The Benefits of Clicker Training Your Pet
Thinking about training your pet? Whether you want to reinforce positive behaviors or teach your pet a few tricks, clicker training offers several advantages.
What Is Clicker Training?
During clicker training, you'll use a small device, or clicker, that makes noise when you press on it. You can buy clickers in stores or online, although homemade clickers can be just as helpful. Anything that makes noise, whether it's a retractable pen or a snap of the fingers, can be used to train your pet.
Clicker training teaches your pet new skills using positive reinforcement. When your pet performs a requested action, such as "sit" or "jump," you'll immediately click your clicker and offer a treat. Your pet associates the clicking sound with a reward and is more likely to repeat the action in the future. The American Kennel Club notes that rewards can be anything your pet values, such as a special game, and doesn't have to be food.
Before you begin clicker training, make sure your pet knows what the clicking sound means. Click the clicker a few times, offering a treat every time you click.
Worried that your pet will gain weight from eating all those treats? Cut treats into tiny pieces to prevent the problem. You won't need to use the clicker and treats forever. As your pet masters the behavior or trick, it will eventually be able to perform the trick with a simple voice command.
Why Should I Try Clicker Training?
Clicker training offers these seven benefits:
- Versatile Training Method. Although you may associate clickers with dog training, the method can be used to train almost any animal. You could teach your rabbit to use its litter box, help your bird learn a new trick with a clicker, or bolster your cat's confidence. In a study of shelter cats published in Applied Animal Behaviour in 2019, cats that received clicker training were more active and more interested in exploring their surroundings.
- Immediate Cause-and-Effect. The click marks the exact moment your pet performs the desired action, making it easy for the pet to understand what action you want it to take. Your pet soon associates the click with the treat it receives and realizes that performing the action results in good things.
- Ideal for Distances. You don't need to be next to your pet to reward its behavior. If you've been trying to teach your rabbit to use its litter box, you can click the clicker from across the room when it enters the box. Although you may not be able to offer a treat instantaneously, your bunny still associates the action and click with the treat.
- Positive Experience. Clicker training offers a positive way to train your pet. You won't say "no," or use punishment or negative methods during training. If your pet doesn't perform the action, it simply won't hear a click.
- Step-by-Step Instruction. Using the clicker helps you break down actions or tricks into small parts. Let's say you want to teach your dog to shake hands. First, you'll need your dog to touch its paw to your palm. When it does so, you'll click and offer a treat. After your pet learns this part of the trick, delay the click for several seconds. This will teach your dog to keep its paw in your palm while performing the "shake" part of the trick.
- Stronger Bond. Clicker training is fun for you and your pet. In addition to reinforcing skills and behaviors, clicker training enhances trust and communication between people and pets.
- Improved Engagement. Bad behavior is often linked to boredom. Learning new tricks and behaviors stimulates your pet's mind and may help improve behavior. Clicker training is ideal for pets of any age and could help keep your older pet's mind sharp and active.
Whether you have questions about training or need to schedule an appointment for your pet, we're here to help. Contact our office to schedule a visit for your pet.
Sources:
Science Direct: Applied Animal Behaviour Science Clicker Training Increases Exploratory Behaviour and Time Spent at the Front of the Enclosure in Shelter Cats; Implicatins for Welfare and Adoption Rates, 2/2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159118303320
American Kennel Club: How to Use Clicker Training to Communicate With Your Dog, 7/19/2023
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/clicker-training-your-dog-mark-and-reward/
PetMD: How to Clicker Train a Cat, 7/3/2023
https://www.petmd.com/cat/behavior/clicker-training-cats
The Humane Society of the United States: Positive Reinforcement Training
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/positive-reinforcement-training