In order for the clicker to have a meaning, we need to “charge” it. This means that we need to tell the dog that this metallic clicking sound means that a treat is coming. We do this by associating each click with a piece of food.
- Prepare in advance a clicker and some highly reinforcing treats.
- Regardless of your dog’s behavior, click your clicker and treat immediately after.
- Repeat about 20 times.
- Now, wait for the dog to look in another direction and then click your clicker. If the dog looks up at you to get the treat, he/she is starting to learn the association.
- Repeat these steps twice a day for several days. Work for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time.
- You can start the training immediately and you don’t have to wait for your dog to learn the association completely.
