Dog training: Clicker Training for Therapy Dogs - Part 3

Clicker Dog Training

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Where do you start with Clicker Training?

Hey Dog Loving Friend,

Thanks for your support, I appreciate you.

I hop you agree that Part 2 was a treat...and talking of treats this issue has one or two.

Firstly, the most important tool you need is your clicker!

Well, doh! or should I say click, click, click...

The next obvious benefit you’ll need are some treats.

You'll want to use small, easy to eat, tasty treats – something nice and juicy that'll really make his mouth water...wink!

Two reasons why?

1. Treats should be small because you don't want to over feed him.
2. Clicker training is dynamic, fast way to train, so you want a treat this is quick to eat and  you don’t want him spending ages crunching through huge biscuits!
   

TIP: Cheese, cut up into small bit size pieces is irresistible to most dogs, or cooked sausages cut up.

The treats need to be easily accessible, either in a loose pocket or a bag carried around your waist perhaps.

Now, I'd recommend start training somewhere with minimal distractions:

• Your first aim is show the dog the meaning of the clicker.
  
• Stand in front of him, click ONCE and give a treat.
  
• At this point, the dog doesn’t have to do anything for his treat – he just needs to learn the association of the ‘click’ and treat routine.
  
• Spend some time doing a ‘click’, then treat.
  
• Generally give 1 treat but very occasionally, ‘jackpot’ with a handful of treats.
  

It is no more secret that being unpredictable is a good trick to use with dogs, he’ll eventually work harder because even though he knows he’ll get a treat anyway, it’ll be in the back of his mind that he might just get 5 treats if he does something extra special.

<grin>

He will very quickly learn that a ‘click’ means that a treat it coming and you'll see the recognition in his behaviour.

His ears will prick at the ‘click’ sound, he may get excited, his behaviour will show when he expects a treat following the ‘click’.

Well that's it for this article, you've covered some effective steps here and it gives you plenty to think about and experiment.

Thanks for reading...I think it would be good to add a few more tips in the next article just to clarify a few extra important points and it should be worth while for your dog training.

Talk with you soon...

Clicker Training...success made easy.

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