what the are the basic`s of clicker training and benefits of it versus the traditional ?
  s.baxter

Sally would be able to answer this question as no doubt would several others. All I can say is I started using it about 3 years ago and found it the quickest and easiest way I have yet tried. There is no confrontation, no negative feeling about it, just success and stimulation for both you and the dog.

jackie thanks for that i`ll get a book about it and i have seen a click and treat dispenser that looked a good idea it holds the treat inside and releases it as you click
s baxter

That sounds a bit gimmicky to me.  I would just get a normal clicker.  You need to be able to give the treat separately from the click.  For example if you are teaching your dog to do something close to you, recall present maybe, then you need to be able to toss the treat away so that they can come back to do it again and if you're teaching them to do something away from you, sendaway for example, then you would want them to come back to you for the treat after you have clicked so that they can repeat (and improve) the behaviour.

Trying to think of a short answer.............

Clicker training teaches a dog to think for themselves and problem solve.  Because it is all positive they are thinking about how to earn a reward and not how to avoid correction which makes for a happier dog and learning is accelerated. 

Now Sally, let me down you did not do much better than I did, really is so much more difficult to talk about than to demonstrate. You only have to watch someone working with a dog for a few moments and your mind is racing off devising ways to work with your own dog but I do think it helps if you can take a short course to start with as you need to know what you are aiming for and why it works, OH and nearly forgot to keep the mouth shut, taken me 3 years and I still find I talk too much.

Sorry, It's late and half of my brain is watching an agility video and trying to take in some handling techniques.  And I talk to my dogs too much to when I am clicker training but the advantage is that I can give a command like " Go on then, go over there and do that twiddly thing that you learned yesterday"  and they know exactly what I mean. :D

thanks sally too i`ll forget that dispenser thing i  should look for a video more than  a book then and try and find a training course near by.s baxter

Clicker training is fantastic and I cannot praise it enough.  If you want to buy books or videos go to crosskeys books website.  Unfortunately I dont know the address but they have loads of information on it and they also sell the clickers.

Could do worse than look here for information

thank you u 2 for that i`ll get get a cuppa and read all about it sue baxter

http://www.apdtuk.f9.co.uk/alpha/shop/index.html?target=videos.html

This is a very good video for an introduction by one of the premier clicker trainers in the UK.  You really need to go to a good class and see it in action though.  The training concept is brilliant, however the delivery and use by some can be poor as the understanding has not been shown.