Imagine, if you can, a dog that sits when he is told to sit, comes when he is told to come, and doesn't bark unless told to speak. Imagine training a dog without anger, frustration or punishment. One of the most effective ways to accomplish this is with clicker training (CT).

"Clicker Training" is a slang term used to describe a way of training animals that has become increasingly popular in the last decade because of its gentle methods.

Clicker training is unlike any other method of training you have ever seen. It is a "hands off", "no force" positive reinforcement type of training. As a matter of fact, most training is accomplished without using a collar or leash! One of the primary advantages of clicker training is that it is very clear and easy to understand for the dog.

The Clicker is a small plastic box with a metal strip that makes a sharp, clicking sound when pushed and released. Its value is that the unique sound doesn't get lost in the babble of words we are constantly throwing at our dogs.

The reason for using a clicker instead of your voice is that a clicker is a unique sound that we can create faster than we can get out the words "Good girl." This is important because you must click at the exact momentT the action takes place; not after, not before, but during. One way to practice your timing is to use the pause button on the VCR or DVD player stopping it at the exact frame you want.

When you shape behavior, you reinforce closer and closer approximations of the actual behavior you are looking for. For instance, if you are trying to teach your dog to "shake hands" you would click and treat at first if he simply raised his paw just a bit off the ground.

As you progressed, you would stop reinforcing a slight raise of the paw. You would now require that the paw is raised higher, and then the paw would have to come towards you, etc. Breaking the behavior down into tiny steps allows progress to be made quickly.

You can use the 'Clicker' to train older dogs new behaviours, once you have conditioned them to it. you can use it to train a new puppy. you can use it for training competitive obedience exercises or agility.

Once the dog has learned the exercises, you can then put them on cue and eliminate the 'Clicker' itself. You then use it just to sharpen up or quicken your dogs responses to you. you should then only need the 'Clicker' when you want to teach something new. you will find that your dog will appear to be really thinking about what it should be doing.

Research has proved that many short sessions are more effective than long ones. Firstly, only four or five minutes is sufficient. Always quit while you are both having fun. You may not get any further than the first step, but that's fine - remember patience - and the end result will come.