Clicker training is different from traditional training in that the trainer thinks about what the pet is doing right and works to increase it, while a traditional trainer thinks mostly about what is wrong and tries to correct it. It’s the process of training an animal using a conditioned reinforcer, which indicates to the animal (”marks”) the precise behaviour that was correct. It is easy to learn, and it is a powerful animal training tool. Clicker Training is using a distinct marker signal to precisely capture the behaviour the trainer desires, and promise the animal that a worthwhile reward will follow.
Clicker Training is a fun and exciting way of communicating with and training your dog. Training can be woven into daily activities, including walking to school, making dinner, or even watching television. Training relies on positive reinforcement rather than coercion or punishment to reinforce the desired outcome. Clicker sessions should last only a few minutes each.
Trainers needed to find another way of letting the animal know that he was doing the right thing, so they began using a conditioned re-inforcer. Trainers who are new to clicker training often balk at the thought of giving up positive punishment and negative reinforcement. Trainers can take advantage of that natural tendency by providing positive reinforcement following an action that they want the animal to repeat
Dogs don’t speak English so initially ‘good dog ‘means nothing. Dogs, for example, often learn the association in one session, with as few as five to 10 repetitions. They have better hearing than we do, and they quickly learn to listen for their owner’s click, whilst ignoring all others.
Don’t order the animal around; it is not command-based. Don’t mix scoldings, leash-jerking, and correction training with clicker training; you will lose the animal’s confidence in the clicker and perhaps in you. Don’t worry that you have to dole out treats quickly after the click.
Reinforcements include: food (and different kinds of food), toys (and different kinds of toys), access to walks, access to the couch, access to the back yard, access to YOU. Treats can be confidently given even if the dog doesn’t remain in the position because the behaviour has been marked by a click. Treats are efficient, in that they get the dogs attention, quick & fast and if the treats are tiny (about the size of a pea), they are quickly devoured and the dog is ready to do something else to get paid.
Clicker training is a fast, humane, and enriching way of integrating your pet into a new home and fixing or avoiding behavioural problems. It’s being used successfully to teach all kinds of dog-related activities, including competition obedience, agility, tracking, Schutzhund, flyball, canine musical freestyle, field work, water, and draft. Clicker training is as positive as any other method of training, plus it incorporates an effective communication tool.
Dave Naisby is a Dental Surgeon in Northern Scotland with a keen interest in facial aesthetics veterinary dentistry. He also runs MuttsnPups an online store selling ‘quality kit for quality mutts’ in the UK.
Tags: behaviour, behavioural problems, clicker training, dog training, Rewards
Recent Comments