How to Understand Classical Conditioning for Dog Training

Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov studied the response from dogs during different situations. You probably have heard of "Pavlov's Dogs"--but may not know the whole story--or how to apply the principles to train your own dog. Here is how.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Clicker
• Treats

1. Clicker training has been very popular for over 10 years now. The clicker has no meaning to your dog until you classically condition your dog to the sound of it.
   
   Ivan Pavlov used a bell and meat powder. He would ring the bell and then send meat powder through a tube to the dogs he was working with. He discovered that by pairing the sound of the bell with the meat powder he could trigger a response from the dogs. This can also be done with a clicker.

2. Click the clicker and then give your dog a treat. Within a short period of time your dog will associate the sound of the clicker with the treat.

3. Once this is accomplished you will have classically conditioned your dog to the sound of the clicker. Now you can use the clicker to train your dog.

4. Use the clicker to reinforce and teach behaviors that you want your dog to learn. The clicker helps pinpoint the behavior you are teaching and it greatly improves your timing.

Tips & Warnings

• Use treats that your dog really likes.
• Take a few days to classically condition the clicker.
• Never train when you are stressed or tired.

Resources

• FREE Dog Training Videos: Learn True Dog Training Secrets