If you’re looking for a proven method without using force, fear or intimidation, you’re in the right place. You have adopted a dog, he is nice, cute and he is the best dog in the world but … .. he does not obey and does a little everything and anything?
I know this situation too well . A dog who sits when we tell him “to sleep”, a dog that when we call it goes in the other direction and so on and it is a real galley that settles daily.
But I’m sure you want it to change and you’re hopeful looking at your hairball. I managed to teach my dog Uno the basic orders.
Notably with this very effective method that I recommend: ➡ ” The 7 essential lessons to train your dog “.
And then I became interested in the method of clicker training . And if I tell you about it, it’s because I know it’s an effective training technique to have tested it on my mother-in-law on my stepmother’s dog. Moreover, more and more professional trainers use clicker training . That is to say !
So I tell you all about the origin of this method, its principles and of course, how to train your dog with this little magic box.
Like conventional training , clicker training is a new way to communicate with your dog. It was at the end of the Second World War that this method was developed. She was so effective at learning new behaviors that she was first used on pigeons and then on dolphins.
After the war, the clicker was integrated into the world of marine shows. If you’ve ever been to such a show, you’ve probably heard the “click” noise that allows dolphin trainers to make them perform . But it will be necessary to wait for the years 70/80 so that the clicker faces his appearance in the world canine.
Karen Pryor , who is a reference in the field of marine biology and behavioral psychology, has developed this method in the USA for training dogs.
And since a few years now, she (the method eh, not Karen Pryor) is more and more used in France for training dogs .
The clicker is a small box that makes a metallic noise when pressed (the famous click). It is actually a means of communication between you and your dog and an excellent method of learning.
It is a gentle method where the dog is an actor of his dressage. This means that the dog will propose various behaviors that will trigger or not the clicker. He will learn little by little that the noise emitted by the clicker indicates that he has had a good behavior and therefore that he will have a reward . He becomes a participative companion and attentive to training and will learn very quickly to have the desired behavior by his master.
I want you to know that a clicker is not an order . It’s just the signal that he has completed an order correctly and that a reward will follow. It’s important to know.
It’s now time for me to tell you everything about clicker training. You will see that this method may seem “weird” at the beginning but you will especially see that training your dog has never been easier than with the clicker.
This is an important phase of the method. Its principle is simple. We know that the dog makes associations in his head . Clicker training takes this into account. You will have to accustom your dog to the sound of the clicker and make him understand that a click means that a reward arrives.
For the first time, that’s what I advise you : you throw a candy on the floor and you click when he takes it. You repeat this step several times. Do not wait to give him the reward.
Another example: if you want your dog to learn to lie down on demand, draw him down with a tidbit. When his body is completely on the ground, you operate the clicker. This is the technique of lure or luring .
Your dog understood what the click meant? Great, you’re on the right track. You will now be able to continue the training by adding the password (sitting, not moving etc.) or the gesture.
He goes to bed, you operate the clicker and you give him the reward . He sits, a click and a reward. And so on, whatever order you want to teach him. And you will see as the sessions that of himself, he will repeat the behavior to trigger the click and so have his reward. This technique is called capturing .
The more days pass and the faster your pet will learn, the more excited he will be to be rewarded but also to please you.
I assure you, you do not have to have the clicker in your pocket all your life or treats. To the misfortune of your dog, the rewards are not for life . The next step is for your dog to obey without a clicker or reward.
Once your dog understands the order and executes it each time you operate the clicker, you will be able to start decreasing the use of the click . He sits when you ask? Reward him. Only that. Without the clicker. It’s not winning at first but I trust you and especially your dog. And gradually remove the reward . It takes time but it’s a must. The password or the gesture will replace the click in a natural way.
After testing this method several times on different doggies, I want to share with you my experience, my advice, what to do or not to do.
As I told you, every click must be associated with a reward. If you ever click in error, reward your dog anyway, it does not matter. The bottom line is that the clicker does not lose its importance to the dog.
Be specific when you snap the clicker . The more precise you are, the more the dog will have landmarks.
Do not give your dog long workouts . Fatigue could be the reason for his motivation. Moreover, when you want to train your dog, you can get there in just 15 minutes a day. You do not believe me (grrr)? Look at this method and you will see that it is feasible and even advisable.
Do not do the sessions always in the same place . Vary locations so that your dog adapts to all situations and environments.
With this method, there is no power struggle , pain, intimidation or shrugging. One can however decide not to reward the dog if his behavior is not good. Some trainers will give you this advice. I have never applied it because for me the click = reward.
Nobody works for free, including a dog. I am to use food in the form of treats as a reward. But it does not have to last for weeks. Once the order is understood, the reward may be not a treat but a caress, a toy, compliments and so on.
Do not go too fast. You have to let the dog get used to the clicker and you have to take the time to master the techniques of the method.
So what do you think of this method? She tempts you? In any case, I recommend it and all the dogs I know too. After all, learn with that rewards, who would not be happy? With regular sessions but not too long , a good command of the clicker, some treats or caresses, you will manage to train your dog!