A dog's memory is almost wholly based upon association rather than recall.
His ability to recall is very limited - If you wait more than 3 seconds to praise your dog for something he has done then it is quite likely that he will have forgotten what you are praising him for.
This is why clicker training works so well.
You can click much sooner than you can praise him verbally or give him a treat.
Clicker training dog obedience is suitable for a puppy or dog of any age from 6 weeks to 16 years.
Here are the simple steps to follow: Preparation Purchase a clicker and prepare about 50 very tasty treats: cheese, dried liver, sausage.
The treats should be in small pieces about 5mm cubes.
Associate a click with a treat Click the clicker and give your dog a treat.
Do not speak or praise him at this stage - you want him to concentrate on the click - treat scenario.
Click and treat about ten times and watch your dog's reaction.
Is he looking for the treat after the click? If so go ahead and give it to him.
Continue with the same click - treat routine for the rest of the 50 treats that you prepared and make sure that he is responding to the clicker.
Now in your dog's mind you have associated a click with a treat.
Associate a correct response with a click It does not matter whether your dog knows any commands.
The next part of the process is to positively reinforce a correct response.
Take the 'Sit' command.
Tell your dog to sit, you may have to encourage him but as soon as his bottom hits the ground click and then give him a treat.
You can also praise him if you wish.
Repeat this several times, puppies for no more than 5 minutes at a time, grown dogs for longer.
Make sure that at the same moment he sits you click.
How it Works The success of clicker training dog obedience is all in the timing.
In your dog's mind, the immediate click associates his behaviour with the treat that follows.
He can wait for his treat but he needs to understand why he is getting it.
The clicker marks a correct response from your dog.
The clicker provides instant reinforcement and has the advantage that it can be heard from a distance.
A Word of Warning It is important that once your dog is clicker trained you do not allow anyone to randomly click repeatedly around him.
This may confuse your dog and set back his training.
His ability to recall is very limited - If you wait more than 3 seconds to praise your dog for something he has done then it is quite likely that he will have forgotten what you are praising him for.
This is why clicker training works so well.
You can click much sooner than you can praise him verbally or give him a treat.
Clicker training dog obedience is suitable for a puppy or dog of any age from 6 weeks to 16 years.
Here are the simple steps to follow: Preparation Purchase a clicker and prepare about 50 very tasty treats: cheese, dried liver, sausage.
The treats should be in small pieces about 5mm cubes.
Associate a click with a treat Click the clicker and give your dog a treat.
Do not speak or praise him at this stage - you want him to concentrate on the click - treat scenario.
Click and treat about ten times and watch your dog's reaction.
Is he looking for the treat after the click? If so go ahead and give it to him.
Continue with the same click - treat routine for the rest of the 50 treats that you prepared and make sure that he is responding to the clicker.
Now in your dog's mind you have associated a click with a treat.
Associate a correct response with a click It does not matter whether your dog knows any commands.
The next part of the process is to positively reinforce a correct response.
Take the 'Sit' command.
Tell your dog to sit, you may have to encourage him but as soon as his bottom hits the ground click and then give him a treat.
You can also praise him if you wish.
Repeat this several times, puppies for no more than 5 minutes at a time, grown dogs for longer.
Make sure that at the same moment he sits you click.
How it Works The success of clicker training dog obedience is all in the timing.
In your dog's mind, the immediate click associates his behaviour with the treat that follows.
He can wait for his treat but he needs to understand why he is getting it.
The clicker marks a correct response from your dog.
The clicker provides instant reinforcement and has the advantage that it can be heard from a distance.
A Word of Warning It is important that once your dog is clicker trained you do not allow anyone to randomly click repeatedly around him.
This may confuse your dog and set back his training.
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