Editing Clicker training (section)

{{Short description|Animal training method}}
[[Image:Dog clicker training.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Clicker-training a dog.]]
'''Clicker training''' is a [[positive reinforcement]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gillis |first1=Timothy E. |last2=Janes |first2=Amy C. |last3=Kaufman |first3=Marc J. |title=Positive Reinforcement Training in Squirrel Monkeys Using Clicker Training: Squirrel Monkey Positive Reinforcement Training |journal=American Journal of Primatology |date=August 2012 |volume=74 |issue=8 |pages=712–720 |doi=10.1002/ajp.22015 |pmid=22553135 |pmc=3412074 }}</ref> [[animal training]] method based on a bridging stimulus ([[Clicker|the clicker]]) in [[operant conditioning]]. The system uses conditioned reinforcers, which a trainer can deliver more quickly and more precisely than [[primary reinforcer]]s such as food. The term "clicker" comes from a small metal cricket noisemaker adapted from a child's toy that the trainer uses to precisely mark the desired behavior. When training a new behavior, the clicker helps the animal to quickly identify the precise behavior that results in the treat. The technique is popular with dog trainers, but can be used for all kinds of domestic and wild animals.<ref name="ASPCA Clicker training"/>

Sometimes, instead of a click to mark the desired behavior, other distinctive sounds are made (such as a "whistle, a click of the tongue, a snap of the fingers, or even a word")<ref name="5 Clicker Training Myths">[http://wagthedog.ca/2012/01/31/5-clicker-training-myths/ "5 Clicker Training Myths"], Wag the Dog, accessed July 29, 2014.</ref> or visual or other sensory cues (such as a flashlight, hand sign, or vibrating collar),<ref>[http://www.deafdogs.org/training/clicker.php "Clicker Training for Deaf Dogs"], Deaf Dog Education Action Fund, accessed July 29, 2014.</ref> especially helpful for deaf animals.<ref>Pryor 1999, p. 4.</ref>