Clicker Training For Dogs

Clicker training for dogs is one of the most useful tools for teaching your dog new behaviours and improving their known behaviours. Clickers serve as a great communication tool in rectifying aggressive or reactive dog behaviours.

In dog training, think of a clicker as an event marker – it let’s your dog understand what you want it to do when you produce the clicking sound. When you click at the exact instant your dog performs a desirable action, you are telling it that you approve this behaviour. For example, if you click and your dog sits down, this means that it knows what command you are giving. Clicker training is also a great way of teaching through positive reinforcement.

One question I have been asked quite frequently by dog owners is, “Why use a clicker when I can do the same with my voice?” You may definitely use your voice to give commands, and in some situations, it proves to be more helpful when dog owners don’t have their clicker at hand. However, my experience as a dog trainer and behaviourist as well as research has shown that the rate a dog learns new behaviours significantly increases when a clicker is used. Not only that, it also reduces the number of reinforcements needed to refine certain behaviours.

There are several benefits of clicker training. Your dog learns quickly with a clicker because it allows your dog to understand in a clear and concise way what you expect it to do and the behaviour it is being rewarded for. You can also speed the training by doing repetitions of the same behaviour without worrying about affecting your dog’s motivation or losing its interest. Clicker training builds a strong relationship between the trainer and the dog, as it establishes a line of commands for better communication.

If you want to learn more about clicker training and how it can help you in training your dog, get in touch with our dog trainers in Southport at Dog Harmony Training. We will work with you to assist you in establishing a relationship with your canine friend and teaching it new behaviours. We also provide residential dog training in Southport for the convenience of our clients.