One may ask, “What is ‘Clicker Training,’ and how can it help with training your pooch?” It is a simple yet effective method for teaching your dog good behaviors. Now, if only we could use the same technique for our loved ones! At its core, clicker training is based on behavioral psychology, specifically marking desirable behavior and rewarding it. Desirable behavior is usually marked by using a “clicker,” a mechanical device that makes a short, distinct “click” sound. This click tells the animal exactly when they’re doing the right thing. This clear form of communication, combined with positive reinforcement, is an effective, safe, and humane way to teach any animal any behavior it is physically and mentally capable of doing. It’s important to choose a method that will not harm your dog or make it fearful or resentful of the training process. Clicker training is one of the most proven methods for helping to train your dog.
The Science Behind Clicker Training
When an animal intentionally performs a behavior to bring about a desired consequence, as clicker-trained animals do, they are learning through what researchers call “operant conditioning.” Animals (and people) may also associate an action, event, place, person, or object with a consequence, whether pleasant or unpleasant. The more a certain event or environment is paired with a particular consequence, the stronger the association becomes. This type of learning is called “classical conditioning” and represents reflexive or automatic behavior, rather than intentional behavior.
While clicker training initially employs classical conditioning, it quickly shifts to operant conditioning as soon as the animal intentionally repeats an action to earn a reward. Training through operant conditioning results in purposeful behavior, while training through classical conditioning leads to habitual behavior.
The difference between an animal that behaves with purpose versus by habit is vast. Clicker-trained or operantly conditioned animals actively try to learn new behaviors. They remember behaviors even years later because they were aware of them as they learned them, rather than acquiring them without awareness. They develop confidence because they have control over the consequences of their actions. They are enthusiastic because they expect those consequences to be pleasurable.
The essential difference between clicker training and other reward-based training is that the animal is told exactly which behavior earned it a reward. This information is communicated with a distinct and unique sound: the click, which occurs at the same time as the desired behavior. The reward follows immediately after. Without hearing a click during an action, an animal may not connect the reward with that action. Or, the animal may associate the reward with another, unwanted action. With the click, a trainer can precisely “mark” the behavior, so the animal knows exactly what it was doing. That’s why clicker trainers refer to the click as an “event marker.” The click also bridges or connects the behavior and its reward, and so is also called a “bridging signal.”
A click is more powerful for training than a spoken word because it is not a sound the animal hears in other circumstances. It means one thing only: a reward is coming because of what you did when you heard the click. It can be produced instantly and at the exact moment a behavior occurs. Even a very quick and subtle behavior, such as the twitch of an ear, can be clicked.
Unlike our voices, which can say the same word in different ways and express different emotions or meanings, the click sounds the same every time it is heard. Its meaning never varies. Humans are highly verbal creatures, but our pets are not. It can be difficult for them to pick out a single word from the stream of meaningless words they hear us speak every day. The click’s meaning, however, is always clear. It is always directed at the animal, and it is always good news. The clarity with which a click enables trainers to communicate with their animals has a profound effect on their relationships. Their level of interaction increases, and both the trainer and the animal become more interesting and fun for each other.
The trainer clicks at the moment the behavior occurs: the horse raises its hoof, the trainer clicks simultaneously. The dog sits, the trainer clicks. Clicking is like taking a picture of the behavior the trainer wishes to reinforce. After “taking the picture,” the trainer gives the animal something it likes—usually a small piece of food, but sometimes play, petting, or other rewards. Very soon (sometimes within two or three clicks), an animal will associate the sound of the click with something it likes: the reward. Since the animal wants to repeat that pleasurable experience, it will repeat the action it was doing when it heard the click.
