Hey Dog Lovers,
Today I talk about clicker training in a brief introduction to it, how to do it and next week I will go more into clicker trainers and dog trainers who just use clickers.
Good dog trainers often use a small box called a clicker. The clicker makes a distinctive clicking sound when you press on it. This sound tells your dog “Yes, that is what I want you to do,” and it promises her a reward for a job well done. The clicker marks the exact moment she has done what you like. If you don’t like using gadgets, your dog is afraid of the clicker or you can’t use a clicker for some other reason, you can use a marker word, like “YES” instead of the clicker. You can also use a hand signal or the flash of a penlight if your dog is deaf. I will assume you are using a clicker below, but if you are using something else to mark the behavior, just use it in the places where I say to click.
The clicker is a stronger reinforcement than “YES”, but you almost always have your voice with you! I use the clicker to teach new behaviors, and then transition to a verbal marker when the dog understands what behavior I’m asking for.
11 Tips to shape Desirable Behaviors in your Dog
- Practice your timing
- Find Great Rewards
- Charge the Clicker
- Start Teaching a behavior
- Reward yourself
- Raise your criteria
- Raise your criteria again
- Raise your criteria even more
- Start rewarding only sometimes
- Put the Behavior to a Cue
- Take it on the road
Make sure to check back weekly for: Training Tuesdays and Thursday Thoughts!
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