What is CLICKER TRAINING & Why should I learn it?
For maximum benefits while training for the type of TEAMWORK required for therapy dog work in the least amount of time we highly recommend clicker training - here's why ...
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"This difference in attitude is something I have always struggled to explain to people. I am not sure I would have seen it had I not had two sets of dogs, both of whom I had trained for several months, right in front of my eyes. ... The only difference in these dogs was in the method of training I had taught the families to use. ... I believe the clicker trained dogs were happier and at this point in their training, their skills were far ahead of the rest of the class." - Robin Bennett
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" I realized that intending to use positive reinforcement was not the same as using it effectively. ... Technique matters. ... A few weeks or a month of good technique may include bursts of obscene machine gun clicking. The alternative is months or years of slow feeding and searching for the miracle cure that may or may not come. ... While providing feedback at the right moment in time is important, it is equally important to raise expectations in small, measured increments. ... Really, it’s not a moral issue. At the end of the day we want dog training that works."
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"To truly comprehend why food is so powerful, you must first understand the influence it has on the dog’s brain. Food has the power to not only enhance a dog’s ability to learn but also helps a dog overcome fear or anxiety by raising the levels of dopamine in the brain and stimulating the desire to seek or move towards the food reward. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a major role in reward-driven learning and helps regulate movement and emotional responses. There are circuits in the dog’s brain that encourage seeking or hunting behavior and circuits that elicit the fear response. Turning on the thinking brain deactivates the emotional brain, enhancing a dog’s attentiveness with positive motivation and allowing him to move into a calmer state where learning can take place.
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Get maximum results
in the least amount of time by refining your timing & technique - BEFORE you start class! I highly recommend at least 1 private session with one of our recommended trainers or this on-line course to refine your clicker training timing & technique. Intending to use positive reinforcement is not the same as using it effectively. ... Technique matters! Cost for the brief course is only $25. Private session fees depend on trainers. Scholarships are available! We would love to help you maximize your training efforts in order to get the most benefit in less time! |
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Private Training to build a solid foundation and get a running start before classes is an excellent option!!!
See our Recommended Trainers for private sessions.
See our Recommended Trainers for private sessions.
Q & A
What Is Clicker Training? Click - Fundamentals - to visit original post on Karey Pryor site and for links to information about Clicker Training alternate species - ALL species can and do respond well to clicker training! "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. |
TAG Teaching is a form of clicker training used to teach everything from athletes perfecting a skill to toddlers learning to tie shoes or take nose drops to addressing fears and anxieties. TAG stands for Teaching Acoustical Guidance. Listen to Karen Pryor explain the Neurobiology as to why it works - for both people and dogs ...
Excellent Clicker Training Basics Tutorial!
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Start training today Watch a video intro | Visit pages for dogs, cats or other animals
Why is clicker training effective? When an animal intentionally performs a behavior in order to bring about a desired consequence, as clicker trained animals do, they are learning in a way that researchers call "operant conditioning." Animals (and people) may also associate an action, event, place, person, or object with a consequence, whether pleasant or unpleasant. The more a certain event or environment is paired with a particular consequence, the stronger the association. This type of learning is called "classical conditioning" and represents reflexive or automatic behavior, rather than intentional behavior. While clicker training initially employs classical conditioning, it quickly becomes operant conditioning as soon as the animal intentionally repeats an action in order to earn a reward. Training through operant conditioning results in purposeful behavior, while training through classical conditioning results in habitual behavior. *** The difference between an animal that behaves with purpose, rather than by habit, is vast. Clicker trained or operantly conditioned animals try to learn new behaviors. They remember behaviors even years later because they were aware of them as they learned them, rather than acquiring them without awareness. They develop confidence because they have control over the consequences of their actions. They are enthusiastic because they expect those consequences to be pleasurable. Why is a clicker used? The essential difference between clicker training and other reward-based training is that the animal is told exactly which behavior earned it a reward. This information is communicated with a distinct and unique sound, a click, which occurs at the same time as the desired behavior. The reward follows. Without hearing a click during an action, an animal may not connect the reward with that action. Or, the animal may associate the reward with another, unwanted action. With the click, a trainer can precisely "mark" behavior so that the animal knows exactly what it was doing. That's why clicker trainers call the click an "event marker." The click also bridges or connects the behavior and its reward, and so is also called a "bridging signal."
Why use the click? Why not just a word? A click is more powerful for training than a spoken word because it is not a sound heard by the animal in other circumstances. It means one thing only: 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. Even a very quick and subtle behavior, the twitch of an ear for example, can be clicked.
Unlike our voices, which can say the same word in different ways, and so express different emotions or meanings each time, the click sounds the same every time it is heard; its meaning never varies. Humans are highly verbal creatures, but our pets are not. It can be difficult for them to pick out a single word from the stream of meaningless words they hear us speak every day. The click's meaning, however, is always clear. It is always directed at the animal, and it is always good news. The clarity with which a click enables trainers to communicate with their animals has a profound effect on their relationships. Their level of interaction increases, and trainer and animal become more interesting and fun for each other. How does clicker training work? The trainer clicks at the moment the behavior occurs: the horse raises its hoof, the trainer clicks simultaneously. The dog sits, the trainer clicks. Clicking is like taking a picture of the behavior the trainer wishes to reinforce. After "taking the picture," the trainer gives the animal something it likes, usually a small piece of food but sometimes play, petting, or other rewards. Very soon (sometimes within two or three clicks), an animal will associate the sound of the click with something it likes: the reward. Since it wishes to repeat that pleasurable experience, it will repeat the action it was doing when it heard the click.Any behavior can be trained with any animal following these three simple steps: Get the behavior. Mark the behavior. Reinforce (or reward) the behavior. How do clicker trainers ask for behaviors? Clicker trainers differ from traditional trainers in that they wait until the behavior is well understood by the animal before using a command or "cue." A cue is the name of a behavior, such as "sit," or a hand movement or other clear signal. Until the animal knows what the behavior is, any name for it would be meaningless. When the animal has been clicked several times for a behavior, and then confidently repeats the behavior, showing that it knows exactly what earns it a click and a reward, it is ready to learn the name of the behavior. Clicker trainers call this "introducing the cue." To teach the animal the name of the behavior, or the cue, the trainer says or signals the cue before the animal repeats the behavior. After several repetitions, the trainer begins to click and reward when the animal does the behavior, but only after the cue is given. No click is given if the animal does the behavior without being given the cue first. The animal quickly learns to listen or watch for its cue, which tells it: If you do this behavior now, you will get a click and earn a reward. What if the animal does not obey the cue? Clicker trained animals want to perform behaviors for which they have been rewarded in the past. If they understand the meaning of the cue and desire the reward, they will perform the behavior. If they do not perform the behavior, clicker trainers do not assume that the animal is "disobeying." Instead the trainer asks the following questions: Does the animal know the meaning of the cue? Does the animal know the meaning of the cue in the environment in which it was first taught, but not in the environment in which it was given? Is the reward for doing the behavior sufficiently desired by the animal? After answering those questions, the clicker trainer revises the training process to be sure that the animal knows the meaning of the cue in all environments, regardless of distractions, and feels rewarded for the behavior. Why don't clicker trainers use punishments as well as rewards? A consequence of any behavior can be unpleasant as well as pleasant. So why shouldn't punishments follow unwanted behaviors, just as rewards follow wanted behaviors? Research tells us that punishment may decrease the frequency of an unwanted behavior, but usually results in producing another unwanted behavior. The results of punishment as a training method are difficult to predict and to control. In addition, punishment is not usually identified with an event marker. It almost always comes after the event and is rarely clearly connected with a specific behavior. In the animal's perception, punishment is a random, meaningless event. It is, therefore, less effective than the combined use of an event marker and positive reinforcement in changing behavior. |
"Touch" is a great example of how clicker training works and is a great game to play with your dog at any time for a variety of reasons. (Note that the verbal cue is not introduced until the behavior is consistent) "Touch" is also an essential basic skill very helpful to assure smooth and easy positioning while interacting with clients who are immobile in perhaps cramped quarters. Clicker Training is a very effective way to teach any new behavior - including walking on a loose leash. See our Essential Tips for Therapy Dog Training for Tutorials and information about teaching Walking on a Loose Leash etc.. Important to reward success often and raise criteria in very small increments. Repetition, repetition, repetition in a wide variety of environments.
"Leave it" is another important due to teach your dog! Leave it is effective with not just stuff on the ground/floor but also for people and other dogs! Important to reward success often and raise criteria in very small increments. Repetition, repetition, repetition in a wide variety of environments!
Start with ...
after you have taught the basic "Leave it" ...
DECONSTRUCTING THE CLICK Terrific blog by Linda Case ...
"I am a clicker trainer. All of my own dogs are clicker trained and many of the classes that we teach at my training school, AutumnGold are “clicker-centric”. Clicker training is not only a scientifically sound approach to teaching dogs new things, but is also a kind, enjoyable, and bond-strengthening method of training – something that benefits both dogs and their people.
For the uninitiated, clicker training is a relatively simple technique that involves pairing the click sound made by a small, handheld cricket with the delivery of a food treat. After several repetitions of this pairing (Click-Treat; hereafter CT), in which the click sound reliably predicts the treat, the sound comes to possess the same properties as the presentation of the treat itself - a pleasurable emotional response. Clicker training packs an enormously powerful positive punch for both the dog and the trainer because it allows the trainer to precisely target tiny bits of behavior at the exact moment they are occurring. The click sound becomes analogous to saying to your dog “That’s it!! That thing that you are doing right this instant is what will earn you the yummy treat that is coming shortly! You are SO very smart!”" ... Read More ... |
Clicker trainers also feel that their relationships with their animals are stronger and more rewarding when they focus on the positive rather than the negative. *** Like the difference between an animal behaving with intention rather than by habit, the difference in attitude and enthusiasm between an animal that works to earn rewards rather than to avoid punishment is vast.
How can clicker training be used to get rid of behaviors? Clicker trainers allow unwanted behaviors to disappear through lack of reinforcement. If a behavior is not rewarding to the animal, eventually it will disappear. If an unwanted behavior persists, clicker trainers study the behavior to understand why it is reinforcing to the animal. Sometimes the behavior reinforces itself: a barking dog is less bored than a quiet dog. The barking is its own reward. The clicker trainer provides this dog with an alternate wanted behavior to replace the unwanted behavior. The bored dog may simply need more activity, or perhaps quiet resting for longer and longer periods can become a rewarded behavior. Then the clicker trainer would teach the dog a cue for "silence."
Do clickers and treats need to be used for every behavior, forever? No. Once a behavior is learned and on cue, there's usually no need to click, as the animal understands the behavior. Clicker trainers can maintain the behavior by replacing specially good treats with occasional and less intensive rewards including a pat or praise. Learned cues and behaviors are also maintained by real-life rewards: for example sitting quietly at the door is rewarded by opening the door so that the dog can have a walk. Clicker trainers then save clicks and treats for the next new thing they want to train.
Can clicker training be used with any animal? Yes. First widely used by dolphin trainers who needed a way to teach behavior without using physical force, operant conditioning (the scientific term for clicker training) can be and has been successfully employed with animals of all sizes and species, both domesticated and wild, young and old; all breeds of dogs and puppies, cats, birds, leopards, rats, rabbits, chinchillas, fish, and more.
Clicker trainers who learn the underlying principles have at their disposal a powerful set of tools that enable them to analyze behaviors, modify existing methods for individual animals, and create new methods where none previously existed. This flexibility allows the tools of clicker training to be re-invented in new forms that work in a range of situations, and for an infinite variety of animals.
The same principles have also been applied to training for athletes, dancers, skaters, and other people. Called "TAGteach," this form of training uses a click as a marker signal to teach precise physical motions quickly, accurately, and positively.
Is clicker training a training method or a philosophy? Sometimes people are surprised by the enthusiasm and dedication clicker trainers have for their method. These trainers may have first started learning to click as a way of training their dog, but soon realized that the fundamental principles of clicker training could be applied to other areas of their lives. Changing one's focus from the negative to the positive can certainly be a life-changing event.
How can clicker training be used to get rid of behaviors? Clicker trainers allow unwanted behaviors to disappear through lack of reinforcement. If a behavior is not rewarding to the animal, eventually it will disappear. If an unwanted behavior persists, clicker trainers study the behavior to understand why it is reinforcing to the animal. Sometimes the behavior reinforces itself: a barking dog is less bored than a quiet dog. The barking is its own reward. The clicker trainer provides this dog with an alternate wanted behavior to replace the unwanted behavior. The bored dog may simply need more activity, or perhaps quiet resting for longer and longer periods can become a rewarded behavior. Then the clicker trainer would teach the dog a cue for "silence."
Do clickers and treats need to be used for every behavior, forever? No. Once a behavior is learned and on cue, there's usually no need to click, as the animal understands the behavior. Clicker trainers can maintain the behavior by replacing specially good treats with occasional and less intensive rewards including a pat or praise. Learned cues and behaviors are also maintained by real-life rewards: for example sitting quietly at the door is rewarded by opening the door so that the dog can have a walk. Clicker trainers then save clicks and treats for the next new thing they want to train.
Can clicker training be used with any animal? Yes. First widely used by dolphin trainers who needed a way to teach behavior without using physical force, operant conditioning (the scientific term for clicker training) can be and has been successfully employed with animals of all sizes and species, both domesticated and wild, young and old; all breeds of dogs and puppies, cats, birds, leopards, rats, rabbits, chinchillas, fish, and more.
Clicker trainers who learn the underlying principles have at their disposal a powerful set of tools that enable them to analyze behaviors, modify existing methods for individual animals, and create new methods where none previously existed. This flexibility allows the tools of clicker training to be re-invented in new forms that work in a range of situations, and for an infinite variety of animals.
The same principles have also been applied to training for athletes, dancers, skaters, and other people. Called "TAGteach," this form of training uses a click as a marker signal to teach precise physical motions quickly, accurately, and positively.
Is clicker training a training method or a philosophy? Sometimes people are surprised by the enthusiasm and dedication clicker trainers have for their method. These trainers may have first started learning to click as a way of training their dog, but soon realized that the fundamental principles of clicker training could be applied to other areas of their lives. Changing one's focus from the negative to the positive can certainly be a life-changing event.