Training Your Dog With a Clicker

Training Your Dog With a Clicker
In this article I am going to discuss clicker training and its use in training dogs. Most people have heard of clicker training but have no clue what it actually is, in this article I will discuss what clicker training is, how to start using it as well as just how powerful clicker training can be. Most dogs take to clicker training very easily and enjoy learning through the use of a clicker. What Clicker Training Is Clicker Training is a positive method of training a dog new behaviors. This means there is no correction for the dog getting anything wrong just reward for when it gets the new behavior right. Unlike some other dog training clicker training does not rely on baiting where the dog is simply bribed into performing a certain behavior. The problem with baiting is that its a very dependent on the owner and takes a lot time to become an independent behavior without many cues. As well as allowing you to teach your dog an independent behavior much quicker than with baiting or other conventional dog training it also allows your dog to learn at a fast rate because its being given much clearer instruction. How Clicker Training Works The principle behind clicker training is that the click noise given off by the clicker means correct. So the soon learns that the exact position its in or behavior its performing when the clicker goes off means that s the correct position/behavior. When a dog is use to clicker training and is clear when its doing the correct behavior new behaviors are formed very quickly. The main things to consider when clicker training are rate of reinforcement, timing and motivation. Rate of reinforcement is all about how often your reward and how much of a reward you give. When first starting you should reward often and always remember quickly. You need to reward as soon as the dog has performed the correct behavior this way the message that s right is crystal clear. As your dogs understanding increases the rate of reinforcement can be decreased and your dog should be holding the correct behavior longer. Timing is extremely important in any dog training you must use the clicker the millisecond your dog performs the correct behavior. Clicker training is all about timing the quicker you click and reward the faster the dog will learn the new behavior. The next major thing to consider is motivation without motivation you have nothing a dog must love to work. Unmotivated dogs have no go about them and they simply do not want to work. If a dog does not want to work then you have a serious problem its one hundred percent the training responsibility to make the dog love working. There are many ways to motivate a dog these include treats, toys, fuss and just play in general. Always keep your training short and fun ten to fifteen minutes at a time is perfect any more than this and the dog will get fed up. Remember that you should always finish training when your dog is keen and enjoying the training, never finish when your dog is bored and unmotivated as this produces nothing except a dog who does not enjoy working. How To Get Started Clicker Training To get started clicker training all you need is a clicker, a reward and a willing dog. If you have these three things then you have everything you need to start clicker training. Experiment and have fun it s the best way to learn about clicker training and training dogs in general. There s no substitute to a good working relationship with your dog. When you have that great relationship you will find training so much easier because you already know exactly how your dog is going to react to everything you do.

Ashley Peach is the owner and operator of Dog-Toy.co.uk.

adopting a dog or a puppy
Since time immemorial, dogs have held a secure place in man s hearth and home, whether it be merely for use as mousers and ratters, as in the middle ages, or to act as a guard of the household or purely as a companion to his owners. There has been no change in this scenario down the years and dogs remain, to this day, the animal that the largest numbers of humans adopt as their pet.

Perhaps it might be of interest for us to try and work out the various reasons why people want to have a dog. After all, they ve been part of human households for quite a while. It is said that dogs are descended from a creature, which was very similar to a wolf, called Tomarctus. Apparently, it wandered the earth some 15 million years ago. Since the transformation into their current form, the first known records show them as being pets to cavemen. Exactly what caused the cavemen to keep dogs as pets instead of some other creatures can only be guessed at. Perhaps they helped him in his hunts, or acted as a guard or just provided companionship in the desolate wilds.

Today, the situation can be said to be somewhat different, although companionship and providing security still remain valid reasons. Let s look at some of the other reasons why people keep dogs.

It could be because the owner has just lost a dog that he considered his best friend and feels frantic to get another one. This would be one of the most common reasons for wanting a dog. Once you discover the joys of having a dog around you, one that becomes your friend and companion; it becomes hugely difficult to do without his friendly presence.

A second reason could be the keeping up with the Jones s syndrome. A family or a person living close to you have got themselves a dog and you see for yourself the fun they are having with their new pup. That is when you start thinking to yourself how much a dog could enrich your life and that of your family. Their selfless love and devotion can t but thrill you when you come back into your house. If you live by yourself, all the more reason for you to get yourself a friend . Someone who is genuinely happy to see you and who likes your company above all others.

A further reason for people bringing dogs into their homes is because someone in their family might be pressurizing them to get a dog. In all probability, it will be the young son or daughter and really, dogs do indeed provide wonderful companionship to kids. However, if you do face a similar kind of pressure someday, give some thought to the set-up in your home before you give in to your kids pleas, because there will have to be someone who will take care of the dog s upbringing and, if your kid is less than 10 years old, he or she may not be up to this task as yet.
Another very common reason for people bringing dogs into their households is also one of the most obvious. Someone sees a cute puppy or dog, which they like very much and which is available and they bring it home. As simple as that. But really, if you come to think of it, isn t this what life s all about. The love and affection that springs up within you when you see a particular person or animal first off is probably the chemistry that is likely to work best.

Finally, you may have fond memories of a dog you had in the old days and feel that you really enjoyed the time when he was with you. It may have helped you develop personal qualities being with him and perhaps you feel that your children would also benefit from being around a pet dog.

Now that we ve examined the major reasons why people such as you may want to keep dogs, let us now try evaluating whether you are, in fact, ready to have a dog of your own. Remember, this is not a one-day exercise. You are going to be your dog s keeper for the whole of his life, which, for many dogs is 12 to 15 years.

If it is a puppy that you are bringing in, you have to be prepared to go through the entire life cycle of the dog with its attendant joys, sorrows, trials and tribulations. Training him, seeing to his needs when he is little, right up to the time when your aging dog may be on medication and may need your help to even move.

It is a labor-intensive and tiring job and you will have to forego many a party and tailor your movements to suit the needs of your pet. Don t even attempt to take on a dog in your household if you are a clean freak. There will be many times when your puppy will poop and pee all over the house and you will have to clean the muck. Don t take him on if you are basically lazy and don t like too much activity. Don t take him on if you love vacations and often travel for weeks or months at a stretch.

But, if you are prepared to spend quality time at home with your dog and are not too fussy about cleaning up your puppy s poop and have the sense of humor to accept his little pranks, maybe even in the middle of the night, a dog is the perfect companion for you.

So go ahead, join the ranks of the millions who, over the centuries, have chosen to keep a dog as their pet. You won t regret it.


Learn all about Dog
Adoption from the unique e-book Super Dogs and
Puppies.

If you want to know why people want a dog, learn the right reasons.

Nancy Richards has been a dog lover for the past 12 years. She has owned and handled dogs of different ages and have helped many fellow owners in training their dog.

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