Clicker Training for Dogs: Master Basic Training, Common Cues, and Fun Tricks in 15 Minutes a Day Read online

  Before You Start Training, Be Honest About Your Dog (and You!)

  Imagine your dream dog. What qualities do you envision them having? How do you want them to behave day to day? Ideally, how much time would you spend exercising them? What positive aspects would they add to your life? How can you help your dog take on some of the qualities you just envisioned?

  Before you start any training plan, be honest with yourself about how much time you can commit to training. Setting realistic goals will keep you and your dog invested in the training game. Every dog is a unique individual, so they each require a customized training plan. For example, some dogs learn to walk well on a leash after just a few months, whereas others may take up to a year to walk on a loose leash. Some tricks, such as Spin, may be easy for your dog to learn in a couple of days, whereas Roll Over may take several weeks.

  What Is Your Dog’s History? Are There Existing Behavioral Issues?

  Check with your vet before you begin training to make sure your plan is appropriate for your dog. If your dog has any history of injury, it’s important to modify your training exercises to prevent further injury. Remember that every dog is different. Some exercises may be easy for your dog, and others more difficult.

  Do your research on your dog’s behavioral history. Ask the breeder or someone who has spent some time with your dog if they’ve noticed any behavioral patterns, such as the dog being afraid of other dogs, people, certain sounds, and so on. You need to be aware of their anxiety issues and aggression tendencies, and you may want to contact a behaviorist if either feels uncontrollable. Working on behavioral issues should always be your priority. Bringing about a major shift in behavior takes a lot of time and patience. Set a realistic timeline to prevent too much frustration.

  Remember that your goal with training is to help your dog. Don’t get too caught up in the challenging moments, and avoid forcing your dog to do anything that would cause extreme fear or anxiety. You know your dog better than anyone; be their advocate in the world.

  What Are the Characteristics of Your Dog’s Breed?

  All dogs can learn, but not all dogs are suited for every activity. Do some research on your dog’s breed to get a better understanding of their natural instincts and talents. Your dog’s breed can tell you a lot about their natural tendencies. All dogs have different genetic qualities that make them more drawn to certain activities. For example, herding breeds are notorious for being quick learners, which makes sense when you consider the intricate skills they use to herd sheep. Terriers can be stubborn and may be a bit more difficult to teach. They were bred for protecting the home and killing vermin, and that’s what they’re good at. They will learn the same behaviors, but it may take a bit more time and practice.

  The American Kennel Club currently recognizes 197 different dog breeds. Each breed has unique qualities and characteristics based on its genetics, physical makeup, and temperament. Taking your dog’s natural tendencies into consideration when working on their training plan will give you realistic expectations and help you understand their instincts.

  How Old Is Your Dog? Do They Have any Health Issues?

  All dogs are capable of learning, regardless of their age. Check with your vet before you begin any training plan, to make sure the training supports your dog’s health needs. Younger puppies learn quickly but have shorter attention spans than older pups. An older dog may be able to train for an hour, whereas a puppy may only be able to train for 5 or 10 minutes at a time. Make a training schedule that suits your dog’s abilities to focus and train. More active breeds, such as labs and border collies, may require more mental and physical activity per day than a more docile breed, such as a pug.

  Are You Willing to Put in the Work?

  When you choose positive training, you’re committing to putting in the time to teach your dog about your world and what they can expect to see and interact with. Dogs do not come preprogrammed. You must be a good leader and guide to your dog by setting them up for success. Training your dog is a lifelong process. Consistency is key. You don’t need to spend hours and hours training, but a few minutes every day will make all the difference.

  Training Won’t Happen Overnight

  When you buy a piggy bank, you don’t receive the piggy bank with money in it. Over time, you put change in the jar, and the jar fills up. Think of a little piggy bank for each of your dog’s cues. Each time you reward your dog for a correct response, you’re putting a coin in the piggy bank for that behavior. For every trained behavior they learn, they’ll need a piggy bank full of reinforcement before they should be expected to offer that behavior without fail.

  Have Patience with Your Pet (and Yourself)

  Frustration is one of the main reasons people contact dog trainers. People often have unrealistic expectations of their dogs. Dogs have absolutely no idea how to act in our world without some help and guidance. If you just let your dog do their thing, they would sprint around all day, chew on the furniture, and pee on the rug. Many dog parents feel annoyed with behaviors that are part of dogs’ natural instincts, such as chewing, barking, and jumping. People often become very frustrated with their puppy’s desire to nip, chew, and bark. For all these behaviors, at least several weeks of training are required to see major improvement. Be patient with your dog and check in on their progress over several months rather than several days. You can teach your dog anything if you break it down into small enough tasks.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Clicker Training 101

  THE CLICKER IS simply a sound that marks an event in time. Using science-based learning theory, behaviorists discovered that you can use a clicker to capture and reinforce behavior. When you pair the click with something rewarding to the learner, you capture good behavior because you’re communicating to your dog that they’ve done something you liked. The clicker itself isn’t anything special; it’s simply a unique sound that your dog will only hear in training.

  What Is Clicker Training?

  Clicker training is a method and philosophy for training animals that focuses on marking and rewarding desirable behavior. The clicker is a small handheld button that makes a “click” sound when you press it. The clicker lets your dog know when they have offered a behavior that you like, and it signifies that a reward is coming.

  The clicker is an event marker, meaning that the click pinpoints a specific moment. The click means three things to your dog: (1) I liked that behavior, (2) you earned a reinforcer, and (3) the behavior is over.

  Using the clicker to capture specific desirable behaviors allows you to be more precise with your timing, which allows for clearer communication with your dog. Most people can press a button with more accuracy than they can say a word. The clicker makes a sound that your dog will only hear when you are training with them.

  Many trainers use marker words such as “Good!” or “Yes!” in addition to, or instead of, a clicker. Both clickers and marker words have the same function: to mark desirable behavior.

  A Brief History of Clicker Training

  In the early 1900s, a Russian physiologist named Ivan Pavlov observed connections between dogs responding to different stimuli. He noticed that when his dogs were presented with food, they began to salivate. When his assistants who fed the dogs entered the room, the dogs also began to salivate (even if the assistants didn’t have food). He experimented on this connection by ringing a bell before his assistants brought in food for the dogs. Sure enough, the dogs began to drool when they heard the bell. They made a connection between the unconditioned stimulus, the food, and the conditioned stimulus, the bell. The learned association between two events is called classical conditioning.

  In the mid–20th century, American education researcher Edward Thorndike discovered that behavior with a positive outcome is more likely to be repeated than behavior with a negative outcome. The American psychologist B. F. Skinner built on this research to study operant conditioning, or the idea that behavior can be modified by reinforcem
ent or punishment. Positive reinforcement is an aspect of operant conditioning that reinforces behavior through a reward with something desirable to the learner.

  Using these principles, animal behavior experts Keller Breland, Marian Breland Bailey, and Bob Bailey created the clicker. They used clickers to train many species, including dolphins, dogs, and chickens.

  Dog trainer Karen Pryor applied clicker training to dogs in her 1984 book Don’t Shoot the Dog, which became popular in the dog training community and converted many trainers to the world of positive reinforcement. Clicker training taught people to focus on the behaviors they liked rather than on those they disliked. This was the first time a dog training method without punishment was widely used.

  Why Clicker Training Works

  Training with the clicker establishes a language between you and your dog. Your dog will only hear the sound of the click when you’re training, making the clicker stand out. The click will only be present if there’s a reinforcer. For example, when you teach your dog to sit, if you click the moment your dog’s rear touches the ground, they will learn that you liked when they sat, and they will offer it again in the future. With practice, your dog will feel a positive emotional response when they hear the sound of the clicker.

  Positive training is force free and fear free, meaning you don’t use any physical force or intimidation when training. This dog-friendly method of training sets your dog up to succeed and motivates them to learn. Positive dog training builds understanding and trust between you and your dog.

  Why Is Positive Reinforcement Training So Important?

  Using a No Reward Marker (NRM), such as “No!,” “Wrong!,” “Bad!,” or “Eh-eh!” can negatively impact your dog’s confidence and motivation. Instead of feeling encouraged, many dogs feel stressed and start to dread training if they receive a lot of negative feedback. Frustration and even aggression are common side effects of using an NRM in training.

  One of the many great things about clicker training is that the absence of the click, or marker, serves as an NRM. Until your dog hears the marker, they can infer that something they’re doing isn’t correct. Working without an NRM keeps your dog invested in the training game.

  Using an NRM is often the result of the trainer’s impatience. It’s much easier to blame your pup than it is to admit your training plan needs revision. If your dog isn’t succeeding, go back a few steps and make it easier for your dog so they’re more likely to be successful. Break down your training goals into small, achievable steps for your dog.

  Benefits of Clicker Training

  Clicker training helps dogs develop a better understanding of our human world. Clicker training teaches your dog how you do want them to act. Before force-free training became popular, most trainers used punishment-based training, which uses intimidation and force to correct dogs. This style of training is abusive and gives very little information to the learner about what they should do. Punishment-based training often results in the learner feeling fearful, unsafe, and stressed. Nobody wants those negative characteristics to be instilled in their dog.

  Commit to training your dog with force-free, fear-free techniques. Focus on reinforcing your dog rather than punishing them. Work in ways that build trust and keep your dog feeling enthusiastic, confident, and motivated to train.

  It Rewards Desirable Behaviors

  The clicker is a tool used to pinpoint and highlight moments of desirable behavior. In school, teachers use grades, praise, and prizes to reinforce good behavior. The clicker works in a similar way. You can also compare the clicker and treats to being paid for working—the click “buys” the dog the reward. To get more clicks, your dog will try to offer the behaviors that you have previously reinforced. This reinforcement pattern shapes your dog’s behavior. Using a clicker is an easy way to communicate moments that you like to your dog.

  It Provides Structure and Safety

  Your dog needs to feel cared for and listened to. Using clicker training is a simple, effective way to begin to develop a language with your dog. Consistent training provides structure in your dog’s routine that reinforces desirable habits. By training your dog to offer behaviors that you like, you’re teaching them how you want them to behave.

  It’s Efficient and Effective

  The simplicity of clicker training makes it an effective method for many species. Clickers were first used in shows at aquariums with dolphins and seals. The scientific concepts of clicker training are not species specific. The clicker is small and fits in your pocket. The button is easy to press, making accurate timing on the trainer’s part much more likely. You only need to spend a few minutes a day to train with your dog and the clicker.

  It Builds the Bond Between Dog and Dog Parent

  Your dog can teach you a lot if you open up to learning from them. You’ll learn a lot about patience, love, trust, and companionship. Every day, my dogs remind me of the power of gratitude and unconditional love. Working with and training them reminds me of how important family is and how beautiful our relationships can be. Training a dog is a lot of work, but it is well worth the payoff.

  WHAT IF I HAVE MORE THAN ONE DOG IN THE HOUSE?

  If you have more than one dog, spend time working with each individually. The most effective training sessions are one-on-one. Working around distraction is difficult for most dogs. Focusing on one dog at a time when you’re training a new behavior or working in a new environment will lead to success.

  Training with multiple dogs is possible—and a lot of fun—but it’s important to establish foundations one-on-one. If you want to have both dogs in the same room, work on teaching them how to relax in their crate or on a bed, and how to Stay. Start with sending one dog to their spot and cueing them to Stay. Cue your other dog to offer a behavior or two and then reward both dogs. Repeat by swapping your dogs’ tasks. Gradually work up to training with one dog for a minute or two while the other relaxes.

  Common Hurdles Along the Way

  You might encounter a few challenges when clicker training with your dog.

  Motivating your dog. Work with reinforcers or rewards that genuinely excite your dog. Keep a variety of toys and treats in your home so you have easy access to high-value rewards. If your dog loses focus, try switching up the reward.

  Keeping your dog feeling successful. The more successful your dog feels, the more likely they are to engage in the training game in the future. If you make the exercises too difficult, your dog will feel stressed and may learn to dislike training. Make each exercise easy enough that they are successful, and gradually sprinkle in more difficult repetitions.

  Getting your dog to reliably respond in any environment. Your dog will need to go back to kindergarten at times—especially in new or high-distraction environments—and that is okay. Try not to feel frustrated. They need you to help them out when they’re in a new place or a distracting environment.

  The Key to Clicker Training Success

  Keep in mind that clicker training is the most functional when you do the following:

  Commit to a training plan. Learning happens with repetition. Create a training plan that you can realistically commit to.

  Use precise timing. Aim to click at the exact moment your dog offers the behavior you’re looking for when you’re training a new behavior.

  Always reward if you click. By always pairing the click with a reward, you’ll keep the clicker high value to your dog.

  Know when to add criteria. Move on to the next step of training a behavior only when your dog offers the correct response at least 80 percent of the time.

  Know when to stop clicking a behavior. When your dog can respond to the cue correctly in several environments with various levels of distraction, you can drop the click. Instead, use a marker word, such as “Good!” or “Yes!” to communicate to your dog that they have offered the correct behavior.

  Be Consistent, and Practice Every Day

  Consistency is absolutely key to your dog’s tr
aining success. Behaviors that are regularly reinforced are more likely to be repeated. Make sure to train every day, preferably multiple times per day. It’s okay to take a few days off here and there, but you’ll need to practice on a regular schedule to maintain your dog’s training.

  Set Attainable Goals

  Always keep your dog feeling successful and enthusiastic. It can be tempting to try and push your dog to the next level of an exercise quickly, but that often leads to frustration. Move at a pace that keeps them feeling successful, so they’ll want to keep playing the training game. If training becomes too difficult, your dog will not want to participate.

  Break Down Steps

  The best way to achieve a training goal is to break down the goal into tiny steps. For example, when I train a dog to Roll Over, first I need to train them to lie down. Then I use shaping to get the dog to relax over on one hip by clicking and rewarding them for making any move in the right direction. Finally, I work on luring the roll. Breaking down the steps into attainable goals allows the dog to learn the behavior without anxiety or frustration.

  Stay Positive, Calm, and Kind

  Embody the energy you would like your dog to have. The more patient and encouraging you are, the more likely your dog is to stay positive and engaged. Remember that your dog is trying their best to understand how you and the world work.