Free printable for new puppy homes
Clicker Training for Puppies: Your Free Day-One Card
Clicked it, and she wandered off? Or flinched? That’s normal on day one. Clicker training for puppies starts with charging the clicker. Click, then give a tiny treat within one second, in short sets of 10.
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What’s on the card
- The 10 second test that tells you the clicker is charged, before you teach a single thing
- Watch, sit and touch, step by step, with a box to tick at each step
- 7 timing slips that slow puppies down, and the one-line fix for each
- A timing drill you do with a ball and the TV, no puppy needed
- What to do the moment the click scares her, and what not to try
- A tracker for your sets of 10, so you can see her catch on
How do you start clicker training a puppy?
Charge the clicker first. Click, then hand over a small, soft treat within a second. Repeat in sets of 10 over a couple of days, PAWS Chicago says. The AKC says about 10 to 20 repetitions teach her the click predicts a reward.
What should a puppy learn first with a clicker?
Easy things she already does. PAWS Chicago starts with eye contact (watch), sit and a nose touch to your hand. Teach one at a time, Best Friends Animal Society says.
Why does my puppy ignore the clicker?
Usually the treat is too slow, too boring, or the room is too busy. Get the treat to her within a second, and train somewhere quiet before a meal.
What if the clicker scares my puppy?
Trainers split. Best Friends suggests a softer click. Writer Eileen Anderson says stop clicking for now and use a happy “yes!” instead. The card walks you through both.
Sources, read October 2026: PAWS Chicago, the AKC, Karen Pryor Clicker Training, Best Friends Animal Society and Eileen Anderson. General training information. If your puppy seems sick, hurt or afraid of training, call your vet first.