What is Clicker Training?

A clicker is a small plastic box that makes a clicking noise when pressed with your thumb. You first teach your greyhound that the clicking noise means "THAT'S IT" and you are getting a treat. A click to a dog is similar to a $1 bill for you and I. We all want money, but is the actual green paper the reward? No, it's what you buy with the money that is rewarding. A clicker-trained dog will get excited when he hears the click because he knows it is payday.

Clicker training allows you to encourage, prompt, and lure your greyhound into doing behaviors you want instead of forcing them. You ignore the incorrect responses and click the right ones. This places some responsibility on the greyhound and actually encourages them to be an active participant in their own training. The goal is to help your greyhound offer you the right behaviors and you simply tell him which ones are correct. For many greyhounds, it becomes a game to try and figure out what makes you click. Training now becomes easy because you have a clear and concise way of communicating with your dog. Once your dog has learned a behavior, you will no longer need to use a clicker for that behavior.