Will Your Dog Respond to Clicker Training
Will Your Dog Respond to Clicker Training
Clicker training has become very a very popular training method among professional trainers and dog owners and it utilizes positive reinforcement to quickly and efficiently train dogs in a mutually enjoying way for both dog and owner. Clicker training can be used to teach dogs basic commands such as sit and stay, as well as more complex tricks. Using a clicker allows you to isolate wanted behavior in your dog and "marking" it with a click. This makes it much easier for the dog to understand what is required of him as clicks are consistent unlike verbal commands.
Once your dog has grasped the basic concept behind clicker training, you can move on to more complicated training and also fine-tune your dog's behavior. Due to the fact that clicker training is easier to understand (from a dog's point of view), your dog will learn faster and more efficiently than if you simply used verbal commands. Bear in mind that the most efficient way to train a dog is to keep your training sessions short you should limit your training sessions to 15 minutes a session but can you conduct multiple sessions in a day. Dogs have limited attention spans and training your dog for longer than 15 minutes can result in your dog become bored or uninterested with the training.
Get a Clicker and Some Treats
The first thing you need to do before commencing your clicker training is to buy a clicker and some tasty treats. Clickers are easy to find and you can buy one from a pet store or an online retailer. You will also need to buy some delicious treats to help motivate your dog. If your dog likes kibble, you can use dry food as a motivational treat. If your dog isn't motivated by dry food pet shops sell a wide variety of tempting treats which you can use. Hot dogs chopped into small pieces and dried in the microwave also make a great alternative as do dried liver and fresh chicken.
Commence Your Clicker Training
Put a leash on your dog and tie him securely if you're working in doors you can secure his leash to the knob of a closed door. Make sure the leash is tied properly so the dog can't pull himself free. This is to prevent your dog from lunging at you once he discovers you have some tasty treats, you want him to remain in position.
Stand away from his reach and grab his attention by calling out his name or showing his a treat. Placing a treat in one hand and the clicker in another, click the clicker and immediately give your dog a treat. Repeat this several times until your dog learns to associate the sound of the clicker with a reward (in this case, a treat). Make sure that every time you click, you give the dog a treat, even if you press the clicker by mistake. Do this a few times until the dog learns that a click is a positive reward. You should vary the time between the click and the treat a little and don't always hold the treat visibly in your hand or the dog may only learn to obey you when he sees a treat.
Teach Your Dog to Perform When You Click
If your dog hasn't already learned basic commands, the easiest command to begin your training with is the sit command. To do this you should stand in front of the dog with a treat in your hand and wait. Hold the treat up in front of the dog (but out of his reach) and the dog will eventually sit. You will have to be patient and wait until the dog sits. As soon as he sits click the clicker and offer the dog a treat. The dog will initially be confused as to why he was rewarded but if you repeat the process again a few times he will eventually understand what is wanted of him. Wait for the dog to sit, click and treat. If the dog catches on too cleverly and doesn't get up from his sitting position, walking away from him should incite him to stand up.
Once your dog learns how to sit, you can begin introducing a verbal command to go with the trick. Stand in front of the dog as you did when you were holding a treat but this time don't use a treat. Hold your hand up and say "sit" in a clear authoritative voice. As soon as the dog sits, reward with a click and treat. Keep doing this until the dog learns to sit when you issue the "sit" command. You can reinforce the command even further by using a positive tone of voice when issuing the command. Train your dog to come out of a sit position by using the command "ok" or "release" (you won't need to click and treat when using the release command).
Use The Same Process To Teach New Tricks
Use the above process to teach your dog other commands such as "stay", "stand" and "lie down". Many professional trainers like to use a hand signal along with a verbal command for greater effect. For example if you'd like to teach your dog to stand, place your hand facing palm upward and step back from your dog (who should be sitting). Once he stands up click and treat immediately. Repeat this several times and incorporate the "stand" command and your dog will eventually learn to stand on command. To make your training more mentally stimulating for the dog put him through a "sit" "stand" "sit" routine and vary the routine.
To teach your dog to stay on command put him in a sit position and silently count to five then click and treat. If the dog gets up before you've finished counting five in your head make a disappointed sound such as "uh uh!" or "tsst!" and place command him to sit again. Once he learns to stay for 5 seconds, gradually increase the time you want him to stay. Teach him to stand only when he hears the "stand" or "Release" command. Click and treat before you issue the release command and praise him profusely. Establish a routine of sit, stay and stand stay and vary the routine.
The next basic command you should teach your dog is to lie down. Hold a treat in your hand and reach down while hiding the treat in your hand in front of the dog. Your dog will try everything he can to get at the treat but won't be able to and will eventually lie down expectantly. As soon as he does that click and treat. Repeat this process several times and issue the "lie down" command until he learns to lie down on command. Incorporate a hand downward movement when using the lie down command to teach your dog the hand signal for this command.
Fine-Tuning Your Training
Your dog should understand the clicker by now and know that a click means a job well done. This is the time be being more selective in your clicking, only click if the dog performs the required behavior to perfection. You can also use clicker training to stop and overenthusiastic dog from jumping on you when greeting you. Click when the dog greets you with all four feet planted firmly on the ground. If you catch your dog doing something you like click and treat to enforce the behavior. As your dog learns to obey hand signals and verbal commands you can gradually phase out usage of the clicker but never use the clicker without offering a treat. Doing so will ensure you always have your dog's full attention whenever you use the clicker and this will make your training fun for the two of you.
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