Have you ever watch those dog videos online or TV where the dog has been trained to perform dozens of tricks? Things ranging from sneezing on cue to balancing on his front feet, to taking a bow at the end. Are you always delighted and amazed, thinking that that dog must just be brilliant or the trainer extremely skilled? What if your dog could learn those types of tricks? Or at least learn how to sit more quickly...
Clicker training is a type of training where you use a small clicker device, that makes a click noise, to communicate to your dog that he did the correct thing, at the exact instant that he did it. By using a clicker you can improve your timing and help your dog learn commands faster, while having a lot of fun as well. You can use clickers for training normal obedience, where you lure your dog with a treat into a certain position, showing your dog what to do and then clicking and rewarding your dog when he does it. You can also use clickers to put behaviors that your dog already does naturally, like sneezing or laying down, on cue by clicking and rewarding right when your dog does that behavior. If the trick or behavior is more complex, you can also use the clicker to communicate to your dog when he is on the right track, and did part of the command or trick correctly. This can encourage your dog to keep trying and to improve, or to learn the individual steps that are necessary for a multi-step trick.
In addition to being a very effective way to teach tricks, using clicker training to train your Chihuahua can also be a great way to build your dog's confidence level. If your Chihuahua is timid and does not respond well to other, more confrontational, training methods, then clicker training could be a great way to build your dog's confidence and teach him to like training. If your Chihuahua does not lack confidence but simply lacks motivation, then clicker training can also help to get your dog excited about training with you.
Expect it to take between five and eight days to clicker training your Chihuahua. If your dog is less motivated, then it might take longer. Many dogs will learn to associate the clicker with rewards quicker than five days, but it is important that you still practice for at least five days, so that your dog will remember the lesson long-term. You want the clicker to be a rewarding way to communicate with your dog when he has done something well for future training.
The most important part of clicker training is the timing. While teaching your dog what a clicker means it is very important to give your dog the reward and the click as closely together as possible. Once your dog understands that the click means that he did something correct and that he will receive a reward for it, it becomes less important to give your dog the treat right away, and more important to click exactly when your dog does the correct action. This is because after your dog understands what the clicker means, your dog will expect the treat to follow, so it is alright if it is slightly delayed. The clicker will be what communicates to your dog when he did the correct thing, so by clicking at the correct time your dog will know what action to repeat.
To get started you will need a clicker, great timing, and rewards. If you are using the 'Treat Luring' method or the 'Capture' method then you will need small, tasty treats, that are easy for your dog to eat, to use as a reward. If you are using the 'Toy' method, you will need your dog's favorite toy to use as a reward. You will also need a positive attitude to make clicker training fun for your dog. This is very important. Clicker training should be something that your dog enjoys doing. If you are angry or impatient with your dog while training then your dog will likely not be interested in training. Lastly, if you are using the 'Capture' method then you will need patience, and attentiveness while you wait for your dog to do the action that you are trying to put on cue.