Does a clicker really work for training? Not so much

Dear Old Trainer: I am working at training Mick, my 2-year old Lab, but it’s slow going. I saw a TV show where a trainer used a clicker. Do you use one and does it make training easier?

A: I don’t use one. A clicker is merely a mechanical substitute for the trainer’s voice. When a dog obeys a command, the trainer clicks the device in the hope the dog will consider the sound a reward. But that theory defies logic.

Using a clicker does not make training easier, it makes it harder. The trainer’s voice, especially change of tone, is a critical element of training. A dog’s hearing is so acute he can detect the trainer’s moods based on minute variations in the trainer’s voice. A clicker cannot replicate those variations.

Why should I carry a mechanical device around in my pocket all day when a simple “good boy” or “good girl” does a better job?

It is mostly used in the dog show business and – like everything else associated with that world – is an artificial way of doing something that is less efficient than doing it the natural way.

Those who promote it – meaning those who sell clickers – claim the sound of the clicker is of shorter duration than a trainer saying, “Good boy,” and is therefore more precisely timed to the act.

I suppose if you talk as slowly as Jack Nicholson there may be a fraction of a second difference, but dogs don’t worry about fractions of a second.

Training requires hard work, patience and a bond between trainer and dog. Dogs love the sound of their trainer’s voice and it helps build that bond.

Dear Old Trainer: I have Otis, a 3-year old Schnauzer, and Roxy, a 4-year old Shih Tzu. I take them to the groomer twice a year and when they get home they both run into the yard and roll in anything smelly or muddy they can find. One time Otis found a dead squirrel and rolled on it until he smelled worst than the squirrel. Then they come running back, tails wagging and eyes bright, as if they are proud of what they did. What is going on?

A: Otis and Roxy are just being dogs. Laugh and enjoy it because you are not alone. It happens to every dog owner sooner or later.

Putting perfume on a dog is another manifestation of projecting human psychology onto a dog. Groomers do it because they think their customers will be impressed their dogs smell like chemicals.

But dogs have a powerful sense of smell and hate the idea of being coated with something that – to them – is an offensive stench. They can’t wait to either get rid of it or find some stronger smell to mask it.

You’re right about Otis and Roxy being proud when they run back to you. They assume you don’t like it either so they think they did you a favor and got rid of it.

Next time, tell the groomer to forget the smelly stuff and Otis and Roxy won’t feel the need to roll in anything.

This story was originally published August 13, 2015 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Does a clicker really work for training? Not so much."