Clicker Training for Dogs

One of the stops on my health journey was figuring out how to self-train my medical alert service dog, Edward. I initially tried to train him using traditional force-based methods, primarily a slim choke chain used to "correct" him when he did not perform a behavior well enough or correctly.

I soon figured out that the reason I was getting so many incorrect behaviors, and he seemed to learn new behaviors very slowly, was not because he was misbehaving. He has always tried his hardest to please me, and I knew he was a smart dog. I came to the conclusion that the problem was the training method I was using. He was simply not learning new behaviors as fast or as well as I knew he was capable of.

I knew that there were more effective training methodologies out there, because I knew that wild and exotic animals in zoos and shows seemed to be able to learn quite complicated behaviors that my smart, people pleasing dog seemed incapable of using my current training method.

What training method did most exotic animal trainers use, I asked myself? The answer was overwhelmingly that they used applied operant conditioning, otherwise known as clicker training. Clicker training at it's most basic includes using some sort of distinct brief signal that is exactly the same every single time, like the flash of a penlight or the brief sharp sound of a clicker, to exactly mark a specific behavior that the animal then gets immediately reinforced for performing. The reinforcer needs to be something very motivating for the animal. The most common reinforcers used are food or a brief play session, like throwing a ball or a short tug session. The reinforcer that the trainer uses needs to be what the animal finds most reinforcing, not the trainer. If, for example, your dog finds food more reinforcing than play, use food. If your dog finds play more reinforcing than food, use short play sessions as reinforcement instead of food.

I started by reading some books on clicker training. The first book I read was Reaching the Animal Mind, by Karen Pryor. It is a very fun and motivational book to help someone embrace trying this training method. The second book I read was The Thinking Dog: Crossover to Clicker Training by Gail Fisher. Both of these books cover the theory and nuances involved in clicker training an animal, but the best how-to book I have found for most basic behaviors is Clicking With Your Dog: Step-By-Step in Pictures by Peggy Tillman.

As far as equipment for clicker training, here is a list of the tools that I use the most. I use this type of clicker with wrist strap attached. I also found this target stick with integrated clicker invaluable for teaching behaviors using targeting. Most important, this is my favorite bait bag out of all the ones I have used. I would pick the color with the lowest price point, because the different colors on Amazon have different prices. I just bought a new one for under $8.00. The listed standard retail price for this bait bag at other vendors is $20.00. My favorite training treats are the Real Meat dog food, organic string cheese bought at Costco, or small pieces of hard-baked egg whites. I buy the 10lb. bag of the Real Meat dog food direct from the company because they have the lowest price point and free shipping on the 10lb. bag. I would try all three flavors in the 12 oz. bag from Amazon first though, make sure your dog loves them as much as mine does.

The biggest difference with clicker training is the change in paradigm I went through when I switched to this method of training. The principle of reinforcing behavior that I liked and ignoring behavior I didn't has improved my relationship with my dog, and also my relationships with the people around me. Most of my attention and emotional energy now goes toward noticing the positive and showing appreciation for people's positive attributes and behaviors. I am much happier as a result, and my interactions with everyone from strangers to family members have improved significantly.

Does anyone else reading this use clicker training? Have you noticed yourself applying these principles to more than just your pets? Has this blog post made you interested to find out more about it? If so, please contact me and let me know your thoughts!

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