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The Beginner's Guide To Cat Clicker Training |
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The Beginner's Guide To Cat Clicker TrainingThere are many theories on cat care but one of the newest is cat clicker training which is a reward-based training method. Cat clicker training is about rewarding your cat for good behavior rather than punishing him for bad behavior. Cats don't often remember their crimes and punishment just leads to fear, so rewarding good behavior is simpler and usually works much better.
It is important to time the rewards with care. If you wait too long after the good behavior to offer a treat to your cat, he won't remember what you are praising him for. It is a good idea to have a primary reward such as treat or special toy on hand all the time. Then, you also need a secondary reward, such as clickers. A cue such as praise indicates to your cat that a primary reward is on its way. Secondary rewards make training and cat care much easier.
Clickers are a very good way of offering a secondary reward. They don't cost much, they are easy to use and you can keep them with you. The clicking noise won't mean anything to your cat in the beginning but he will soon learn to associate the sound with something good. After a while, the clicking itself might seem like a reward. You can reward good behavior with clicking immediately. As long as your cat can hear the clicking, you don't even have to be close to him. You don't only reward the good behavior when you are using cat clicker training but you also takes steps toward it. If your cat won't stop meowing for extra food, for example, you can reward his silence when he finally stops meowing.
Cat clicker training does not need much energy or take long to work. You just have to spend a few minutes every day to teach your cat the desired behaviors. Keep some small treats with you and choose a quiet location to work in. Click before offering the treat rather than after, so the cat realizes the clicking sound means something good is going to happen. Let the cat get used to the clicks and treats before you start training him, so he understands that the clicking sound is good.
Next, you can offer treats and click only when he behaves well. You can begin to use a verbal cue to tell your cat that if he does what you want, he will have a reward. In order to encourage your cat to respond to commands, you should ignore spontaneous behaviors at this stage. And there you have it – that's all there is to cat clicker training. It is working well for thousands of pet owners, so why not have a go at cat clicker training with your own pet?
By: Thomas Kellerman
Tags: Cat Training and Behavior Cat Training The Beginner's Guide To Cat Clicker Training good behavior good training Clicker |
