How to Clicker Train Your Dog - An Intro to Positive Reinforcement Based Training

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This video goes over a basic introduction to clicker training. I will cover what a clicker is, why we use one, and how to use it with your dog. Using a clicker in training will significantly speed up and streamline the process of teaching your dog new skills.
I will also talk about using a verbal marker such as the word "yes" in conjunction with the clicker and why both can be useful.
To skip ahead to the demos, feel free to jump to about 7 minutes in this video.
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[@jonro09]

Very well. Explained 😊

[@arcanemoonjewelry]

I just used clicking my tongue because I always had it at the ready and it was way more accurate than my hand ever managed to be.

[@dublinjazz1]

We just adopted our beautiful, energy filled lab retriever mix. I want to train him the right way and I've watched lots of clicker training videos, but I have to say yours is the one that has made most sense to me. Your explanations are so easy to follow. Thank you!

[@sarahcertified]

Oh I'm so glad, thank you for this feedback!

[@BallyJohn1]

Hi Sarah Walsh. We've just rescued a mongrel puppy from a temple in Thailand where he was being abused. The local animal clinic have given him all the necessary examinations, pills and vaccines and declared him to be around 12 weeks old and generally in good shape (except for the bruising and welts from the beatings, which should disappear quite soon). He's a lovely little chap and despite his poor start in life he's happy and loving. After watching a number of "training" videos We decided that yours will give him (and us) the best opportunity to help him enjoy his new life. If it's OK we'll post some updates on how he's progressing. Wish us (and Tom) luck.

[@sarahcertified]

Hey John, wow thank you for sharing this! I would love to stay updated on you and Tom. Please reach out to me via Instagram or Facebook DM's if possible. You can find this account info in the description of any of my videos. I would love to hear more from you, so seriously... reach out! :)

[@ramonalione4024]

This is one of the best clicker basics videos I've seen. To the point and thorough. I like using the clicker partly because Im not as quick, accurate or consistent with my verbal markers. Nicely done video!

[@sarahcertified]

Thank you!

[@colettelaplant6401]

I’m new to this training method. This was so helpful, thank you!!

[@sarahcertified]

Awesome! Glad to have helped! :)

[@257ian]

I'm picking up my new Lab Retriever puppy this morning (Sept 2023) and want to start clicker training with him straight away (he'll be nearly 8 weeks old). Thank you for your helpful video, Sarah.

[@sarahcertified]

Yay! Congrats on the new puppy!

[@257ian]

@@sarahcertified Thank you. Boy, it's hard work! Early mornings, constantly biting, attacking the cats... that's just the wife!! 😂

[@LittleMissTotoro]

I use the English "yes" as my marker. But I only speak Norwegian to my dog 😄 Broke down during an international zoom meeting but it works pretty well!

[@sarahcertified]

Awesome!! 👍🏼

[@Janillo2782]

THKS SO MUCH

[@hannahandrainn]

Thank you Sarah :)

[@zelnawilders4923]

thank you for showing the clicker vs verbal marker -- very helpful

[@CecileLardon]

I htought you did a really nice job with this video! I'm using it in my Social Science Research Methods class where students have an assignment comparing clicker training to verbal praise only training. 🙂 With my own dogs, I use a high-pitched YIP as the verbal marker because the intonation can't really change. It's also a word I don't use in other contexts.

[@sarahcertified]

Oh, so cool! I'd love to chat with you more about this and what your students have looked into and come up with. Feel free to send me a direct message via Facebook or Instagram, or send me an email to "[e-mail]" if you would like to discuss this further!

[@notacluebbq2500]

Hi. This is such a great video - thank you! Can you teach the clicker at the same time as also saying Yes, therefore charging the Yes marker and clicker marker at the same time? Or would that confuse the puppy? Thanks again!

[@thesnowyworkingdogs]

I loved this video I am new to the clicker method and wasn't sure if I was doing everything right. Let's help clear if I so much and also help me understand dog behaviors.

[@sarahcertified]

Great! I'm so glad it was helpful for you! Let me know if you have any questions.

[@Cowface]

I feel like I should give my dog a treat during the clicks in this video

[@HugDeeznueces]

Got a link to that treat bag? I need one like yours. Thanks 🙏🏼

[@sarahcertified]

Sorry for the really late reply! Here’s a link: amzn.to/3RHo2kR

[@wildwoodcanine3682]

Well done!!!!

[@sarahcertified]

Thank you!

[@CraftyInes]

Thank you. Finally found a clicker training video I understand. I’m trying to teach my Yorkie not to react to the barking German shepherd next door. When we’re on our deck and they go outside charging, she gets very upset and starts barking back at them. But she gets so upset that she sometimes vomits later. So I plan to say Bubbles come, click and treat when she comes. I just don’t know if she’ll come while being so riled up. 🤞🏻

[@4u25out]

I taught my dog many new tricks, I use “ good boy” as a marker. .he’s a fast learner.

[@sarahcertified]

Yes! I love it!

[@z5derek]

I have a question what if my puppy already knows the verbal command sit in a flat hand can I use the clicker for other training behaviors and continue to use the verbal command and nonverbal hand? But use the clicker for commands that I teaching her new?

[@nellieolesonfan]

I have been having trouble training my pup, he is very hyper especially when it comes to treats. I am excited to get a clicker on wednesday and start this process.

[@sarahcertified]

Yay! Good luck to you! I recommend starting out with a treat that isn't too "high value" at first. Using his kibble or something like apples or carrots might be a good place to start if he gets way over the top with food. It will get easier once he gets what the clicker is intended for!

[@ABBY.R1213]

Easiest video to follow

[@sarahcertified]

Thank you!

[@slotsking_]

Best clear informative full of details video..Much much loved it and appreciated..Can i ask what i can use for treats since no trainer ever says or shows what they use?my dog learned with treats from the shops but those are max 10-15 a day..too much fat etc in them..what i can use when i want to teach my dog many times and i have to use 100 of them?? i know i can use its food but my dog is not so much addictive in it now that it has tasted treats..Thank you!

[@sarahcertified]

Hey! Thank you so much! I've got a couple of videos on my channel you take take a look at that go over the treats that I've used and like in the past. But I tend to look for higher quality, or minimal ingredient food as treats for my dogs. One of my go to's is freeze dried or air dried dog food. This tends to be pretty high value, but it also is just dog food so healthy to feed your dog. If you need something higher value, you can try cooked chicken or beef - no seasonings added!

[@ΕμμανουέλαΠατεράκη]

I love this video and I really thing that before today I didn’t know anything about dog’s training and the method of clickers!

[@sarahcertified]

Awesome! Welcome onto my channel!

[@williamalexander7481]

Thank you.

[@gailgiasson6489]

How can I use the clicker to stop barking?

[@colossusX1]

Is the clicker great for families where all members need to command the dog? We all have very different voices.

[@sarahcertified]

Yes, it is great for the exact reason you mentioned. Then the dog doesn't have to learn how everyone says a marker cue, the clicker will sound the same with everyone!

[@Annabalboa27]

Can you use the clicker method for potty training?

[@sarahcertified]

Yes! Here is a video that I made on potty training that I'm sure I talk about this in: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIDSqKmwfquZbKc and here is part 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3O5fICrodSBlac

[@susanhays4292]

I have a two year old lab. She does sit, stay, touch, shake and down with both verbal and hand cues. She absolutely refused to come when called unless she feels like it. Can we use the clicker to teach come?

[@sarahcertified]

Hey Susan! Great question, I will have more videos coming soon talking about recall. Yes, you absolutely can use the clicker to teach it! I recommend first checking out my recall training video that is all about teaching your dog to focus on you while outside-this is the first step. Other thing you can start to do is in your backyard or an area your dog is super familiar with, try calling her name or making an attention noise. At first, do this when you are right next to her. Then the exact moment she turns to look at you, click and toss her a high value treat (chicken, steak, cheese). Over time she will realize it pays off for her to pay attention to you. As she gets better with it, start encouraging her to come over to you from just a few feet away, click when she takes a step towards you. Eventually you will be able to do this from farther and farther away. The key is rewarding her HIGHLY when she chooses to pay attention to you. I could go on about this topic but will save more for the video :) Hope this helps!

[@nicholasrichardson2330]

Hello, first time I”ve seen one of your videos. Very helpful. I understand how one makes a dog do an action…, like “sit” with a clicker…, but how do you teach “stay”? How do they know what they are being rewarded for?

[@sarahcertified]

Hi! So sorry for the super late reply, I haven't checked comments in a while. Here is a link to a video that I made on teaching stay, I hope it's helpful! kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5nJead9etlsb5I

[@savannahewitt5267]

Hi, I have a pitbull and a chihuahua terrier. (They’re both males and they’re not fixed) they get along outside but when they get in the house my chihuahua terrier tries to fight my pit.. I’m assuming it’s cuz he’s territorial ? Will the clicker training stop the aggression and help them get along ??

[@sarahcertified]

I'd really strongly recommend looking into a professional trainer in your area to get in person help with this. If you'd like, I'd be happy to provide you with a database to look for a qualified trainer or behavior professional on.

[@JS-vy4yl]

My trainer has me using a clicker to reassociate triggers and fear response (aggression) with that of food/treats. I dont use it when rewarding good behavior. Sounds different than what youre saying in this vid

[@sarahcertified]

I’d have to see how you are using it, but you can also use it for that purpose. The clicker is designed as a tool for communicating that we like something our dogs are doing. For example, I could click for Fenway not completely coming unglued in the presence of something that makes him worried. I try to click here in the moments he spots the trigger, thus pairing a positive association with that trigger AND capturing the moment of calm when he first notices the trigger, before he starts other behaviors like shutting down, barking or lunging. Hopefully that makes sense!

[@JS-vy4yl]

@@sarahcertified I think that does make sense. Thank you for taking the time to reply. I have a 3.5 year old 80 lb APBT. He is a rescue, and was severly traumatized by his owners prior to me. Lack of socialization or exercise, a lot of physical abuse. He is fearful aggressive towards strangers. I've been using the clicker, per instruction, to re associate the fear with that of pleasure/treats. I do the same, clicking and rewarding prior to the shutdown. Trying to get him to look at me during the trigger. I have to switch to praise vs treats when he shuts down. It's an arduous process, and only through multiple interactions have I been able to have him feel comfortable with specific individuals. I cannot seem to get him to be comfortable with strangers and cant help but wonder if there is little progress to be made in that area.

[@smartinez027]

What would the reward be once you no longer need clicker? Still give a treat? Or touch?

[@sarahcertified]

I'm planning on making a video on this concept soon, this is a great question. You can definitely still treat without clicking, just not the other way around. But to answer your question, I am planning on making a video about it! It is a little more than a simple answer.

[@motorheadbanger90]

watching this video through my audio monitors with my dog right next to me was not a wise move lmao. Every time you clicked in the video i had to reward him

[@sarahcertified]

Haha 😂 that’s hilarious!

[@foxynannabev]

lol I was the same 😂

[@Bimallove]

So you always have to have the clicker with you??

[@sarahcertified]

Nope! Only until the dog knows the behavior, then you can ditch the clicker for that behavior.

[@mojcakosi5567]

Hi Sarah, I really liked your video. I have a 4-month old Jack Russell Terrier. She's great but she eats everything off the ground when on a walk. Could I clicker train her to stop doing that?

[@sarahcertified]

Hey! Thank you! And yes absolutely. You can teach a leave it cue (video coming soon on that), or an incompatible behavior like looking up at you. Start in a controlled setting with placing something like a tissue on the ground with your puppy on leash. Wait for him to disengage from the tissue, then click. Over time wait until he fully looks at you to click. You can teach him tissue on the ground equals look up at you. Then generalize it to other items

[@debbieanthony9376]

My dog is 2 is he too old to learn with a clicker?

[@sarahcertified]

Nope, definitely not too old! Any dog can learn any new tricks, no matter what age :)

[@marcpp]

What a great video! I am working on building some positive structure for my gf, friends and family to work on their dogs. Are you entertaining one on one work with my gf and her dog? She lives with myself and my two dogs and her rescue is very reactive to the odd dog. I think I've narrowed it down but my gf could prosper from some outside instructions, I would like her to learn the different communication patterns we can use. Her current quote is over $1k for an initial consult and a few follow up calls.

[@sarahcertified]

Thanks! I would need some more details. Send me an email to [e-mail] and we can go from there!

[@sherriemuller4272]

My dog is listening to this video using the same clicker I use, she is wondering where the treat is

[@jessicaracanelli818]

How many treats should you give your dog during the course of a training session?

[@sarahcertified]

Good question Jessica, the answer is it depends! I like to keep training sessions short (anywhere from 3-10 minutes), and the number of treats you give your dog depends on what skill you are working on and how long your training session lasts for. If it is a more challenging skill, like shaping exercises (see my videos for detail), you will want to aim to click and treat once every 5 seconds. However, if you are teaching sit or down, you won’t need to treat as often. More of the focus should be on how long you do training for and the quality of that training session rather than how many treats to give out. That being said, I usually set aside a portion of my dog’s daily food to use for training so I know exactly how much food she is getting during the day. Hope that helps! I have plans to make a video explaining all about treats.

[@jessicaracanelli818]

@@sarahcertified Thanks for your reply! Yes that helps a lot! I was thinking that treats could add up quickly, so great idea to create a portion of his daily food - I'll do that. Love your videos! Would love to see one on treats :)

[@krystalannawilliams2653]

🐕🦜

[@wyocoyotewyocoyote9007]

This is well done, but please remove that background elevator music, makes me feel like I've been put on hold

[@sarahcertified]

Hah, noted. I've since taken the elevator music out of my videos.