I’m assuming you’ve read our post on Clicker Training for Dogs and have a clear understanding of how clicker dog training works and what it’s all about. Do you feel ready to get started? All you need to get going are the right tools and of course – a DOG!
Before you bust out your clicker and expect your dog to perform all kinds of neat stuff for you, you have to introduce your dog to the clicker. We call this loading or charging the clicker. This important step will transform the sound of your clicker into a conditioned enforcer. This, in effect, is what we like to call the pre-production phase of clicker training and the single most important first step. The great news is that it’s super easy and anyone can do it. Really, it’s a no-brainer and best of all its super fun!
Before we continue, setting up your clicker in no way assures your dog’s participation in actual training sessions. Getting your dog motivated and driven to train with you is a whole other ball game, a game that can be interestingly challenging with some dogs and even more so with some dog owners. This article is strictly focused on setting up your clicker. Your dog will very likely participate in this initial important step. Just remember that it is just that – a first step.
Set aside about 5 minutes. Get your super clicker and ‘bestest’ treats ready. Be calm and positive. Make sure your surroundings are suitable for some meaningful interaction with your dog. Now click and treat. That’s it! You basically click the clicker and give your dog a treat. Do this about a dozen times the right way, creating the right outcome and you’re all set.
Told ya it was EASY! ;) OK let me explain…
During this step, what you’re doing is communicating with your dog and letting him know that a click means he gets a treat, which basically means a reward – a positive outcome. The dog doesn’t have to be doing anything specific. You just click and treat. The dog might walk over to you or look you in the eyes – click and treat. Even if it’s not doing anything in particular – click and treat. Be consistent, clear and effective – click pause for a second and treat.
When I say consistent, clear and effective, I’m not saying click and treat simultaneously. I’m not asking you to click, happily mumble some words to your dog and force-feed a treat. Don’t click several times and don’t expect anything from your dog. I’m saying be cool and steady with it. Even better, before you start, take a moment and simulate the action of clicking, pausing for a second, smiling and kindly giving your dog a treat without actually being in the presence of your dog. This little exercise is great to calm the nerves and get you acquainted to the click and treat action. You want to be calm, relaxed and in a positive state of mind, even if this step is a relatively simple one. Here’s is where you start putting theory into practice. This is your dog’s introduction to clicker training. Sure, your dog doesn’t know that but YOU DO, so why not start with the right attitude?
Hold the clicker in one hand and the treat in the other or have your treats handy in a pouch or treat bag attached to your waist. Whatever works best. For this part, we generally just keep a hand full of treats and dispense one by one. When we get to teaching actual cues and engaging in clicker dog training sessions, we use a treat pouch. It’s very convenient and many times, very necessary.
I’m assuming we understand each other:
Click, pause for a second and give your dog a treat.
Do this for a few minutes, 10-25 times or so should suffice. With Halle, we did a quickfire clicker training session on one day and another the day after before we actually got started teaching her basic moves and commands. 20-50 repetitions over two days is optimal – though a one-time session is more than enough with most puppies and dogs.
It won’t take long before your dog associates the sound of the clicker to a positive consequence (yummy in my belly treat). Once your dog makes that association, your clicker will have value. The sound of your clicker will become a conditioned reinforcer which will be paired with a primary reinforcer, in this case treats. This essentially, is the foundation on which you can start teaching your dog.
“Positive Outcome or nothing at all? The clicker always knows.” } Halle
The sound of the clicker is a wonderful event marker because it’s clear and concise and always sounds the same every time. This is great because consistency and clear communication are key components in productive dog training. The clicker is the tool that will enable that clarity and consistency.
How do you know your Clicker is charged and loaded?
Here’s how it usually always plays out.
At first your puppy dog has no clue what that sound is or what it means. After a few clicks (remember this doesn’t take very long) your dog will anticipate the reward when it hears the click. When you feel your dog is truly anticipating or expecting the click, wait for the dog to look away and click. If your dog quickly turns to you expecting something – BINGO – Clicker is charged. Repeat a few more times to seal the deal.
Once you see your dog’s light bulb go off and make the association you’ll feel pretty darn good about it. It’s a wonderful thing!
Always remember that in dog clicker training, your furry friend gets a reward (positive consequence) for earning a click, in other words for exhibiting the precise behavior you’re looking for. No click means no reward, which translates to incorrect behavior or behavior that does not warrant a positive consequence. Your dog will connect the dots pretty quickly. There’s no correction or punishment. The result of not doing the right thing is no click, no treat.
In this pre-production stage, there is no specific behavior you’re simply giving the click a MEANING to your dog. You’re not marking an action. You’re simply clicking and treating. You’re letting him know – hey, this click sound is very valuable.
Keep in Mind.
When setting up your clicker, make sure your dog is not doing something it’s not supposed to be doing like chewing on a plant or your socks or barking for no good reason. Make sure you start the exercise before you feed your dog and right after you take it out for potty, usually a clicker training puppy requirement. ;) Don’t click on any unwanted behavior. As long as your dog is all good and not doing anything you deem as negative, click once and give your dog a treat.
Also if you click by accident, always treat. If you click unintentionally, it’s basically your fault. Don’t think twice. Just accept it and dish out the goods immediately. Once your dog has established an association between reward and click, don’t miss a reward or it can confuse your dog. You never want to dilute the meaning of a click once it’s established. A dog that understands the meaning of and anticipates a click is priceless. Not rewarding when clicked, even if you click by accident, can put a dent into your dogs click trust. ;)
Once you’ve charged your clicker, you’re ready to go. There are quite a few things you need to understand and be clear on if you want to train the right way. Many people get a little ahead of themselves and don’t quite understand or grasp all the ins and outs of clicker dog training. This can cause the whole process to backfire or be stunted. Sure you can teach your dog to sit and go down pretty quickly with a clicker but trust me, understanding and executing with all the variables in mind, makes a huge difference in the long run. It’s also very common to be nervous since this is a new experience. It might not feel natural at first. Stalling or confusing your dog when clicker training, primarily when you’re starting out, can take a lot longer to reverse. So be sure to take it a step at a time.
Before we get into some of the basic cues and commands, we’ll hook you up with a complete overview of all of the clicker training variables and fundamentals along with all the things you should study and keep in mind before you embark on training your dog with a clicker. We’ll do our best to be as descriptive as possible so you don’t have to second guess the steps and if you ever have questions, just scroll to the bottom and post them up.
Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know about the next articles in this Dog Clicker Training series as they go live. We also have a variety of useful dog care and training articles on the way. Meanwhile, pick up some training tools (a clicker) and get it charged up! And if you haven’t read the first post in this series about Clicker Training for Dogs, make sure you do! It’s got a lot of useful tidbits for the novice clicker trainer.
Got clicker dog training questions? Don’t hesitate to leave your comments below. We do our best to answer all of them and if we don’t have the answer, we’ll point you in the right direction!
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