Clicker Training

"Anybody can train a dog to be a delightful companion and member of society,
especially with clicker training" -- Dani Weinberg

Clicker Training is an exciting way of communicating with and training animals. While it's been used for years with marine mammals, research animals, and a variety of commercial projects, only recently has it begun taking the dog world by storm.

Clicker Training is using a distinct marker signal to precisely capture the behavior the trainer desires, and promise the animal that a worthwhile reward will follow. Simply put, the trainer uses a metal-and-plastic clicker to mark a behavior, and then gives the dog a reward. This motivates the dog to repeat the performance, while giving the information about what action precisely won the reward. Clicker Training consciously follows the rules of Operant Conditioning. Operant conditioing is "Nature's way of allowing us to organize our behavior in such a way tha twe receive reinforcement and avoid punishment," as Victoria Farrington, editor of the Clicker Journal puts it. Positive Reinforcement is used to strengthen desired behaviors. Clicker training also uses the idea of breaking end-goals down into tiny, achievable steps to guarantee that trainer and dog are sucessful.

Clicker Training is easy to learn, and it is a powerful animal training tool. You don't need special skills or strength. Perhaps best of all, the animals love it. It's clear to them what they're doing right, and they get a chance to earn rewards food treats, favorite toys, attention and praise through their own actions. With Clicker Training, you don't need choke chains or pinch collars. You work with your dog. All you need is a clicker (provided in class) and something your dog likes. In class we usually use high-value food, but we encourage students to use their dog's regular food rations at home as well as using other forms of "life rewards". We fade out food as a lure so you don't end up with a dog who "only works when I have food".

All of Stacy's Wag'N'Train classes introduce Clicker Training to our students. If you are an experienced dog trainer interested in learning more about Clicker Training, you may want to try the Fun Tricks class.

The clicker is used to teach new behaviors. Once a new behavior is learned, the clicker is no longer needed - until you're ready to teach the next fun thing!

Unilke some the methods that some trainers use, Clicker Training is not just some method developed by charismatic individuals who don't understand enough about dog behavior and their own skills to explain what they are doing in terms commonly understand by behaviorists and scientists. Clicker Traiing is based on science, and is easily learned by new people. You can invest your training with as much love, affection, praise and games as you can come up with - but you don't need any magical "energy levels" to connect with your dog and improve his behavior.

To learn more about Clicker Training, follow these links:

Click here for a "Getting Started" Clicker Training Kit - includes clicker and easy-to-follow booklet for getting you on your way, with dogs, cats, birds and horses!

LISTEN to a description of clicker training from K9Cast, here. Watch a demo on "The Today Show" - click here.

To learn more about Operant Conditioning and the theory behind Clicker Training, visit Stacy's other award-winning page, An Animal Trainer's Guide to Operant and Classical Conditioning.

To read about how Clicker Training is used in movies and TV, for obedience competitions, for service dogs for the disabled, and for pet owners around the world, click here.