has become increasingly popular for teaching your dog behaviors you’d like to see more of. This method is fun and easy to use, and it’s a great way to improve your communication, especially for pups with short attention spans to keep them engaged wherever you are. In this article, we’re going to talk about how to clicker train your dog with a few extra pro tips thrown in to help you along the way.
It’s a small handheld device that makes a click sound when you press the button. Clickers with wrist straps or finger straps are more convenient, so they tend to be the most popular types of designs for clicker training. Now, what you’ll do with clicker training is ask them to do something for you. Give a treat right away after clicking.
Why We Recommend Clicker Training
Beyond being easy and effective, clicker training is also very popular because it centers around making your dog feel really good about giving you the behaviors that you want to see repeated using positive reinforcement. You can use positive reinforcement to say “Yes! Good job!” with something they really like, like a yummy treat.
So they’re likely to repeat that behavior again and again. You can use reinforcers for anything your dog loves. It could be toys, treats, or verbal praise—anything that gets that tail wagging. Clicker training uses a treat, and the click sound means that the treat, the reinforcer, is coming. In the end, you get your dog to listen to you better, they get a yummy treat, and everybody’s happy.
How To Introduce Your Dog To The Clicker
Having them participate in the unboxing process makes it feel like theirs, and it makes them feel special. If you’re opening it up, use a happy, high tone to encourage them. Sniff it. You can push it around a little bit, have some fun with it, and just encourage them to check out this new thing. You can also take some treats and drop them by it to make this new thing that’s exciting even more fun.
Next, you’re going to prepare your treats, and I like to use high-value treats, which are those that the dog really, really enjoys. You can make a single-ingredient treat or use something they already love.
7 Steps To Clicker Training For Newbies
The moment your dog loves his new training toy, it’s time to start clicking.
Step 1
So step one is really easy. All you’re gonna do is click and deliver that treat. You’ll need to serve it as fast as you can, so make sure you’re ready.
Step 2
We’re going to slow it down just a little bit. So instead of delivering it right away, We’re gonna count to 1 and then deliver that treat. As you’re moving through each of these steps, you’re going to need to repeat them at least 5 to 10 times so that your dog starts to learn the association between the sound and the treat.
Step 3
So for step three, we’re gonna slow it down a little bit more. Instead of just counting to 1 second and then delivering the treat after the click, we’re gonna count to 3 and then treat.
Step 4
Hopefully your dog has associated the click with a treat by now. So moving on to step four, we’re gonna pair the click with the behavior that they do that you want to reinforce. Let’s say I want my dog to lay down, so I’m gonna give him the cue, click, and then immediately give him a treat.
Step 5
Moving on to step five. Now I’m going to slow it down a little bit just like we did initially. Rather than clicking, I’ll ask what cue I’d like my dog to perform instead of clicking, treating. So we’re gonna ask him to down. To build duration, I will click, count to 1, and then deliver the treat once he reaches that point.
Step 6
Step six is going to be even slower. So here, I’m gonna ask the behavior. Click, count to 3, and then deliver the treat.
Step 7
Now that your pup is getting the hang of it, you’ll want to practice it in different places. That way, your dog learns that no matter what location you’re in, it still means the same thing. The click means the treat, and you’re still expecting the same exact behaviors. Once you start in a new location, start with little to no distractions and go back to step one to help them succeed.
Clicker Training Pro Tips
Turn your tasty supplements into rewarding treats. If your dog is already on supplements like calm chews or relief chews, you can cut them up and use them for clicker training in smaller bites. It’s easier to train if you cut them up smaller, so make sure you’re doing that really well.
Repeat, repeat, and do it again. The more you practice with your pup, the better they’ll get. So get those reps in daily, especially when you’re first starting out. Temporarily reduce the size of their meals. When you use clicker training, make sure you take the big dinner and make it a more moderate meal. After they get the hang of clicker training, you can reduce those high-value treats and actually just use some of their kibble in your treat pouch to have the same effect.
Always be sure to reward. When you start out, you teach your dog that the click sound means he will receive a reward. If the reward doesn’t come, they’re going to have a hard time building the association that’s fundamental to clicker training. If you’re not ready with that reward right away, don’t click. Also, if your dog happens to look away after you’ve already clicked, go ahead and get that reward to them wherever they are anyway so that that sound is always consistent.
Rough start? No worries, take a step back. Every dog is different, which is why we love them so much. So if your dog is struggling to understand what it is that you’re trying to communicate with them, go back a step and repeat that step where you know that they can succeed and then slowly, gradually build in the difficulty as your dog begins to grasp it.
Whether you’re looking to teach your old dog new tricks or you’re just beginning your new puppy training journey, clicker training is a really fun and effective way to help reinforce those behaviors that you want to see repeated and treat your dog the whole time while you’re doing it.
