Clicker Training Information

Clicker training (Operant Conditioning) is how wolves, whales/dolphins, seals, penguins, rabbits, chickens geese, ducks, sheep, etc . are trained in the TV and movies (started by the dolphin trainers).

Clicker training is a kind and gentle way to train your dog, horse, bird, cat, etc., using a clicker (a plastic box with a strip of metal in it that makes a click noise when you depress it), or at times a whistle, as a superior way to say to our animals, "What you are doing at the exact moment you hear this noise has just earned you a treat (or other reward, such as a tossed toy)."

( "OHHHHH……so that 's what you've been asking !!!!! )

The trick is to click and then to treat….. Click at the "exact" moment when the animal does what you want it to do….. And not a half a second later, right now so the animal can go…. "oh, that, "that", you mean that?" The click doesn't tell the animal what to do -- its just a nifty and more efficient way of saying "Good dog (bird, cat, horse, etc.) ! What you're doing right at the instant you hear the click is what will earn you a reward!"

(Generally training your dogs (birds, cats, horses, etc.) will generally improve their behavior, and should also make them seem happier and more bonded to you.)

What we do is based on the science of animal behaviorism known as operant conditioning. Once the behavior you want is learned you no longer need to continue to click for it, just give the word/ and or hand cue for what you want! So it is the same with any animal species

MUCH more information can be found at www.clickertraining.com

(Click on the picture to enlarge it)

The above picture shows the back of the clicker, and another clicker with a "button" on it, which now is included with all my clickers at no extra charge. These "buttons" vary in appearance, depending on availability. It makes it possible to "CLICK" with gloves on, since you don't have to fit a thumb or finger into the clicker to activate it. This also shows the lanyard with the cord lock and cord end on it.

Clicker instructions!

Getting Started with the Clicker

by Karen Pryor (www.clickertraining.com)

Clicker training is a new, science based way to teach behavior. It’s easier to learn than standard command-based training. You can clicker train any kind of learner, of any age. Puppies love it. Old dogs learn new tricks. You can clicker-train horses, cats, birds, and even people. Clicker training builds good behavior instead of trying to stop bad behavior. It is a fast and easy way to get the results you want. Here are some tips to get you started.

CLICK. Then treat. -- Push and release the springy end of the clicker, making a two-toned CLICK. Then treat. Keep the treats small. Use a delicious treat at first: for a dog, little cubes of roast chicken, not a lump of kibble.

CLICK for what you want, instead of scolding for what you don’t want. -- CLICK the puppy for relieving itself in the proper spot. CLICK for doggy paws on the ground, not on the visitors. CLICK your horse for lowering its head and standing still instead of pulling away. CLICK for quiet instead of noise.

CLICK during the desired behavior, not after it is completed. -- The timing of the click is crucial. Don’t be dismayed if your pet stops the behavior when it hears the click. The click ends the behavior. Give the treat after that; the timing of the treat is not important.

CLICK something easy at first. -- CLICK for something that the pet is likely to do on its own. (Ideas: come toward you; touch your hand with its nose; lift one foot; go through a door; walk next to you.)

CLICK once (in-out). - If you want to express special enthusiasm, increase the number of treats, not the number of clicks. Vocal praise and petting can be added too, but only after the click; it’s the click that makes it clear what all the fuss is about.

Keep practice sessions short. -- You’ll get much better results in three sessions, each two or three minutes long, than in an hour of repetition. You can teach many new skills by fitting a few clicks a day here and there in your normal routine. This is what makes this Clicker / Pendant so useful! You can wear it all the time so it is handy to catch that good behavior with a CLICK!

CLICK for voluntary (or accidental) movements toward your goal. -- Let your pet discover how to make you click; don’t continuously coax or lure the movement. Don’t push, pull, or hold your pet. If you need a leash for safety’s sake, loop the leash over your arm or through your belt; don’t use it as a tool.

CLICK and treat for small movements in the right direction. -- don’t wait for the "whole picture" or the perfect behavior. If you want a dog to sit, click, at first, when it starts to crouch in back. If you want a pet to come when called, begin by clicking when it takes a few steps your way, then go to it and give the treat; don’t expect it to come all the way to you from the beginning.

Keep raising your goal. -- As soon as you have a good response -- when your pet is voluntarily lying down, or sitting, or coming toward you --- start asking for more. Wait a few beats, until your learner stays down a little longer, comes a little further, sits a little faster. Then CLICK. This is called "shaping" a behavior.

Introduce the cue after the behavior is learned. -- When a pet has learned to do something for clicks, it will begin showing you the behavior spontaneously, trying to get you to click. Now is the time to begin offering a cue, such as a word or a hand signal. Start clicking for that behavior if it happens during or after the cue. Start ignoring that behavior when the cue wasn’t given.

Don’t give orders. -- Clicker training is not command-based. If your pet does not respond to a cue, it is not "disobeying", it just hasn’t learned the cue completely. Make the task a little easier and find more opportunities to click the correct response, in different environments.

Turn daily life into a learning experience.-- CLICK (or use the word "good") when your pet does something cute (such as cocking the head, chasing the tail, or holding up one paw) or when it does something useful, such as letting you go through a door first. You can click and treat for many different behaviors, whenever you happen to notice them, without confusing your pet.

Train one pet at a time, at first. -- If you have two or more subjects to train, separate them, and let them take turns. Hearing someone else get clicked will make each one more anxious for their own turn to learn.

If you get mad, put the clicker away. -- Don’t mix scolding, leash-jerking, and correction training with clicker training; your learner will lose confidence in the clicker and perhaps in you.

No progress? -- You’re clicking too late. Accurate timing is important! Improve your timing by getting someone else to watch you, and perhaps to click for you, a few times.

Above all, have fun. Clicker-training is a wonderful way to enrich your relationship with the animals that love you.

(more Clicker information here)