Life with an undisciplined dog can be difficult, frustrating and, at times, even heartbreaking. The "problem" dog is shipped off to the pound, the owner is left with guilt, regret and 'what-ifs'. The real tragedy is that even basic obedience training would have made a difference, but the dog-owner never bothered. Perhaps he felt he lacked the skills, time or patience. The truth is that dog training is easy. Dogs are intelligent animals who are keen to learn and eager to please. All it takes is patience, persistence, and a proven method. And the simplest, most effective method out there is clicker training. Used by both professional and lay trainers all over the world, clicker training is a method that teaches a dog to respond to the sound of a click. How Clicker Training Works The concept behind clicker training could not be simpler. A clicker is a small hand-held device that gives a sharp clicking sound when pressed. To get things started, the dog is taught to associate the click with something positive. The trainer simply gets a bag of treats, clicks at regular intervals, and gives the dog a treat each time. This dog soon learns that the click means he gets a reward. Once the trainer is confident that the dog understands that 'click' equals 'good', it's time to move on to the next step. This involves teaching the dog a simple command, like "sit", then clicking and rewarding every time the dog gets it right. Next, the trainer starts varying the reward, sometimes giving a treat, sometimes not, but still clicking every time the dog succeeds in carrying out the command. Eventually, the treat is withdrawn altogether, and the sound of the clicker serves as the reward. And that's it! A simple, yet extremely effective, method of training even the most difficult of dogs. I've even seen it used to train cats. The Benefits of Clicker Training The main benefit of clicker training is its simplicity. Even a novice dog owner should be able to get the hang of it without too much trouble. Secondly, there is the consistency of the clicker sound. Dogs are very attuned to the sound of your voice. So if you start becoming irritable because your dog can't understand a command, the dog will pick it up in your tone. This will have a negative impact on the effectiveness of your training. As the clicker always delivers a consistent sound this problem is eliminated. Then, there's the portability of the clicker device, which you can carry with you wherever you take your dog. Lastly, there's the proven effectiveness of the method. Clicker training just works, so why not give it a try.
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