Petsafe clicker Training Manual

Clicker
Training Guide

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Thank you for choosing the PetSafe® brand. Through consistent use of our
products, you can have a better behaved dog in less time than with other
training tools. If you have any questions, please contact the

Customer Care Centre. For a listing of Customer Care Centre
telephone numbers, visit our website at www.petsafe.net.

Always read and follow the Operating Guide that accompanies your
training product.

Table of Contents

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Why Use a Click Sound Instead of Your Voice? .........................3

All About Rewards ..................................................4

Practice Your Timing .................................................4

Before You Begin ...................................................5

Give the Click Meaning .............................................5

Keep the Sessions Short .............................................6

To Capture or to Shape? ............................................6

Set Criteria When Shaping ..........................................7

Jackpot! ..........................................................8

Teaching “Look at Me” ..............................................8

Teaching to Target ..................................................9

Loose Lead Walking ................................................9

Teaching “Sit” .....................................................10

Train No Jumping/Lunging ..........................................11

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Introduction

We all want well-behaved pets and wonderful relationships with them. Clicker
training is an effective, safe and humane way to reach these goals. When
your pet learns to offer behaviours you like in exchange for a reward, and
you clearly communicate why they are receiving the reward, it is a win-win
situation. Training will become a fun activity you both enjoy! Behaviour that gets
rewarded gets repeated.

With clicker training, a sound is used to mark the exact behaviour we like, and
then followed immediately with a reward. The reward is often a tasty food treat
but may be anything your pet wants or needs. Soon, the sound predicts the
reward – your pet begins to understand when he hears that sound, it will be
followed with a reward.

While this training guide focuses on clicker training with dogs, clicker training
can be an effective way to train desired behaviours with many different species
of pets.

Why Use a Click Sound Instead
of Your Voice?

Using a consistent sound has several benefits over a spoken word when
teaching your dog a new behaviour.

The sound is unique. It is only made when your dog does something you like,
unlike your voice which may be used to communicate a variety of things. The
sound is consistent. It sounds the same every time and has the same meaning ­you’ve made the right choice and are about to be rewarded - every time. Our
voice can say the same word in very different ways and often does due to our
emotions and meaning.

The sound is clear. We often string many words together like, “Oh, what a good
doggie!” making it difficult or impossible for an animal to know exactly what
behaviour you liked.

The sound is precise. The accuracy of the click improves our timing and marks
the exact moment your dog does something you like. It can mark the smallest
and most subtle behaviours like a glance or turn of the head.

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All About Rewards

With clicker training, we often use a small, tasty food treat as the reward
promised by the clicker sound. However, each animal will determine what
is rewarding to them. One animal may find a liver treat a very high-value
reward, while another may prefer a bit of cheese. The reward you use must be
reinforcing to the animal you are working with, and each animal will have a
hierarchy of rewards. As the trainer, experiment and find several things your dog
likes and determine which he or she likes best and least.

Always prepare for a training session by gathering a few different types of
rewards. Small, semi-moist bites of cheese, liver, etc., are good choices to
try because many dogs desire them and they don’t require much chewing.
Consider your dog’s diet, calorie count and any allergies when choosing
food rewards. Plan the food as part of their daily allowance to maintain a
balanced diet.

Don’t forget other types of rewards such as attention, petting, praise and access
to friends. These can be very valuable and useful as part of your training. While
the tasty treat is often easiest and the best choice for clicker training, don’t rule
out the life rewards!

Practice Your Timing

If you are new to clicker training you will want to practice your timing away from
your dog before you attempt any training. If you want your dog to understand
the click, your timing of the click needs to be
precisely at the moment he is performing the
wanted behaviour.

You will need your Clicker and a tennis ball (or
similar ball) to practice.

• Hold the Clicker in one hand and the ball in
the other.

• Toss the ball and click at the exact moment it
hits the floor.

• As your timing improves, try to click the first
bounce and the second bounce, etc.