"We set out this morning to practice what you taught us last night. And guess what? Sammy very quickly did everything he didn't seem to "get" just yesterday! In just a few minutes, he offered various behaviors to get the click/treat and consistently put himself into a down when he realized that was what I wanted. I changed positions and locations (sitting on the floor, sitting in a chair, standing, trying different rooms throughout the house, etc.) It was fun to see the light bulb turn on! - Annie E.

What is a Clicker?
The clicker is a sound device, an acoustic arrow, used to mark precise behaviors and exact positions. You could use any novel sound that has no previously learned association. Why does the click sound work so well? Because it is crisp and consistent - it is always the same.

As seen on CNN!

Why "Click"?
"One thing that does not make a very good substitute for the clicker is the spoken word. Why is that? Dogs love praise, don't they? The problem is that although praise is a good reinforcer, it is not a good marker signal. First of all, we talk all day long; a marker signal must stand out, but any spoken word just tends to get lost in the clutter. Second, most words take too long. Say "Good dog!" for coming when called, and the dog can be going away again before you finish saying it." (more from Karen Pryor)

This great article by Lynn Loar, PhD "To Click or Not to Click" explains further why we owe it to our dogs to use a novel sound marker and not our voice to mark behaviors as they occur. Yes, you will still use verbal cues ("sit!") and will still deliver verbal praise ("Good dog!") as you deliver the reward. The clicker simply communicates with precision exactly what the dog did to EARN the praise and reward.

As your dog learns which behaviors earn clicks, you will find he will start to repeat those behaviors, "offering" them to you. The clicker helps to obtain results quickly because it teaches your dog how to think for itself as it tells your pet what it did RIGHT! Discovery is part of the reinforcement.

As Benny's shoulders lower, get readyyyyyy .................. CLICK!

Reward excellence!

...... - and then reward. The "click" is information. It tells the animal specifically what part of behavior qualified to earn the reward which follows. "I like ... THAT!" The dog tries to duplicate the behavior, hoping to hear the sound that predicts a reward: which for ease of delivery and desireability is usually a treat, but could be a game, privilege or bellyrub - something of value to the particular individual; the animal's paycheck for performance. Once Benny understands that a certain behavior makes the click happen and begins to offer it, we can shape it, clicking for a slightly lower dip, or for holding the bow for a split second longer. When he reaches the criteria we are working toward, we "click" and JACKPOT = a larger quantity or even better reward.

Why clicker training? The clicker is a powerful training tool for several reasons. A clicker is always consistent and is an immediate, clear and precise signal to the dog. In other words, it tells the animal what he did correctly at the exact moment he did it. The animal is trained or "conditioned" to relate the clicker sound with something good such as a treat or special privilege. Your dog will learn to try different behaviors that earn that "sound" because they discover that something good always follows. Using the science of operant conditioning, you can train ANY animal - cats, horses, killer whales! Studies have shown that dogs both learn and retain behaviors better through clicker training. "Ben, Spin!"

Do I have to use the clicker forever?
No. The clicker is a teaching tool. The clicker is only used in the first week or two of teaching NEW behaviors or for quick refreshers. You won't need to carry a clicker for the rest of the dog's life. We use lots of tools in training - a leash for one. Once the dog knows where you want him to walk and how to change pace with you and how to withstand the temptation of distractions and stay with you no matter what, he will work just as well off-leash. The clicker is a teaching tool that is far more pleasant than many other tools such as choke chains and shock collars.

"Benny, Wave!" A behavior is "on cue" when the dog completely understands what behavior you want to see, knows the signal that goes with it and responds reliably. Now you will click only for those "good enough" - half hearted or sloppy attempts get no click - no reward. When the dog is performing at the level you want, you will move to two-fers and three-fers or ask the dog to follow a series of random cues clicking unpredictably for outstanding responses in an unpredictable pattern. At this point the dog is playing the slot machine. Gamblers in Vegas don't win every time. In fact, they don't win very often. But when they do, they win big and they keep playing on the off chance THIS might be their lucky day.

But I'm not interested in tricks - I want obedience!
It's all "tricks" to them. Sitting up with a biscuit on his nose or sitting and staying while a cat runs by is all the same to your dog. Whether it's for cheers in the living room, smiles on a pet therapy visit, ribbons in the show ring or just good behavior when visitors come, the clicker helps perfect anything you want to teach. And it can make teaching complicated behaviors easier!

What about BAD behaviors?
For every behavior you don't want, there is a behavior that you would rather see instead. If you concentrate on what you DO want and make that behavior very strong and reliable, the undesireable behavior will go away. You can eliminate behavior without ever "correcting" it. The 'punishment' is lack of reinforcement.

Clicker training works for ALL animals!
Click here to watch a cat doing agility!

Clicker train for handling, grooming, etc.
No, I'm not making this up: SHARK TRAINING!

Trained Goldfish! - Click here

To make anything a habit, do it. To make it not a habit, do not do it.
To unmake a habit, do something else in place of it.
~Epictetus, 60-110 A.D.

Behaviors that are reinforced become stronger. Behaviors that are not reinforced fade away.

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For more information on Clicker Training, check out our favorite links:

Karen Pryor - Don't Shoot the Dog
Gary Wilkes - Click & Treat Training
The Well Mannered Dog -Shirley Chong's Keeper Pages
Virginia Broitman - Take a Bow-Wow!

....Check out this very interesting article by Karen Pryor
....called "The Amygdala Gem: clickers and physiology"

Web resources on using the clicker for:

Agility training
Dog Sports (agility, flyball, obedience, conformation, lure coursing, freestyle, etc)
Tricks and More Tricks
Conformation (stacking and gaiting) great articles by K. Pryor
.....Training for Conformation -Gaiting and Stacking by Sue Ailsby
Hunting dogs or More on Hunting and a great BOOK on Positive Gun Dogs
Schutzhund training
Service/Assistance dog training

Other animals:
Cat training - watch cat agility!
Bird training! E-lists on Bird training and more Bird training
Horse training & more horse training - or dressage training
.....Clicker training your horse with Alexandra Kurland including an online clicker tutorial!
Llama training

and even... clicker training KIDS and their parents!