There are numerous training techniques offered on the internet. One such training program which has become particularly trendy lately is clicker method training. It would appear that wherever you look you see endorsements to the clicker method. There is either a large amount of hype going on with this method or perhaps its something worth checking out. Here we shall look and see what the clicker method training is all about.

In point of fact, clicker method training is not that new. It has existed for some years but has recently become really quite fashionable again. Fundamentally it revolves around using a small hand-held device known as a clicking box or just a clicker which activate by pushing with your thumb to make an audible click sound. By clicking the clicker strategically when training and playing with your pet dog, he will begin to understand what a single click or a double click means without having to give a vocal command or reward.

This is how it works: you would begin to train your dog as you would normally. You would first associate a click a treat and a couple of times a day, give your dog 5 treats and click the clicker each time he gets the treat.

Soon your dog will be looking for his reward when he hears the click.

Then, show the dog the instruction you want to teach him, such as ‘sit’. Give the dog the order, demonstrating what the dog should do and when the dog successfully follows your command then reward the dog with a treat and while giving the dog a treat click the clicker.

Afterwards start to click as soon as the correct action has been taken. If asking the dog to sit, for example, just when his rear end hits the floor, then give the click and treat. Then introduce the word command ‘sit’. Hey presto!, in no time at all your dog will know exactly what you want him to do when you say sit!

Everyone is more motivated by praise rather than punishments and your dog is no different. As your dog learns, he will become conditioned to understand the click as a positive reward rather than the treat. This makes the clicker method of dog training worth investigating further.