What is Clicker Training
Using a clicker in training helps to accelerate learning and is a good form of communication between humans and dogs. Dogs cannot speak the human language, so using a clicker will clearly identify which behaviour is desirable. Dogs learn through consequences of their behaviour. The sound of the clicker is a signal that they have done something right, and that something good is going to follow as a reward. It allows us to refrain from using speech, which can often confuse the dog, as it may not understand what we are saying to it.
The clicker is a secondary reinforcer, which is coupled with a primary reinforcer to make it effective. Reinforcers work in the following way:
Giving a reward straight after behaviour has occurred is called ‘reinforcement’. A reinforcer is a stimulus such as treats that is given after behaviour occurs. Giving a reinforcer strengthens the behaviour that happened before it. There are two types of reinforcers.
Primary Reinforcement – These are reinforcers that are related to biology. These include food, drink, touch and other factors such as birds if your dog is a gundog. For some breeds it is necessary to look at the breed background to establish what can be used as a primary reinforcer if the norm such as treats and toys aren’t working. As stated above the reinforcer that will work with your dog is related to biology.
Secondary Reinforcement – These are reinforcers that can be related to social conditions. Humans respond to secondary reinforcers such as praise, smiles, thumbs-up, gestures and money. As dogs are social creatures they also respond well to smiles, praise attention, clapping, toys and pats. Dogs have learnt that praise is something positive. Praise is the most used secondary reinforcer, when you say to a dog ‘good boy’ it has no meaning, but when you say ‘good boy’ and then give him a treat or stroke him, he soon learns to associate praise with good things. This is also how the clicker works, but unlike praise the clicker can mark exactly what you are training which makes it a very valid training tool.
