Sara Edans Guide To Training Your Dog Clicker Training
 by: Sara Edan
 

 Show your dog your care with Clicker Training

Did you know that you can teach your dog to do amazing tricks, run and jump, do short turns and obey your commands without having to hit or yell at the dog repeatedly? There are strategies that you can use that are the same methods used by Hollywood based dog trainers to make dogs and other domestic type animals perform amazing tricks and obey commands on demand. And the beautiful part about it is it doesn’t have to be unpleasant for your dog. Click training is a system that is built entirely on positive reinforcement and is built complete around you and your dog having a good time. If the system is implemented well it will show your dog how much you love him and care about him.

For example, let’s take the situation where you are walking your dog along the footpath. Instead of yanking on a leash to make your dog stop, or pulling on his leash or shoving him into a spot to make him sit, or instead of giving your dog some occasional praise and hoping that your dog is just going to get to eventually understand what you’re talking about, with the Clicker Training method, dogs are taught to obey commands using scientific principles that have worked consistently over time – a clicker. A clicker is a small device that can be purchased at any reputable pet store and when pressed it emits a short clicking sound which is used to deliver commands to the animal being trained.

Get motivated and get started

It is important when you are considering training your dog or indeed any other domestic animal that you remain motivated, as it can take some time for the commands to be fully integrated. To remain inspire, study some of the dogs on television. For example, the dog Eddie on the popular television sitcom, Frasier is very well behaved and follows all of the commands of his master. But this is not by accident. Eddie is in fact well trained using the Clicker method of dog training. The fact the Eddie enjoys what he is doing is the key here. After all, the animal’s enjoyment is what’s really appealing about using positive training with a Clicker and some carefully chosen bridge words.

To get started you should start with a simple training exercise so that you and your dog become familiar with  theclicker or bridge word process. The first exercise you should embark on is known as ‘targeting’. Targeting teaches your dog how to touch something with his nose on cue, or on command. It is best to start with this very basic exercise because it is the best way to teach both you and your dog exactly how clicker training works. It also helps your dog to use its natural instinct to seek out something that smells good.

To begin, stand in front of your dog and have some treats ready to go. Rub some of the treats on the palm of your left hand so that your hand smells good to your dog, anyway. Don’t let your dog see the treats and after you have rubbed them, leave them hidden in your left hand. This is step one. Step two is to take your left hand and bring it towards your dog’s nose, almost right up to his nose, hand out. Now, he is probably going to stick his nose or his mouth in your hand which is what you want him to do, because you want your dog to touch your hand with his nose. At the exact moment that he touches your hand with his nose, click your clicker and give him a treat. That’s all there is to it. Simple!

About The Author

Sara Edan is a professional Dog Trainer in New York and provides free information on training your dog. For more free Dog Training Articles then please visit my site at: http://www.dogtrainingarticles.info/