Clicker-Training Your Yorkie Terrier Puppy

Training your puppy with a clicker is one of the most effective and easy ways to teach him how to behave. It is also the most humane way to train a dog because it centers on positive reinforcement rather then punishment. The process is a fairly simple one of clicking when your puppy exhibits the behaviors that you request and then rewarding him with a treat and positive words.

“Clicker training is a terrific way to communicate with your pet.”

Clicker training has been used on a wide variety of animals, beginning with pigeons and including dogs, whales, bears, lions, and even cats. For all of these animals the process is the same a verbal command is added to a click and eventually the animal does not need the click anymore, just the verbal cue. It is a form of conditioning your dog to do the things that you want him to do and to avoid behaviors that you do not like. The clicker is a tool that helps to train your dog; it does not do the training for you. A clicker can help mark the exact behavior being rewarded, but learning speed varies with the dog, skill and training setup.

The clicker is a tiny toy that you can purchase at any pet store. They are very inexpensive, so buy a few and keep them on hand at all times. Teach each member of the family how to use the clicker properly to train your puppy. Other then the clicker you will need a steady supply of treats to help get your training off the ground.

Clicker training can be used to teach any sort of behavior. Here is an example of how to train your puppy to sit with a clicker. Teaching sit gives your puppy a useful way to respond to a cue and earn a reward.

Training Your Puppy To Sit With A Clicker

Choose your cue word or phrase and a hand motion that will accompany it.

• “Sit” is a good phrase, for obvious reasons. You will also want a hand motion, perhaps and open hand, with your palm facing down making a downward, gentle motion.

First pair the click with an immediate reward so your puppy learns what it means. Wait for a voluntary sit, then click and reward. Once this is predictable, add your cue just before the sit. Avoid pushing your puppy into position. See AVSAB’s clicker-training explanation. As soon as your puppy sits, click the behavior and then give him a treat. The click indicates to him that he has done the right thing. He hears the cue, does the behavior and hears the click, and gets a treat

• Repeat the training with your puppy regularly for several weeks. He will not get it the first time and will need it to be done repeatedly until he understand the verbal and visual cue to sit. Keep pairing each click with a reward. Once your puppy reliably responds to the cue, you can use the cue without clicking every repetition, while continuing to reward with things your puppy values. Food rewards need not be eliminated; AVSAB explains the value of continued reinforcement.

• Eventually you will be able to request behaviors without the clicker. Your dog should quickly learn to respond to your visual cue. He will even learn to respond to just your physical cue as long as you have maintained consistency in those cues.
  
  
  

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