Dogs, like people, are more likely to repeat behaviors when they get something rewarding in return. Think of it like going to work—you do it because you earn a paycheck. Without that reward, would you keep showing up? Probably not!

This same principle is at the heart of positive reinforcement dog training. When you reward your dog with something they love—like a tasty treat, a favorite toy, or praise—they learn that good things happen when they follow your cues. For instance, if you ask your dog to “sit,” and they do, rewarding them teaches them that sitting on cue is worth their effort. A clicker can make this process even more effective.

In this guide, we’ll explore specifically what clicker training is, why it works so well and how you can easily get started.

What Is Clicker Training?

Clicker training uses a small handheld device that makes a distinct “click” sound at the exact moment your dog gets performs the desired behavior. The “click” is immediately followed by a reward, like a treat or praise, which helps your dog understand what behavior earned the reward… and in turn, increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again in the future.

The process involves three key steps:

STEP 1 – MARK THE BEHAVIOR: Use the clicker to signal the desired behavior has occurred.

STEP 2 – REWARD: Immediately give your dog a treat or other form of positive reinforcement.

STEP 3 – REPEAT: Consistently use the clicker to communicate and reward good behavior.

The click actually acts as a bridge between your dog’s action and the reward. The click tells them what they did was correct even though we, as humans, may take a second to get the their treat or reward to them.

Why Clicker Training Works

Clicker training is a powerful tool in dog training… here’s a few reasons why it’s so effective:

CLEAR COMMUNICATION

Dogs don’t naturally understand human language, but they’re excellent at picking up on patterns. The clicker provides a consistent cue that tells your dog exactly what behavior earned the reward.

precision & timing

The clicker allows you to mark behaviors with split-second accuracy. For instance, if you’re teaching your dog to “sit,” you can click the moment their butt touches the ground. This precision helps your dog learn faster.

POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS

By pairing the clicker with rewards, your dog quickly learns that the “click” is a good thing. This encourages them to repeat the behaviors that earn clicks and treats. As well, the clicker doesn’t “click” with any emotion attached to it… whereas if you’ve had a bad day, your communication may, and that can influence the way that your dog responds in a training session.

ENCOURAGES PROBLEM-SOLVING

Clicker training is great for engaging your dog’s brain. Since the method focuses on rewarding good behavior rather than correcting mistakes, it encourages your dog to experiment and think critically about what actions will earn rewards.

HUMANE

Clicker training aligns perfectly with positive reinforcement principles. There’s no need for harsh corrections or punishment, making it a stress-free method for both you and your dog.

Getting Started with Clicker Training

CHOOSE THE RIGHT CLICKER

Clickers are available at pet stores and online. Opt for a clicker that feels comfortable to hold and allows for easy operation. It should produce a clear, consistent sound and be well-built. Don’t necessarily look for the cheapest version as they may break easily. It’s the old adage… you get what you pay for.

CHOOSE YOUR REWARDS

Pick treats that your dog loves, and make sure they are relatively small. For new behaviors high-value rewards work best. Something to keep in mind is that when determining what is “high-value”, it’s up to your dog what fits in that category… not you. If your dog loves cheese, but you use kibble as their reward, you’re not likely going to have as successful of a training session than if you had chosen cheese for the reward. Just sayin’…

CLICKER TRAINING: the basics

STEP 1: CHARGE THE CLICKER

Before you start training you’ll need to create a positive association for your dog with respect to the clicker so that when they see, or hear the clicker, they get excited for what comes next! This is an easy process and it shouldn’t take too long, but here are the steps:

First… INTRODUCE THE CLICKER

Start by introducing the clicker to your dog in a calm and relaxed environment. Sit with your dog, place the clicker on the floor in front of you and let them sniff the clicker… allowing them to familiarize themselves with it. As they sniff or interact with the clicker give them a treat. Do this a few times before moving on to the next step.

Next… CLICK AND TREAT

Once your dog seems comfortable with the clicker, hold the clicker in one hand and a treat in the other. Click the clicker and immediately give your dog a treat (ensure every time you click that they get a treat, no matter what). Continue the “click and treat” step and each time you do this ensure that your dog is doing something different… activity-wise that is. You don’t want your dog, at this stage, to associate the click and treat with anything that they are doing. So, don’t click and treat every time your dog walks into the kitchen, or looks out the window, looks at you, or even sits… you need to pay close attention to this. You want the association to be between hearing the click sound and them getting the treat only.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Continue to do short click, treat and repeat training sessions. Keep them short… say a few minutes. Plan for a few of these short sessions throughout the day instead of one long session. Since dogs don’t generalize well it’s a good idea to also practice in different rooms or locations. To do this, once your dog reliably responds to the clicker in one room or environment, move to other one to help your dog understand that the clicker means the same thing regardless of where or when it’s used. For example, if you are starting this process in the living room, make sure that you also use other rooms in your house… kitchen, bedroom, etc… and don’t forget the outdoors too!

THE CHARGING TEST

After a few click and treat sessions, try and see if your dog now understands what the clicker means. Find a time and place that your dog is relaxed and not paying attention to you. This is best done in an environment that is fairly quiet (i.e. no one is in the kitchen preparing food or the kids aren’t running around).  Don’t show them that you have the clicker as you want their true reaction to the sound… not the sight of the clicker.

Click the clicker and see if your dog reacts. If, when you click, your dog focuses their attention on you because they are anticipating getting a treat, then you have successfully charged the clicker. Make sure that when they direct their attention to you that you remember to give them a treat! If they don’t react to the click, that’s OK… all it means is that you need to do a few more sessions of click and treat, and this would be the perfect opportunity to do one of those sessions.

STEP 2: START WITH SIMPLE BEHAVIORS

Begin with easy cues your dog might already know, like “sit” or “come.” Wait for your dog to perform the behavior (or, use a lure to guide them) and click the clicker AS they perform the action… (not before & not after!) … then immediately give them a treat. As mentioned previously, the clicker acts as a bridge between the behavior and you giving them a treat. They have been conditioned to understand that the click means they did a good thing and will get a reward… so if you take a second to get the treat to your dog, it’s OK.

STEP 3: PHASE OUT THE CLICKER

Once your dog consistently performs the desired behavior using the “click & treat” method, you’ll need to phase out the clicker to ensure your dog doesn’t become dependent on the clicker while doing the behavior. When we do this though, we need to also ensure that your dog is going to continue the behavior on a long term basis, even though we are going to change things up a little bit. This is a gradual process… take the time that you need to effectively complete this process with your dog.

Let’s begin:

First… TRANSITION TO VERBAL MARKERS

The goal here is to replace the clicker’s “click” with a verbal marker, such as “Yes!” or “Good!” This verbal marker will serve the same purpose as the clicker, marking the correct behavior. During this transition you’ll begin with using both the clicker and the verbal marker together. For example, when your dog performs the behavior, click and immediately say “Yes!” or “Good!” followed by a reward.

After a few sessions, try to stop using the clicker and rely solely on the verbal marker to see how your dog is doing. Make sure your timing remains precise with the verbal marker so that your dog doesn’t get confused. As always, in training, if your dog is struggling with the transition to only using a verbal marker, take a step backwards and go back to using the clicker along with the verbal marker.

Next… REDUCE THE FREQUENCY OF REWARDS

Once your dog is consistently performing the behavior, with only the verbal marker, you can start reducing the frequency of treats (or other rewards, if that’s what you’re using). Here’s where you’ll start to use what’s called a variable ratio schedule with respect to giving out treats. Instead of rewarding your dog every single time, begin giving rewards intermittently. For example, reward after every second or third successful attempt, but always keep it random so your dog stays engaged and motivated. The times that you aren’t giving treats, you should still be providing praise.

In the next step you’ll gradually replace treats with “real-life” rewards like praise, a game of fetch, a belly rub, cuddles or whatever else your dog loves. This keeps your dog motivated to perform the behavior without relying entirely on food rewards seeing as most of us don’t carry dog treats with us every moment of the day!

PRACTICE THE BEHAVIOR IN NEW ENVIRONMENTS

Phasing out the clicker doesn’t mean your dog is fully ready to perform a behavior everywhere. To build reliability, it’s important to practice the behavior in different settings. This process, called “generalization,” helps your dog learn to respond to a cue in various environments, with different distractions, outside of the initial training location. For instance, if you taught your dog to “sit” in the living room, make sure to practice “sit” in other places like the kitchen, backyard, or park.

Start with simple situations and gradually increase the difficulty. You can do this by introducing mild distractions, such as placing a toy nearby or having a family member walk around. Alternatively, try practicing in a new location. Remember to take it slow—adding too many new elements at once can confuse or frustrate your dog. Introducing just one new challenge per session is a great way to keep things manageable. With time and consistency, this process will boost your dog’s confidence in performing the behavior, no matter where they are.

Why Phasing Out the Clicker Matters

Phasing out the clicker ensures that your dog doesn’t become reliant on the device to perform desired behaviors. While the clicker is a fantastic teaching aid, it’s meant to be temporary. Transitioning to verbal markers and real-life rewards allows you to integrate the trained behaviors into real life scenarios seamlessly.

By following these steps, your dog should continue to respond reliably to cues, even without the clicker in hand, solidifying their training for the long term.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

CLICKING WITHOUT REWARDING

The click must always be followed by a reward. Otherwise, the clicker loses its meaning.

POOR TIMING

Click at the moment your dog is performing the desired behavior. Delayed clicks can confuse your dog or reinforce the wrong behavior. If you’re frequently off with timing it will make your training less effective and will probably frustrate both you and your dog.

I would recommend that you practice clicker training drills before you start working with your dog. We’ve all done it! This will help with the mechanics of how the process works. If you want you could even record yourself practicing as you may be able to see a different perspective of where you need to improve your timing. Here is a great link for a simple way to practice the mechanics of clicker training. Timing is a skill… and like most skills it requires some practice!

OVERUSING THE CLICKER

The clicker is a teaching tool, not a permanent crutch. Once your dog learns a behavior, transition to verbal cues and praise.

Clicker training is a powerful tool. It provides clear communication, encourages problem-solving, and strengthens your relationship with your dog. With patience, consistency, and a pocketful of treats, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your dog learns using this method.

Happy training!