Introduction to Clicker Training

I have been browsing recently and a common question is “how to use a clicker” or often people are advised to use a clicker with no real guidance. I thought this may help as a quick guide to why we use it, some examples and how it works. I hope this helps

We taught Buster using a clicker it was much easier especially with a stubborn breed. Within weeks of using the clicker we had taught Buster the basics and a few months later he had learned some fun tricks like ‘speak’, ‘wash your face’ and ‘wave hello’

When we rescued Millie I was fairly naïve and assumed training would just happen. We took her to the first training class with over 20 dogs. It was a small church hall and we soon realised that Millie couldn’t do her basics such as sit and lie down. Her focus was very much on the reward but we were missing that point where the behaviour we wanted was going un-noticed.

The training class didn’t use clickers and the very mention of one sent them into a frenzy.

Ensuring we could get individual time with each Beagle we planned a personal training rota. One night Millie would go out with my parents while Buster worked on heelwork exercises and concentration tasks such as ‘watch me’. We used our trusty clicker and within days had his 99.9% attention…I don’t think the 0.1% will ever be achieved…he’s a beagle

On alternate sessions with Millie we introduced the clicker for the first time, and boy didn’t we struggle. We knew what it was but poor Millie was terrified of it. We started by saying her name and when she responded to the name we clicked and offered a very small titbit. She soon connected the click with something good.

We then introduced commands such as ‘sit’ and ‘lie down’ and corresponding actions for these commands. Within a week Millie was sitting, lying down and performing a perfect recall.

How Clicker Training works

I am no dog trainer although I’d love to study Canine Behaviour and Psychology. I did however train on a four year Bachelor of Education degree and graduated as a teacher. Whilst reading my puppy books and beagle breed books I decided we’d go down the clicker route. It echoed my teacher training…in particular the reading I carried out for my dissertation on extrinsic, intrinsic motivation and behaviour conditioning…I won’t bore you with that

I remember reading about a theorist BF Skinner who used animals within his research on operant conditioning.

Operant conditioning

> Reinforcement (Positive)

In positive reinforcement B.F Skinner used a box with a lever the stimulus (food) was received when the animal (I believe use used rats) performs a certain behaviour. So put simply when the rat touched the button/lever the food was released. So in teaching when a child is good they get praise or a sticker hence positive reinforcement.

The main aim: to increase the behaviour

> Punishment (negative)


Punishment basically works in the opposite way. For example a child in school is talking during class so the teacher puts the name on the board. In fact this echoes BF Skinner’s research where he used the same box with a rat but this time he tried using a shock to stop certain behaviours.

The main aim: to decrease the behaviour

So why am I going on about this I hear you say??

Well for obvious reasons one method works better than the other. After 6 months of research I learnt that dishing out stickers was far more beneficial than dishing out detentions

With dogs the clicker replaces stickers and is a perfect way to achieve certain behaviours.

How many times has your dog weed on the floor and you have shouted? That is negative reinforcement and by shouting, complaining, moaning and grumbling at your dog you are still giving attention and Fido will see that as positive…he got attention and trust me to a dog that’s great. For me personally learning to keep my mouth shut was one of the hardest things to do with Buster.

Spose I better put a disclaimer on this...I remember parts from my teacher training but in the attempt to keep things simple I will not go into the full ins and outs look up via the net for more info but I have just placed my recollections on what worked for me as a teacher and some success stories whilst training my two crazy beagles

The Clicker

You can buy one of these from almost every pet store for around 99p - £6. I find the Klix Clicker is better as the volume can be modified…some are very quiet however this does depend on your dog. Buster responds better to the louder click and Millie hates it.
The clicker is a springy metal strip inside a small container. When pressed it makes a crisp, clear ‘click’ sound.

Getting Started

1. 1)Begin with your dog in a quiet area. You should have a nice bag of treats to hand. Treats are crucial during clicker training. Stand in front of your dog, click once then give a treat. The dog doesn’t have to do anything - just needs to associate the ‘click’ with the treat. Repeat this 5-10 times.
2. 2)
3. Start with a command your dog knows, if they don’t know any try using their name. When they respond click…then reward. In the early stages make sure treats are very yummy and worth working for Make sure after every click there is a yummy treat.
   
4. 3)
5. You should aim to repeat commands up to 5 preferably 10 times to reinforce that behaviour. Ensuring in the early stages that you click and reward. Soon your dog will realise “when you say sit and I do it I hear a click” and will respond to commands. This can also be used in the early days of house training click when the dog goes outside. The dog will learn to associate the good behaviour with the ‘click’ and the forthcoming treat, and will learn to repeat the behaviour. As your dog starts to associate the click with correct behaviours it’s important not to play with the clicker repeatedly clicking. Children should not use the clicker unless they fully understand it’s use. Likewise if your dog is super good you should only click once…clicking too many times weakens the effect. I learnt that during agility as he jumped over every jump…it can be distracting.

Advancing....

Over time you will be able to click and omit a treat that way your dog willl retain its excitement “will I or will I not get a treat this time’ its no good if your dog knows it will get a treat every time, as they advance you can start to make then work harder for a treat.

Why use a Clicker?

It’s the quickest, most effective way of delivering a reward or telling the dog he/she did well.

Also certain times of the month I can appear grumpy or stressed out by saying “Good Boy” yes we are acknowledging the behaviour but our tone and body language alters. Have we had a good day? Bad day? Argument with someone? Is it just the wrong time of the month? I always think back to one training class, I’d had a huge row with the husband that night and I was negative Buster didn’t really stand a chance…no clickers in class and I was in a foul mood. Poor Buster was doing well but I wasn’t rewarding him with a relaxed smile and ‘good boy’ I was detrimental to his training. A clicker makes the same sound regardless of what’s going on in the world

It's so late so will add some of the commands and how to teach them and common problems in the morning. Grrr so tired but can't sleep.

Sorry will update later

Wonderful posts just wanted to add this site. Highly recommended for clicker training
Levels.html

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"A dog is not "almost human," and I know of no greater insult to the canine race than to describe it as such."
John Holmes

Owned by Buster cairn terrier mix and Leo netherland dwarf mix bunny

Also Karen Pryor is a good resource

Thanks, it seems to be a very common question "how do I use the clicker" or "clicker training doesn't work" or I've even seen a couple of threads asking why a clicker is effective. I've had wonderful results with both my beagles (a notoriously difficult breed to train) and just wanted to help a little rather than lurk on threads

It works on any breed and most animals too but some people still insist they have a too 'ard dog (generally those doing protection sports) and so it won't work on their dog. I've seen lions being trained with a clicker to go into crush cages, offer their paws for examination etc pretty cool. Not for tricks I should point out but to make it safer and less stressful for them and the keepers to handle them for routine examinations etc

__________________
"A dog is not "almost human," and I know of no greater insult to the canine race than to describe it as such."
John Holmes

Owned by Buster cairn terrier mix and Leo netherland dwarf mix bunny

bump

Great thread

I wrote this article a while back:
Understanding the basics- Clicker Training

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