During my younger years, I’ve gone through several methods of training. One of them is called Clicker Training, which I did along with Agility Training. Being exposed on both, my mom said that I developed better communication skills. To reminisce my Agility years … Here’s one of my famous tunnel photo that made the 2008 Picture Your Dog In NYC Times Square Event, Click Here to read our blog post.
Below is an article we want to share from Dog Training
How to Clicker Train Your Dog
Clicker training is a method of dog training. In clicker training you use a device called a clicker which is made of plastic and has a metal tab. When you press the metal tab with your thumb it makes a clicking sound.
How does clicker training work?
In clicker training your dog works for something he really wants – usually it’s a tasty treat. Each time he does the desired behavior you give him a treat. The treat is what’s called a reinforcer. By giving him a treat following a specific behavior you cause that behavior to be likely to occur again in the future.
So where does the clicker come into it?
If your dog has never been introduced to a clicker and you click it – it means nothing to him – he’ll give you a blank stare (“I heard it, so what?”). So the first step is to pair the clicking noise with a treat. To do this you click the clicker and then hand your dog a tasty treat. Again, click and hand him a treat. Do this a few times until you click and your dog looks at you as if to say, “I heard the click where is my treat.” At this point you’ve successfully paired the click with the treat. The click noise now becomes a reinforcer too. From now on, when the dog hears a click he understands it to mean “Good boy, you get a treat!” And your dog will now work for clicks because he considers them to be the same as treats. (Note: he’ll only think that a click and a treat are one and the same thing – which is what you want him to think – if you always follow every click with a treat. So be sure you always do.)
Now that you’ve paired the click and the treat together you can use the clicker to mark a specific behavior that you wish to reinforce. This is the magic of the clicker. It allows precision and clearer communication between you and your dog! It gives you a way to be precise about which behavior exactly is being reinforced. It lets you pin-point to your dog which behavior will get a treat. So, for example, to teach your dog to sit you hold the clicker in one hand, treat in the other, and wait until he sits. The moment his bum touches the ground: click and then give him a treat. Timing is very important: whatever exact behavior he is doing when you click is the behavior that is reinforced. If you click the moment his bum makes contact with the ground he will realize: bum touching ground = treat. If you click late when he has already stood up again then you are reinforcing that behavior: standing up = treat. So you must click at the moment the specific behavior you want to reinforce occurs.
That’s all there is to clicker training! Click the behavior you want to reinforce and then follow up with a treat immediately after. You just repeat this click/treat process over and over to reinforce the behavior. Pretty soon your dog will know exactly what behavior causes you to click and he will start performing that behavior whenever you have the clicker in your hand. Congratulations, you’ve taught your dog a behavior using only clicks and treats and he knows exactly what to do without you saying anything. But we haven’t finished, so let’s keep going.
There a two ways to teach your dog a behavior in clicker training:
Luring and Shaping
With luring you use a treat to lure your dog to do the behavior. For example, to lure him to sit: hold a treat close to his nose then move it over his head. He’ll tilt his head back to get the treat and lower his bum to the ground. The moment his bum makes contact with the floor: click and then give him a treat. Keep luring him into the sit position clicking each time he sits and following up with a treat.
With shaping, on the other hand, you don’t lure, you simply watch your dog patiently and click any behavior that’s a step in the right direction. For example, to “shape” your dog to go to to his bed and lay down put the bed beside him and click if he merely looks at the bed. Then click whenever he takes a step towards the bed. Then click whenever he puts a paw on the bed. Then click when he stands with all paws on the bed. Then click when he starts to drop his chest. And so on. Until the final click is for him lying down on the bed. If you use the shaping method regularly, your dog will start to think of it as a game and you’ll see that he starts to automatically offer you behaviors when you have the clicker in hand as he tries to figure out what behavior makes that magic click (and treat) happen!
Add a Command
You may have noticed that, so far, we haven’t been telling the dog what to do with a verbal command. That’s because in clicker training you wait until your dog is reliably performing the behavior, THEN you teach him a name of that behavior. After all, dogs don’t understand English so saying “Sit” before he knows what “Sit” actually means and how to do it is silly.
So wait for your dog to perform the behavior that you’ve just taught him by luring or shaping him, but this time just before he performs the behavior give the verbal command (such as “Sit”). Continue to say the command out loud each time before he performs the behavior (you don’t have to give the command in a loud voice, dogs have excellent hearing, normal speaking volume is fine). Be sure to keep clicking and treating whenever he performs the behavior correctly after you’ve given the command. Now, from this point on, only click and treat if he performs the behavior AFTER you’ve given the command.
At this point, after following all the steps above, you’ve trained your dog to perform a behavior on command. But you’re still clicking each time he performs the behavior after you’ve given the command. So this brings us to the next question…
Do you need to carry a clicker around with you all the time to get your dog to obey you? Of course not! The clicker is only a tool you use to teach a behavior. It’s only used DURING the training phase. Once your dog has mastered the behavior you can stop using the clicker. (He’s mastered the behavior if he performs the behavior correctly every time you give the command. If he hasn’t mastered it you need to keep clicker training until he has.) You should, however, continue to reinforce a behavior with a tasty treat whenever he performs the behavior on command.
Some Final Tips
You can teach your dog virtually any behavior he is physically capable of performing using a clicker and treats. First, think of the behavior you want to teach then use the luring or shaping method to teach it to him. Sometimes the luring method is easier to use and sometimes shaping is easier. It just depends on the behavior. After he’s preforming the behavior reliably teach him the name of the command for that behavior by saying it before the behavior occurs. Then only click and treat when he performs the behavior after you’ve given the command. Have multiple training sessions during the day and keep them short: 5-7 minutes per session.
Here’s a tip: A big mistake a lot of new clicker trainers make is that they don’t click and treat often enough when shaping a behavior. When shaping you need to break the behavior up into lots and lots of tiny little baby steps and click and treat each one to keep your dog heading in the right direction. If you raise the bar too high to quickly your dog will become discouraged and confused.
If your dog ever seems like he’s has forgotten a behavior that you’ve been teaching him, or even if he just becomes confused and looks lost, just go back to square one and shape the behavior starting at the very first step to refresh his memory.
Golden Whew!
It’s a long article but hope it provided you helpful information.
Lots of Golden Thanks to Dog Training.
It’s a long article but hope it provided you helpful information.
Lots of Golden Thanks to Dog Training.
Tasty Treat is the main key in Clicker Training.
I was provided with Tasty Chicken …
Tasty Treat that was only given to me during clicker and agility training.
Now, I still get Tasty Chicken from time to time.
.How to prepare chicken for your dog?
There are different ways to prepare …
boiled, baked or grilled. I prefer grilled chicken.
Remember to use safe seasonings for your dogs.
Plain boiled chicken is perfectly fine.
For baked and grilled chicken, my mom marinates it with her homemade apple sauces … just to give some flavor and prevent from being dry.
3 Seasonings that you need to Avoid and are Dangerous for your dog: Onion Powder, Garlic Powder and Nutmeg.
For baked and grilled chicken, my mom marinates it with her homemade apple sauces … just to give some flavor and prevent from being dry.
3 Seasonings that you need to Avoid and are Dangerous for your dog: Onion Powder, Garlic Powder and Nutmeg.
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Definitely Tuesdays Just Got Tastier.
This is a Blog Hop I am Co-hosting with my doggie pal Kol.
If you are joining our Tasty Tuesday Blog HOP, Golden Thanks! Don’t forget to grab the Hop’s Badge and post it along with your blog post. Hop’s Badge is located on the right side bar bottom on my blog. Also, don’t forget to Link-up your blog post on the HOP (below). The Hop List is only posted on the Host Sites (Kol n Sugar). Please find some time to visit all the Tasty Tuesday Blog Hop participants.
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Lots of Golden Thanks and Have an Enjoyable Tasty Tuesday.
Lots of Golden Woofs
Thanks for the wonderful tip on marinating the chicken. My hooooooman always just boil or steam the chicken for me without any seasoning.
Wonderful article on clicker training 🙂 i am hopefully too old to be clicker trained… but still… i hope my hooman don't get too ambitious and try 😀
woofs n licks,
Dommy
We do some fun clicker training to Sugar! Tasty Chicken is an AWESOME SNACK! So yummy and delicious!
Although, the jury is out on Garlic Powder. Some dog folks believe that because garlic is from the same family as onion, it should be avoided like onion should. Other folks (like the Mama) believe that small amounts used for seasoning and therapeutic use can actually be healthy for your dog. We strongly encourage every owner to do their research and make their own choice!
Hi Sugar! What a terrific picture, and what focus you have on your beautiful face!! I've never done clicker training before, but it has been suggested for our puppy. Because most of the dogs we get are older and know a few things, I've never had too–It may be something I should consider!
Enjoy your Tuesday!!
What an awesome photo of you comin' through the tunnel, Sugar!
Love ya lots
Maggie and Mitch
What a great idea to marinate chicken in apple sauce. We were clicker trained too. As a puppy Bob was super scared of that tunnel though, he woldnt go through it in puppy K for anything
Thanks for the clicker training info!!!
you were beyond adorable in that tube shot. so sweet. for some reason Jake throws up when he eats chicken, no matter how it is cooked. but he can heat veggies and fruit and grass and just about anything, but not chicken. weird huh
Wow great tips! We didn't know about the seasonings that are dangerous to dogs so thanks for that! Woofs and licks, Molly & Fergus.xx
Interesting Sugar. But we think that clicker is a monster
Benny & Lily
Hey Sugar!
Wow, what a pawesome action pix of your tunneling self! I bet you did great agility moves. I'd definitely like the treat part of that training, but I think I'd chew up that clicker! BOL
Grr and Woof,
Sarge, COP
Great article! Will practice it on momster and see if she give a chicken treat everytime i click. LOL
Hi Sugar! We're really excited to be participating in our first Tuesday Hop, and absolutely LOVE your agility picture! What a talented girl you are. 🙂
This post is perfect timing for me as I am starting to work on clicker training with Clancy. Thanks for the tips, and I am definitely going to try the chicken.
Yummy! Now I need to go and find a snack…. Beth does that clicker thing with me all the time but she makes the noise herself….I guess I just know what it means….
Loves the advice on the chicken. We've never had grilled, only boiled…gonna have to try some of that apple sauce with it.
Thanks!
Muah,
Minnie Moo
That's a great action shot!
Thanks for the explanation of clicker training. A lot of people just don't get it when I mention I use it with Elka. Also, a lot of people think the click is a punisher or something. They're quite confused, and frequently don't want to learn. So, good show!
Mmm, chicken. Though Elka did just have a piece of leftover sushi with breakfast. Turns out it's not so great for people if you refrigerate it for later.
good idea on the marinating! Mine love grilled chicken the most
Thanks for featuring the blog hop. I love seeing all these yummy treats!
You sure did look fast!
Great idea about the marinating in applesauce. How long though? A few hours or overnight? Sure does dound yummy!
woos, Tessa
Sugar,
We loved your agility picture and the story.
The chicken dish made Mom's mouth water…I mean chicken and apple sauce..everyone loves those.
Hugs Madi and Mom
Wow Sugar you've done so very much in your lifetime. Thanks to your mom I'm sure.
Little Bit wants me to tell you that she can't have any fowl as she allergic to lots of different foods. She gets two shots for her allergies every month. She's better now too.
Have a terrific day. 🙂
Hi Sweet Sugar.. I am gonna be a Day Late with my Tasty Tuesday thingy… beclaws my mom has been cookin deer fur 3 DAYS. BUTT TOMORROW I will show you what she made TODAY … just fur ME.
When my mom cooks MY chicken she just boils it in unsalted water. (POACHED)
THEN she puts in all the stuffs that I will be tellin about Tomorrow and that makes some really TASTY foods fur me.
Hi Sugar,
That is a great photo of you in the tunnel. My mum used clicker training to get me to do weave poles and I learnt really fast! It is a great way to train, but she has struck a problem. Now that there is another Goldie in the house, if she clicks when he does something well I want and expect a treat even though I might just be sitting there doing nothing. She is not sure how to solve this problem without removing me from the property, and that is hard to arrange when she is on her own. Any ideas on how she can deal with this?
Woofs,
Riley
Mmmm, chicken! That clicker training sounds like a great idea Sugar! You are such a brilliant Golden!
Hello, love.
I'll fly by in my spaceship and visit soon.
Yours,
I love that picture of you Sugar. That was really interesting about the clicker training. The chicken treats sound really yummy
Nala and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVEEEE chicken! Thanks for today's recipe, and for inviting me to join today's Blog Hop, even though my post was yesterday. 🙂
Woofs & hugs, <3
~Bailey (Yep, I'm a girl!)
Sugar….me wants to share a secret wit you….Weenie dogs don't get trained….dey has to train dere hoomans! :o)
We were clicker trained too Sugar…isn't it the best??!!
Thanks for the nommy chicken recipe!
Smileys!
Dory, Jakey and Bilbo
Great action shot Sugar! My doggies love chicken. Love the applesauce idea. 🙂
Sugar, what a great tunnel photo. Chicken and apple sauce, great combo.
that was a great informative article, Sugar. Mom needs to get Lightning into some obedience training soon, and she hopes to use clicker training with him. He is very highly food motivated, so it should work well.
You look so beautiful running out of that tunnel.
Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning
Great info about clicker training. I just graduated from the Karen Pryor Academy dog trainer program(all clicker and positive reinforcement). What a great experience…so glad you are spreading the work
Susan and Luna
Those chicken treats look really yummy! We get chicken once in a while.
Great photo Sugar!
the 2 brown dawgs
Oh Sugar Mama is so sorry for not posting her treat recipe yesterday 🙁 She has a full time day job which gets crazy busy sometimes and yesterday was another one of those days! I'm gonna put your badge on my blog and will try to remember to add my recipes in the future. Please feel free to do it for me iffen I forgets. XOXO
PS – Everything I've learned is with clicker training – your post is excellent information!