{"id":10086,"date":"2021-04-23T12:32:30","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T12:32:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zigzag.dog\/blog\/uncategorized\/puppy-clicker-training\/"},"modified":"2024-07-30T11:45:28","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T11:45:28","slug":"puppy-clicker-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zigzag.dog\/en-us\/blog\/puppy-training\/training-basics\/puppy-clicker-training\/","title":{"rendered":"Clicker Training for Puppies: How to get your puppy familiar with the *click*"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Clicker Training is a training method where you train an animal using positive reinforcement by adding a clear event marker, the clicker, to tell them they\u2019ve done the right thing – all with laser fast timing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nowadays, you can find clickers of all shapes and sizes. From the original box clicker, to a quiet clicker, a teardrop clicker and even a digital one as an app on your smartphone. There\u2019s an app for everything these days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does Clicker Training work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Clicker training works by operant conditioning – where the animal is doing something on purpose in order to get a click and a tasty reward – one that follows after the click every single time. It\u2019s the rules \u2018if you click you must treat\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s why clicker training works brilliantly. It\u2019s a way for the dog to immediately understand what they did at that exact moment that is going to earn them a click and reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I find clickers to work well because it takes the human error part out of the training. The clicker is a neutral sound you see, you can\u2019t sound happy or sad with a clicker. This means that the dog will always know what the clicker means without fail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE MORE YOU KNOW…<\/strong>When using verbal markers, your enthusiasm can change depending on so many things like your mood, weather, or whether your boss was tolerable that day or not. These can, in turn, confuse or affect the way your puppy understands whether they did a good job or not. So with a clicker, you can always be sure that the message is loud and clear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PRO TIP: <\/strong>Clicker training can be used to train your puppy for complex tricks and behavior such as going in into their crate and closing the door. It\u2019s a spooky one, that one.  Check this<\/a> video out for some good ideas.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s make it nice and simple. There are three main ways to train a behavior with clicker training:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Luring <\/strong>– Using food to lure the dog into the position you want them to be in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example: <\/em><\/strong>Taking food from your puppy\u2019s nose up above their head makes their bottom go on the floor and they sit. The click comes when their bottom is on the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Capturing<\/strong> – When you see your dog doing something you like, click when they do it so they know they\u2019ve done a good thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example:<\/em><\/strong> If you decide that it would be cool to teach my puppy to do a nice long stretch \u2018on cue\u2019 (for some reason), click and treat them when you see them doing the stretch on their own and wait. Clicking and treating every time you see them doing the stretch, they\u2019ll start wanting to offer the behavior – it just takes some time and repetition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Shaping<\/strong> – The clicker training method of shaping allows you to click and treat their steps (what we like to call successful approximations<\/em>) towards the finished behavior. You know the hot and cold game, right? The one that\u2019s sometimes used as an icebreaker at awkward human meetings. The end behavior is boiling hot, whereas the steps along the way are when you\u2019re saying \u2018freezing, cold, tepid, warm, warmer\u2019 and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example:<\/em><\/strong> When teaching a puppy to go to a mat, first you click and treat them just for looking at the mat. Then again for stepping toward the mat, then having one paw on, then two paws and so on until they have all four paws on the mat and are lying down. This requires some problem solving skills on your puppy\u2019s part, and for you to work out what you\u2019re clicking for. Just so you don\u2019t end up clicking and clicking like a woodpecker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits of Clicker Training your Puppy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some say clicker training is like the magic wand of puppy training\u2014simple, effective, and brings out the best in your furry friend. Here\u2019s why this method is so great:<\/p>\n\n\n\n