Clicker Training

Where to get clickers

You can buy clickers at most pet shops, even online pet shops - or eBay.

Getting the timing right

The most important thing with clicker training is to get the timing exactly right. If you click a second after your dog has done what you want it to do - then it’s possible you are clicking for something else… For example, your dog sits, you are a bit slow, by the time you click your dog is scratching its ear. The dog thinks “well, that’s a bit weird, but apparently they want me to scratch my ear.” A neat trick, if you can get enough repetitions to set it in your dogs head, but not what you want.

So be very attentive and click at the exact moment in time the “thing” happens.

There are ways to teach yourself this. A bouncing ball would work, every time the ball hit’s the floor click. I’m so uncoordinated I’d have to get someone else to bounce the ball for me - so that might be an option as well!

Hens are used to train people to clicker train. You can clicker train hens, they will do anything for food. However, you do have to have access to a chook, and many people don’t have. If you do, however, give it a go. You have to be EXACT on the mark for a hen.

What can you teach a hen? Well “sit” might be a bit complex to start with, but you can teach them to look in a certain direction. Every time the hen turns its head to the left, click and treat. Wait until it turns its head to the left again - click and treat. Keep doing this and you will find that the hen will quickly catch on that if they turn their head to the left they get a treat.

Rule one of clicker training - click at the exact moment that the behaviour you want is being offered.

Rule two is - if you miss it, don’t get upset, another chance will come. Never get upset in training. If at any time you are anything except calm stop the lesson.

Priming the clicker

You don’t always have to do this. But to start with you want your pup to associate “click” with “food”. Take pup, the clicker and the food to wherever you are going to have your training for the session, click and treat, click and treat. The treat should be in front of the puppy’s nose by the time he hears the click.

Naturally, puppy thinks this is the best game in the world. And, guess what? The game stops when puppy is full….

So make sure that those treats are tiny, and if you have a couple of good sessions during the day, don’t give pup a full meal at night or you will be overfeeding him.

You don’t have to spend a full session “priming” the clicker. A few clicks does it, then you can start the session. You also don’t have to prime every time. Once your dog knows what clicker training is all about there is no need for it to be primed at all.

When can I dispense with the treats?

Never! Why would you want to deprive your dog of a reward for being good? But, you can change the treat, it doesn’t have to be food all the time. A pat can be a treat. A verbal reward “Good dog!“ can be a treat. Your dog might have a favourite toy which can be a treat. Or, when time has gone on, your dog has the behaviour down perfectly you no longer have to click at all. It’s a training method, once the lesson is learnt you don’t need to train in that lesson any more.

However, people tend to stop early and then when their dog “forgets” they blame the method.

Gem is now two. She has been sitting on command now since about a week after I got her, at thirteen weeks. But I always include “sit” in any clicker session. Why not? It’s something she does easily and automatically and it gives me an excuse to reward her.

When we are out and about and I don’t have clicker and treats in my hand and she sits on command I say “good girl” and that is her reward.

Everyone, dog or person, should be rewarded for doing a good job.

Lure? or Natural?

Errr, what? You may ask.

Basically there are two methods of clicker training. Some people say you should only use the animals natural behavour, some say it's ok to use a lure to get the behaviour you want faster.

I use both.

A lure is when, for example, you might hold a piece of food on the other side of a hoop, encouraging the dog to jump through the hoop. You could hold the hoop on the ground, eventually the dog might walk through it, allowing you to click - but that would probably take a long time. Hold a piece of food there and he will go through the hoop quickly (note - never hold a hoop too far off the ground - see "advanced tricks" for more on this).

There are times when it's better to see what natural behaviour a dog will offer, and there are times when it's better to use a lure. I'll mention this as I go along.

And, in case you were wondering, yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks. So if you have an older dog come into your life, the clicker method will work just as well on him as on a puppy.

If you have questions about clicker training you would like to see in this section, please email me at eliza@elizasart.com