Teaching dogs with Clicker training will guide your dog to learn how to perform tasks through a series of small actions.
This enables them to easily understand commands and complete tasks effectively. So, how do you make your pet understand commands from the Clicker? Let’s follow the article below from Dailypets.net.
What does Clicker dog training mean?
Clicker is a commonly used dog training tool. It looks like a switch that, when pressed, produces a clicking sound. Clicker training, also known as Clicker dog training, guidance, instruction, and teaching dogs, is a new and effective method of dog training. It is especially suitable for pet owners because dogs are always emotionally attached to their owners. It is very suitable for all different breeds of dogs such as Poodle, Pug, Beagle, Husky… Very convenient to use.
In addition, you can teach them advanced lessons without much effort. Petting and praising actions are condensed into a Click. Your pet dog quickly understands commands and performs them diligently. Furthermore, it is suitable for all different breeds of dogs, from small to large.
How Clicker Works
The operation of the Clicker is very simple. A connection is made between each Clicker press and a food reward for the dog. Each time you press the Clicker, the dog is immediately rewarded with food. After repeating the Clicker press many times, the dog will understand that it will be rewarded every time it hears the Clicker sound. From then on, the puppy will develop a habit of doing everything to please the trainer in order to hear the Clicker sound. Because hearing the Clicker sound means there’s food.
An example of the effectiveness of Clicker dog training is teaching a dog to turn in a circle. To make the dog understand the trainer’s intention, you first need to perform an action to make the dog turn slightly away from its current position. When it turns slightly, the trainer clicks the Clicker. At that moment, the dog understands that if it turns slightly, it will hear the Clicker sound and be rewarded.
Once the dog does this, the trainer creates another action for the dog to turn a quarter of a circle away and then click the Clicker. This process continues until the dog completes a full circle and the Clicker is clicked. With Clicker dog training, you can apply it to puppies as young as 6 weeks old.
Usually, when the dog does something correctly, the owner will pet and praise it and then provide food. And when the owner praises the dog, it knows it has done something right. But the petting action takes time and is no more effective than the Clicker sound. The Clicker sound can replace that petting action.
Steps to Familiarize Your Dog with the Clicker
Choose a time to train your dog to get used to Clicker training before mealtime or when the dog is hungry. If you train when the dog is full, it will lose interest in food and exercise. The training time to familiarize your dog with the Clicker can be as short as 10 minutes or as long as 2 days. It depends on whether the dog is eager to eat or not.
- Place the dog’s food in a small bowl. Let the dog see that you have food, and will follow you.
- Raise the bowl of food high or somewhere the dog can’t reach. Hold a handful of food and the Clicker in the other.
- Start clicking the Clicker for each click, and immediately give the dog some food. Each click corresponds to one piece of food. You can place the food in the dog’s mouth or toss it on the ground.
- Repeat the clicking and feeding action until the dog becomes accustomed to the command. Each time the dog hears the Clicker, it knows it will get food, and it will quickly understand the training.
Basic Clicker Dog Training Exercises Since training can start at a very young age, it’s best to begin with the simplest exercises. You can refer to the training methods at DailyPets.net to learn these basic exercises. Once your puppy is proficient in training, you can introduce more advanced exercises. Combine interaction between the owner and the pet.
- Teach your dog to get used to Clicker dog training.
- Teach commands like “Come here,” “Sit,” “Lie down,” and “Stand up” one by one.
- Focus (the dog always looks into your eyes no matter what’s happening around you).
- Train the dog not to jump on the owner or guests.
- Walk alongside the owner’s legs (with or without a leash).
- Potty training.
- Get used to a crate.
- Pick up items for the owner (throw a treat or an item, and the dog goes to pick it up and brings it back).
- Retrieve (throw an item for the dog to pick up and release it to your hand or place it nearby).
- Find objects (teach the dog to find objects).
- Ring a bell (place a bell at the door and train the dog to ring it when it needs to go outside).
Notes When Training with Clicker Dog Training Many people wonder why they have to press the Clicker instead of just giving the dog food. Pressing the Clicker helps the dog become familiar with the Clicker sound. They will understand that they will get food when they hear that sound. You can use treats or toys as rewards for your dog. Remember the following steps for using Clicker dog training effectively:
- Click or reward immediately after the desired action.
- Always click before and reward after.
- Click only once.
Petting with your hands can take a lot of time, but the Clicker has a similar effect, and you only need to click for a second, which the dog can quickly understand. You can easily make it yourself or purchase it from a pet store. Make sure to feed your dog promptly every time you hear the Clicker sound. If your dog hasn’t learned the command after 2 days, be patient and start the training again from the beginning.
