How do you train a dog with a clicker?
We were sent a free clicker through the post had a look on the internet for information about clicker training but couldn't find out very much that you didn't have to pay for.
What is the best way to introduce the clicker to the dog to get her to learn what it's for?

Best starting point is teaching the dog that the sounds means a treat follows.

After that, use that sound at the exact point the dog does something you want & then follow with that treat. That's very basics of it.

Start off with something simple like clicking when the dog touches your hand or gives eye contact.

You have to proof the clicker so your dog knows what the click means - reward :) whether food, excessive praise or playing with a favourite toy reserved purely for training.

Our GR is very food orientated so I put a handful of well spread out treats on the floor and every time he touched one to eat it I clicked. He then associated the click with receiving a treat. Next you decide which behaviour you are going to work on first, for me it was the sit. Every time the dog sat of his own accord I clicked and treated, not saying anything until he realised that sit meant click meant treat. You can also lure him to a sit then click and treat. The command word that you are going to use for that particular behaviour - "sit" - is only used once the dog has fully associated the sit with the click with the treat :)

You teach all other required behaviours in the same way. Once your dog has learnt more than one command you will find that they really use their brain to work out which particular behaviour you require of them. For instance if I call my dog to come to have his lead put on he will normally come and sit in front of me. If I don't respond by putting his lead on ( which he sees as his reward for coming to me) he will sit, lie down, stand, roll over etc in turn as he works out which particular action will get his reward of lead on and going out for his walk.

The beauty for me of clicker training is that you can pinpoint the exact behaviour you want at the precise moment it is offered. I was teaching Harley to "play dead" when you pointed at him with your hand held as though it was a gun - he drops to the ground and then rolls onto his back with all four feet in the air. He had already learnt to roll over and stopping him halfway through a roll when he was on his back was really easy with the clicker as I could click at the right point and within two goes he realised I wanted him to stop rolling halfway through - because he is very quick at rolling over I hadn't finished saying the word stop before he had completed his roll but the click worked because it is so much quicker than saying a word.

This is a very simplified snapshot of how to use a clicker - I went to a clicker training class which was excellent and great fun- so it would be well worth joining a class or buying a book on the subject.

Thanks for the replys, where can you find out about clicker training classes would love to go to one of these?

I'll give what you said a try :)

http://www.clickersolutions.com/ is a good site.

I tried the clicker training thing. It was going pretty good too untill the dog got hold of the clicker. [Small dog] Got that thing just right and clicked it. She looked so funny and surprised that it became her faverate toy. And it didnt take much longer and it bacame garbage . The moral...its a great outfit one way or the other...enjoy

You don't need an actual clicker to do clicker training though. :) I don't use one.

Iggy
Whereabouts in the country roughly are you?  You may find Kay Laurence's website of interest for books, training aids and courses.  It is www.learningaboutdogs.com

> You don't need an actual clicker to do clicker training though. :-) I don't use one.

Very true - you can use 'clicker words', whistles (that's how marine trainers train their charges), click-top biros (useful for dogs that are frightened of full-volume clickers), mini torches (good for deaf dogs), etc, etc... the list goes on.

There is also a digital clicker (clicker+) that has 4 different sounds - supposed to be good for training more than one dog at once, although I've not tried it.

I prefer the regular clickers myself because of the precision - many times I've seen the difference in learning speeds for various exercises with my dogs between me using verbal 'clicks' only and the clicker itself.  The enthusiasm is different too - littlun certainly knows the difference between a training session with me and a toy only and me, a toy and a clicker!  Bless her, she loves it so much she gets all excited and has nipped me by accident a couple of times :-P  But then on the flipside the nipping is happening less because the clicker is helping her self control!

Such a wonderful, simple little thing :-)

Edit:  the clicker I mean, not my little dog!

Thanks every will look on the sites everyones posted up

Gunner i am in Derbyshire