Clicker Training

      I think it is about time that I make a clicker post. We are called "Clicker Collie", after all! 

      Clicker training is a great way to help your dog learn new behaviors. Clicker training uses a clicker or “marker word” to take a snapshot of an animal’s behavior. It tells the animal exactly what it did to receive the treat.  In a way, it is like saying, “YES! That RIGHT there! That is why I am about to reward you!” It also tells the animal, “Good job. Your treat is coming.” A clicker is known as a bridging device, because it acts as a bridge between the desired behavior and the treat.  

A photo of a clicker (retrieved from petco.com). 

      A clicker is a device that provides a consistent clicking noise to mark the desired behavior. A “marker word” can be used instead of a clicker. A marker word is one word (such as, “Yes” or “Good”) that is said in a consistent, upbeat tone of voice. Both clickers and marker words can be used to clicker train an animal. Clickers are usually more effective because they produce a more consistent noise than a human voice (voices tend to fluctuate). Also, humans are very vocal creatures, but dogs are not. Some dogs may occasionally tune out verbal cues from their owners. In contrast, the clicker provides a sharp, loud noise that is not often heard outside of training sessions. However, it may not always be possible to have a free hand to hold a clicker, and some owners may feel more comfortable using a marker word than a clicker.

Five Things to Remember When Clicker Training

1.      Always click, then treat! Clicker training is like taking a snapshot of the desired behavior. You do not want to take a snapshot of your dog eating a treat! So always wait for the desired behavior, click, then treat.

2.      One desired behavior, one click. Only click or mark once for a desired behavior. If the animal does an excellent job, you can increase the number of treats (also known as a jackpot). Remember: Increase the treats, not the clicks!

3.      A click ends the behavior. In other words, if you click when your dog sits, and it stands up before you give the treat, you can still give it a treat because you marked the sit.

4.      You only need to use the clicker for new behaviors. One an animal knows the cue, a clicker is not necessary. The clicker is only used to communicate a new desired behavior to the animal.

5.      It is not necessary to name the behavior until the animal begins to repeat the behavior. A dog who does not know “sit” does not know what the command means! If you start training a new behavior by saying the verbal command over and over, the dog may begin to tune out the command. The dog may even learn that the verbal command is actually several verbal repetitions of the command (for example, “sit, sit, SIT” instead of, “sit”). It is best to wait until the animal starts offering the behavior consistently, and then say the command right as they demonstrate the behavior. Fortunately, clicker training makes this process easier by effectively communicating the desired behavior to the animal. When the animal begins to understand the desired behavior, it will demonstrate it more frequently. So the steps are: encourage the desired behavior, give the cue as the animal demonstrates the behavior, click/mark, and then treat. Also, remember to only say the verbal command once.

Luring, Capturing and Shaping

(AKA How to Get That Desired Behavior!)

                 Luring, capturing, and shaping are three ways to get an animal to demonstrate a desired behavior. A lure is a treat (preferably a high-value, smelly treat) that gets an animal to move a specific way. For example, a treat placed above and slightly behind a puppy’s head will convince the puppy to look up, which will force its rear end down. This is an excellent way to teach a puppy to sit! Capturing is a method that involves waiting for the animal to demonstrate the behavior on its own (for example, waiting until a puppy sits naturally). Shaping is a method that involves rewarding small steps towards the desired behavior. For example, while training a dog to go to a bed on command, first reward partial progress (one foot on the bed, then require two feet, and so on). Shaping is typically used while training more complicated behaviors and can be paired with either the capturing or luring methods.