Dogs Unite

In the dog community, we often use clicker training to train our dogs.  Clicker training is a form of operant conditioning.  Operant conditioning was first developed by B.F. Skinner and is a form of learning where a behavior is increased by a reinforcement or reward.  Positive reinforcement is a sub-type of operant conditioning and is a reinforcer that will the increase the behavior that is displayed.  Basically, your dog does an action, you click, and they are rewarded for the action with a treat.

Clicker training is simple and effective.  The clicker itself is just a metal strip that is inside a little plastic box and makes a distinctive click when it is pressed.  The reason behind using the clicker is because it is faster than just saying “good boy,” and your dog will learn the after the click they will get a treat.  The immediate click lets your dog know that the behavior he displayed was a good one, and the treat will make him more prone to do it again.

Teaching your dog the meaning of the click involves clicking the clicker and immediately giving them a treat following the click.   When teaching what the clicker is, begin with them in a quiet area, you don’t want anything distracting them.  Keep your treats ready and close by.  Begin pressing the clicker and giving your dog a treat immediately after.  You may have to repeat this process 5-10 times.  You can also test the effectiveness of the last steps by waiting until you feel your dog is not paying attention to you and press the clicker.  If he responds to the clicking by looking at you for treats, then it’s time to move on.  If he doesn’t pay attention to you, repeat the above steps again.

After your dog knows what the clicker is, you can move onto the next step in training basic commands.  To get more clicker training tips, visit your dog community today.

Clicker Training With Your Dog Community