Timing Your Click With Behaviors Correctly In Clicker Training

Short of puppies being born with great behavioral skills, most dog owners are faced with some amount of dog training.

It is a dreaded responsibility for a new dog owner that will reap its own rewards in time, but at the very beginning of the task, it is quite frankly, daunting. You are not without resources, however.

Good advice and tips on puppy and dog training are readily available in books, internet, on DVDs, and training courses.

You just have to pick the one method that seems to best, the most effective to you. Many dog owners pick the clicker method because of its gently persuading method of training the pet.

Where Can I Buy A Clicker And How Do I Begin This Clicker Training:

Most pet stores will have clickers readily available. They are probably one of the least expensive items in the entire store. A clicker will last you for the entire lifetime of the pet. Clicker training is all about timing. If you call your puppy to come to you, at first he will probably totally ignore you and go on his merry old way. This is where reinforcement in the form of treats comes in.

The puppy may ignore you with empty hands as you call him, but hold a little treat in your hands, and you will have the upper hand immediately. The crucial moment of using the clicker is the very moment when the puppy decides to come and get his treat. As soon as he lifts his head and comes to you, give him a click.

Doing it too early or too late will be counterproductive. Timing your click with behaviors correctly in clicker training is the key to success. Train with your dog a couple of times every day for a short period. More than ten minutes would be a waste of time because their attention span is not the greatest.

What If I Am Walking With My Dog And I Forgot My Clicker?

In short, don't. Have perhaps a spare clicker you always keep in your pocket or purse or wherever you want to keep it. This is crucial in the beginning of the training and timing your click with behaviors correctly in clicker training is very important.

In time, when you change tactics a little to include verbal commands, clicker training will be replaced by just verbal commands. When your dog is at that level of training, then you do not have to rely on the clicker any longer and it is not the end of the world if you forget it.

Why Clicker Training?

The reason clicker training is popular with those who choose it is because the clicker is a non-aggressive, non-punishing teaching instrument. It has nothing to do with the clicker itself so much as it does with the sound it makes. It reinforces good behavior rather than punishing mistakes.

Like everything else when it comes to training dogs, repeating the five to ten minute training sessions will reinforce the learning curve for puppy. You will be happy and puppy will be happy about the training.

For the best most comprehensive guide to clicker training go check out: Canis Clicker Training