What Is Clicker Training?

Clicker training is the same as positive reinforcement training, with the added benefit of a clicker. A clicker is simply a small mechanical noisemaker. The techniques are based on the science of animal learning, which says that behaviors that are rewarded are more likely to be repeated in the future. So rather than focusing on what your dog is doing wrong, and taking good behavior for granted, clicker training flips the script and concentrates on what your dog is doing right. By telling your dog what to do, instead of what not to do, you can have an incredible effect on how your dog chooses to behave.

The value of the clicker is that it tells your dog exactly which behavior you’re rewarding. By clicking at the right time, you can “mark” the moment your dog did what you wanted. So rather than having to guess what you liked, the click tells your dog precisely what they did correctly. For example, if you’re training your dog to sit, you would click at the moment your dog’s butt hit the ground.

What Is the Meaning of the Click?

The clicker is merely a way to mark a moment. There is nothing magical about that specific noise, except that you likely never make it around your dog outside of training. Therefore, you can substitute anything as a marker as long as it’s distinct from other ways you communicate with your dog. For example, you could snap your fingers, blow a whistle, or cluck your tongue. Many people use a marker word, like “Yes” or “Good.” For a hearing-impaired dog, you could use a light or a gentle tap on the shoulder.

Of course, the click or other marker itself is meaningless until it’s paired with a reward. The click simply indicates a reward is on the way. Although edible treats are the best incentive for most dogs, a reward is anything your dog values. So if your pup would rather work for a game of tug-of-war than a chunk of chicken, play that instead. The important part is timing and consistency. The click must mark the correct moment and every click must be followed by a reward.

How Does Clicker Training Help?

In positive reinforcement training, a dog is rewarded after performing a desirable behavior. Without the use of a clicker or other marker, it might be obvious to the trainer what is being rewarded, but is it obvious to the dog? For example, when teaching a dog to lie down, how do you make it clear you are rewarding the belly on the ground? You have to make sure the reward is given while the dog is lying down rather than the dog getting up to get it. Otherwise, the dog might think the reward is for standing up or walking toward you. That’s easy with food treats, but impossible if the reward is a round of fetch or tug.

What about dogs who pop up from a down as soon they touch the floor? You can’t possibly get the reward to them fast enough. Or, what about more challenging behaviors like those performed at a distance? How do you get your dog a reward for jumping through a hoop at the exact moment they pass through the hoop? That’s where the power of the click or other marker comes in. The click marks the moment you are going to reward, then bridges the gap in time until the reward arrives. Your dog knows exactly what action was correct.

But couldn’t you just use praise in the same way? You could, but it’s not nearly as clear. You communicate with your dog using praise all the time. In fact, it’s a wonderful part of rewarding your dog. Plus, there is nothing about praise that is specific to the training situation, nor would you want that to be the case. Gushing over your dog is part of the joy of dog ownership. Using a clicker or other training-specific marker prevents confusion about the reward to come.

On top of the benefit of clarity, clicker-trained dogs tend to love learning. They want to train and work hard to earn a click. From your dog’s point of view, mark and reward training makes teaching new behaviors a game. It takes the pressure off the trainer too. Looking for clickable moments means you focus on your dog’s good choices, rather than dwelling on mistakes. Like any form of positive reinforcement training, clicker training boosts your communication, builds your bond with your dog, and makes training fun.

How Do You Use Clicker Training?

To use a clicker or other marker, you’ll first need to teach the dog what the marker means. Sometimes called “loading the clicker,” you pair your chosen marker with a reward. So, click, then immediately treat. After about 10–20 repetitions, your dog will understand that the marker predicts a coming reward. Now you’re ready to put the clicker into practice.

You can use your marker with lure-and-reward training, where you use a reward to lure your dog into the behavior you’re looking for. But it’s also useful for shaping behaviors. Shaping involves building a complex behavior through baby steps. The clicker is also a great way to capture good behavior. So if you see your dog lying quietly on a mat instead of begging at the table, click then reward that behavior. Or if your dog has all four paws on the floor when the doorbell rings, click that moment before your dog has a chance to jump on guests. Last but not least, clicker training is a great way to teach tricks.

Eventually, when your dog has learned a new behavior, you won’t need the marker anymore. After all, it’s simply a teaching tool. But whenever you want to lure, shape, or capture a behavior, the clicker or other marker will help you communicate clearly with your dog so the behavior you want is the behavior you’ll get.

Environment

An enriched environment creates an enriched brain. Exposure to novelty before a puppy’s first fear period (8-9 weeks of age) helps them to build resiliency to things they may experience later.  

• Provide a variety of toys, including ones that move, light up, or make sounds. 
• Provide different surface textures to play on, such as artificial turf, metal, rubber mats, mulch, etc. 
• Offer wobble boards, balance pillows, and other moving obstacles to develop body awareness. 
• Rotate toys and obstacles often.  
• Introduce recorded sounds such as traffic, thunderstorms, fireworks, and barking. Doing this at feeding time can help build a positive association with noises that commonly worry dogs. 

Housetraining

Housetraining should be the first thing on a new puppy owner’s to-do list. While puppies are still young, they can begin to learn preferences for where to eliminate. Encouraging puppies to eliminate in a litterbox and outdoors early can go a long way to helping owners have quick potty-training success. 

• Provide puppies with a separate elimination area by 3-4 weeks of age. It’s good for the substrate in this area to be tactilely different from the rest of their pen. 
• Feed puppies on a schedule. Once weaned, feeding puppies on a schedule helps to regulate their developing GI tract. Always follow your veterinarian’s advice on how often to feed puppies. 
• What goes in on a schedule, goes out on a schedule. Predictability of bowel movements will help owners with making their potty-training schedule at home

Crate Training

Crate training is another skill that puppy owners often struggle with. Being suddenly separated from their dam and littermates can be very distressing for young puppies. Familiarizing puppies with crates early will help them be more comfortable when they are brought to a place full of strange people and smells. 

• Start with an open crate in the litter’s playpen or kennel and put treats and toys inside it. 
• Feed puppies separately in open crates. 
• Put sleepy puppies in crates so they are more likely to settle and rest inside. 
• Crate puppies for short periods of time and let them out before they begin to stress.
• Allowing puppies to “cry it out” can create negative associations with being crated. 

Handling and Grooming

Everyone knows puppies should be handled to make them comfortable with human touch.  We can go even further by teaching puppies to enjoy handling and grooming. This is important for all breeds, not just coated ones. Puppies that are relaxed for husbandry procedures like nail trims, teeth brushing, ear cleaning, and brushing will make it easier for owners to care for them at home.  

• Do grooming in short sessions to not overwhelm or flood a young puppy. 
• Pair grooming and handling with food treats to make it a positive experience. 
• Rather than expecting the puppy to “get used to it,” teach them to look forward to grooming.
• Have puppy playtimes in the bathtub, grooming tubs, and on grooming tables. Likewise, give lots of treats so the puppies learn these areas are fun.

Resource Guarding Prevention

Puppies can learn early on to happily give up resources like food and toys. Learning to give up high–value items can prevent puppies from developing resource guarding down the road. Sharing food bowls with littermates can create anxiety around food and lead to resource guarding in the future. Intensity around food items and toys can lead to ingestion of foreign objects, conflicts between a puppy and other pets in the home, or the owners.  

• Teach trades. Use treats and other toys to trade puppies for their toys. 
• Feed littermates in separate bowls to reduce competition over food.
• Teach them to associate people coming near their food by dropping treats as you walk past.
• Never forcefully remove food or toys from a puppy’s mouth.
• Teach a “Leave It” cue that owners can use as a potentially life-saving tool.

Exercising With Your Puppy

Varying you and your dog’s play and exercise routine will keep them enthusiastic and help facilitate bonding, but consistency is key for developing a routine and avoiding overexertion. Puppy owners should not rapidly change the length or intensity of exercise periods, for example. A sudden, ill-planned workout or extra-long walk could mean fatigue and potentially life-changing injuries for a dog who hasn’t reached full maturity. Since different breeds age differently, dog owners are advised to do their research before acquiring a puppy.

Playing games with puppies often provides valuable teaching opportunities. Tug-of-war, for example, can be useful in teaching dogs how to refocus when they’re excited and can help reinforce good habits like learning to “drop” or “give” objects on cue.

More Benefits of Exercising With Your Puppy

In addition to helping your puppy avoid weight gain, healthy amounts of exercise and playtime can help reduce anxiety and stress. The mood-boosting powers of physical activity will leave your dog feeling more content and can discourage destructive habits like inappropriate elimination or chewing on furniture.

Playing and exercising with puppies pays off for dog owners too. Scientific evidence supports the therapeutic benefits of bonding with animals, and getting more active is always easier and more fun with a partner. Just be sure to keep your sessions age-appropriate as your puppy matures.

How Much Exercise Is Too Much?

Your puppy’s exercise needs are as unique as they are. Too much exercise could injure their developing bones and tendons, and too little activity risks stifling that development in the first place. As a general rule of thumb, experts encourage puppy owners to favor short periods of exercise in controlled environments. . If an older dog with more stamina is causing your puppy to overexert themselves, consider separating them in structured schedules and introducing rest periods.

Mental Workouts for Your Puppy

When it comes to your puppy’s health and well-being, physical exercise is just one piece of the puzzle. Puppies require mental stimulation as well. Anyone who has had to share their home office with a pet may have learned this the hard way. Stimulation from tools like a puzzle toy, food-stuffed chew toy, or a snuffle mat can keep them engaged and out of your hair during crucial meetings and calls.

These tools can promote cognitive development much the same way playing in the yard promotes healthy joints and bones. You can even make your own with common household items.

For hands-on mental stimulation, try making a game out of mealtime. Hiding treats or food will encourage puppies to work for their meals (burning calories along the way) while strengthening their minds.

Your Partner in Pet Care

Throughout your dog’s puppyhood and into their adult years, your veterinarian will serve as both an asset and an ally. Regular wellness visits will help ensure your pet is growing and gaining weight at a normal rate, so you can adjust their diet and exercise regimen accordingly. Switching to adult food ahead of schedule can lead to weight gain and a host of additional digestive concerns. When in doubt, always consult your veterinarian.

Teaching Your Puppy to Learn

As soon as they arrive in their homes, puppies need to be taught the boundaries and rules of their new social order. Since a puppy must be taught how to learn, it is very important that he learn the right things to form good habits, rather than learning bad habits that later must be corrected. If there is anything you do not want your adult dogs to do, then do not let them do it as puppies. This might include jumping on people, getting on the furniture, begging at the table, or pulling on a leash. Teach him correctly, so you aren’t faced with the harder task of changing bad behavior later.

At around four months old, puppies enter the age of independence, when they may start testing the dominance and leadership of their owners. Be warned: Temper tantrums are common. You cannot win an argument with a teenager or a dog, so it will be your job to figure out how to be smarter than they are and train and teach around the issues.

This is a critical period of learning, and no matter which school of dog training you follow, you must come out on top or you may never have the well-behaved dog you want and expect. The essentials a puppy should learn are: no biting, no dominating children or other pets, and no resisting the necessities such as having nails trimmed, being groomed, leash training,, vet exams, ear care, or the removal of possessions or food. It also includes learning to come when called.

This is the time when puppy classes are essential. Your veterinarian, the Internet, or even sometimes your breeder may tell you not to take the puppy out until he completes all of his vaccinations. If you do that, however, the puppy may miss out on vital socialization opportunities. Chances are slim that a puppy will get sick if he hasn’t had all of his shots. A healthy dog that is unsure, disagreeable, or unable to cope because we protected him from too many of life’s risks has a good chance of ending up in a shelter.

At this age puppies need to experience other puppies of different breeds, sizes, and temperaments; they need to learn the difference between play and work; and they need to be handled, trained, and disciplined by a variety of people.

Exposure to various environments helps build self-confidence, but use common sense. Make sure that any potential puppy classes take place in a clean facility that meets proper health and safety requirements, and that you and your breeder are comfortable with the training methods to be employed.

Don’t take your puppy to a dog park, since you have no way of knowing about the health and behaviors of the other dogs there.

You may find good opportunities for socializing your puppy by taking him to places such as Lowe’s, Petco, or other pet-friendly businesses. After immunization is completed, I like to take my puppies to middle school sporting events, where there are lots of people, noise, confusion, and dog-loving teenagers.

Conditioning for Trust

Mental conditioning is a very important part of growing up. Teach your puppy to trust you by being trustworthy. If we ask puppies to do things that they are unprepared for or unable to do, we are teaching them to fail instead of to succeed. The more your puppy fails, the less he will trust your instruction and expectations. Remember, you and your puppy are a team in this growing-up process. Try to make sure every little developmental step is taken with success, so the puppy learns to trust your judgment throughout his life.

Don’t “Baby” Your Puppy

Don’t do anything for your puppy that you can teach him to do for himself. The more we do for our puppies, the less they learn, and the less confidence they build. So instead of picking him up to put him in the car, teach him how to put his front feet up on the edge and then boost him and say what a great, smart puppy he is. We must give them opportunities to learn to think for themselves.

Mental conditioning is of paramount importance during fear stages or at times of minor injuries. Never console a puppy that is afraid or mildly injured. One of the biggest mistakes owners make is to use the phrase “it’s OK.” It is also one of the hardest habits to break, as that is the phrase we use with our children. Children have the ability to understand that we are talking about a situation (i.e., “everything is going to be OK”); our dogs think we are talking about their behavior (i.e., “it’s OK that you’re cowering –- well done, you”). In essence, then, we are reinforcing fearful or traumatic behavior instead of helping our puppies work past the fear or injury. Try using the phrase “you can do this” or “you can be brave.” When they recover, offer plenty of praise.

The more you invest in teaching your puppy to learn and in mental conditioning, the happier and more confident you both will be in the lifetime you will share together from here on out.