Puppy Clicker Training 101Puppy Clicker Training is fairly new, but it's become a very popular method of 'shaping' your puppy's behavior (otherwise known as 'training' your puppy).
This kind of dog training is based on the use of a small, hand-held 'noise-maker' called a clicker, which makes a sharp 'click' when you press a strip of springy metal. Although a pretty recent invention, this puppy training technique is rapidly growing in popularity as it's a really simple, fun and effective way to train a puppy (or dog of any age).
Clicker Training principlesClicker training is so successful because it such a simple, but effective, way of communicating to your puppy EXACTLY what it is you want him to do.With this kind of dog training, the most important thing to get right is the timing of the 'click'. This is because the 'click' is immediately followed by a reward/treat and is designed to let little Fido know that he's done something that makes you happy! At first, you will be 'clicking and treating' for any desirable behavior you see - such as when your puppy sits down, lays down quietly, comes to you when you say his name etc. When you're puppy clicker training, it's important that you only 'click' during the behavior, not after it's completed. For example, click and treat the second your pup's butt begins to touch the floor, not when he's in a complete sit. This is because you want to make it clear to him that the behavior he's engaging in right now, is what you're rewarding him for. As you get more experienced with this puppy training technique, you'll advance to using a 'vocal cue' such as "sit" or "down", and then 'clicking and rewarding' when your puppy follows your instructions. You'll surprised how quickly your furchild understands this 'puppy clicker training' and how eager he is to please you.
Let's begin...To start your puppy clicker training off in the right way, you need to 'load' the clicker - this is how you teach your puppy that the 'click' means something good...a treat!
Load the clicker by 'clicking and treating' 10 - 12 times in quick succession - not for any specific behavior though. Just click and treat, at this point the treats are 'freebies'. End the session after a dozen or so clicks. For the next session, try to catch your pup doing something you want him to do, such as sitting down. 'Capture' that behavior by 'clicking and treating' as he's in the process of sitting down. 3 or 4 repetitions is enough per training session to begin with, and 3 or 4 sessions a day works well. Once you've practiced like this for a while, and you're sure little Fido understands the connection between his sitting and the click and treat, you can begin to use verbal cues. Get his attention and then say "sit" in a firm but friendly way, as soon as his little butt begins to touch the floor, click and treat and say "good sit". Use the same puppy clicker training process for any command you want to teach your puppy. Remember though that puppies have very short attention spans, so keep the sessions short and always end on a positive not (ie. when he's been successful). Never use the clicker for anything except your puppy clicker training sessions, as using it as a toy or in any other situation will only confuse your little furchild. Eventually (maybe after several weeks, or longer) you'll find your puppy is very consistent and reliable in obeying your instructions. At that point you can start to treat intermittently rather than every time he does what you want. You'll still need to click every time though! By only treating every second, or every third time you help prevent your puppy from getting totally 'food focussed' and keep him on his toes, as he never knows which time he'll get his reward!
The versatile clickerYou can use the puppy clicker training method to teach all kinds of dog obedience commands, behavior and tricks (including agility training). You can also use it to train other animals such as cats or birds. Training your puppy should be a fun and rewarding experience for both of you, and puppy clicker training makes this possible. It's a great way to help build a strong and trusting relationship between you and your puppy. With puppy clicker training you can raise the happiest, healthiest, best behaved dog you could ever hope for! This puppy clicker training kit has everything you need to start building that lifelong bond with your puppy, and have fun at the same time!
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