What is Clicker Training?
Clicker Training, a positive reinforcement method of animal training. What we are now call clicker training, and many think of as a new is actually an application of behavior analysis that was initially invented and developed in the sixties by Keller Breland, Marian Breland Bailey, and Bob Bailey!

Karen Pryor is one of the foremost authorities on this method, and at her website Clickertraining we find this definition:
“Clicker training” is an animal training method based on behavioral psychology that relies on marking desirable behavior and rewarding it. Desirable behavior is usually marked by using a “clicker,” a mechanical device that makes a short, distinct “click” sound which tells the animal exactly when they’re doing the right thing. This clear form of communication, combined with positive reinforcement, is an effective, safe, and humane way to teach any animal any behavior that it is physically and mentally capable of doing. ”

If you want to learn more about the theory of Clicker Training we highly recommend Karen Pryor’s book Don’t Shoot the Dog. It is a classic and a must-have book! The book outlines 8 methods for putting an end to all kinds of undesirable behavior without yelling, threats, force, punishment, guilt trips – or shooting the dog! Note that this is not a how-to book on clicker-training, it is the theory of clicker training and also an inspiration!

Look inside DON’T SHOOT THE DOG at Dogwise

Search inside DON’T SHOOT THE DOG at Amazon.com

Why is a clicker used? Why use the click? Why not just a word?
The essential difference between clicker training and other reward-based training is that the animal is told exactly which behavior earned it a reward. With the click, it is possible to precisely “mark” behavior so that our dog knows exactly what it was doing. That’s why the click is also called an “event marker.”

It is possible to use a word or another sound instead of the click. But a click is very powerful for training because:
It is not a sound heard by the animal in other circumstances.
It has only one meaning for the dog: a reward is coming because of what you did when you heard the click.
It can be produced instantly and at the exact moment a behavior occurs.
The click sounds the same every time it is heard; its meaning never varies. Our voices can say the same word in different ways, and so express different emotions or meanings each time.

Getting Started
If you’re anything like me, once you’ve read Karen Pryor’s book DON’T SHOOT THE DOG you’ll be dying to give clicker training a go! If you haven’t tried clicker training before check out Karen Pryor’s CLICKER DOG TRAINING KIT
at Dogwise to get you started. It includes a book, an i-Click clicker, a small packet of treats, and “click-a-trick” cards, each with a behavior your can teach your dog.

Some of our favorite Clicker books/DVDs
If you are learning clicker training on your own, DVDs or videos may be better for giving you the all-important sense of timing but books are easier to pick up and refer to.

Click for Joy: Questions and Answers from Clicker Trainers and their Dogs
by Melissa C. Alexander
Melissa Alexander, moderator of the online discussion forum ClickerSolutions has collected clear and accurate answers to over one hundred commonly asked questions about clicker training in one essential reference guide. Each question covers two or more pages, with the question, its answer, often a short success story, and a little “See also” sidebar, listing related questions.

It has the following Chapters, each chapter covering 6-8 questions:
About Clicker Training, Equipment, That Magical Click, Reinforcement, Getting Started, Punishment, Mistakes, and Errors, About Training Sessions, Getting the Behavior, Making the Behavior Perfect, Reliability and Fluency, Specific Behaviors, Solving Problem Behavior, Beyond Training, Beyond Method: The Underlying Science

Look inside CLICK FOR JOY! at Dogwise!

TAKE A BOW…WOW/BOW WOW TAKE 2 DVD
by Virginia Broitman & Sherri Lippman
Take a Bow…Wow is a collection of fun and functional dog tricks. Well-done and enjoyable, training techniques are based on positive reinforcement. Tricks include, take a bow, play dead, ring a bell (when you need to go out), open and close doors, wave, chase your tail, and retrieve your leash.

Bow Wow Take 2 has more fun and practical tricks taught with clickers! Many tricks are useful for service dog training, including turning on/off TV or lights, carrying and retrieving all sorts of things, throwing away garbage. Dogs of all ages and breeds – including mixed breeds – demonstrate. Retrieve training will be especially helpful for “non-retriever” types!

See a clip from TAKE A BOW…WOW/BOW WOW TAKE 2 DVD at Dogwise!

Once you and your dog have mastered the basics of clicker training, you’ll be amazed at what you can teach with this positive method! Take your training to the next level with these resources:

Clicker training for the showdog:
POSITIVE TRAINING FOR SHOW DOGS – BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP FOR SUCCESS by Vicki Ronchette

Clicker training for the obedience dog:
CLICKER TRAINING FOR OBEDIENCE by by Morgan Spector

Clicker training for the agility dog:
CLICK & PLAY AGILITY by Angelica Steinker

Find more books and DVDs on Clicker Training at Dogwise.com.