October 8, 2004

Clickers help train canines at Humane Society Silicon Valley

By Maureen Strenfel
Special to the Times

Q: I’ve heard you can use a clicker to train your dog. How exactly does it work?

A: Humane Society Silicon Valley has employed clicker training with its shelter dogs for the past four months. To date, the clicker-training program has been very beneficial for our shelter dogs and is part of our larger effort to become the best place to adopt a pet.

A clicker is a small handheld noisemaker that makes a distinct “click” when it is pressed. Initially, the dog is not expected to perform a behavior, but to associate the “click” with a reward (tiny pieces of a high value food item such as hot dogs, steak or chicken work the best).

The process is highly repetitive. Once the dog is “clicker-savvy,” the clicker is then used to indicate desired behavioral responses, such as “sit,” which is again followed by a reward.

The stimulus/response training reinforces a dog’s positive behavior while giving them mental stimulation, companionship and socialization. The result is a happier, more well-behaved dog, just waiting for the chance to show a new owner what a wonderful pet he can be.

Because the clicker-training method focuses on rewarding a dog for good behavior instead of punishing him for bad behavior, it is growing in popularity with pet owners and other animal organizations such as the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

Punishing a dog for inappropriate behavior interferes with the learning process and increases fear and aggression towards humans. Understanding, patience and consistent positive reinforcement help build a better relationship.

In fact, clicker training has had such a positive effect on the Humane Society’s canines that we are planning to use clicker-training next year on our shelter’s cats. For more information on clicker training, go to http://www.hssv.org/behavior/dog/clicker_train.htm.

Animal Behaviorist Maureen Strenfel and her behavior management team offer training tips and manage a 24-hour e-mail and telephone animal behavior help line. For more information, go to http://www.hssv.org/behavior/behavior.htm.

Adopt a Pet

‘Peaches’

ID#: A438665
Type of Dog: Mastiff/Boxer Mix
Age/Sex: 8-year-old spayed female

Delightful Peaches is a confident, affectionate girl who will rub up against you to be petted. Peaches just loves being rubbed all over her back and belly and enjoys a game of fetch. Peaches knows the commands for sit, down and stay and is eager to please. She would be best suited in a household with children over the age of 8. For more adorable animals available for adoption, please visit the Humane Society Silicon Valley’s Web site at www.hssv.org or call (408) 727-3383, ext. 823.