Clicker Training Uncovered

Welcome to your next edition of the responsible dog ownership newsletter.

I'm excited about this one because today we get to discuss my very favorite dog training method - clicker training.

If you're planning to teach your dog any behaviors such as down, stay, retrieve, go to your spot or how to walk nicely on a loose leash then you should seriously consider clicker training. It's the best way I know of to teach or shape new behaviors and solve so called behavior "problems".

Watch the video below for a great example of a dog who has been trained using solely positive reinforcement, clicker training methods - you can use clicker training to pretty much put any behavior you desire on cue.

What Exactly is Clicker Training?

Clicker training is a genuine form of two-way communication between you and your dog. It has it's origins in proven behavioral science methodology, but has been successfully used in the animal training field for a number of years.

Clicker training is basically a positive, reward based training method which relies on co-operation, consistency, repetition and positive reinforcement to shape any new behavior in your dog.

There's no need to get bogged down or confused by the theory behind clicker training though. The best advice I could suggest to you is that you just get out and give it a go with your dog. The brilliance and effectiveness of clicker training will reveal itself to you as soon as you give is a try.

What Can You Teach With The Clicker?

The list is endless... Dogs have been taught to do just about everything through the use of clicker training techniques including all the obedience commands you can think of, dog agility, dog jobs such as service work, drug dogs and seeing eye dogs.

Then there's all the dog sports like agility and fly-ball and don't forget all the cool dog tricks that can be taught utilising the clicker such as the "play dead". You can also prevent and rectify many problem behaviors such as excessive barking, chewing and jumping up through clicker training.

How Do You Get Started With Clicker Training?

For beginners there is only one ebook I recommend to study and follow. Clickertraining: The 4 Secrets of Becoming a Supertrainer is designed for those just starting out with clicker training, but will also guide you and your dog through to advanced level behaviors.

Another great option for anyone interested in clicker training is to get along to a local clicker training class with your dog. These can be expensive but they're great fun and will provide you with all the tools required to successfully clicker training your dog.

If you're already familiar with clicker training but would like to ramp up your knowledge a bit I strongly suggest checking out this great (and free) resource - advanced clicker training levels.

The site above is an amazing resource for clicker trainers. It is very detailed and can be a little difficult to navigate, but it's an absolute gold mine of information.

Why Clicker Training?

Plain and simple - because it's the most effective way I know how to teach new behaviors, solve problem behaviors and is a fantastic way to strengthen the relationship you share with your dog.

I'm yet to meet a dog who doesn't absolutely love and respond brilliantly to this gentle and intelligent training method. As I said before, my advice and wish for all of my newsletter subscribers is to simply get out and give clicker training a try. You'll never look back.

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Thanks again for being a subscriber to my newsletter. I hope you have found the information contained in the newsletters to be helpful and beneficial to both you and your dog. Next up I've got a fantastic and free dog health care ebook for you.

Keep an eye out for it in a few days - until then get your clicker out!