What Is A Dog Clicker?

What Is A Dog Clicker?

You may have heard of the use of dog clickers in dog training and wondered just exactly what this piece of equipment is and how it works. The concept is very simple. The clicker, itself, is just a little box equipped with a small piece of metal on the inside that clicks when it’s squeezed. When your dog hears the click, he becomes distracted from the activity you wish to discourage. The clicker helps you get his attention so that you can focus on the behaviours you want to develop. As you work, you consistently add commands to the clicks and gradually fade the clicks. Before you know it, your dog will be responding appropriately to your commands.

This method of training is sometimes called click-and-treat. When you use this method, you do not let the dog see the clicker. The reason for this is that you want to encourage the dog to look you in the eye and pay attention to you. When you first start out, you reinforce this behaviour by providing a treat.

In your first lesson, your focus will be on getting your dog’s undivided attention when he hears the dog clicker. Your secondary focus will be getting your dog to recognise and respond appropriately when called by name. When you combine the click with the dog’s name, it helps the dog recognise his name as meaning him. You should only move forward with clicker training when you are certain your dog will always respond promptly and appropriately to the sound of the clicker and his name.

When your dog has learned to focus on you appropriately and respond to his name consistently, you will begin to add other commands one by one. Work on each command completely to be certain your dog has mastered it before moving on to the next lesson. When you do this, you can be sure of building a consistent base of knowledge for your dog.

One of the best things about this method of training is that it is non-violent. You never punish your dog. Instead, you pet and praise him generously for a job well done. When you use a dog clicker, you never need to enforce training with punishment. You will find your dog active and engaged throughout the process. The use of the clicker stimulates your dog’s curiosity. It makes him want to participate positively, so you never need to force him to do anything.