What is the theory behind clicker training?

Training animals by using a clicking device was developed by psychologist B.F. Skinner more than fifty years ago. The idea behind this so-called “clicker training” is based on the study of animal behavior theory called operant conditioning.

Operant conditioning is the use consequences to modify and reinforce certain behavior. The clicker itself is a small handheld noisemaker that an animal learns to associate with positive reinforcement. Dogs have been trained to fetch, heel and even open refrigerators to retrieve beverages for their owners this way.

The clicker is only used while the animal acquires the new behavior and is later replaced with verbal cues. Of course, cats and dogs have modified human behavior in their own ways with similar noisy devices for years.

– Dr. Larry McDaniel, DVM for the “Purina® Animal Instincts” Podcast Series

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