Clicker Training for the Pet Owner

“Clicker Training” or “Marker Training” are terms used for a method of training animals that involves a small box usually made out of plastic with a metal piece inside. When this metal piece is compressed and released it makes a short “click” sound. The idea behind clicker training is that it marks a specific behavior you are seeking from the dog.

Clicker training was first used by Marian Kruse and Keller Breland who taught wild-caught pigeons to bowl while participating in military research. Since then the clicker was used on several different species of animals. Clicker training is quite often used to train dolphins in zoos and as well as in the military. Clicker training isn’t a new trend among animal trainers, though is a fairly new training tool recognized by most professional dog trainers.

Clicker Training is a form of what’s called “operant conditioning”; the use of consequences to modify the occurrence and form of behavior.

It is important to understand where your training tools come from and how they’re meant to be used before using them. You wouldn’t (or at least, you shouldn’t) put a prong collar or choke chain on a dog without having any understanding of where it originated and how it works, and the clicker is no different. To get the most out of each training tool you will put into your “training tool box” you need to have a full understanding of how to use them. Anyone can pick up a clicker and start using it, but if you don’t understand how it works you will not go very far with training your dog!

The clicker is a marker; when the dog performs and act you are looking for, you “mark” that behavior with a click of the clicker. The understanding is that this mark is far better timed than a verbal “good boy”. Personally, I don’t think this is entirely correct. Human reactions aren’t perfect and even I’ve marked off cue or by accident at times. My “YES!” or “Good boy!” has been far better ‘fine-tuned’ over the years than the short times I’ve used a clicker. However, if practiced properly and used often the clicker can also be fine-tuned with your reactions. So it is possible to create a better timed response with the clicker than with a verbal praise, it just takes a lot of time and practice on your part. It isn’t automatically a better solution in training like some trainers may want you to believe, but in time it can help your dog to understand difficult tasks you may ask of him; as long as you have learned the skills needed to use the clicker properly!

Think of the clicker like a “camera”. The instant the dog performs the act you’re looking for you “click” to capture that exact behavior. Of course, a dog won’t automatically understand what this means, so how do you teach him? Simple; just like anything you teach your dog; repetition, repetition, repetition! Every time you click it should also be paired with a verbal praise (“YES!” or “GOOD BOY!”) as well as a small treat. This treat should be soft and small enough that it takes little to no time for the dog to eat it. If the treat is too big or crunchy it takes time for the dog to eat it and thus distracting him from what you are teaching him.

Some trainers suggest when you start clicker training you do what is called “loading the clicker”. Without any command given you click and reward with a treat several times in a row until the dog associates the click with a treat reward. Personally I don’t like this method. I think it is pointless and a waste of time. When you first started training your dog, before you decided to give your hand at clicker training, did you sit down on the floor and praise your dog repeatedly for doing nothing at all? Of course not! You’ve only been praising him for good behaviors, and he figured it out on his own didn’t he? Dogs aren’t stupid in the least, and I believe if you use this same method to teach him what the clicker is he’ll pick it up on his own soon enough. You’re not entirely changing your training routine, after all, you’re just adding in another device.

Which brings me to my third fault in your standard clicker training manual; the clicker is another piece of equipment in your hands. You’ve already got a leash and a bag of treats (plus you need to break those treats into smaller pieces most likely), and now you’ve got this little plastic box you have to be on the ready to “click” at any moment! My advice is this; train without a leash when possible, and break up your treats before you start training and place them in a small container next to you (if possible on a table so it is in easy reach for you but not your dog). You could also invest in a trainers “tool belt” or a “bait pouch”, or even a good old fashioned “fanny pack”. These are things you strap at your waste that can hold treats for easier access and to keep your hands free.

I’ve come up with three faults so far in the regular clicker training way, and you’re probably wondering why in an article about how to clicker train it sounds like I’m trying to steer you away from it. The thing is this; when I first entered my dog Coal into an obedience class when he was a puppy I was told I had to use the clicker. The problem was, I didn’t sign up for a clicker training class, I signed up for an obedience class. I found fault after fault in the things they were teaching me, and the only reply I received was “either use the clicker like we tell you or leave the class”. Eventually they let me stay in the class and use a verbal cue (“YES”) instead of a clicker, because I’m just that stubborn and could probably sell ice to an Eskimo. The point is that these trainers and this obedience class turned me off from clicker training for a very long time because no one was willing to even try and give me answers to my questions. There are so many training methods out there and not one of them is right for every dog and not one of them is wrong for every dog. One of the fun parts about dog training is figuring out which method fits you and your dog, and how to form that method to fit your dog even better.

I don’t use clickers in formal obedience training (the five basic commands; sit, down, stay, heel and come), though you can feel free to. I feel that most of the formal obedience commands are a fluid motion that you don’t need to, and it probably is best if you don’t, mark an exact behavior. The only two obedience commands where this does not apply is sit and down. Stay is a command that lasts for longer than a split second so when do you click? At the beginning of the action? The middle, or the end? I find it’s best not to click at all during stay as it is supposed to be a seamless act. Same rules apply to the heel and automatic sit and the recall.

Instead I use the clicker for difficult tasks that can either be easily broken down or that are short. For example; targeting. Targeting is when you teach your dog to “touch” (usually with his nose) an object (usually it starts with your hand). Targeting is one short act that can sometimes be difficult for a dog to first understand what you are asking of him. Using the clicker can help teach your dog exactly what you’re looking for from his behavior. When you first teach a dog to hand target you place a piece of food in your hand you wish for him to touch and hold it out in front of him (well within his reach). When the dog goes to take the food from your hand you click the instant his nose touches your hand. After several repeats of this action you can try removing the food away from the target hand and click when the dog touches his nose to your hand then reward with a treat and verbal/physical praise. Eventually the dog learns the object isn’t to take the food from your hand but rather touch his nose to your hand. The clicker acted like a “camera”; snapping an exact picture of what you were asking from your dog. Keep in mind, some dogs are very “paws on” and will try to hit your hand with their paws instead of their nose. When this happens use a neutral tone of “nooo” or “ah ah!” without a click and ask for the behavior again, this time without paws. If the dog touches your hand without his paws a click and extra reward is given for doing it right this time!

The same rules apply to all other behaviors you may be training for using the clicker.

The great thing about the clicker is that it’s a lot easier to wean your dog off than treats. I personally don’t like using treats in training when possible, though I understand their place in the dog training world and use them when I feel it’s necessary. Once you feel your dog is understanding the command (you get the “light bulb over the head look” and your dog is excited to train and offering the behavior 90% or more of the time) you can simply remove the clicker from your training and just use a verbal cue and treats/physical reward. If you find once the clicker was removed from training that your dog isn’t doing as well throw it back into the mix for a while; he needs that extra help for a bit longer.

You may wish to eventually wean your dog off treats and expect him to respond to the command with the appropriate behavior without needing a treat reward. With some dogs this is more difficult than others. Some dogs are extremely food motivated while others are very happy with just pleasing their owners. Weaning off treats is much harder than weaning off the clicker (as with the clicker very little to no “weaning” is actually involved). You shouldn’t wean your dog off treats until you are 100% sure he understands the command given. Once your dog has a full understanding you can start by rewarding lightly on the treats and heavily on the praise. When rewarding with praise use an excited tone and a good rub down or short game with the dog, and when rewarding with treats use a “YES” or “Good boy!” with the treat. You want your physical and verbal praise to be a better reward than the treat. You also want to be treating only about half the time, and in sporadic intervals. This means you may reward with treats 3 times in a row followed by a couple without, and then once with treats and several without, etc. Keep spacing it out so that over time there is less and less treat reward and more and more verbal/physical reward until you aren’t using treats at all. Once your dog is weaned off treats, you can occasionally give a treat as a reward just as a “jackpot” reward or to remind your dog that you’re very pleased with his behavior and sometimes treats still DO happen. This way he may be always working for a treat but he never knows when he’s going to get it (so he should perform the behavior just in case!).

Heavily food motivated dogs may be harder to wean, and I warn that they may always need extra “jackpot” treat rewards to keep them motivated. This is no fault of their own or in your training. Some dogs personalities work this way as well as their genetics and/or breed. You have to make your training method fit your dog, not the other way around!