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My Min Pin is scared to death of the clicker!

I have a red Min Pin who is 4 years old.  He is a rescue...considered unadoptable and would have been put down.  He suffers from severe anxiety...cries and screams when anyone walks out the door.   Otherwise he is the best dog!!!  Very loving and loves to snuggle under the blankets!  I decided to start clicker training this morning and it was a complete disaster!  He ran away into another room and I.. had to get on my knees to coax him out!  I've tried wrappping the clicker in a towel to quiet it, I tried using just a pen with a clicker...the damage is done and I don't know what to do.  I had such high hopes!  Help!

Take it slow

Poor both of you! You don't say how long you've had him. Give him some time to settle in and get used to you and your household. Since he seems sensitive to the click you might want to try another marker such as a whistle or a neutral word such as "yes". Targeting is a good way to help build confidence and teach dogs that they make the click happen.