Karen Pryor Clickertraining - Fundamentals

What is Clicker Training?

KPCT — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:51:18 -0500

Get the definitive answers to what is clicker training and frequently asked questions about the method.

Why Can't I Just Use My Voice?

Karen Pryor — Fri, 01 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0600

Clicker training involves shaping behavior in small steps, identifying the behavior, as it occurs, with some kind of marker signal. Dolphin trainers use a whistle; dog and horse trainers have settled on the clicker. But couldn't you just use a word, like 'good,' or 'yes,' as a marker signal?

Finding the Right Training Class

Peggy Tillman — Tue, 01 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0500

Okay, so you've started clicker training your dog and you think that taking a class would be fun. It will take a little work on your part to make sure that the class you take meets your needs.

Fifteen Tips for Getting Started with the Clicker

Karen Pryor — Mon, 01 Apr 2002 00:00:00 -0600

Clicker training is a new, science-based way to communicate with your pet. It's easier to learn than standard command-based training. You can clicker train any kind of animal, of any age. Puppies love it. Old dogs learn new tricks. You can clicker-train cats, birds, and other pets as well. Here are some simple tips to get you started.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

KPCT — Sat, 01 Jan 2000 00:00:00 -0600

Why does clicker training work?

Clicker training uses a distinct and consistent signal to mark a desired behavior in real time and then follows that signal with a motivating reward. Because animals understand precisely which action earned the click and their reward, they learn new behaviors quickly, easily, and enthusiastically.

The Training Game

Karen Pryor — Sun, 01 Jan 1995 00:00:00 -0600

The Training Game is a great way to sharpen your shaping skills and have fun at the same time. It allows you to see and experience other trainers' decision points, and to be aware of what you might have done instead. It also allows trainers to make mistakes, and learn from them, without confusing some poor animal or unsuspecting person! Maybe most valuable of all, it allows you to see the training process from the viewpoint of the trainee, which is often a highly illuminating experience. The training game also helps us get rid of the superstitious behavior of putting the blame for problems on the person or animal we are working with, instead of on the training contingencies, where it belongs.

Podcast: Are You Clicker Training, or Training with a Clicker?

Kathy Sdao — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Kathy Sdao is a top trainer and ClickerExpo faculty member. She began teaching people how to clicker train their dogs in 1996. “At that time, most pet owners had never heard of clicker training and few class instructors took it seriously. Mine was the only advertisement in the local Yellow Pages that mentioned the word ‘clicker.’ I had to persuade students to even try this novel gadget. A decade later, clickers are now common in dog training classes. But, I suggest, clicker training still is not. I do believe 'clicker training' is an unfortunate term for what we do.” Why? Listen to Kathy’s podcast and find out. Read the original article here.

Raising the Great Family Dog

Aaron Clayton — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:00:00 -0600

Congratulations on your new dog! Naturally, you want to raise a great family dog—one that can hang with the family at home, greet guests calmly, play nicely with all the other dogs and avoid the bullies, go to the lacrosse games without pulling you onto the field of play, and maybe even charm the mother-in-law into pet-sitting when you head out on vacation. Training your family dog using the clicker training approach is particularly family friendly. Here's why.

"Clicker Trainers Use No Punishment" and Other Training Myths

Melissa Alexander — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0600

Before starting this article, I polled the ClickerSolutions mailing list about the training myths—about both clicker and more traditional training—the members had heard. The responses poured in. It became obvious that misunderstandings, miscommunications, and half-truths abound, creating unnecessary walls between trainers. Let's debunk some of these myths.

Is Clicker Training Right for Me?

Aaron Clayton — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 12:23:33 -0500

Clicker training is for just about everyone. There's no better way to raise your dog—or any other animal—because clicker training delivers the potential for a relationship between you and your dog that is so much more than one of mere obedience. If you are after this "something more," then the small amount of time you'll invest in understanding this training approach will yield a payoff that's greater than anything you might have imagined. Most people have their own "something more." Do you?

Are You Clicker Training, or Training with a Clicker?

Kathy Sdao — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0500

I began teaching people how to clicker train their dogs in 1996. At that time, most pet owners had never heard of clicker training and few class instructors took it seriously. Mine was the only advertisement in the local Yellow Pages that mentioned the word "clicker." I had to persuade students to even try this novel gadget.

A decade later, clickers are now common in dog training classes. But, I suggest, clicker training still is not.

Why Train Your Dog?

Joan Orr — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Regardless of a dog's breed, size, or age, he can benefit from good leadership, household rules, exercise, and training. Whether your training goal is to have a high-scoring obedience competitor or a dog that is a well-mannered family member, the fundamental ingredient for success is the same. The bond between you and the dog will pave the way to training success.

Operant Conditioning vs. Clicker Training

Kellie Snider — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0600

While some use the terms interchangeably, others distinguish between "operant conditioning" (OC) and "clicker training." What is the difference, and how does understanding that difference make us better clicker trainers?

Well-Trained Pets Are Just a Click Away

KPCT — Tue, 01 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0600

by Laura Mahoney

Originally published in the Times Picayune, December 16, 2004

Does your dog look at you cockeyed when you ask him to sit? Does your cat use your couch as a scratching post? If you answered yes, treat yourself to a clicker kit for Christmas.

Clicker training is all the rage, and it really works. For many years, clickers or whistles were used to train marine mammals. Punishment, our typical method for training others, is futile when working with giant animals that cannot be physically controlled.

Why Use a Clicker?

Alexandra Kurland — Thu, 04 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0600

Once the horse understands that a whistle or a click means food, I can link that sound to behavior. The horse begins to learn that the only time he hears the click is when he presents certain behavior. Now it's the horse who thinks he has me trained. He's aware of the power of his own actions. Present behavior. Get treat. What a wonderful system!

Tucker's Top Training Tips

Aaron Clayton — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 00:00:00 -0600

Tucker is my Labrador puppy. He's stop-dead- in-your-tracks handsome. Really. Cars have pulled over to tell me how handsome he is. Spend some time with him and you find out just how sweet and calm he is, too. He' so calm, people can't believe it. ("That's the calmest, lab I've ever seen. Golly Jed, come over here. Do you see this sweet puppy. He's real different from my daughter's lab. Is it the same breed?"

The Eight Ways of Changing Behavior

Karen Pryor — Thu, 01 May 2003 00:00:00 -0500

Anything you do to get rid of behavior you don't want will fall into one of the following eight methods. The first four are the 'bad fairies,' the methods that have neither kindness nor special efficacy to recommend them. The second four are the 'good fairies,' the approaches that involve positive reinforcement and some understanding of behavior, and that are highly likely to work.

Volunteers Can Play the Clicker Game

KPCT — Sat, 01 Mar 2003 00:00:00 -0600

Clicker training can seem mysterious until you experience it personally.

Pick one person to be the subject, and someone else to be the clicker teacher. Use pennies, paperclips, or wrapped candies for treats. Send the 'animal' out of the room while the group chooses an everyday behavior: switch the light on, pour a glass of water, pick up a book, turn in a circle.

Documents on Clicker Training for Distribution

KPCT — Fri, 01 Jun 2001 00:00:00 -0500

These helpful documents on clicker training are available for you to download to your computer.

To Train Your Pet, Just Point and Click

Connie Bloom — Tue, 01 May 2001 00:00:00 -0500

You to your cat: "Einstein, I like it when you lounge on the pink quilt on the black leather chair. You look so handsome there. You're such a good boy."

Einstein: "Well, thanks. I thought that might please you. Why don't you toss me another one of those tuna puffs? I bet I can get you to give me one if I touch my nose to your magic wand."

Those fanciful exchanges are not as unlikely as you may think. They embody the essence of clicker training, according to Boston author, trainer, and scientist Karen Pryor. Clear communication is what clicker training is all about.