Timing Is Everything – The Trick to Timing the Click

Before you use a clicker to train your pet, you need to learn how to time your clicks. A clicker makes a sound that marks the behavior you want to reward. When clicker training your pet, you should have your thumb poised and ready to click. If you click too soon or too late, you may inadvertently mark the wrong behavior. To become more proficient at clicking, practice until you become totally confident with your clicker technique.

Here are some suggestions for practicing how to precisely synchronize your clicking to specific events:

• Stand outside near a street or parking lot and click every time a car reaches a certain landmark.
• Throw a ball in the air and click when it reaches a predetermined point, such as the highest point, a piece of furniture, or the floor. The noise of the ball touching something and the sound of the clicker should be simultaneous.
• Watch a TV show and click every time you hear a certain word (e.g., a person’s name or the word “doctor” in a medical show) or see people perform a certain action (e.g., wave or sit down).
• Work with a partner. The partner can help by throwing a ball at different speeds and distances to give you a variety of training experiences, and can observe and critique your clicker timing.

Make sure you practice your clicker skills far from your pet’s hearing. Otherwise, when your pet hears the clicker and doesn’t get a treat, he won’t learn to associate the click with a behavior. Practice until you’re confident in your mechanical skills in using the clicker and you’ve perfected your clicker timing. Now you’re ready to introduce your pet to the clicker!