Clicker Training - Dog Obedience

Dog Obedience Training

There are a variety of dog obedience schools available where you can take your dog to be trained. A lot of these schools use the classical conditioning method to train dogs. Another method used is operant conditioning. You can either look for a school that offers this method or you can use a clicker to train your dog at home. If you are prepared to put in the time and effort, clicker training is a great option for you..

Clicker training is a form of operant conditioning where you use a clicker and reward the dog for target behavior. The clicker is a small plastic device that produces a distinct sound when it is pressed.

You take the dog through a series of cycles which teaches it to make a connection between the action and the reward. When the dog performs a targeted action the clicker sounds so the dog focuses on the action it has just done and a reward is given for that action. Target sticks can also assist to guide the dog to perform target behavior.

Training your dog at home

You do not need to be an expert to train your dog with a clicker. The tools required for training are: a clicker, a target stick and a bag of treats. That's all you need. For basic training such as "sit" or "stay", you can commence without the use of a target stick. Clicker training is an easy method to use for training your dog at home. Even a child can train a dog with a clicker.

The use of a target stick can be a very practical training aid. Teaching your dog to touch a target for a click and a treat is easy for the dog to learn and also easy for you to teach.

The idea is to get the dog to touch the tip of the stick and then follow it. Once this is achieved, the dog can be led willingly to go wherever you want it to go without having to physically drag, push or lift it.

It is very important throughout the training session to be consistent and ensure the correct sequence is performed. If you can achieve this, your dog will learn whatever target behavior you are aiming for.

Rewards, signals, and target actions

Clicker training is an incredibly effective training method. The dog is not expected to be able to perform a complete action straight away and is not forced to do so. You will still reward the dog for any small steps it makes toward the target action.

Physical punishments such as smacking your dog or yanking its collar are not included in clicker training methodology. Clicker training uses corrective actions such as a signal word e.g. "wrong" to inform the dog when the action it has performed is not the desired result and that it should try again. Clicker training is all about positive reinforcement of good behaviors.

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