Dog-friendly training part 2 - clicker training

What is a clicker?

In part 1 we explored lure/reward training and mentioned that you can mark the behavior you are teaching with a clicker or a word/sound.  When you clearly mark the moment your dog performs the behavior you are teaching him, he can repeat it much more easily and therefore learn it more quickly.

The clicker is an inexpensive little plastic box that makes a CLICK noise, and it is an invaluable tool for marking behavior.  What distinguishes it from a verbal marker is (1) it is distinctive enough to be heard by your dog over all your other vocalizations, (2) it can mark a split-second of behavior much more precisely than most people can react with a word, and (3) it always sounds exactly the same, no matter what mood you are in.

Melissa C. Alexander, author of Click For Joy, says, "As an event marker, it is (in skilled hands) a scalpel, capable of shaping incredibly precise behaviors.  A verbal marker is, by comparison, a butter knife."  

The skill it takes to become proficient in the use of a clicker can be compared to learning to how ride a bicycle.  The first time on a bike you had to be conscious of what your hands and feet were doing, and how you were balancing your body.  You probably made some mistakes and dumped the bike a couple of times.  But after practicing for a short period of time, you were able to just jump on and ride without consciously making any physical adjustments.  The clicker is actually easier, because you only have one body part to coordinate - your hand.

What is clicker training?

Though a clicker can be used very well as a marker in lure/reward training, true clicker training is different.  No food is presented before the reward phase, so the trainer doesn't have to be concerned about the dog becoming dependent upon seeing the treat before performing the behavior. 

Most important - and exciting! - is that it allows your dog to use his creative mind.  Lure/reward training doesn't require much thought on the dog's part.  He focuses on his trainer and waits to be told what to do.  Clicker trained dogs are more active participants in the training process.  They are not guided into a behavior like a lure trained dog, but instead have to figure out what movements will earn them the click and reward.  Dogs who are clicker trained normally get very excited when they see the clicker come out, because they see training as a very fun game.

There are two basic ways to clicker train.

Capturing

To capture a behavior, you simply wait until your dog does it naturally.  Click and reward with a treat.  Wait until he offers it again.  Click and treat.  Repeat, repeat, repeat.  Usually within a few moments (longer if he's just learning the game, shorter if he's savvy at it), your dog will understand that WHAT HE WAS DOING WHEN HE HEARD THE CLICK was what you want him to repeat.  At this point, he will start to offer it on purpose.  When you know he is performing the behavior on purpose and not just by chance, you can "name" it by assigning it a cue (both verbal and hand signal). 

For example, to capture a sit you may sit in front of the TV with your clicker and treats, keeping one eye on your dog. 

1. He sits.  Click and throw him a treat (so that he has to get up to get it - that will set him up for another chance to sit again).  Repeat several times.
2. He looks at you and purposely lowers his butt to the floor.  If you're watching him carefully, you will see the point at which he makes the connection that it is the behavior of sitting that is earning him a treat.  After a few repetitions, you may name the behavior (say "sit" and give a hand signal) just as he's going into a sit.
3. Say "sit" and give the hand signal.  If he sits, then you only reward the behavior from then on if it is cued first.  If not, back up to step 2 until he does.

At first glance this seems much more complicated than lure/reward training.  But it's really not!  Learning the game initially can be a bit confusing for both trainer and trainee, but once you both understand it behaviors can be trained very quickly. 

Note that during this whole training scenario, you are silent until you introduce the cue.  Just be calm, still and patient.  Let your dog think it through without trying to give him any hints (which will distract him and lead him back to his robotic "just tell me what to do" mind-set).  One benefit of this training game is that both you and your dog learn how to tune into each other much more intensely, which results in better communication and a stronger bond.

Shaping

Shaping is the same basic procedure as capturing, only the behavior needs to be broken down into steps.  For example, to train a dog to sit you simply capture it by waiting for him to sit.  But to train a dog to walk over to a mat and lay down on it, you would reward successive approximations of the behavior.  It can be looked at as a series of captures, with the criteria for rewarding the behavior raised each time your dog learns a step.

Let's look at the example of teaching a dog to walk over to a mat and lie down on it.  The setting of criteria would be different for every dog, as this is not a "one-size fits all" type of training.  The following would be a possible scenario:

1. Start with a handful of treats and your clicker ready, and set a mat down in front of the dog.  You don't want to miss his first interaction with the mat, no matter how subtle it is, so make sure you're prepared to click the moment you put it down on the floor.
2. He looks at the mat.  Click and treat (shortened to C/T).  Continue to C/T every time he looks at the mat until you can see that he is connecting that this behavior is earning him a treat.  Usually this means he will look at the mat, then expectantly up at you.  You may see a "yippee" reaction when he hears the click.
3. After several repetitions of step 2, he looks at the mat, but you do not C/T.  You are now raising the criteria.  He gets a bit frustrated that he is not hearing the click, and moves his head a little closer to the mat.  C/T.  Again, continue with this step until you get the head thrust every time.
4. Raise the criteria again.  This time he touches the mat with his nose.  C/T every time he performs this behavior until you know he's doing it on purpose.
5. Next time you raise the criteria, he places one foot on the mat.

Once you get this behavior, you can progress to stepping on the mat with two feet, then with four, then sitting, then lying down.  The next step after that would be to place the mat a short distance away from him, then slowly increase the distance.  As you break this behavior down into achievable small steps, you are working towards the end goal of being able to say "go to bed" from anywhere in the house and your dog will run to the mat and lie down.

For a dog who is just learning this method, it may take several sessions over several days to get him to actually step onto the mat and lie down.  For a dog who knows how to play the shaping game, it may take 30 seconds.  It's worth learning!

Throughout this whole scenario, it is important that YOU are still and silent.  If you're moving around, talking, or otherwise distracting your dog, you are interrupting his train of thought and making it more difficult for him to figure out.  Also a beginner in the game should be in a quiet, distraction-free environment.  Once you and your dog are both clicker-savvy, you will be able to tune into each other no matter what else is going on around you.  In a class full of noisy clickers, dogs will only tune into the clicks coming from their owners.

If your dog has been lure-trained, both you AND your dog will have some trouble getting out of that mind-set.  He will at several points probably choose to sit and look blankly at you, both offering the behavior he knows you like him to do (sitting) and waiting for you to tell him what to do next.  And you will have a devil of a time stopping yourself from trying to give him hints, or luring him in some way.  But resist.  That flash of joy in his eyes when the light bulb goes off and he figures out the puzzle is so worth it.

Where to get clickers

Some pet supply stores sell clickers.  PetSmart carries a few different models, priced from about $1.50 to about $6.00.   There are several PetSmart locations in Orlando, and also stores in Casselberry, Lake Mary, and Oviedo.  Clickers can also be purchased online at the Clicker Training website.

Where to find a clicker trainer

See Dog-friendly training part 1 for a list of local trainers who use reward-based methods of training.  Most of them use lure/reward methods, but some (including the author) also offer clicker training.