A clicker is a hand-held object that makes a sharp sound when you depress its metal strip. The distinct sound captures your dog’s attention. The objective is to pair the sound of the clicker with a food reward. If your dog is not food-motivated, you can use a toy or a quick burst of attention to help him learn that the click is a positive sound. Food rewards are ideal so make the incentive tantalizing: If you dog will work harder for a piece of meat than cereal, use it.
Introduce the Clicker
When doing the following exercise, do not speak. Let your dog focus on the noise of the clicker alone.
- Line up ten bits of food. Your dog should be able to swallow each bit within two seconds.
- Place the clicker behind your back or in your pocket, as the noise can be startling initially. Hold the treat in your other hand.
- Click and treat in that order.
- Finish the ten treats and end the interaction with attention or play.
- Repeat the session until you can clearly see by your dog’s enthusiasm and his expectation of the food after the clicker sounds that he has made the connection.
Think of your clicker as a camera photographing moments you want to see again. Use it to mark good behavior, such as when your dog goes to the bathroom in the right place, comes when he is called, or releases a toy when asked.
The clicker should not be used as an incentive to encourage cooperation. If you want your dog to COME to you, for example, you use your clicker when he is at your side, not to get his attention.
Sarah Hodgson, dog training expert and author of nine excellent books on the subject, is FetchDog’s canine behavior grrru. This is excerpted from Teach Yourself VISUALLY Dog Training, published by Wiley Publishing Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Copyright 2006. Reprinted by permission.
