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Using
the Clicker Correctly
The clicker
is a tool. It's not a magic box. It's not a gimmick. Used correctly
it enables you to do something that other training methods struggled
with: communicate exactly what behavior is desired. The clicker is for
teaching mew behaviors. Once the dog is freely offering the desired
behavior, it's time to fade the clicker and put the reinforcements on
a variable schedule.
Think of the
clicker as a camera. You want to take a picture of the action that you
want repeated. Remember, it's the action that you want to capture, not
the end result. For example, to capture the sit, click as the dog lowers
his haunches, not after his butt is on the ground.
The click means
three things:
- You just
did something I like. Click and treat any time the dog is doing something
you like. Reinforced behavior occurs more frequently.
- The behavior
is over. The click ends the behavior. If the dog jumps up from the
sit immediately after you click, that's okay. Duration is a criteria
you can add later.
- A reinforcement
is coming. Always reinforce the dog after clicking. Even if you click
accidentally or at the wrong time, reinforce.
Ways NOT to
use the clicker:
- Don't use
the clicker as an attention-getting device or to cue your dog to come
to you. Know what? It works. But once your dog understands the real
meaning of the click, you'll be reinforcing undesired behavior such
as ignoring you or barking at passers-by.
- Don't use
the clicker solely as a praise marker. Timing counts. Yes, your dog
will eventually figure out what you want in spite of your bad timing,
but he'll learn MUCH faster if he can count on it to mark behavior.
- Don't use
the clicker as a Keep Going Signal. The click always ends the behavior.
If you are teaching a multi-part behavior such as a retrieve or the
dog walk in Agility, and you want to indicate that one part was correct
without ending the behavior, simply substitute a word like "Good"
in place of the click.
Melissa Alexander
mca @ clickersolutions.com
copyright 1999 Melissa Alexander
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