Puppy Clicker Training for Idiots

Clicker training puppies is an effective training method for training dogs to learn desired actions like going potty outside or learning a new obedience command. Punishment is not used in clicker training, just rewards to positively reinforce desired behaviors.

Clicker training involves using a click sound to help positively reinforce a desired behavior. A treat is then given to the puppy as a reward. You can pick up a clicker at the pet store or produce the click vocally.

If you give your dog a treat and make the click sound every time he sits in training, he will begin to associate the two things together. When your dog performs a desired behavior using a click has the advantage of associating the two together.  The click has a consistent sound each time it is made, whereas an obedience command like “sit” will not always sound the same depending on the inflection and emphasis used as well as any emotion behind the word.

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How to Start Clicker Training Puppies

Clicker training puppies is a useful training technique that can be applied to a broad range of learning behaviors. Potty training combined with clicker training can illustrate how the training process works. To potty train your puppy to go outdoors, you need to first select a permanent spot where he will always go. Every time you take your puppy out to go potty, always go out the same door and to the same spot in order to train him.

Watch for you puppy to start going potty. Click at the same time that he finishes going potty.  Be sure that you do not click before he is done or he may not finish going potty. After clicking, reward your puppy with a treat. Timing the click is crucial in getting your puppy to associate the click with going potty and being positively reinforced with the treat.

The click makes a very distinct sound that the puppy can remember along with going potty and getting a treat.  He isn’t rewarded with a treat and is not presented with the click sound when he goes potty inside the house.

Clicker Training Puppies Benefits

Clicker training puppies not only provides a clear signal but also uses positive reinforcement to encourage desired behaviors.  What this does is leave out a lot of the inconsistencies in verbal communication that can develop between animals and humans.  Old and harsh punishment training models do not have to be used to teach your puppy to behave in ways that you want him to. You and the puppy can both find that training is rewarding and fun.

Clicker training puppies is most effective when it is done for just a few minutes at a time due to a puppy’s short attention span. Training for about five minute intervals is about how long you should go with clicker training sessions. You can also use clicks for teaching obedience commands like stay, come, sit and down in addition to potty training. When teaching your dog obedience commands use the same steps that you did for potty training.

To teach your puppy how to sit, you need to watch him until he is about to do it.  As soon as his back end makes contact with the ground, click the clicker and hand him a treat.  As soon as it is clear that he has learned to associate sitting down with the click and getting a reward, begin introducing the verbal command of “sit” and then you can eventually stop using the click and he will sit with just the verbal command.

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