In our first article on clicker training, we talked about what clicker training is and whether chihuahuas benefit from it. Clicker training has a lot of benefits, and it’s a great choice for working with small dogs. Once you decide you want to use this method for your training, the next step is learning how to load the clicker.
Before you can start shaping new commands, you’ll want to teach your pet that when he hears the clicker, he receives a treat. This is not hard to do. Has your dog ever barked at the doorbell? Mysteriously appeared, uninvited, at the sound of a cheese wrapper being opened? He’s already conditioned himself to have certain expectations from sound, without any outside help.
In this case, we want to intentionally teach him that the clicker means a treat. This is called, ”loading the clicker.” It is a 3 step process that shouldn’t take more than 1 or 2 sessions to complete.
You will need:
- The clicker
- 20 or so high value treats. I use hot dog slices cut into 9 pieces.
- A distraction free room.
How to load the clicker:
- Bring your dog to the distraction free room. I like the bathroom because it has a lock to keep littles out, it is very small, and there is absolutely nothing in it interesting to my dog.
- Click the clicker, and then immediately hand your dog a treat. You don’t have to lunge at his face, but make sure it’s the very next thing you do after clicking the clicker.
- Repeat this until all the treats are gone.
Most dogs figure out very quickly that the clicker means you’re going to hand him a treat. Once he’s figured that out, you can go on to using the clicker to shape the behaviors you want to do.
Similar Posts:
- Teaching Your Chihuahua Down, part 1
- What is clicker training?
- How to Teach Your Dog to Use a Scratch Board
- How to Train Your Chihuahua to Come when Called
- Teaching Your Chihuahua to Sit, Part 1
[…] This method requires a loaded clicker. If you have taught your pet the value of a click, teaching your chihuahua to sit can be as easy as capturing it. Simply hang your clicker around your neck and watch your dog as your cleaning house or watching TV. At some point, he is bound to sit during your day. If you catch it, click it! […]
I love how your broke this down! The video is great too. Very helpful for those interested in clicker training (me)!
This is great advice. I didn’t use a clicker with our previous dogs, but it has worked beautifully while training Lucifer. The second I pick it up he starts to get excited, which goes to show that it does a great job of further encouraging his love to learn. I’ve never had a dog so eager for training and so quick to pick things up before.
[…] You will need a scratch board, a clicker, some treats, and have the clicker loaded with your dog. […]
[…] Clicker training […]
[…] order for your chihuahua to understand that the click = a treat, you start out by loading the clicker. Loading the clicker means that you click the clicker and then immediately feed the dog a treat. […]
[…] it had to touch her head to get a click, and then we trained her to put her head through the strap by opening it as wide as possible and […]
Have you ever considered the ethical implications of using clicker training on animals, and how it might affect their natural behaviors and instincts?
Well, to be fair we left natural behind 10,000 years ago. When the first wolf chose to come and sit by our fires, they chose to be domesticated instead of natural. Having food presented to a dog twice a day in a bowl isn’t natural, but most dogs don’t seem to mind. :3
All a clicker does is give the dog a clear signal that what they did is going to be rewarded. It sure does affect their behavior, since a dog is more likely to repeat things that are rewarded. It’s up to the dog to make that choice.