Originally posted by primabella
Yay for Daisy!

I'm curious, for clicker training do you actually need to buy a clicker or can I use anything that makes that clicking noise? (like a pen or something) Stupid question?
I'll step in and answer this, from what I understand the most important thing with a clicker is that it be a consistent sound that is always the same, same type of click, same volume, etc., so that they learn without a doubt that that sound means "yes that's what I want!" So a pen would work probably, although it's more quiet so if you were doing training with a lot of background noise or distance it might be drowned out more, but it would work. Some dogs who are scared of regular clickers because of the noise do better with a soft click like a pen.

Clicker training is more a concept of training than an exact method. It teaches a dog to think for him/herself and offer behaviors in order to get that click rather than a dog waiting to be told what it should do. It's a very confidence-building method too I think, absolutely no negative reinforcement at all.

Now to respond to Daisy's new trick, good girl Daisy!! You found out very quickly how to get that coveted click didn't you girl? Next pup I get someday, I plan to start right off with clicker training