Archives : 2008 : November

The Benefits of Clicker Training

 

How Clicker Training Will Help You and Your Dog!

Clicker training helps your dog learn behaviors. Rather than simply guessing what you want him to do and running through his gamut of tricks, your dog will actually learn the behavior.

Clicker’s are simple and easy to use. It’s a small handheld tool that makes a clicking noise when you press it. It’s this noise that marks the behavior so while anyone can learn to use it you must practice clicking.

Clicking embraces positive reinforcement training techniques. Positive reinforcement has been shown to activate chemicals in a dog’s brain. These chemicals create associations in the brain – positive associations, strong associations.

Clicker training helps build a bond of trust. When you click and reward, click and reward your dog learns that you are a person who holds true to your word. You are a person to be trusted and relied upon.

Clicker training creates structure. Dogs, and most people, prefer a structured environment. Now that doesn’t mean they’re not adaptable but by and large they want to know what to expect. Clicker training tells them what to expect.

Clicker training can be used on just about any animal, not just dogs. Animals and people too, respond well to operant conditioning – particularly when the consequence is a pleasant thing.

The benefits of clicker training have a broad reach. It’s a fairly simple method to use and when you have the right training guidelines and information clicker training is one of the most effective and efficient training methods available.

Depending on the training resources you utilize, clicker training is also very cost effective. With the minimal cost of a clicker and the information found here you’ll be well on your way to a happy and healthy pooch!

 

What is Clicker Training?

Clicker training is based on the behavioral psychology concept of operant conditioning.  Without getting too technical, because this is not Psych 101, operant conditioning states that when you use consequences you can modify behavior and training. 

However clicker training doesn’t use punishment as consequences like older more traditional forms of dog training, but rather uses rewards to modify behavior and training.  There are of course, many benefits to using clicker training and positive reinforcement.

A Clicker is a Conditioned Reinforcer

A clicker, a small handheld device which makes a clicking noise when pressed, is a conditioned reinforcer.  Meaning that the specific sound a clicker makes marks a desired behavior.  You can pick them up at most pet stores for just a couple bucks. 

For example, you ask your dog to sit and he sits, you click and that signal marks the behavior.  Your reward so that he begins to make associations.  Your dog begins to relate the treat to the click and the click to performing the behavior you request.  

Why Clicker Training is Important

Why this is so important to learning.  While sit isn’t such a difficult behavior for dogs to learn many behaviors are.  Many behaviors take several steps to perform correctly and therefore it’s very important your dog knows when he’s performed all or part of the behavior correctly.  Now you might be asking, “Why can’t I just say ‘good dog?’”  

Our voices change inflection, we use different words, and we’re unable to speak as accurately as a simple click.  That being said, you will absolutely need to practice clicking to achieve the accuracy necessary for it to be useful. 

You certainly don’t want to click a split second later when your dog has decided to stand up again after the sit command because now you’ve just marked the standing up behavior – not what you were intending on teaching! 

Tomorrow I’ll post the benefits of Clicker Training. You can also read some more on Clicker Training For Dogs here.