Silvia shares some thoughts on the limitations of clicker training
Is clicker training a fancy fad? Or an efficient method to teach Rover manners? In my opinion, a little bit of both.
A clicker is a small noise-making device that gives instant feedback to the dog when he has done something we want. To make it meaningful, the sound is paired with a reward, usually a food treat. Skinner’s Law of Operant Conditioning states that any behavior rewarded will be repeated in frequency and intensity.
In plain English, if I want Rover to sit, and reward him as soon as the butt hits the ground, he’ll do it again – voluntarily, eagerly and reliably. The problem is that humans can be a tad slow in handing over the loot, at which point Rover could be doing something entirely different than what we were aiming for.
That was a training hurdle marine mammal trainers also noticed. If Flipper performs a correct behavior in the aquarium and then returns to the trainer on land for his reward, in his mind he gets the sushi for returning, not that perfect twist. It was, in fact, marine mammal trainers that used a sound device first to mark the exact moment when the dolphin or whale performed a desired action, and they noticed that it expedited training success considerably.
The laws of learning and behavior are universal to all organisms, and sound reward marking soon expanded to horse training, cats, chickens, goats, humans and variety of other animals, including dogs. Nowadays, many trainers use it to make it easier for dogs to learn what behaviors please us.
If it’s such an effective way to train, then why don’t all lay-owners use a clicker? There are surprisingly many that don’t and there are several explanations for it. Some don’t comprehend the concept. Others can’t be bothered to remember to have it handy and the device is somewhere in a drawer when they need it. Some, like me, live in a colder climate and can’t use it half of the year outside, ‘cause they wear mittens that muffle the sound. But the complaint I hear most often is that they find it awkward and difficult to coordinate leash, dog, treats and the clicker.
An alternative to a clicker, and also my choice, is one’s voice. The word commonly used as a verbal reward marker is “yes.” My voice is always with me, and I can give added information to my dogs if I use intonation intentionally. Purist clickies have a problem with using intonation and dispute that a spoken word is as effective as the meaningless sound, but I like it and find it works wonderfully – for me and my clients.
The key is to give the pooch that vital piece of information when he hits a bulls-eye in performance, or, during shaping, when he is on the right track. That can be done with a sound device, one’s tongue, the word “yes” and even with an old-fashioned “good dog.”
Clicker training, in concept, is a truly humane method, but only one way to teach a dog mindfully, not the only way. Overused, dog and owner become clicker and treat dependent and good manners are merely conditioned, automated, superficial and context specific.
The clicker is only a tool, not the relationship.
