Clicker training has one main difference from traditional dog training. Reprimanding inappropriate behavior is commonly used in traditional dog training. Bad behavior is ignored in clicker training and good actions are rewarded. Clicker training is based on the idea that animals will do whatever they can to please their trainer. inappropriate behavior by an animal is usually the result of poor, ineffective communication by his trainer.

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What is a Clicker?

Clickers, that will do the job, are simple, inexpensive mechanical devices that make an identical sound every time they are pressed. Used properly the clicker produces a motivational incentive for an animal to repeatedly complete tasks.

Basics of Clicker Training

Using conditioned reinforcement an animal learns to control the click, and accompanying reward, by performing as requested. The training of an animal accelerates when he has the aha moment and realizes that he can control when the clicker is going to click. Using conditioned reinforcement this understanding will eventually occur with all animals.

Since dogs are intelligent they quickly understand that they are able to control the click of the clicker. When a dog hears the click sound he soon understands that it means he did a good job and deserves a treat. A dog quickly develops various skills when the techniques and principles of clicker training are utilized.

Training sessions should be limited to less than 15 minutes because your dog can only focus for short periods of time. Short training sessions can be repeated a number of times through the day. When you show your dog the task you want done and he performs that task the clicker clicks and a treat is given to your dog. You gently move your dog through a desired task until he will perform it without the clicker or the treat.

Clicker training benefits your dog by helping him to learn, think and adapt. Training is faster because you can communicate the desired task more effectively and your dog is motivated to learn.

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All Family Members Can Use Clicker Training

When a dog receives mixed signals from family members he becomes confused. This confusion will not happen using the clicker training techniques. The concepts behind clicker training can be understood by all family members, even young children. When a clicker trained dog exhibits bad behavior he can be encouraged, by any family member, to correct his behavior with a signal or command accompanied by the clicker. When all the members of your family understand what to do there is better communication with your dog.

Clicker Training is Fun

Clicker training increases the personal relationship between trainer and dog. You and your dog become more responsive to each other. A strong bond is created between you and your dog.

Clicker training is fun. Tasks are learned quickly, by your dog, because of clear communication. Since you quickly see results from your training sessions training your dog becomes enjoyable. It is a win/win situation for both you and your dog.

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MORE GREAT TIPS ONCLICKER TRAINING FOR DOGS

Clicker training for dogs when associated with treats is a safe effective tool for dog training. Your dog wants to please you in reality which can appear surprising. Dog training involves communication with your pet and this can sometimes prove difficult. This clicker method clears that up for your dog.

The term used by researchers for this method of training, is ‘Operant Conditioning’. It basically means that the dog intentionally does something so as to bring about the desired ending. Dogs tend to grade places,people and objects according to whether they associate them with a pleasurable experience or not. Its a manner of conditioning.

If good behavior is rewarded then the dog will learn that and repeat it. This conditioning is how the dog is trained. The ‘operant’ conditioning will produce behavior that’s purposeful, while the classic type of conditioning produces behavior that’s habitual. Training in these two ways combined can give you a commanding type of training.

The clicker sound is a more effective sound than the human voice for a good reason. Our voices can say the same words with different inflection and intensity. It’s difficult for a dog to always know what we mean. It comes back to communication. But with the clicker, it sounds the same every time, and the dog quickly associates it with good behavior and rewards.

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The Dolphin is one of the other animals that this method has been used on. I’d say that it’s pretty much impossible to force a Dolphin to do something, so methods like this have to be employed in order to train them. And it’s been very successful in doing so, and has since been used on a lot of other animals as well. From cats and leopards, to birds and rabbits, this method has found great success.

You should commence the click whilst the dog is carrying out the behavior you want.Don’t wait until he has finished. Give a click and a treat before the behavior and after the behavior is complete. By clicking when your dog does something right, you send the message that you would like him to repeat it again. The clicks should always be the same, but you can increase the treats in order to encourage enthusiasm for a specific behavior.

Using clicker training for dogs can enable you to communicate with your dog in a positive way that you weren’t able to do before. You will find that your dog will begin to enjoy giving you his good behavior side as he is rewarded for it. If you punish your dog for bad behavior it may work to a point but is more likely to lead to more bad behavior. Positive re-enforcement in the proper way is the best approach for getting your dog to perform in a positive manner.

MORE GREAT TIPS ONCLICKER TRAINING FOR DOGS

Correction Based Training
Up until a number of years ago, the most popular method of dog training was based on correcting unwanted behavior. The theory behind this is that the dog learns to associate a negative reaction for a certain behavior so avoids doing it.A good example is the use of a prong collar. When the dog pulls on the leash, the prongs dig into his neck, thus causing pain or at least an uncomfortable feeling. While correction based training can get quick results, there is a danger that it easily becomes nothing more than punishment. Trainers often get good results using these techniques. Dog owners don’t.

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training
In recent years, positive reinforcement dog training has become the biggest buzz word in the dog training world. This approach relies on the dog associating certain behaviours with something positive. When the dog delivers a wanted response, she is rewarded. She doesn’t get punished when she does something wrong – she gets rewarded when she does something right.

Some trainers claim that positive reinforcement by itself is never enough for some dogs and certainly not as efficient as a combination positive reinforcement and correction based exercises. Others preach that positive reinforcement by itself works as long as you teach your dog you are the alpha leader in her pack so her instincts tell her she has to do what you tell her – the only thing you have to do is teach her what you want her to do.

Clicker Training
And then there’s another group that swears by clicker training. This is positive based, but relies entirely on the theory that your dog will act based on getting what she wants more than any desire to please you. It assumes that your dog will give a certain behaviour not because she strives to please you, but because she knows it means something good will come. The key difference is that all behaviour is given voluntarily (which means training is actually fun for your dog) and by using a conditioned reinforcer (the clicker), it is much easier to be exact in teaching your dog what it is that gets her the reward. Clicker training takes a bit longer when starting out, but more and more trainers and every day dog owners swear by it.

More and more, people are dog training at home and using online dog training products to educate themselves. There are numerous approaches to dog obedience training but it makes sense to be aware of all of them when choosing what’s right for you and your dog.

The method was first developed with marine mammals. With the dolphins, a whistle made the sound rather than a clicker. You can imagine how difficult it is to train a dolphin compared to a dog. The whole method is based on positive reinforcement. It was very difficult to give a treat to a dolphin at the precise time the dolphin did the behaviour you wanted. However, you could easily blow a whistle at the precise time. Then you could follow that with a fish shortly afterwards.

In order to reward a wanted behavior, you should reinforce it at the precise moment it happens or very soon afterwards or the animal will not relate the reward with the action. The whole reward process is made so much easier and clearer by using a sound from a whistle or clicker to mark the action.

Firstly, you must positively connect the sound of the clicker with getting a treat. You do this by repeating the process of clicking and following the sound with a treat. Once this connection is made, the clicker sound itself becomes like a reward because it’s so closely linked with the treat in the dog’s mind. This process is called charging the clicker by dog trainers.

Now that the clicker is charged, you use the clicker when the dog does a behavior you want and you always follow with a treat. In true clicker training, you allow the behavior you want to occur naturally and click and reward. In order to do this more complicated behaviors need to be broken down into smaller chunks. A tool which helps to do this is the target stick.

One of the first exercises in clicker training is to get your dog to touch the target stick with his nose. Once your dog accomplishes this, the stick can be used to direct your dog to a particular place. This is really useful in training other behaviors.

Getting your dog to touch the stick is easy. If you put it in front of his nose, he will probably touch it. Then you click and reward. Be sure to let your dog to touch the stickof his own free will! Repeat this for a couple of minutes. Then have a break.

It can take a while when a dog is introduced to clicker training, especially if he is an older dog. So you need to be patient. You may need to repeat the target stick session a couple of times before he gets the connection. But once he’s got it, the learning will stick.

One other tool which clicker trainers find useful is a mouse pad or something similar that you train your dog to stand on with one of his front feet. You can get your dog to do this easily by just putting it down on the ground near him and waiting for him to stand on it. As soon as he does it, click and reward. As before, repeat this until your dog gets it. As with the target stick, this tool can then be used to direct your dog to a particular place in subsequent training.

Once a behavior has been trained, the next step is to add a cue. A cue means that you assign a verbal request like “sit” or “stay” to the behavior. You do this by saying the cue word just as you think the dog is about to do the wanted behavior. As always you click and reward the behavior. Then, by repeating this, the command becomes associated with the treat, just like the clicker sound is. Please note that when you start training with the cue, you only click and reward when the behavior follows the cue. You don’t click or reward when the dog offers the behavior without you having given the cue.

I hope this has given you some idea of how the clicker is used as an effective tool in dog training. Obviously there is a lot more to learn. What I love about it is that it’s very systematic and all that’s needed is patience and consistency. Read more about clicker training with dogs, a review of the clearest clicker training guide, and also reviews of other dog training guides.