For those new to dog training, the term "clicker training" might be familiar, but its purpose and function may not be entirely clear. In this blog post, we’re going to cover the concept of clicker training and the role of reward markers in dog training.
How Dogs Process Sounds
While dogs don’t understand human language in the way we do, they can learn to associate specific sounds with actions. For example, when training a dog, the word “Sit” might not mean anything to the dog in terms of its definition. However, over time, the dog will learn to associate the sound pattern of the word "Sit" with the action of sitting.
An interesting aspect of dog learning is that because dogs respond more to the sound of words than their meaning, it’s actually possible to use any word, like “Banana,” instead of “Sit,” and the dog would still learn to associate that sound with the sitting action, as long as the training process is consistent.
The Role of a Clicker in Training
The introduction of a reward marker is one of the first steps in dog training.
A reward marker is a short, sharp, consistent sound used to identify when a dog has performed a desired action. This sound is followed by a treat, which reinforces the behaviour so the dog will learn to repeat it again and again. Lots of people use a clicker to create the sound.
Important: The reward marker itself is not the reward, it is simply an indicator that the dog has performed a good behaviour.
Obviously, when a dog is taught to sit on command, the dog understands that sitting leads to a reward. However, when you are training a dog in something faster paced or more complex, like lead walking, you’re going to have to pinpoint very tiny moments of good behaviour that you need to reward, sometimes moments that your dog hasn’t even done intentionally.
The clicker helps you pinpoint the exact moment you want to reward and gives you a way to easily communicate with your dog during training, making it far easier to achieve your goals.
Challenges with Clicker Training
The downside to clicker training actually has nothing to do with using a reward marker- reward marking is a common practice that all trainers use- but has everything to do with the lump of plastic that is the clicker. The reward marker must be used the moment the dog performs the good behaviour and this can be difficult if you aren’t prepared with the clicker in hand. You have less than a second to click it and if your hands are full, if you drop it, if you forget it at home or your clicker breaks you’re completely stuck.
A reward marker needs to be a short, sharp, consistent sound but that doesn’t mean it needs to come from an object, many trainers just speak it. “Yes” and “Okay” are two of the most popular reward marker words. Using a verbal marker word means you’re always prepared and ready to reward your dog’s good behaviour.
Proper Use of Reward Markers
Whether you opt to use a clicker or a verbal marker, it is important that reward markers are used consistently and correctly. A reward marker shouldn’t be used as a recall command or to excite your dog, it needs to be kept as a clear mark of positive behaviour for it to work effectively.
It can also be challenging to remember to use the reward marker at the right time in the beginning and you may find yourself giving them a food reward and then realising you forgot to mark the behaviour first but don’t panic, with practice it becomes second nature. Experienced handlers can even use a verbal marker while holding a conversation with a friend, marking desirable behaviour from their dog without disrupting their interaction. With practice and consistency, any dog owner or trainer can successfully implement this technique to enhance their dog’s learning experience.
Like everything with training, you get out what you put in!
Happy Training!
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