A Well Behaved Dog Is Just A Click Away (Premier Pet Clik-R Dog Training Clicker)

Member Name: FourPaws

Product:	Premier Pet Clik-R Dog Training Clicker
Date:	31/01/09 (316 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cruelty free method of training, cheap, durable, easy to hold, click volume

Disadvantages: Absolutely none

*What is the Premier Clik-R?*
This training aid is produced by the Premier brand, a hugely popular manufacturer of all things animal related from treats, leads and collars, feeding equipment, training aids, housing and bedding for a variety of animals including cats, dogs and small pets.

*The product itself*
Dog training for me isn't just a necessity I feel I have to do with my dogs, its also something I highly enjoy, I take pride in the level my dogs are trained to and in the way in which they behave, its taken a lot of work to get there but the final result and standard they are at now makes it all worthwhile for me. From the day I brought Benson home as a seven week old puppy, nearly four years ago, I decided I'd use a method called 'Positive Reinforcement' to train him, this method is entirely cruelty free- it banishes the use of harsh training methods and pain inflicting gadgets and focuses entirely on rewarding good behaviour and simply ignoring the bad, and I decided I'd also use the clicker method to supplement it.

So, one of the first pieces of equipment I needed was a clicker! Since Benson was a pup I've tried various different brands and never been all that impressed with any of them- some were too bulky, others too flimsy, some made a too loud noise and others weren't quite loud enough, but I did find one which was acceptable and we managed with that until I lost it out walking, I'd purchased it in the States and was unable to get another one so I looked on the internet for something similar, I came across this Clik-R, by Premier to replace it.

The Clik-R is made from durable brightly coloured green and purple plastic and measures in at 2 by 1.5 inches, which makes it a nice small size and easy to fit in your pocket or treat bag. Unlike most clickers where you need to press the actual metal sheet which makes the clicking noise to activate it, the Premier Clik-R has a raised external button and the metal sheet contained on the inside which makes it extremely easy to quickly press to ensure the click is instant just when you need it, as clicker training dogs is all about timing. Another feature I like is that the Clik-R has an elastic hoop at the back which you can slot your finger through, hold the Clik-R in the palm of your hand and then use your thumb to press the button, this is enables you to keep a good hold of the Clik-R even in wet weather and still be able to freely use your fingers to give treats to your dog, or hold a target stick. The Clik-R has the product name and brand etched on the front, and comes which a handy detachable key ring loop to attach to your keys or treat bag, so its always ready for use.

*Packaging*
The Clik-R comes attached to a small piece of cardboard which follows the colour scheme of the item itself. On the back we are told a little bit about the clicker training method, aswell as contact details for Premier. All packaging can be recycled once no longer needed.

*Price & Availability*
Most pet shops do seem to stock a variety of clickers nowadays since it's becoming a popular method of training but I've yet to see this actual Clik-R in any stores. I purchased it online from www.canineconcepts.co.uk for the very reasonable price of £2.50.

*My opinion*
Owning two dogs as large as Grace and Benson could potentially be a nightmare if they didn't behave, which was the main reason I knew they had to be trained to a high standard, and another reason being the hope of changing some peoples opinion of Rottweilers, if they saw Grace behaving well and generally being a well mannered, placid dog then they may realise not all Rottweilers are these blood thirsty killing machines we hear about on the news, and understand that if treated right and trained well, they can be amazing dogs.

With clicker training its all about KINDESS, which I believe all methods of dog training should be. Clicker training focuses on praise and rewards for the good behaviour, and just simply ignoring any bad unwanted behaviour. The idea is that when you give your dog a command and they do it, the click of the clicker, combined with a food treat is the dogs reward. For example, you give your dog the 'sit' command and the split second their bottom hits the floor, that is when you press the clicker and instantly give the food treat and verbal praise, its all about timing, if you click too soon or too late, the dog won't learn that the click means he has done something good, in this case, sitting when told.

Over time the dog will learn that the sound of the clickers means that have done something good and you can start to phase out the food rewards, or give them once every four commands for example, instead of everytime, this helps eliminates over feeding and prevents your dog only doing what he is told for food, which is a problem with a lot of dogs. Clicker training can be started from puppy hood, or even when your dog is older and can, if you wish, be carried on for life or stopped once your dog has reached the level of training you wanted to achieve. I started with Benson when I got him at 7 weeks old, and Grace when I got her at 9 weeks and now, even though they are nearly 4 years and 18 months old respectively, and fully trained, clicker training is still an everyday part of their life and always will be. The dogs now work for the click and verbal praise alone as their reward in training sessions, and will only have food rewards every so often. It's also extremely handy when doing physical training work with the dogs, such as gundog work (they aren't gun dog breeds and don't do real gun dog work, we just use plastic training dummies and do it for the fun of it), agility or flyball. As these are all physical tasks, designed to exercise the dogs I don't want to be constantly feeding food treats to them as it kind of defeats the point, so I'll use the clicker when they have done something right which they already know how to do- just to reinforce that I'm still happy with what they are doing, and only use food rewards when introducing new tasks or commands to them, as that extra incentive and praise.

There is no command that cannot be taught with the aid of the clicker. I've used it for sit, lay down, away (the dog goes away from you, then returns on your command) stay, give paw, walk to heal, speak (bark on command), recall training, off (get down from the sofa/bed), in/out (for getting in/out the car) and various agility and flyball commands such as over, under, through, fetch, let go, touch, slow down, weave, etc.

The Clik-R is definitely the best clicker we've used, even better than the one I lost. Its brightly coloured so I can always see it if I drop it on the grass, its easy to hold and you can keep your grip easily thanks to the finger hoop, the clicker is just the right volume- not too loud it shocks your dog but also loud enough to be heard over other outside noises, its lightweight yet very durable- if on the rare occasion I am working with both Grace and Benson at the same time, I can have the Clik-R on the floor and use my foot to click it, leaving both hands free to give treats or hold a target stick depending on the activity we are doing and they is never any damage to the Clik-R, and with the key ring loop I can have it attached to my treat bag or the dogs leads when not in use so I always know where it is. Its also the cheapest clicker I have brought, which makes me ever more impressed with it.

Overall, an excellent and in my eyes, absolutely essential item for any dog owner. It's not an instant, quick fix- it takes a lot of time and patience and it won't guarantee good behaviour all the time- at the end of the day, dogs are dogs, Grace and Benson aren't robots, they have their times when they just won't listen and all the clicker training goes out the window, but that's to be expected. Keep training fun, and training sessions short (10/15 minutes at a time maximum) and you'll get there- a well behaved dog is a happier dog- it gives them more freedom and gives them things to do to keep their minds active, as well as proving to everyone who isn't quite as dog loving as you may be, that not all dogs are these awful canines that run riot around parks, jumping up at people and leaving mess all over the place. Which can only be a good thing.

Summary: The only method to consider in my eyes!