This auction is for a pack of 3 Clickers & 3 Lanyards valued at $25

Introduction to Clicker Training using Positive Reinforcement As a Dog Owner, you are consistently part of your dog’s environment. In order to establish a good positive relationship with your dog, your interactions with your dog should always be of a positive nature. It is this positive relationship that increases the bonding and teamwork between owner and dog that leads to excellence in the performance of learned behaviours, whether these constitute basic manners e.g. sit, stay, drop, or more advance activities such as tricks demonstrations and agility exercises. This 'positive' relationship component of Clicker Training is one of its most essential and useful characteristics. Clicker training allows you to train your dog, not only with maximum efficiency, but most importantly in a fair and humane way. It also helps break down communication barriers between humans and other species, and helps you build a positive relationship based upon mutual respect, trust and understanding with your dog. This method of training is not limited to dogs, many different animals including dolphins, birds, cats, and horses have benefited immensely from clicker training. What is Clicker Training? "Clicker training is a science-based system for teaching behaviour" using the process of rewarding (positive reinforcement) and non-rewarding principles. You use a ‘marker signal’ (the sound of a clicker) to let your dog know when it's displaying a desired behaviour – a behaviour that will pay off. Dogs quickly learn that the marker signal means, something rewarding is coming. They then realize they can make you click by repeating their behaviour. Behaviours whose consequences are reinforcing to your dog should increase in either their frequency, intensity and duration. Behaviours that do not get reinforced will eventually cease to occur. When do I click and what rewards should I use? Initially you will need to condition your dog to the sound of the clicker and what it signifies - a reward is coming. Click many times (5-10) and immediately follow through with your dog's favourite treat. The dog will quickly associate the sound of the clicker with the food reward. Then you are ready to begin. In clicker training you watch for the desired behaviour to occur when you have asked for it or are in the process of training a new behaviour, pin-point the instant it happens with a click, and reward with a treat. The treat may be anything your dog finds rewarding such as food, toys, a pat, a tummy rub or a scratch behind the ears to name a few although food is generally the highest ranking reward for food motivated dogs. If the student makes a mistake be patient and let them try again. It’s also helpful to have a reinforcement grading, from a verbal "good boy" at the bottom of the scale to what your dog finds most rewarding at the top. The unpredictability of the reinforcement will increase the response from your dog as he will eagerly anticipate what the next reward will be.
Shaping and rewarding good behaviour In traditional forms of training, you tell a dog what you expect, make that behaviour happen (using force if necessary), reward good results, and punish mistakes. Training with a clicker focus on building and shaping behaviour, not stopping it. Instead of reprimanding a dog for jumping up on your guests or furniture (unacceptable behaviour), you click it for sitting (desired behaviour). Instead of punishing your dog for pulling on a lead, click and reward when the lead is loose. Then, click by click, you will "shape" longer sits, better walks etc until you achieve your desired outcome. Once the behaviour is learned, you keep it going with praise and approval and save the clicker and treats for the next new thing you want to train.   Reward good behaviour and achieve SUCCESS Training your dog is not about teaching Good versus Bad behaviours (dogs do not have a "bad behaviour" concept). To your dog all behaviours are good to some degree. Training is about communicating to your dog which behaviours are acceptable (rewarding behaviours) and which behaviours are unacceptable (non-rewarding behaviours). ALWAYS remember to reward your dog for displaying good behaviour and you’ll be amazed at the results. Do not punish your dog for making mistakes, ignoring undesired behaviour is much more effective and wont break the trusting bond between owner and dog. Clicker training is exciting for both parties and best of all it's easy to do. You may even get results on the very first try. MY TOP 8 TRAINING TIPS 1. Click ONCE only. If you want to convey your enthusiasm to your dog, increase the number of treats, not the number of clicks. 2. Always keep training sessions brief and end them on a positive note so your dog will be eager to participate in future training exercises. He will learn much more in two 5 minute sessions than in 30 minutes of boring repetition. 3. Click as soon as the desired behaviour occurs. The timing of the click is crucial to the success of the training. Don't be disappointed if your dog stops the behaviour when it hears the click as the click also ends the behaviour. Give the treat after the you have pin pointed the behaviour with a 'click'. The timing of the treat is not important. 4. Don't wait for the "big picture" or the "perfect behaviour". Click and treat for small movements in the right direction. If you want the dog to sit, and it starts to crouch its back 'click' to let him know that he is heading in the right direction. ALWAYS reward effort! 5. When the dog has learned to do his 'tricks for clicks', he will begin to show you the behaviour spontaneously in an attempt to get you to click (smart aren't they). Now is the time to begin offering a cue, such as a word or a hand signal or even better, a combination of the two. Start clicking behaviour only if it happens during or after the cue. Ignore any un-cued behaviour. 6. If you get frustrated put the clicker away. Don't blame or punish your dog for your emotional frame of mind. Remember that clicker training is based on rewarding good behaviour so punishing your dog will only serve to cause him to lose confidence in the clicker and possibly his trust in you. 7. Don't 'bark' orders at your dog. "Clicker training is not command-based". If your dog does not respond to a cue, or responds incorrectly, he is not intentionally "disobeying" you, he just hasn't fully learned the cue and doesn't understand what you are expecting from him. Find other ways to cue the behaviour and click for the desired behaviour. 8. If you are not making progress with a particular behaviour, you may be clicking too late. Timing is crucial to the success of training a behaviour. I suggest you ask someone to observe your clicking technique and assist you with your timing. Happy Clicking!