Clicker Training

Clicker Training for animals has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity over the past five years with many pet owners expounding the benefits of the system for effectively modifying unwanted behaviour in domestic animals. Many behaviourists and animal trainers also use include the technique in their own programmes and report good results, with clicker training proving a successful method suitable for use with dogs, horses, rabbits and even that most wilful of animals, the domestic cat.

Adapted from the experiments in applied operant conditioning by the American psychologist and inventor, B.F Skinner in the 1930s, clicker training involves the use of a small, plastic object that produces a 'click' sound when pressure is applied accompanied by a 'treat'. The 'clicker' is used as a referent for the animal to recognise that a particular form of behaviour is correct and will be rewarded. The trainer clicks the clicker when an animal is displaying the desired behaviour and reinforces the approval with the treat. The theory is that the animal will be better able to process what is 'good' if the reward is issued at the same time as the 'good' behaviour occurs. The treatment does not have to continue forever as once the animal learns to act in the appropriate manner, they will do so automatically.

This type of training, which uses positive reinforcement, gained rapidly in popularity with pet owners who were not happy working with other training methods such as punishment or force. A notable trainer of the technique, often referred to as one of its founders, is Karen Pryor who published the highly regarded "Don't shoot the Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training" and brought the method to an international audience.

The clicker method is now widely available at most dog training schools and many instructions and tutorials can be found on the internet, with vets and pet centre staff all able to give information on the technique. The clickers themselves along with instruction books can be found in most pet stores and, of course, online and cost in the region of five to twenty pounds dependent on the package. You could also treat yourself and your pet to a clicker holder, a selection of dog collars or even, as advertised online, an 'I-Click'. For those wishing to share their training experiences and branch out into training, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers contains a wealth of information regarding qualifications, certification and careers.