Clicker training is a method of marking and rewarding desired behavior in animals that results in the animal learning new behaviors that the trainer desires. It is generally recognized as having its beginnings with Karen Pryor’s training of dolphins in the early 1980s and in her book on human interactions called “Don’t Shoot the Dog,” published in 1984. This method of training uses positive reinforcement and conditioning (associating) a marker with a reward. It departs from traditional dog training, which was used and popularized by military dog trainers after World War II and emphasized the consequences of punishment and reward. William Koehler’s book “The Koehler Method of Dog Training,” published in 1962, was a very successful dog training book promoting those methods and is still used today. Now, however, methods using positive reinforcement such as clicker training are becoming much more popular. Clicker training is enjoyable for both the dog and the trainer and the results can be extraordinary.
Selecting a clicker/marker
Most people who clicker train dogs use a standard mechanical clicker that is a small, rectangular plastic box with a metal spring that makes a distinctive clicking sound when pushed. However, any object that makes a sound or a word can be used. The most important thing is that the sound is clear and easy to make and is nonemotional. Many new varieties of clickers have been developed lately that are designed for ease of use. Try your clicker out around your dog before you begin. Some dogs that are very sensitive to sound may be afraid of the traditional clicker. For these dogs a word substitute, a clucking sound, or even a ball point click pen may be a better alternative. If you decide to use a word, make it short, clear, and distinctive and use it consistently. The word “yes” is often used. Differentiate between the word marker and praise. The word marker should be unemotional and sound the same each time it is used.
Rewards
The clicker is used to mark the desired behavior and is used before a reward is given. The reward most frequently used is food; however, toys, petting, playing games, or a few minutes of freedom or other nontangible rewards can be equally effective. Food rewards should be small (the size of a peanut is sufficient) and very desirable. A dog may love vegetables or popcorn but, given a choice, most will select a meat or cheese tidbit over other less desirable offerings. Try giving your dog a choice between food rewards and use the one the dog shows the most interest in. If you are doing a lot of clicker training, it is important to remember that the amount of food consumed in training should be subtracted from the dog’s daily food total to prevent weight gain. In fact, many trainers use the dog’s daily kibble as a reward, which can be very effective especially before the regular meal time. Some dogs are less food motivated than others. These dogs may be rewarded by a game of tug, a favorite toy or ball, or praise and petting. Knowing your dog will help you to decide what an effective reward is.
Timing
Timing is crucial to the success of clicker training. The order of events is always: behavior, click/mark, reward. When the desired behavior is displayed, the trainer must mark it immediately. This is done by using the clicker or other marker. It is followed by the reward. The click tells the dog that you are going to reward the behavior. The reward does not need to be offered at the same time as the behavior but should be offered very soon after the behavior has been marked. The clicker enables the trainer to communicate to the dog that the behavior at that specific moment is what is wanted. It is very important that the click occurs during and not after the behavior is exhibited. For instance, if the desired behavior is for the dog to sit but you wait to click until the dog is getting up from the sit, then you are marking the rise out of the sit and not the sit position itself. It is better to skip the click and reward if you are not able to time it correctly. Simply wait until the behavior occurs again and try to correctly mark the behavior with the click. Incorrect timing is a common mistake of beginners and takes practice to perfect.
Getting started
Once you have your clicker and have selected a suitable reward, it is time to teach your dog to associate the sound of the clicker with the reward. A good way to start is to find a small area with no distractions. The living room or even a bathroom is a good place to begin. The first behavior you might want to teach is to get the dog to look at you. Stand quietly in the room and watch your dog. When it looks at you, click and offer a small piece of food. After the dog eats the food, step away from or turn slightly so that it disengages from you. When the dog looks at you again, click and treat. Repeat this several times until the dog begins to understand the click is followed by food. Then move to another room and begin again. Keep lessons short and do them daily or even multiple times per day. Once the dog has learned to look at you consistently, it is time to add another behavior.
Because sitting is a normal occurrence in dogs, it is often a behavior taught early in clicker training. Do nothing except wait for the dog to sit. At the moment the dog sits, click and reward. Then distract the dog so that it gets up from the sit. Either move around the room or toss a toy or treat to motivate the dog to get up from the sit, then wait for it to sit again and repeat the click and treat. In time the dog will sit quickly. After the dog is consistently sitting you can add a “cue,” which is normally the word “sit.”
Shaping behavior
An important key to clicker training is to shape behavior and to do so in steps. For instance, your goal may be for a dog to sit in the “heel” position (at your left side facing the same direction you are with paws evenly aligned with your toes). Start shaping the behavior by first clicking when the dog sits in any location. Once the dog is sitting quickly and reliably, click once and reward when the dog sits a bit to the left of your center. The dog is still sitting in front of you, but now you reward the dog only when it sits a bit to the left. Gradually, you change the expectations and click and reward only when the dog is sitting close to your left side. Eventually the dog gets the click and reward only for sitting in heel position. This is called shaping the behavior. You are gradually shaping several small behaviors and combining them into one behavior, which, in this case, is for the dog to come to your left side and sit.
Keys to success
Don’t:
• Point the clicker like a remote.
• Click more than once for a behavior.
• Click near the dogs face or ear.
• Move your hand with the clicker each time you click.
Do:
• Follow each click with a reward early in training.
• Practice your timing before you begin training your dog.
• Click while the dog is doing the behavior, not before or after.
• Shape behavior slowly, one step at a time. Clicker training takes patience.
Elizabeth Wells, Ph.D. - Michigan State University
For other information see:
