Clicker Training

Course Overview

Clicker training is a fast, clear, fun way to communicate with animals – and the possibilities are endless! It is based on the scientific principles of learning, and is a humane, positive-only way to teach any learner anything they are physically and mentally capable of, without use of fear, coercion or force.

It has been successfully used to train multiple species since the 1940’s, with its popularity growing as the world realises its potential. Learners become an empowered part of the training process, making the trainer and animal equal partners, while both learn and have fun together.

This course will introduce participants to the science and practice behind how and why clicker training works and the possibilities for its use – both in the home setting and in veterinary practice.

You will have a chance to get some hands-on practice of the mechanics of clicker training in your own environment, and report back to your tutor for feedback.

Course syllabus

Topics covered on this course include:

What is a clicker? How do you use it?

Summary of Clicker Training

Animal Learning Theory Basics

Four quadrants of reinforcement/punishment
Is effectiveness enough
Fallout from punishment
Negative reinforcement

Other Types of Learning

Classical Conditioning – Pavlov
Counter Conditioning
Desensitisation

See, mark, reward

What makes a good reinforcer?
What makes a good training reward?

Capturing – 1st – Get The Behaviour

Some examples

Other methods – targeting, shaping

Why not luring?
What is shaping?

Add a cue

Moving on

Stimulus control
Build the behaviour to fluency

Top Tips For Success

Clicker Benefits for Kennels

Behaviours to train in the clinic

When not to persist with a case, and why

The perils of “having a go”
Early referral may be the animal’s best chance to keep it’s home/life

Teaching owners

Course Resources

Course resources include:

Access to our flexible online learning environment for the duration of the course
Lecture/s that can be viewed at any time, and as many times as you like
Interactive, tutor-guided learning forums
Supporting materials, tools and ideas for assisting with and supporting your learning
Assessed coursework with constructive feedback from your tutor
Practical documents created by you, tailored to the needs of your practice
Access to the course materials for a period after the course

Course Summary

Course duration: 3 weeks (8 hours flexible/self-directed study time in total)

Course type: Fully supported interactive online

Tutor: Linda Ryan

Suitable for: Vets, nurses, students and anyone interested in training and behaviour management

£149.00

Complete your purchase

Simply add the courses you wish to book to your shopping cart, also selecting the start dates of your choice. You will then be guided through the secure checkout to complete your purchase.

Fill out the registration form

Once payment is complete, you will receive an email asking for candidate details. Complete the form and submit. We must receive your registration in order to process your enrolment.

When do I start learning?

When you have successfully submitted your candidate registration, you will receive a confirmation message. You will be contacted prior to the course start date with information on how to join the VLE.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module, successful candidates will be able to:

Understand the principles of animal learning theory
Understand the principles and practicalities of positive reinforcement and clicker training, and how to apply this to animals in the home and practice environment
Gain knowledge of how to impart this information to pet-parents

Any Questions?

If you have any questions about any of our courses or online learning in general, or would just like a chat about your CPD requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Contact Us

Your Tutor

Linda Ryan

BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour & Welfare, VTS (Behaviour & Oncology), DipAVN (Medical), KPA-CTP, RVN, CCAB

ABTC registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist, & Animal Training Instructor

Read tutor profile

See what some of our past candidates have said…

“I think the topics covered were brilliant and a really good insight into the topic.”

Chloe

“Module content was excellent and included very useful and interesting videos, images and links. Tutor gave very good constructive feedback in good time.”

Hayley Towell

“The module tutor was very supportive and gave excellent feedback individually as well as to the group.”

Hilary Trish