Clicker Training - How to do it!

CLICKER TRAINING

This is an effective and increasingly popular tool in modern dog training. It is based totally on positive reinforcement and therefore creates enthusiasm and great motivation when used properly.

The clicker is a small plastic box with a metal thumb sized strip which when pushed creates a unique ‘clicking’ sound. There is nothing special or magical about the clicker itself except that the sound it makes is unique and clear to the dog as well as being consistent, unlike spoken words which can vary in pronunciation depending on the trainer’s mood.

Using a clear consistent sound when training to pinpoint specific correct behaviours makes it easy for the dog to pick up exactly what is wanted and repeat it over again.

Timing is crucial. The click must come at the very moment the dog performs the desired behaviour e.g. If teaching your dog to sit, the click must be heard at the moment his bottom touches the floor and not a second later. The dog may sit and then turn his head or lift a paw and if the click is late he will think that you are clicking for one of these other behaviours!

The clicker can only be used once it has been ‘paired’ with what is called a primary reinforcer. This is something that the dog finds naturally rewarding e.g. food.

The scientist Pavlov discovered that if he rang a bell every time he fed his dog, very soon the dog would expect food when he heard the bell without even seeing or smelling food. Furthermore he began to drool or ‘salivate’ on hearing the bell. He had made a connection in his brain which paired the sound of the bell with eating food and formed a biological response.
This process is called ‘classical conditioning’.

Clicker training is based on this very idea. The trainer ‘pairs’ the clicker with food / treats to create a dog who desperately wants to hear a click!
The trainer then teaches the dog that to make her click he must perform the correct behaviour. This part of the process is called ‘Operant conditioning’. This is so much better than conventional training because the dog is trying to please the trainer instead of the trainer having to pull or push a bored dog in to position!

HOW TO DO IT!

If your dog is prone to gaining weight use his dinner or, if using treats, cut down on his dinner later. Either way this will be more effective if he is hungry and the food is really tasty!

Put the treats in your pocket or in a bowl but make sure your dog can’t mug you for them!

Simply give your dog a treat and at that very moment ‘click’. There is no need to say anything, the clicker is the only sound the dog needs to hear. Repeat this over and over for several short sessions between 5 and 10 minutes long.

After several sessions look for signs that the dog has made the connection in his mind between the sound of the clicker and getting a treat. This may be that he looks excitedly at the clicker instead of the treats waiting for the sound, or from the clicker to the bowl. It may be useful to move away from the bowl a few paces and see if he stays with the bowl or comes toward you and the clicker. He should also look up excitedly when you click as if he knows food is coming!

OPERANT CONDITIONING USING THE CLICKER

The next step of the process is to teach the dog that he can actually make you click by performing certain actions. This is where the real fun starts!

Instead of trying to push or pull your bored dog in to doing things, he will actually start to offer you behaviours in an attempt to make you click! My dog shakes with anticipation and almost can’t wait for my instruction to sit, bow, lay down, spin, shut doors for me, bring my shoes and various other tasks. He just loves it and can’t stop wagging his whole body! It lights me up to see him so happy and full of life.

When your dog is doing one task really well you can add in a verbal command. E.g. you have clicked when he sits nicely and now he is sitting nicely regularly for a click. Now start to say ‘Sit’ every time he puts his bottom on the floor followed instantly by the click. Decide how you will say ‘sit’ and say it the same each time so that he gets used to the word and recognizes it easily. Dogs are very sensitive to pitch and tone in our voices.

After several sessions try saying Sit and be ready to click if your dog responds in the right way. Then try doing it when your dog doesn’t know you have the clicker e.g. when you go to make a cup of tea rather than in a training session but have the clicker and a treat in your pocket ready! This way you will know if he really understands the word ‘sit’.

If your dog does it straight away give him lots of praise too! Try to praise in a high voice (and scold him in a low voice) he will understand this way of communicating.

You can teach all sorts of behaviours using this method. Just remember to be patient. Try the game with a friend first, get them to think of something you must do but not tell you then click when you get nearer and nearer to doing the behaviour they want until you know what to do. This is a very valuable exercise to do before you are let loose on your dog with the clicker as it makes you understand how hard it is for him to guess what you want and helps you get it right.

Clicker training is brilliant for teaching tricks or difficult tasks. Remember training should be fun for both you and your dog and help build a bond between you. If you start to get annoyed or frustrated STOP! This will make your dog want to avoid training sessions and seriously impede future attempts.

VITAL RULES!

If you click you MUST treat. Even if you click by mistake. The click must mean ‘treat’ to your dog or the connection will start to break down. This is why you must practice your timing and use of the clicker before starting with your dog.

NEVER use the clicker to call your dog. The correct behaviour MUST come first and the clicker is used to MARK that behaviour.

Good luck and happy clicking!!

If you would like any further help on clicker training please email: paws.4@hotmail.co.uk

There are also some good books on the market containing clicker training chapters.

How Dogs Learn

Modern dog training places its emphasis on positive motivation. That is, using primary reinforcers which are things the dog will naturally needs (food, sex, water, interaction / play). Of course it is not relevant to use all of these. For most dogs the overriding desire is for food, they are genetically engineered to use every opportunity to get it regardless of supply and therefore it is a fantastic tool for training. Toys are also a good tool for training, they satisfy the dogs natural predatory instinct through chasing, catching, shaking etc. These two tools can be used together for full effect, afterall, at the end of a chase comes the food!

Traditional dog trainers will insist that their dogs 'work for them' and that they dont use motivation techniques, this is rubbish, the motivation here is to avoid the pain of the correction collar or other punishment. Surely it is better to have a dog who looks forward to training sessions, who gets excited about working with you? Additionally, if your dog enjoys training it is more likely to respond to a command at a distance, if it only responds for fear of correction when you are close, why will he respond at distance? In fact why should he want to come anywhere near you?!

Train using positive reinforcement using primary and secondary reinforcers and negative punishment (eg. ignoring behaviour).

Secondary reinforcers are sounds that the dog is taught to associate with a primary reinforcer. The scientist Pavlov discovered that if he rang a bell everytime a dog was fed, the dog learned that the bell meant food. He was then able to make the dog salivate by ringing the bell without any food present. The dog had created a connection in his brain causing a biological response.

One such secondary reinforcer used in training is the 'clicker'. We will cover clicker training in another section. Others can be words of praise that are regularly used when training using primary reinforcers (food etc), the dog learns that these words mean you like what he is doing and he is likely to get a treat soon!

The Dog's Mind

In order to have the best relationship possible with your dog it is important to understand the way he thinks and perceives the world around him.

It is important to take on board that dogs do not think the way that humans do, as this causes much heartache and frustration on the part of the owner and results in a stressed unhappy dog.

Dogs do not have the ability think rational objective thoughts, take revenge, use hindsight or foresight. Placing these expectations on your dog is unfair and unnecessary. Dogs have their own unique amazing qualities, some of which we can only begin to imagine (e.g. their sense of smell). We should concentrate on the qualities they do have instead of the ones we think they ought to.

Understand that dogs are Amoral. That is, there is no right or wrong, just survival or death.
If we want to teach them not to do something we must understand that they will not percieve it as wrong in the same way that we do, but will simply learn that when they do act something negative will happen.

They learn by positive and negative experiences, therefore if something they do results in a pleasant experience (eg. they get food or play) they will do it again. If it results in an unpleasant or neutral experience (eg. they get hurt or frightened) they will be less likely to do it again.

Dogs are social animals like humans and dislike isolation. They are natural predators and have very strong instincts to stalk, chase, catch, chew and even kill in varying degrees (depending on the breed). Many dog behaviours are unacceptable to us humans eg. sniffing each other, peeing in public etc. But if you have a dog, you should be aware of what its natural behaviour will include and understand that its not wrong, its just 'dog'.

The happiest and best behaved dogs have owners who understand the way they their dogs think and learn and what motivates them and take time to use this knowledge to improve the relationship. Take the lead role in a calm, kind but firm, no nonesense manner. Shouting continuous commands to a dog who is taking no notice for whatever reason is futile and confirms that you are not in control of the situation.

Training involves patience time and effort and when done with these pays off a hundred times over. It is important for safety when you are out with him and allows you to relax and enjoy your time together much more. It is also a great way of building the relationship between you.

Never expect your dog to do something because 'he should want to please you'. Its rubbish, and will cause you heartache and frustration. Give him a reason to WANT to please you ie. the right motivation. You wouldn't go to work just to please you partner / boss if you weren't getting paid would you?! exactly!