The Clicker

This amazing tool originated in the 1950s and was originally used to train dolphins and whales. It then was used to train horses, but apparently it was unsuccessful on the animals. It recently, I do not know the exact year, was introduced to training dogs. The way the contraption works is by sound recognition. You would click the clicker when the dog does a behavior you approve of then you give the dog a treat. An example would be is by showing the dog the piece of  food by bringing it to his/her nose then pulling it back making the dog sit, then you would click and give the dog the meaty treat. The clicker is very similar to Pavlov's Bell. Pavlov's Bell was used on dogs and he would ring it when it was chow time for the dogs. So eventually the dogs would salivate when the bell was rung knowing that they would eat soon.

This is Pavlov's Bell Concept.

Why is the clicker so useful, you may ask? The clicker involves a dog's prime motivator food. Dogs will do any trick for food and eventually the dog will be able to get off the clicker and treat and will be able to do the trick just by the sound of your voice, but of course the dog should still get a reward either it be a meat treat or a "good boy".

I believe this gives a good example of what clicker training is and how it works.

P.S. Clickers come in all shapes and forms. I personally have one that is shaped like a bone and has different clicking tones and a original looking one like the first picture thats just a basic one.