Dog is terrified of the clicker

[zachpichu]

I got a clicker to train my dog but he is terrified of it. He is a rescue and seems to know what it is. He hides and hunkers when I use it. I’m at a loss.

[JMFS]

Have you discovered other sounds he's scared of, or does it seem to be specifically the clicker? The good news is that the clicker isn't essential to training - you can mark behaviors with other sounds or words. I've never used a clicker myself and instead use the word, "good!" I learned recently from my trainer that the word, "yes," is an easy one to use to mark wanted behavior. If you're dead set on using the clicker, or want to desensitize him Adrienne will have ideas for sure.

 

We never quite know what strange things we'll discover with our rescue pups! One of Momo's greatest fears is doors and blinds or curtains that move when the wind blows. And for some reason, my Halloween bucket is, in Momo's, not to be trusted in any circumstance. It's never touched him, it only had the audacity to show up one day. :rolleyes: Gertrude isn't a fan of noises and it was a bear to train her to use the bells to let me know when she needs to go potty, though she still eyes them suspiciously when they move on their own. It takes time and patience, but it is possible to desensitize them to these things they fear.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

There are several ways around using a clicker if your dog finds its sound aversive.

Like Jennifer pointed out, you can replace its sound with a verbal marker (yes!) or any other short word that is used exclusively for the purpose. You can also use a sound made with your mouth as long as you can easily make it often and keep it consistent.

 

Some dogs do better if the clicker is placed inside a pocket. The pocket will help muffle the sound and make it less intimidating towards sensitive dogs. Another trick of the trade is to put several layers of tape on the clicker, again, for the purpose of muffling the sound. The keyword here is going gradually, therefore, as the dog learns that the click brings marvelous treats, you can start peeling off a layer of tape so to allow the dog to get step-by- step used to the clicking sound.

 

For severely noise sensitive dogs, you can use a retractable pen that clicks or you can even use a flash of light, which is what is used when clicker training deaf dogs.