Clicker training dogs is based on positive reinforcement methods that are gentle and effective. Unlike harsh dog training methods like leash jerking, or potentially dangerous equipment like electronic collars, clicker training is easy, fun and effective. It takes a bit of practice to get the timing down, but before long you will be training your dog like a professional.
The clicker itself can be easily purchased at most pet supply stores or online. It’s a simple and inexpensive plastic and metal device that is small enough to fit in your hand (and your pocket) and does not require assembly, batteries or complicated instructions. It’s about the size of a key-ring-sized garage door opener, and is just as easy to operate.
Really, there is nothing magical or special about the canine clicker except that it makes a consistent and distinctive sound that your dog can recognize even in a busy environment. That means you can communicate with your dog if you are training together in a public area like a park and are surrounded by other distracting noises.
And because dogs have such acute hearing, they can distinguish the sound of their clicker from among all of the other clickers when you are in a group dog training class. One of the reasons that the clicker is so effective as a training device, even with young puppies, is that the sound it makes immediately draws the dog’s attention to it. Before a trainer can teach any dog anything, the first task is to get the dogs attention.
And if you have ever stood in front of your dog calling it’s name repeatedly while he looks around the room everywhere but at you, then you ready know that getting his attention is not always as easy as it sounds. But when most dogs hear the sound of a clicker, their heads immediately turn toward it. And since you are holding the clicker, that means you have your dog’s attention. But the clicker by itself will not train your dog. But it becomes a powerful training tool when paired with a system of rewards and a dog training plan.
At the beginning while you are still learning about clicker training dogs, you will simply be teaching your dog to associate the sound of the clicker with a reward, usually a small food treat. You will be practicing your own timing as you click and then immediately reward your dog. In later training sessions, you will pair the treats, the clicker and the behaviors you want your dog to be able to perform on command, like sit, lie down and heel. And the best part is that you and your dog will be having fun together in the process.