Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Tips for Clicker Training Dogs

Clicker training offers a highly effective way to teach dogs to obey commands. This type of training, which uses positive reinforcement, can be used to help dogs learn a wide range of commands. Keep the following tips in mind when you’re working clicker training dogs.


Use Bite-Sized Treats
Since you’ll be giving your dogs several treats during clicker training sessions, keep them small in size. Break up bits of chicken, or use smaller dog treats as rewards. To get the best results, make sure you choose treats or small pieces of food that your dog loves.


Click at the Right Time
When you’re clicker training dogs, it’s important to get the timing right. Using the clicker helps dogs learn that when they hear a verbal command, they’re expected to behave a certain way. Click while your dog is performing the correct behavior, instead of clicking after he’s done it. Reward him with a treat afterwards as positive reinforcement.


Only Click Once
Don’t use the clicker a number of times when your dog performs the desired behavior. Each time he does so during training, only click once rather than several times. If you want to show enthusiasm, such as when your dog masters a harder command, reward him with more treats instead.


Carry a Clicker Around
Clicking to reward positive behavior on the spot is an important part of clicker training dogs. Have a clicker handy in your pocket, so you can pull it out and click when your dog does something positive, such as greeting someone calmly instead of jumping.


Add a Cue
When your dog knows how to perform a behavior when he hears the clicker, you can add a cue, such as a verbal command or a hand signal. Start using these during clicker training sessions, which helps your dog learn to follow verbal commands or hand signals.


Focus on the Positive
Only click for good behavior, which will end up reducing bad behavior. Don’t use the clicker to distract your dog from doing something he shouldn’t. Instead, wait until he’s doing something good to use the clicker.





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