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Is clicker training a good idea?

Harley & Carley

Well-known member
We went to our first puppy training class yesterday and the trainer suggested using a clicker for training. I was hesitant because I thought I would always have to use it-but he said I only needed it to teach the desired behavior - then have them associate the behavior with a word or hand movement instead of the clicker and eventually drop the treat.
Does it really work that way?
 
Yep that is how it works. Clicker training is really fun and makes it much easier to train to because you are able to signal the right behaviour much faster than if you praise or treat. You both click and treat initially but the dog soon learns to see the 'click; as approval too.
 
Yes, but don't give a clicker to your S O . My dear spouse played with the clicker and taught the older 3 dogs that when he clicked -- they sat. He totally misunderstood the "purpose" of the click.
 
Hopefully, he will do it right - I made home attend the puppy class with me!
I know I am supposed to use it to train one dog at a time, but when can I use it while both puppies are together?
 
Yes Clicker training is wonderful.

A few things

1. The sound of the clicker is precious
2. Charge up your clicker (food association) and when not using it put it away
3. Clicker is used to capture the desired behaviour you MUST add your cue (visual or verbal) to the behaviour or your dog will present various behaviours without being asked!
4. Once you start clicker training what you click is what you get!

See www.learningaboutdogs.com for clicker info. We also stock a lot of books on clicker training at various levels in our online shop.
 
LOVE clicker training. I was skeptical when first introduced to it a few years ago. But we did follow the trainer's program. I was amazed at how much quicker the dogs learned with the clicker and how much they loved the training!

We use the clicker to train a behavior and once they are solid with it, we fade the clicker and then fade the treats too. I hope you and your dog will love it.
 
I'll add another vote for clicker training... I've done it with all four of mine, and Clancy started his first puppy kindergarbage class tonight, which is a clicker based class.

Tonight, we accomplished a very nice 'down', and began work on 'touch'. My trainer uses the 'touch' command for recall, and it works beautifully! We also worked on down/stay with recall. I have to brag and say that Clancy appears to be a pretty sharp cookie :lotsaluv: :lotsaluv: :lotsaluv:

You teach them to touch your hand with their nose with a click/treat... once they have that they RUN to you whenever you call "TOUCH"! :lotsaluv: :lotsaluv: :lotsaluv: I just LOVE him to pieces!
 
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