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Related Blog:  WHAT IS A CLICKER?

Modified Version: CLICKER TRAINING YOUR CAT.

A Clicker must be "Charged Up" before you can use it.

Teaching your dog what a clicker means is EASY!  

Do it from the couch, your favorite chair, while cooking dinner, or working on your laptop.

The big trick is to remember that in the beginning there is only equation.  

CLICK --------------> Dog Is Give A Treat.

HERE IS WHAT YOU DO.

1.  Prepare 30-50 small pieces of TASTY Treats.  Tasty is very, very important.  I use tiny pieces of chicken or cheese.

2.  Set the treats in a bowl or tupperware container.  Be sure your dog can't reach them.  Fiddle with them for a moment, but don't give any to your dog.  In a way you are teasing your dog with the scent, sound and presence of the treats.

3.  Get your clicker out.  Show it to your dog & then pick up the treat container, but don't give your dog a treat... yet.  

4.  Make a plan for keeping your dog within earshot of the clicker:  Close doors, or leash your dog.  In my house sitting on the couch or standing in the kitchen seems to keep all the dogs nearby.

5.  Look at the clock and plan on training for 20-30 minutes (This is a perfect TV show activity).

6.  With your clicker in hand, start doing something.  Watch TV, type, dishes -whatever!

7.  Without warning press down on the clicker "CLICK!"

8. Now reach for the container and give your dog 2-3 treats.  Do NOT call your dog to get the treats.  This is room-service.  You deliver the treat!!!!  Toss it, hand it, whatever!

9.  Continue doing what you were doing & ignore your dog.  Ignore begging too!  When your dog spontaneously stops begging, you will know they are almost "Clicker-Charged."  A clicker charged dog doesn't need to beg, they just wait for the click.

10.  Randomly reach for the treats or the container.  Fake-toss your dog a treat.  Pick up the container, etc...  Each time you do this you will NOT give your dog a treat.  This is an important step.  You must un-teach your dog that treats = treats.  You are "ruling this out" (nerdy trainer talk :).

11.  In between DOING NOTHING & DOING RULE-OUTS, "CLICK" (just once) and THEN give your dog a treat (room-service, remember).

12.  While Charging-the-Clicker" 40-50% of what you will be doing is: Nothing.  30-40% of the time you will be doing Rule-outs (taunting your dog with the container, fake-tosses, picking up treats and putting them back in the container.  During this time, your dog is free to do what s/he wants to do, including sleep, ignore you, lick, stare, beg -whatever!

13.  Only 10-15% of your time will be spent on CLICKING.  Each click must happen randomly and be followed by a treat.

14.  When your dog completely ignores everything (including fake-tosses & reaching into the treat container, AND ONLY looks excited when they hear CLICK, your dog is clicker charged.

15.  Over the next 2-3 days, randomly CLICK and then immediately get your dog a tasty treat.

You are now ready to CLICKER TRAIN YOUR DOG!

>>>>>>STAY TUNED for TEACHING NEW BEHAVIORS WITH THE CLICKER!