Teaching The Click

First you need to teach your dog that whenever he hears a click he gets a treat. Teaching this is simple!

Simply click the clicker and immediately hand him a treat. Do this about 15 to 20 times. Make sure you hand him a treat quickly after each click so he makes the association between the click and the treat.

After a few repetitions, you'll notice that after you click he looks at you as if to say "I heard the click, now where's my treat?" This means he's got it! He's made the association between the click and the treat and he knows that whenever he hears a click he will get a treat.

You should never click the clicker without giving him a treat. Otherwise the effectiveness of the clicker will be diminished. He has to know that a click always equals a treat. So only click if you're going to follow it with a treat.

Next: Training Sessions