CLICKER TRAINING PART 2

Now that your dog knows that the click means treat you can begin shaping behaviors. Have you clicker in one hand, and have the treats at the ready in your other hand. Watch your furkid. Clicker training is all about being aware of even the slightest movements… a change in where your dog is looking, a flick of their tail, a slight head turn… all are potentially worth a click.

Start by deciding what you want to work towards. Something like a sit or down would be a good place to start as these are both things that dog are likely to do naturally without any in between steps. After grabbing your clicker and your bag of treats sit normally and watch your furkid. Eventually she/she will do either a sit or a down. Click the instant that butt (or belly) hits the ground. Give him/her a treat, forcing them to leave the sit (or down). Watch again.

Patience, consistency, and Repetition are the three keys to successfully training your pet. And all three are equally important.

Keep watching your dog, and waiting for them to repeat the behavior that earned the last click. As soon as they repeat, click and treat again. Their sit (or down) should keep increasing in speed after the last click. You will really begin to see your dog thinking, as they try to figure out exactly what it was that earned the click.

Once your furkid is consistently offering the behavior you are working towards start adding the cue word. In this case, it’s sit (or down). Only start using the cue once you are about 80% sure that the dog will do it. Right before the dog is about to sit, say “sit”, and as his/her bottom hits the floor, click and treat.