Clicker training - how to reach your goal
First of all, it would be necessary to clarify what a clicker is in the first place? What exactly is clicker training? How do I use it correctly with my dog? In this guide article we would like to help you answer relevant and important questions.
The so-called clicker has a great resemblance to a clicker frog. Most are made of plastic and have a button or metal tongue. When the button is pressed, then the familiar clicker sound is released. The sound resembles a click-clack sound. Do you also want to teach your dog different conditions? Then you need helpful tips on how to use clicker training with your dog.
What are the advantages of clicker training
The click sound helps to reinforce the necessary conditions for your dog. After the click is pressed, it should always be followed by a reward. Your four-legged friend will quickly learn what is to be taught to him, thanks to his high receptivity. When your dog hears the click, he knows exactly that he has to perform something specific and there is a reward for it afterwards.
If you carry out the training methods in detail and correctly, then your dog will learn all the more efficiently with clicker training. Step by step you can work out with your dog the learning goal you have set. You will be amazed how motivated and with full joy your dog will cooperate.
What does clicker training look like?
If you want to teach your four-legged friend better behavior rules and conditions, then try it first with smaller tricks and tricks. Grab a play ball and place it on your dog's paw. Now it's time to observe. Is your dog interested in the clicker training or is he rather bored? Now place the ball on your dog's nose and watch to see if you notice any different behavior. Should the dog concentrate on the ball, you may click once. This way your four-legged friend learns that there is a treat when you click and the condition training was good.
What is to be considered with the clicker training?
With clicker training it is very important that you pay attention to what your quadruped does everything right. It is simply a matter of your four-legged friend doing correctly what you ask him to do. With the clicker noise, you do not want to break your dog of anything, but merely reinforce his behavior through it. You will be amazed how quickly your quadruped learns from it. He hears the clicking, shows the desired behavior and gets a treat for it.
In principle, the scheme is quite simple. Every time you recognize something positive about your dog during training, you click once with the clicker. Every little step in the right direction deserves a click.
So remember this: Every click, even an accidental click, requires a subsequent reward.
Is a clicker really necessary?
Of course, you can also use dear words for praise, however, as already mentioned, a clicker brings several advantages.
- Thanks to clicker training, you can precisely reinforce your dog
- Your dog knows exactly what to do through the short click sound
- The clicker sound sounds exactly the same every time. Your language when praising does not always sound the same, because it varies from day to day depending on your mood.
- The click sound has a pleasant volume and stands out strongly from the rest of the ambient noise
- Your dog can hear the click clearly and distinctly even from a distance.
Of course, it can be an advantage if you have a praising word that promises a reward like the clicker. It happens more often that you leave your clicker at home and then you can still confirm the desired behavior thanks to the alternative praising word.
When do you need a clicker?
Clicker training is useful not only to teach your dog funny dog tricks, but also for everyday behavior education. Thanks to the clicker, you have full control over your dog's desired behavior. Perhaps there are certain situations in which your dog often barks or jumps at other people, these characteristics count as undesirable behaviors. The solution to this is obvious. Because you need to strengthen your dog to refrain from these conspicuousnesses. With clicker training you are on the best way to a well-behaved dog.
The clicker also shows itself in the Puppy training as extremely helpful. Whether it's teaching housetraining or learning important commands. You only reinforce the behavior when your puppy shows interest in it. This way, puppies already learn which behavior is appropriate and which is better to refrain from.
How do you start with clicker training?
First of all, the click-clack sound must be seen by the dog as a reinforcer. Your four-legged friend must learn what the sound means and what you mean by it. However, clicker training in itself is quite simple. If you want to use clicker training outside, don't forget the beloved treat. Look for a quiet place so that your four-legged friend is not too distracted. Now take the clicker in your hand and click once. If your dog looks in your direction, reward him with a treat. Repeat the training a few times.
You will see. After just a few repetitions, your dog will understand the principle of clicker training. Don't be afraid to put in the work and try your luck. Do the test yourself and start clicker training today. Click once and observe if your dog is interested and hungry for a treat. If so, the clicker has done a real masterpiece.
How long should be practiced daily?
For the first few days, no more than 15 minutes a day should be spent practicing with your dog. Divide the given time into two to three sections. Gradually, you can increase the clicker training. If the clicker training works well, you can consider adding in small training words. For example, you can say "sit" when you want your dog to sit after the click. However, if your four-legged friend does not notice you while clicking and saying the training word, you should omit the signal word and continue with the training as usual.
Please do not be too impatient during the repetitions and exercises. Your dog is in the learning phase and no master has fallen from the sky yet. If you notice that your dog gets bored quickly, then learn several exercises at the same time. However, these should not have too strong similarities. Because otherwise it can lead to great confusion.
Clicker training dog - These important rules are to be observed
Once your dog has understood the principle of clicking, you still need to follow certain rules in clicker training.
These include the following:
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After each click performed, there is a reward in the form of a treat or equivalent. Without this reward, your dog will eventually begin to strike and resist clicker training.
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Your dog should do what you have asked him to do when the click sound is heard. After positive execution, of course, he wants to be rewarded for his deed. If he jumps around in the meantime, that's bad. Because the click sound is only heard when you finish the exercise.
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Please do not click when your dog should only come. Because by the noise your quadruped wants to be rewarded, because he thinks to have done something positive.
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You can also praise your dog additionally with your voice. Please make sure that you praise your dog with your voice only after the click sound. Otherwise it will be difficult for your dog to understand what the click sound is. So reach for the clicker first and then for the treat.
Constant training leads to desired results
It depends on the different behaviors your dog exhibits. The more the better. Because this will make it easier for you to bend the desired behavior later. The better your dog knows what you want him to do, the easier it is to see that his brain is active and he cooperates. It is worthwhile to include creative and fun exercises into the training in between. You will be surprised how quickly you will achieve success. The conventional training sessions become more difficult from level to level and are a real challenge for your four-legged friend.
Creativity exercises provide a certain amount of time out and are fun. Just give it a try. After a hard day at work, sit on the sofa, grab your clicker and treats and teach your pet some creative and fun dog tricks. Hide several things in a small box and let your four-legged friend get creative. These exercises will have a positive effect on your dog's behavior.
As a particularly creative interacting toy for your dog can be the following toy. You can incorporate this into your dog training without any problem and let the dog become more creative as a result.
Successful clicker training thanks to online dog training
For sure you have often asked yourself when is the right time to start dog training? Please do not hesitate too long, because the motto is: the sooner the better.
With clicker training your dog will quickly learn how to behave in everyday life. The click-clack sound gets stuck in your dog's head. Thanks to online dog training, you learn together faster and also receive reinforcement in the form of motivation. Online dog training also serves as a training tool. As soon as your dog has learned desired commands and can master them in certain situations, you no longer need the small clicker. However, you still have a long and rocky road ahead of you until then.