Click, Treat, Repeat!: Easy Clicker Training For Your Dog

Ways to Use the Clicker:

Luring: Use a treat to guide your dog, like moving it over their head to get them to sit.
Shaping: Reward small steps toward a trick, like clicking when your dog starts to lie down before they do it completely.
Capturing: Click when your dog does something good on their own, like looking at you.

No-Reward Markers

A No-Reward Marker is like a gentle “oops!” for your dog. It’s a word or sound that lets them know they didn’t get it right and won’t get a treat this time. But don’t worry! It just means they should try again. After using a No-Reward Marker, help your dog figure out what to do instead!

Clicker vs. Verbal Praise

A clicker works better than saying “Good boy!” because it always sounds the same, making it easier for dogs to understand exactly what they did right. But don’t worry, you won’t need a clicker forever! Once your dog learns the behavior, you can switch to saying “Yes!” and rewarding them with toys, playtime, or belly rubs instead. A clicker always sounds the same, but our voices change. That makes it easier for dogs to understand when they did something right. Click when they do the right thing. Give a treat right after.

Helpful Tips:

🐾   Don’t point the clicker at your dog—it’s not a remote control!

🐾   If your dog is scared of the sound, put the clicker in your pocket to make it softer.

🐾   Only click when they do the right thing, not to get their attention.

🐾   Click once per good behavior—don’t overdo it!

🐾   Want to stop an undesirable behavior? Reward the good behavior instead.

This handout is sponsored by Arfordable Dog Training