The Clicker Training Kit contains:

• Treat bag with pouch to store the multi clicker
• Multi Clicker
• Target Stick
• Training Guide
• FREE 75g pack of Coachies training treats

Clicker basics

The clicker is simply a small box that makes a 'click' sound when pressed. The click can be delivered in a split second, allowing you to mark exact behaviours or movements made by your dog. The dog soon learns that the click signals that the behaviour he is exhibiting at that moment is desirable and will earn him a reward - and so it is worth repeating. With traditional training, the dog often becomes confused because the delivery of the reward happens after the dog has finished exhibiting the behaviour, or the reward has become diluted by overuse (how many times have you told your dog 'good boy' for no reason at all?). The click is a unique sound that the dog never hears at any other time, plus it always sounds the same, thus making learning much easier.

Getting started

Firstly you need to teach your dog that the click means a reward will follow. Start in a quiet area with no distractions and have a good supply of small but very tasty treats to hand. Press the clicker once and immediately give him a treat. Repeat this sequence until he starts to get the idea that a treat always follows the click. You can test to make sure he understands this by waiting for him to look away and once he does, click. He should immediately look back at you in anticipation of his reward. If he doesn't, then a few more repetitions are required. The Multi-Clicker has a volume adjustment; for sensitive dogs, turn the volume to the minimum setting.

Rules of training

There are not many rules to clicker training - but these must be followed for the clicker to be effective.

• If you click, you must treat - even if you have clicked by accident or in the wrong place.

• Do not use the clicker for anything other than to mark desired behaviour - it must not be used to get the dog's attention, neither is it a command.

• Only click the desired behaviour once between treats, multiple clicking will only desensitise the dog to the click (even if you are excited that he got it right!).

• Some sound-sensitive dogs may find the clicker slightly startling, it is important therefore, either to reduce the sound on your multi-clicker or to put the clicker in your pocket.

• Don't try and teach multiple new behaviours in one session.

• Keep training sessions short as clicker work can be tiring for your dog.

• Have fun - if you are feeling stressed, or fraught, don't train. If you start to get frustrated, switch to an exercise your dog finds easy, and then take a break.

• Don't give a behaviour a cue word until you are convinced that your dog will do it straight away.

• As you are using a lot of food treats, reduce your dog's normal meals.

Clicker training your first behaviour

The first behaviour you attempt to clicker train your dog to do should be simple. There is plenty of time to move onto more difficult behaviours once you are both confident in your training. Touching a target stick is a fun thing to teach and is perfect as a first behaviour. Once he has learnt to 'Target', you can use this as a lure for teaching other moves such as 'Spin' or 'Playbow'.

1). Have your clicker and treats ready.

2). Dab the end of your target stick with a small amount of tasty, smelly food (cream cheese or liver pate are good).


3). Extend your target stick and offer the end towards your dog - he should be keen to check out the tasty smell.

4). As soon as his nose touches the stick, click and then give him a treat. 5). Offer the target stick again and repeat as above.

6). Once he understands that in order to get the treat he needs to touch the stick, start to move the stick further away from him so he has to step forward to touch it. As soon as his nose touches the stick, click
and treat.

7). Gradually you can make it harder for him to reach the stick by taking it higher, lower or moving it away so he has to chase it. Remember to click and treat every time he touches it.


You are now ready to build in a short delay between the click and the delivery of the treat. This is important as you won't always be able to give the treat instantly i.e. if the dog is at a distance when you click. However, you still need him to know that whenever he hears the click, he was offering the correct behaviour and a reward is coming his way. The delay is also useful to give you time to access your treats, you don't want to always have food in your hand or your dog will soon learn to ignore you unless he can see the food. Keeping the food in your treat bag until you have clicked will help to avoid this .

1). Offer your dog the target stick as before and click as soon as his nose touches the stick, but wait 2 seconds before delivering the treat.

2). Repeat several times as above but vary the length of time before delivering the treat to anywhere between 1-5 seconds (any longer and he may lose interest). Remember, you must still always click as soon
as his nose touches the end of the stick.

3). You can now also vary the way in which you deliver the treat. Sometimes feed him from your hand, sometimes throw the treat onto the floor (near
the dog at first until he gets the idea). Throwing the treat is useful for speeding up slow dogs or for encouraging the dog to move away from you - essential for distance work.

4). Once he is reliably offering the behaviour every time the stick is produced, you can start to add a 'command' or 'cue' to the behaviour such as 'touch'.

Congratulations, you have now clicker trained your first behaviour.

There are more training tips included in the guide with the Clicker Training Kit