Clicker Training Methods
The first step in clicker training is to teach the animal that the clicker
sound means that they will get a reward. To do this, the trainer does what is
called "loading the clicker." Over a few sessions, the trainer clicks the
clicker and immediately thereafter gives the animal a reward (usually a treat to
start with; later, favorite toys can be substituted), clicks again and rewards
again, and so on for about 20 repetitions each session. Dogs, for example, learn
the association very quickly.
After that, the trainer can use the clicker to begin marking desired behaviors;
each time that the animal performs the behavior, the trainer clicks and, quickly
thereafter, rewards. The primary key to clicker training is the trainer's
timing; clicking slightly too early or too late can quickly establish an
incorrect association in the animal's mind.
Karen Pryor, a scientist with an international reputation in the fields of
marine mammal biology and behavioral psychology, is widely heralded as a founder
of clicker training.
