Clicker Training Your Dog isn't Just About Treats

Clicker training your dog can have enormous benefits including a well-behaved dog and a stronger relationship between you and your pet. Clickers can also be an instrumental tool in correcting many dog behavior problems. Punishing the dog for doing something bad really doesn't teach him a whole lot. Successful trainers have learned that dogs, dolphins, fish (and humans) learn better when you reward them for good behavior.

Of course, the key to clicker training is teaching the dog exactly what good behavior IS!

A lot of people get confused about clicker training because they think the dog is working for treats. The dog isn't working for treats. The dog is working for the CLICK! The sound of the clicker is what motivates the dog.

Once the dog learns that the clicker means "treats are coming" you can use the clicker to mark a behavior you like, and then gradually shape or develop something more complex, like a response to a cue.

The clicker is not a command. It doesn't tell the dog to do something. That's what cues and hand signals are for. The clicker simply tells the dog that you like that behavior and that he deserves a treat (or a toy, chance to play, etc.).

The clicker has become what's known in psychological terms as a "conditioned reinforcer." That is, something the dog has learned to want. This is because the clicker has been associated with the dog's "unconditioned reinforcers" which are things the animal "naturally" wants without training, such as food, companionship, squirrels, etc.

Canine clicker training has become very popular during the past few years but unfortunately not all dog trainers understand the science correctly. In fact, thanks to ClickerTrainingSecrets.com I now know more about clicker training than 9 out of 10 "professional" trainers!

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