Clicker Training for Dogs

Basic Clicker Lessons

Crossover Dogs and Crossover Trainers

The quickest way to get an older or "crossover" dog started in clicker training is through the use of "capturing." Dogs that already have training experience with another method are called "crossover" dogs because they are crossing over from one training method to another.

Crossover dogs benefit greatly from pure capturing because they are the least likely to willingly offer new behaviors. By clicking and then feeding a treat to your dog for simply touching your extended hand, you are giving him all the initial information he needs to become a clicker-trained dog. One of the main reasons clicker training is becoming popular for competitive dog sports is because it is a hands-off, purely voluntary process. The dog never feels pressured into performing and therefore doesn't worry about being incorrect.

The difference between crossover dogs and puppies is that puppies come with a "clean slate." They don't know about being wrong or punishment or disappointment. Puppies are like little sponges absorbing all the information they can, always seeming to try to do the best job possible. They are also a lot like pipe cleaners in that you can mold them to be anyway you want and they'll stay that way. This is a type of imprint training that we have all experienced at least once in life.

Crossover dogs previously trained by forceful methods have a sort of imprint training all their own. They have learned not to offer too much in the way of new behaviors, lest they suffer a correction. Clicker Training is the answer to these dogs' prayers (if dogs pray, that is). It communicates with them on a level they understand right from the beginning. I've worked with dogs that show real relief on their faces when they realize they are free to work on their own, doing what comes naturally to them.

Crossover dogs also require no introduction to the clicker. To fix heeling problems, for instance, just clicking the dog for being in the correct position and ignoring any incorrect position is usually enough to fix the problem. It's truly like magic.