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Why clicker training may be used in overcoming behavioural problems.

by Cara Williams MA - Animal Behaviourist

Animals learn through association. For example:

• A dog may learn to associate the sight of his lead with going for a walk.
• A horse may learn to associate the sight and smell of shampoo with going to a show.

Animals learn in this manner for both positive and negative events.

The clicker is useful in behaviour modification because the animal finds it so easy to learn. The clicker is a signal for rewarding a desired behaviour. When your animal performs behaviour you want, you click and pair this with a treat. He learns to associate the sound of the click with 'yes' or 'good'. As a result, he quickly starts to actively work out what he needs to do to receive a click. By slowly shaping the behaviour you desire in small steps, it is difficult for him to get it wrong and miss out on a 'click'.

Using the clicker in this manner, means we are using positive reinforcement and avoiding the stress and anxiety caused by punishing techniques. Positive reinforcement also leads to the fastest problem solving, so using the clicker can be an extremely effective tool in overcoming problem behaviours in our companion animals.

DR MEGAN KELLY interviewed on SAFM.

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