A clicker can mark a specific moment in time, related to the learner’s behavior, that can be very precise. It provides immediate feedback to the learner about the exact moment they earned a reinforcer. The clicker is unemotional, unlike our voice. When practiced, it can be more precise than our voice simply because verbally communication requires slightly longer processing time than to push the button. In order for a reinforcer to provide the most feedback, it has to be precise, the instant behavior happens. The clicker can do this better than food alone or voice.
We can use a clicker to shape behavior (break behavior into smaller pieces of criteria) which may look at small muscle movements. The ability to be precise assists in the learning process.
There’s nothing magical in the clicker. It works because we pair the sound with a primary reinforcer (food). Because it marks a specific behavior the learner did and is followed by food, the learner quickly understands how to offer that behavior again. This can be incredibly helpful when training complex skills that require multiple steps (go to a mat and lay down, turn on a light, etc.) that we can break into smaller incremental pieces of criteria. We can mark and reinforce smaller muscle movements that get the dog headed towards the end goal.
You want to click the exact moment you see the behavior you are observing for. You click because the dog met criteria and you want to let the dog know they have earned a reinforcer (often food).
Typically, when the dog learns the behavior on cue (stimulus control), in a variety of situations (generalization) at a success rate of 80% or better to the criteria you are looking to achieve, you can start to fade the clicker. I always use the clicker when shaping new skills and still like to use it during formal training sessions. With known skills and long-established behaviors, the use of the clicker may be less important.
It is not recommended that you use the clicker as an attention getting tool. If you have been using the clicker to reinforce behaviors (as instructed by a Pet Professor), then using the clicker to get the dog’s attention, stop unwanted behavior or some other way than to mark specific behavior, may confuse the learner or inadvertently reinforce the unwanted behavior you just clicked.
Not necessarily. It is recommended that after the dog has learned a behavior, the behavior is reinforced intermittently for maintenance. However, reinforcement can come in many different varieties and is not just food. A reinforcer is anything that follows a behavior and increases the future likelihood of that behavior.
Training time depends on a variety of factors. The value of your reinforcer, the individual learner, the family’s ability to follow instruction, the family’s ability to be consistent in criteria expectations and the family’s availability and dedication to training. Pet Professors recommend training for 30 minutes daily on cognitive tasks (obedience, tricks, agility etc.) working 1-2 minutes on the skill and playing between each task. For behavior modification, daily training on counter-conditioning and desensitization may not be recommended or beneficial. The learner may need a day or two of rest between sessions. This means that overall length of time may be longer, but time spent training may be about the same as a learner working on basic obedience.
Most clients find the most benefit from 10 or more sessions with Pet Professors.
Capturing refers to reinforcing a behavior already in a dog’s repertoire. By reinforcing a behavior you already see, you can predict when the behavior is about to occur and attach a name to the behavior.
Shaping refers to breaking a larger behavior or goal into smaller pieces of criteria that can be reinforced. By breaking the behavior into smaller criteria the learner more quickly earns reinforcement which keeps the learner more engaged. By carefully choosing when to adjust criteria the learner moves gradually towards the end goal, sometimes quicker than with capturing alone. The learner also begins to understand how to offer behavior, problem solve, and become a critical thinker which have many benefits beyond the goal of the specific behavior you are training. The learner is an active participant in their own learning, can demonstrate how comfortable/confident they are with the desired task, and can make gains in confidence they may lack.
Dog’s do not come understanding English or any human language. Classical conditioning is an amazing way in which our learners seem to acquire lots of skills through association. For example, your dog may have learned the word “walk” because you ask them if they want it right before you grab the leash and take them out for one. They may also learn lots of skills through a trial and error (mostly error) process by which you are happy when they do something and angry or abrasive when they don’t. Through the use of the clicker, shaping, and capturing we can provide clarity of communication making the learning process more fun and enjoyable for both the learner and teacher. The “bad” stress is reduced, while the happy, excited feelings are presumably increased. By teaching your learner in a more clear and concise way, you may find that your relationship with them increases significantly. Having empathy and understanding for our four-legged, non-English speaking, non-human companions can go a long way to creating a deeper bond with our four-leggers we call “man’s best friend.”
