11 Tips for Getting Started with the Clicker
Dog training is all about feedback and timing. A clicker lets the dog know “that’s right!” the moment they do what you want! (Criteria is what the dog has to do to get a treat).
1. First try out your clicker - press one end and you will get a distinct "click" noise.
If you press the wrong end - it won't depress and no click - just turn it around
2. Start by associating the Click with a treat. Just Click and give the dog a treat -
maybe 15 times - if the dog looks back to you when you click, he is beginning to
understand the basic equation of CLICK = TREAT.
3. Just one click to one treat. Every time you click without treating, you make the
click less important. Treat every time you click especially when teaching new
behaviors.
4. Don't use multiple clicks - use multiple treats for emphasis, not multiple clicks!
5. Click as the dog is doing what you want it to! If you were teaching sit you want
to click the *instant* the dog sits. As you are teaching "duration" behaviors
(like watch me and stay) you will wait a little longer to click (first count to 1,
click/reward, second time count to 2 click/reward, and so on). One of the BIG
advantages of clicking is that in improves your timing. The timing of the treat
after the click is not as important, but try to not take too long.
6. Keep sessions short and use little treats that are fast to swallow (hot dogs slices and quartered, little bits of cheese, little bits of rollover etc).
7. Don't try to start with the whole behavior. Start clicking close enough and ask for more the next time. Say you want the dog to touch a target with his nose. Start by clicking if he looks at it, then maybe any movement toward his target, then maybe a paw touch or any interaction. Break the behavior down into little pieces.
8. Gradually keep raising your criteria. Your dog should be successful around 80% of the time. If you dog doesn’t meet your criteria twice in a row, you made it too hard.
9. Don't command the dog - get the behavior, then "put it on command". Once the
dog is doing the behavior spontaneously (running over to his target) start giving
a Command ("Target") and reward only when he does the behavior after the
command. Ignore it if you haven’t ask for it.
10. With a lot of dogs who don't have previous clicker experience, they will want you to show them what to do. The first couple of times use food to lure them to do
what you want. But try to get away from luring as fast as you can. Otherwise you
get a dog who wants to see the "goods" to work!
11. Don't forget the primary rule - HAVE FUN.
1. First try out your clicker - press one end and you will get a distinct "click" noise.
If you press the wrong end - it won't depress and no click - just turn it around
2. Start by associating the Click with a treat. Just Click and give the dog a treat -
maybe 15 times - if the dog looks back to you when you click, he is beginning to
understand the basic equation of CLICK = TREAT.
3. Just one click to one treat. Every time you click without treating, you make the
click less important. Treat every time you click especially when teaching new
behaviors.
4. Don't use multiple clicks - use multiple treats for emphasis, not multiple clicks!
5. Click as the dog is doing what you want it to! If you were teaching sit you want
to click the *instant* the dog sits. As you are teaching "duration" behaviors
(like watch me and stay) you will wait a little longer to click (first count to 1,
click/reward, second time count to 2 click/reward, and so on). One of the BIG
advantages of clicking is that in improves your timing. The timing of the treat
after the click is not as important, but try to not take too long.
6. Keep sessions short and use little treats that are fast to swallow (hot dogs slices and quartered, little bits of cheese, little bits of rollover etc).
7. Don't try to start with the whole behavior. Start clicking close enough and ask for more the next time. Say you want the dog to touch a target with his nose. Start by clicking if he looks at it, then maybe any movement toward his target, then maybe a paw touch or any interaction. Break the behavior down into little pieces.
8. Gradually keep raising your criteria. Your dog should be successful around 80% of the time. If you dog doesn’t meet your criteria twice in a row, you made it too hard.
9. Don't command the dog - get the behavior, then "put it on command". Once the
dog is doing the behavior spontaneously (running over to his target) start giving
a Command ("Target") and reward only when he does the behavior after the
command. Ignore it if you haven’t ask for it.
10. With a lot of dogs who don't have previous clicker experience, they will want you to show them what to do. The first couple of times use food to lure them to do
what you want. But try to get away from luring as fast as you can. Otherwise you
get a dog who wants to see the "goods" to work!
11. Don't forget the primary rule - HAVE FUN.
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