How many of you know what a dog clicker is? It is actually a great tool in dog training that many expert
s have successfully used. What is it and how can you use it to train your dog today?
What is a Dog Clicker?
A clicker is a small, portable device that makes a distinctive “click” sound when pressed. You can carry it around in your pocket pretty much anywhere. The advantage of a clicker in training is that the sound it produces is standard and unique, making it easily recognizable for your pet. Sometimes when we just use our voice to command our dogs, they will be confused by the changing inflections of our voice and/or our body language as to what we really want them to do.
This simple device is really easy to use for clicker dog training. The first thing you need to do is to have your pet associate the clicking sound to a positive emotion or sensation. What better way to do this than by giving him treats? Arm yourself with a lot of treats and let the training begin!
How to Use a Dog Clicker for Training Your Dog
So what do we need to do? Find a quiet place where the dog will easily hear the click this training will work better if he is hungry. Click the clicker and immediately give your pet a doggie treat. Do this 5 to 10 times. It really doesn’t matter what he’s doing right or wrong for now. The aim is for him to recognize the “click” as a forerunner of the good things to come. You will know that you are successful if when you click, your dog turns to you and expects a treat to be given.
Now that he equates clicking sounds to positive experiences, call his name with a corresponding click. Do this a few times. He needs to be able to know that it is his name that you are calling out and that it is a good thing. What you are doing is making the dog associate happy feelings when his name is being called so that when you do say his name, he will be alert and attentive.
Using Commands with the Dog Clicker
So far so good? Now you can start training him the basic commands. For example, tell your dog to “Sit!” while gently putting him in a sitting position. Do not change your command word – if you use “Sit!” use that all throughout. Do not say “Sit down!” or “Down, Boy!” or he will get confused. When he correctly accomplishes the command given, in this case, sit – press the clicker immediately and follow with a doggie treat and praise him right after.
It is very important that you use treats to follow up on the click especially when you first introduce the clicker method to him. The great thing about using the dog clicker is that when you click at the exact moment that your dog correctly completes the task, it is ingrained in the dog’s mind. When you repeat the commands often enough, it won’t be long before you have the best trained dog in the block! Enjoy!
