Clicker Training Courses

Clicker Training can be applied when communicating with any type of dog (even deaf ones). It enables us to teach exceptionally complicated behaviours or very simple behaviours to dogs who have learning difficulties.

... more about clicker training

These courses aim to teach you clicker training that can be used for any dog in your future.

The Clicker Trainers Course begins with:

Introduction Days A & B, followed by the

Clicker Skills Workshops & Weekends which can be attended in any order and as many times as you like until you feel confident with your skills.

Clicker training can give you wonderful and unique quality time with your dog, exploring all the fascinating techniques and developing a real sense of achievement. Clicker training is also becoming an essential skill in communication with all animals and you can progress to Certification with the Learning About Dogs Competency Assessment Programme (CAP). Assessment days are held regularly at Wagmore or you can present your evidence for video assessment.

An Intermediate Course (CAP3) can be followed in a 5 day workshop or through the one day workshops scheduled through the year, and develops the basic skills to be able to teach complex and compound behaviours. Data gathering is an essential part of these workshops.

The Advanced Projects Workshops are only scheduled once a year and individual trainers usually study at a distance on the COLLAR courses.

Clicker Training courses are also available as online COLLAR Courses

Introduction Days

No previous experience is required to attend the course

Introduction to Clicker Training. Day A

Learning how clicker training works. It appears simple in principle but demands development of mechanical skills. This workshops will cover: 

• Rewards: the different types, preparation of food, safe delivery, the visual click, and how much to use to be effective.
• The difference between rewards and bribery and at the same time teach self control for food.
• Learning to use the Clicker and setting up games for practicing.
• Basic free shaping experience for both you and your dog

Introduction to Clicker Training. Day B

Following Day A, your skills will be developed

• Looking at the development of clicker training, how it can be applied in many situations with many different types of animals - including people!
• The role of targets, what makes a target, how to teach targeting. The Target stick: use safely and clearly, and using good skills.
• Building duration, developing a behaviour for longer and adding more strength.
• Changing a cue, add a cue. Our language to call upon the behaviours we have taught.

Completion of these two days should provide sufficient skills to prepare for CAP1 Assessment.

Clicker Skills Workshops

You must have attended the Introduction Days or have a CAP1 is to attend these workshops. You can attend these workshops in any order and as many times as you wish until you feel confident with your skills.

Being Reinforcement Effective

Learning to measure the reinforcement rate and effectiveness. Using alternative and multiple reinforcers. How the reinforcer affects the behaviour, by placement, activity, emotional response. Changing the reinforcement schedule to ensure maintenance of the behaviour. 

available as a Virtual Course

Target World

Teaching the use of targets as specific cues for parts of the dogs and specific actions. Planning target to acquire: movement, location, scent, retrieve and jump. Essential tools in any clicker trainer’s repertoire. The foundation stones of communication and creative teaching.  

available as a Virtual Course

Microshaping

Learn to set up error free acquisition of new behaviours. Breaking down the behaviour to ensure the highest reinforcement rate. Placement of the reinforcer. Building self awareness, puzzle solving, concentration, and memory skills. The essence of self directed learning and the benefits of developing a confident learner. 

available as a Virtual Course

On Cue: Top Quality, Everywhere and Anytime

Building robust quality behaviour in preparation to put the behaviour on cue. Generalisation plans to ensure the behaviour will happen when cued. Teaching the dog to respond with the right behaviour, without hesitation. Learning how to choose the right cues, deliver with accuracy and clarity. Exercises for developing good memory skills and discrimination.  

available as a Virtual Course

Attendance on these workshops should provide sufficient skills to prepare for CAP2 Assessment.

Developing your current skills towards video assessment is available as a Virtual Courses

Clicker Skills Week

This 5 day course covers the Introduction and all the Clicker Skills Workshops. The training is demanding and suitable for people and dogs with some training experience and familiar with learning in this format.

Clicker Skills Weekend

This 2 day course covers all the Clicker Skills Workshops. The training is demanding and suitable for people and dogs with some training experience and familiar with learning in this format.

Intermediate Workshops (CAP3)

Participants need CAP2 to be able to attend these workshops.

Intermediate workshops are held throughout the year. You can attend any workshop in any order to suit your own learning skills and dog’s capabilities. The workshops will cover:

• Building sequences of behaviours
• Data collection and analysis
• Building behaviours chains
• Merging behaviours
• Advanced shaping

You can present yourself for CAP3 assessment at any time you feel ready and confident, you can be assessed for one criteria at a time.

Intermediate Clicker Trainers Week

The accelerated 5 day course that focuses the mind on advancing clicker training skills. An exciting format for the really addicted clicker trainers. A weeks indulgence with like minded trainers, examining in depth key aspects of clicker training. Moving your skills to the next level.

Advanced Workshops (CAP4)

CAP3 is required to attend these workshops.

Advanced clicker training is about developing projects that will impact on the whole of the clicker world. Such topics as:

“Can different value reinforcers alter the preceding behaviour?”

“Can the clicker carry emotional context that can be changed?”

“Do jackpots have any measurable effect?”

Moving your training onto the advanced areas, learning to think outside the box and producing a piece of work that is based on your practical experienced supported by data evidence.

CAP4 projects may be published with accompanying video and data