Clicker Training for Dogs: Master Basic Training, Common Cues, and Fun Tricks in 15 Minutes a Day

by Hannah Richter

  4. Open up your hands and reward with a treat.

  Next steps: Open up your hands so that the treats are visible.

  PRO TIP: The movements you’re trying to capture may be tiny and quick at first. Try to be on your toes with the clicker so you can capture the moment they look or move away.

  EXERCISE 18

  Alone Time

  Training your dog to feel comfortable alone is a necessary exercise. It’s a tough task because dogs like to be with their people. Give your dog a ton of positive experiences in the crate so they’re calm when you leave. Keep the intervals very short at first: repetitions of 5 to 10 seconds. Practice at your dog’s comfort level. If your dog barks, whines, or scratches at the crate, wait a couple minutes to see if they can self-soothe. Wait for at least 5 seconds of silence before you return to the room and let them out again. When you reset, try again with less duration.

  DURATION10 repetitions per day for 8 weeks

  MATERIALSclicker, treats, alone time space (crate, pen, room, etc.), food toy

  Door open

  1. Fill a food toy with high-value treats for your dog to work on.

  2. Set the food toy in the crate, and let your dog go in the crate.

  3. Let your dog work on the toy for 5 seconds.

  4. Say “Thank you,” and trade a treat for the food toy. The treat must have a value equal to or higher than the food toy.

  5. Pause for 1 minute.

  6. Repeat while randomly mixing in longer repetitions. Keep your dog feeling successful.

  Door closed

  1. Fill a food toy with high-value treats for your dog to work on.

  2. Set the food toy in the crate, and let your dog go in the crate.

  3. Close the door and let your dog work on the toy.

  4. Walk away.

  5. Return and trade a treat for the food toy.

  6. Repeat while randomly mixing in longer repetitions. Keep your dog feeling successful.

  PRO TIP: Playing music can help your dog relax. If your dog barks or whines, walk away until they offer at least 5 seconds of calm, quiet behavior, then return to the crate and open the door. Aim to make the repetitions short enough that your dog is likely to remain calm.

  EXERCISE 19

  Loose Leash Walking

  This is among the most common behaviors that dog owners want to find a solution for. Being outdoors is incredibly stimulating, and your dog will want to pull (run ahead) or plant (refuse to walk) on leash. Establishing a language allows you to move as a pair, making walking enjoyable for you both. Slack is the gas pedal, tension is the brakes. If the leash is loose (has some slack), move forward. If your dog pulls, stop completely and ask them to come to your side before moving forward again. Start indoors, just like with the other behaviors. At first, use very high-value treats to compete with the environment for your dog’s attention.

  DURATION10 repetitions per day for 12 weeks

  MATERIALSclicker, treats, leash and harness or collar

  CUES USEDSit, Eye Contact

  How to hold the leash

  Hold the leash and clicker near your navel in the hand on the opposite side of your body from your dog. Gather the slack loosely in your hand. Hold treats in your other hand or in your pocket (a treat pouch can help free up your hands). Don’t wrap the leash around your wrist.

  Follow me

  1. Begin to walk. You can encourage your dog to come with you or just move (A).

  2. When your dog follows you, mark them as correct with “Good!” or “Yes!” (B).

  3. Reward with a treat in line with your pants seam as you move along (C).

  Side-sit

  When teaching Sit, you have likely trained your dog to sit in front of you, facing toward you. For walking, teach your dog to sit next to you, facing the same direction you are. Dogs are not good at generalizing and may not understand what you want if you cue them to sit by your side.

  Adding steps

  1. Cue your dog to Sit by your side and offer eye contact.

  2. Click to mark their behavior as correct when they sit by your side.

  3. Reward with a treat.

  4. Take a step forward and wait for your dog to take a step toward you. Take one more step so that you’re walking together.

  5. Click to mark your dog’s behavior as correct when they’re walking by your side.

  6. Reward with a treat in line with your pants seam. Try to reward from the same spot every time.

  Walking

  1. Before you begin to walk, cue your dog to Sit by your side. Wait for them to look up, or cue them to make eye contact.

  2. Once your dog is looking at you, click to mark your dog’s behavior as correct.

  3. Reward with a treat.

  4. Begin walking.

  5. As you’re walking, click to mark your dog’s behavior as correct during moments of loose leash walking. At first, you’ll likely need to click and treat every few steps.

  6. Every so often, ask your dog to Sit or make eye contact as a check-in.

  Reward your dog for walking forward while keeping the leash loose. Avoid bringing out treats to bribe them if they have planted. Instead, wait until they have offered some forward motion, then reward. This will teach them to keep moving with you and will keep them from planting to get treats. When they finally move forward for a few steps, click and reward by your side.

  PRO TIP: Engage with your dog to encourage loose leash walking. Let them know when they’re walking in a way that you like.

  EXERCISE 20

  Heel

  In a traditional Heel, the dog is focusing on the handler, walking by the handler’s left side. Their shoulder is in line with the handler’s hip, and their spine is parallel to the direction of the handler’s movement. The handler places their hand on their own hip as the visual cue. Your dog should remain in the Heel position regardless of the changes in direction. Heel is useful for walking through tight crowds or when in high-distraction environments.

  DURATION10 times a day for 6 weeks

  MATERIALSclicker, treats

  Luring Heel

  1. Hold your treats in the hand on the same side as your dog, and your clicker in the other hand.

  2. Relax your “treat” arm by your side with your palm facing your leg. Pinch a treat between your thumb and fingertips. Guide your dog into the Heel by using the treat to guide them to your left side. They should be facing the same direction as you (A).

  3. Line up your dog’s front paws with your heels. When you do so, click to mark their behavior as correct (B).

  4. Reward with a treat from the hand closest to your dog. Let them come all the way to your hand by your side to get the treat (C).

  5. Take another step forward and repeat.

  Fading the lure

  1. Keep your treats in a pocket or pouch. Hold the clicker in the hand on the opposite side of your body from your dog. Relax your arm by your side.

  2. Pretend to have a treat in the hand closest to your dog. Use your hand to guide your dog around into the Heel.

  3. Line up your dog’s front paws with your heels. When you do so, click to mark their behavior as correct.

  4. Reward with a treat from the hand closest to your dog.

  5. Take another step forward and repeat.

  PRO TIP: Make Heel an activity that your dog looks forward to by using high-value treats and working on repetitions under a minute for the first several weeks.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Solving Problem Behaviors

  CANINE INSTINCTS CLASH at times with pet parent ideals and expectations. Dogs naturally want to offer noisy and disruptive behaviors such as barking, nipping, chasing, jumping, and digging. These behaviors don’t mean that your pup is a “bad dog”; it means your dog is acting like a dog. You, as the dog parent, need to step in to help your dog understand that there’s a time and place for those instinctive behaviors, but in general, people prefer calm, quiet behavior. When solving problem behaviors, t
he solution often lies in reinforcing desirable behaviors to create new habits. This chapter focuses on solutions to common problem behaviors. Be realistic about your timeline and training goals. Changing your dog’s previously learned behavior takes dedication and patience. Noticeable shifts in behavior patterns will occur over time. Be consistent and stick to your plan.

  21Barking for Attention

  22Alert Barking

  23Defensive Barking

  24Puppy Nipping

  25Housetraining

  26Crate Games

  27Hidden Treasures

  28Street Sweeping and Counter Surfing

  29Pulling on the Leash

  30Leave It and Drop with Household Items

  EXERCISE 21

  Barking for Attention

  It’s unrealistic to expect your dog to stop barking altogether, but you can train them in preferred ways of communication by reinforcing moments of quiet. Dogs bark for many reasons: attention seeking, alerting, fear/defense, frustration, and excitement. Identify your dog’s barking patterns to make a training plan targeting the cause. Dogs learn quickly that humans respond to their barking. When your dog barks for attention, turn and walk away. Turn your focus elsewhere for 10 to 20 seconds and avoid direct eye contact. Capture moments of silence before the barking begins, and click and treat when they offer calm, polite behavior.

  DURATION 10 repetitions a day for 12 weeks

  MATERIALS clicker, treats

  CUES USEDSit, Down, or Touch

  Polite please

  Incorporate training throughout the day for your dog to say please for what they want. This will teach your dog how you want them to communicate with you. When you reinforce polite behaviors, your dog will offer them more than undesirable behaviors.

  1. Before you give your dog toys, water, food, treats, etc., cue your dog to offer behaviors that you do like, such as Sit, Down, or Touch.

  2. Once your dog offers a polite behavior, click to mark their behavior as correct.

  3. Reward with a treat or other reinforcer.

  PRO TIP: If your dog naturally offers a polite behavior before you cue them, click to mark their behavior as correct and reward. This will teach your dog to offer behaviors on their own without needing to be cued first.

  EXERCISE 22

  Alert Barking

  Alert barking is an instinctive, defensive behavior often used as a danger warning and to scare off threats. Most people don’t want their dog to offer alert barking unless they’re training their dog to guard their home. Dogs react to some stimuli more than others. Doorbells, door knocking, people outside the home, hallway noises, and other dogs are common causes of alert barking. If you don’t want your dog to alert bark, you’ll need to teach them how you want them to behave. It’s also beneficial to teach a cue that stops the barking once it has started.

  DURATION10 repetitions a day for 8 days

  MATERIALSclicker, treats

  Charging Enough

  When first training the Enough cue, you’ll need to first charge the word by pairing rewards with it. This will make your dog perk up when they hear it.

  1. Say “Enough.”

  2. When your dog is quiet for a moment, click to mark their behavior as correct.

  3. Reward with a treat.

  Using the cue after a bark

  1. When you hear your dog bark, say “Enough” one time.

  2. When your dog offers even a half a second of silence, click to mark their behavior as correct.

  3. Reward with a delicious treat.

  4. Let your dog eat the treat and give them a lot of praise and pets.

  PRO TIP: After the reward, try to click and reward again before your dog reacts. Create duration based on how long they are being quiet rather than waiting for them to bark again.

  EXERCISE 23

  Defensive Barking

  When your dog reacts to other dogs and strangers, it’s easy to focus on undesirable behavior. The goal is to capture your dog doing nothing after they hear or see a trigger, a stimulus that causes them to lunge, bark, growl, bite, etc. Classical conditioning will change the dog’s association with the stimuli. At first, keep a distance between your dog and the trigger so your dog will listen and respond, then slowly decrease the distance. Timing with the clicker is incredibly important: Click and reward your dog when they are quiet. Do not click when your dog is barking, or you will reinforce the bark. Instead, walk away and try to leave the situation if your dog reacts.

  DURATION10 repetitions a day for 4 weeks

  MATERIALSclicker, treats

  Noticing

  Imagine how you would like your dog to behave when they notice stimuli. What do you want your dog to do when they notice a sight or sound? Your answer is likely nothing. Most people would prefer that their dogs not react much when they notice something, but simply noticing is not a natural response for most dogs. Dogs are inclined to offer behaviors such as barking, whining, and jumping when they hear or see a new stimulus. Communicate with your dog around new stimuli, and work to capture their quiet behavior. Teach your dog to look at you after they notice the stimulus, to encourage a new desirable habit of checking in instead of reacting. For this exercise to be effective, the dog must see the stimulus before the reward comes out. If you take out the treat before your dog notices the stimulus, you’re teaching your dog that the treat predicts something scary, and they will learn to react negatively when they see the treat.

  How to practice noticing without reacting

  1. When your dog hears or sees the trigger from a distance where they can remain relaxed, click to mark their behavior as correct.

  2. Reward with a treat.

  3. To reinforce the silence, click and treat again before your dog has time to bark.

  Gradually decrease distance between your dog and the trigger.

  Adding eye contact

  1. When your dog hears or sees a trigger, cue them to look at you by saying their name or using a sound, such as a kissy noise, to get their focus.

  2. When your dog makes eye contact with you, click to mark their behavior as correct.

  3. Reward with a treat.

  With practice, your dog should notice the trigger and then automatically look to you. When that happens, click to mark their behavior as correct and reward with a few treats.

  PRO TIP: Continue to mark your dog’s behavior and reward them after they’ve noticed the trigger to add duration to their quiet, calm behavior around the stimulus.

  EXERCISE 24

  Puppy Nipping

  Many people are surprised when their sweet puppy turns into a hyper baby shark during teething. Puppies use their mouths to explore the world, and they won’t naturally understand that you don’t want them to nip. Take your attention away from your dog to communicate clearly that nipping is not acceptable. After consistent repetition, most puppies will stop nipping in a few weeks. If your puppy nips you, give them a timeout (TO), then redirect them. A TO is 10 to 30 seconds of the dog not being allowed full access to you or to do what they want.

  DURATION10 times a day for 4 weeks

  MATERIALSclicker, treats, toy

  Impulse control

  1. Hold a toy 6 inches above your dog’s head (A).

  2. Wait for your dog to offer a polite behavior, such as a Sit (B).

  3. Click to mark the polite behavior as correct.

  4. Reward by playing tug or fetch with your dog (C).

  If your dog jumps up for the toy, pull it away and reset. If at any point your dog nips you and not the toy, take the toy, get up, and walk away.

  PRO TIP: If your dog has nipped you three times during a play session, end the session.

  EXERCISE 25

  Housetraining

  Housetraining is frequently the first item of business on many dog parents’ to-do list. No one wants stinky surprises around the house. Your dog’s success with housetraining may be affected by their age. Puppies can hold their bladder duri
ng the day for about an hour for every month of age, up to six months. Overnight, puppies can hold their bladder for six to eight-plus hours. Adult dogs usually need a potty opportunity every five to seven hours. Successful housetraining can be broken down into two categories: management and reinforcement.

  DURATION 4 weeks

  MATERIALSclicker, treats

  How to teach your dog to Go Potty on cue

  1. When you think your puppy needs to go to the bathroom, take them to the spot you’d like them to go (A).

  2. When you see them starting to sniff around, say the verbal cue “Go potty.”

  3. As they’re finishing up, click to mark their behavior as correct (B).

  4. Reward with a few treats and praise (C).

  Practice good management

  1. Keep a consistent schedule.

  2. Offer adequate bathroom opportunities.

  3. Monitor your puppy for when they may need to go.

  4. Limit their access to carpets, rugs, etc.

  5. Limit them to specific areas of the home to prevent accidents.

  6. Get them to the right place at the right time.

  Practice positive reinforcement

  Going to the bathroom in the right spot should be rewarded with a big puppy party! Give tons of praise and lots of treats at first when your dog goes to the bathroom in the right spot.

  PRO TIP: Pay attention to your dog’s body language when they need to go. If you can pick up on their cues, you’ll learn to predict their potties with more accuracy.