Overcoming Fear of the Clicker

Dogs like people vary. There are some dogs who never like the clicker, they are too sensitive to it and no matter what you do they won't get used to it. I've seen dogs truly messed up from people persevering with the clicker(using quiet clickers, ball point pens, clickers wrapped in cloth etc.) and it just made the dog more and more nervous. The majority of dogs are fine with the clicker but let's face it dog's are not all the same and there are some who will never take to it, so what's the point in forcing the issue on a sensitive dog.

I had good success with using a pen clicking it on and off. I started doing it a distance away and asked the dog to come and smell it and check it out. I also clicked it inside my pocket as I finished with her food and was about to put it down for her. You might even try snapping the snaps on your jacket before you go for a walk with her.

Some animals are like some people...very sound sensitive.

Personally, I like your tennis ball reward rather than the food.

Continued success...

Diane

When I first got a clicker, my dog was afraid of it. I spent extra time on the first phase, teaching him the association between click and reinforcer, but even after several days he was still only hesitantly coming out to eat the treats, although his ears pricked at the sound of the clicker. I was confused because I own a very smart dog, and my cats were already learning verbal commands while he lagged behind. Then it dawned on me - what I had actually done was trained him to cower when I held the clicker. I decided to change the reinforcer from food to a tennis ball. My dog loves to play ball; it makes him alert and active, which is the opposite of the cowering behavior he was exhibiting. I used the ball to shape alert, outgoing behavior in the presence of the clicker, which he learned with lightning speed. Now I'm more careful when I train an animal new to a clicker, and keep the first phase as short as possible.

Susan Zyphur
San Diego, CA