Animal Training that Clicks!
POSTED: 2006-02-17 13:32:36 
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Many experts in the horse and dog training communities swear by clicker training as the best method of teaching animals new behaviours. Ultimately, success depends highly on the animal's personality, but if you've never tried clicker training before, one of the key benefits is that it's easy to master and highly affordable. An average clicker, which is a plastic and metal device small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, can be purchased for as little as $3 to $5. Fancier electronic clickers, which can emit a variety of sounds at various volume levels range between about $14 to $20. Comments:
Clicker training is a form of operant conditioning in which the trainer makes a click noise with the clicker as soon the horse or dog displays the desired behaviour. This sound is then quickly followed by a reward of some kind; a tasty food treat, some verbal praise, a scratch behind the ears, or whatever you know the animal will respond best to. After several repetitions of this process the animal will begin to associate the clicking with the desired behaviour and with the treat. As a result, it will begin to master the behaviour or trick you're trying to teach.
For many animals clicker training is more effective than relying on verbal commands such as "good boy" or "yes". Often in the time it takes you to say the words "good boy" the dog has already moved beyond the step you're trying to reward. This means it takes longer for him to understand exactly what he's receiving the praise for. A clicker is more immediate.
It's nearly impossible for a human to repeat the same words with the exact same tone, pronunciation and volume during every training session, but a clicker is standard. Any good clicker you purchase will make the same sound at the same volume every time you press it, making it easier for animals to recognize this as the reward sound. As well, humans are very verbal creatures. We talk to the other people around us and to our animals all the time. This makes it difficult for some animals, particularly horses, to tell when we are giving a command versus just chatting. The noise from a clicker is distinctive and something that the animal will only hear during training.
If you're interested in trying clicker training with your animals. There are a number of ways to get started. A variety of training experts in both horse and dog training have posted articles about clicker training methods on the internet. There are also a number of training books, videos and DVDs available on the subject. When it comes to buying a clicker, search the web for animal training aid retailers or visit you local animal supply stores.
As a final note, remember that clickers are intended as a training tool to help introduce and shape new behaviours. They are not intended to be used during performance and are not usually permitted in the ring during formal competitions or shows.