FAQ - Clicker Training
By now, most dog owners who are involved in training their dogs in some way, be it for sport or simply to have a better behaved dog, or who have looked at online dog forums for answers to training and behavior questions, have heard the term "clicker training".
Having heard the term is one thing, and starting to clicker train yourself is a whole different bag of potato chips, so to speak. So I want to write a little about the basics of clicker training for those of you who might be unclear about what the clicker actually does and how it's used in training.
What is a Clicker?
A clicker is a small, hand-held device that makes a loud clicking noise when it's pressed. If you've ever held a Snapple lid and pressed the little raised circle in its center to get that clicking noise, that's about what a clicker sounds like, except it's quite a bit louder.
There are different clicker designs out there, and most pet stores sell box clickers for 99 cents. The clicker pictured on the left is the type I use, it's called the iClick and it's available from Karen Pryor's store. I happen to like this particular design because it's very easy to press, even if the clicker isn't in a perfect position in my hand. Heck, I can click this one using my foot if I need to. Since timing is all important in clicker training (I'll explain why later), that's a huge bonus.
How does Clicker training work?
A clicker functions in dog training as a marker to mark the correct or wanted behavior. The reason we use a clicker to mark behaviors is that the click does not sound like anything other than a click, which keeps us from sending mixed or confusing messages to our dog. If we used a voice marker, such as "yes" or "good", we might inadvertently use the same marker word in another context, which would be pretty confusing to the dog, especially if we didn't ask for a behavior when using the word.
There is also evidence that using a clicker to train helps dogs to learn faster, remember what they've learned longer, and teach them to approach new training using their problem-solving skills. It is speculated that this is due to the fact that the specific, sudden sound of the clicker first speaks to the part of the dog's brain that controls emotion, the amygdala, before it reaches the thinking part of the dog's brain.
Introducing the Clicker
Before you can start using a clicker as an effective training tool, your dog must first understand that the click means "this is the behavior I want, good boy, here's your reward." The process of getting your dog to understand this and associate the click with a reward is called "charging" the clicker.
To do this, you will need a room that has relatively few distractions - I prefer to introduce new things and new commands in the kitchen, where I naturally have my dogs' attention. You will also need a bag of very good training treats, your clicker, and, of course, your dog. You'll want to take a hand full of treats, and simply click, then give your dog a treat. Click, and give a treat. Click, and give a treat.
It usually takes between ten and thirty repetitions for a dog to understand that the click means a treat will follow. You can test whether your dog understands the concept by letting his attention wander and, when he's looking anywhere but you, click. If he immediately looks to you, expecting a treat, he's grasped the concept. If he doesn't, repeat the process until he does.
If you've ever heard of Pavlov's Dog, you might find that there are similarities in the process. Pavlov's dogs (there were several) were conditioned to expect food when they heard certain familiar sounds, even if there was no food being offered to them. You're doing the same thing - you're conditioning your dog to expect a reward when he hears the sound of the clicker.
Training with the Clicker
Once your dog understands that a reward immediately follows the click, you can begin using the clicker and your bag of yummy training treats to teach behaviors.
If your dog already knows simple behaviors such as "sit", you may want to start there before you introduce new behaviors. Standing in front of him, ask your dog to sit and then click immediately when his behind goes down onto the ground.
Which brings me to the matter of timing.
Like I said above, timing is the single most important part of clicker training, aside from getting your dog to understand what the clicker means. It's also the hardest thing to learn, especially if you've never done it before, because it takes some talent to balance a clicker, leash, and treat bag, without spilling the treats, loosing the leash, or accidentally clicking at random! It's not as easy as it looks when you're doing it for the first time.
There is a saying that goes, "You get what you click for." What this means is, if you consistently click too late, you may be teaching your dog a whole different behavior than what you're actually trying to teach him. It may be helpful to have the aid of a trainer or friend to tell you when to click at the right time, or to tell you when you've waited too long or clicked too soon, so you can learn the correct timing.
If your dog does not have any training, start with teaching a very simple behavior, such as "sit". Using your treat as a lure, hold it slightly in front of your dog's nose, then move it over the dog's head. Most dogs will raise their heads to get at the treat, lowering their hind end onto the ground into a sitting position. (If your dog tries to walk backward, try doing this exercise with a wall behind your dog, so he can't go backward.) As soon as his rear-end lowers, click and reward him, even if it did not go all the way down. Repeat this a couple of times using your lure, then add a verbal cue ("sit") to the process. Repeat this a couple of times and start clicking only when the dog's behind is all the way on the ground. Then do it using just the verbal command and hand movement, and eventually phase out the hand movement and do it on verbal cue only.
You can use the same method to train other basic behaviors such as down, stay, heel, and come. If you train more complex behaviors, break them down into small steps before putting it all together - you'll find that you can train some difficult behaviors if you find ways to break them down and click to teach them.
Further Reading
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