Fifteen-year-old Anne W. of Campbellville, Ontario, Canada, can meet a dog and within minutes get him to perform a "high five" and other tricks—without ever raising her voice or bullying the dog. Anne demonstrates her dog-savvy skills on a regular basis at dog-training classes and seminars co-taught with her mom, Joan Orr, co-creator of the DVD Clicker Puppy (2004) and president of Doggone Crazy, a non-profit group dedicated to dog-bite prevention.

What's the secret to this teen's dog-training success? A small noise-making device and a ton of positive attitude. A clicker is a device that makes a click-click sound when pressed. When a dog does something you want, you click the clicker at that exact moment, then immediately give the dog a treat. Dogs soon learn that this distinctive sound always happens right before they get a treat. "Clicker training is a good way to train dogs because all the training is positive and easy," Anne says.

THE FIRST CLICK
      When she was just 10 years old, Anne used this positive-reinforcement technique for the first time on an 8-month-old Newfoundland named Lincoln. "Within five minutes, I was able to teach him to sit, lie down and give me a high five just by cueing all these commands with a clicker," Anne says. "Younger kids can train a dog using a clicker. They will find that the dog will listen to them even though they're smaller."

The news gets even better. Anne's mom says kids often outshine their parents when it comes to learning clicker training. "Kids are more open-minded than adults," Orr says.

Pia Silvani, a dog trainer in charge of training and behavior at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison, New Jersey, teaches a lot of young students using fun, positive methods in her Kids and K-9s classes.

"I've found that children like to take on the challenges of being successful," says Silvani, co-author of Raising Puppies and Kids Together (TFH, 2006).

Click at the exact moment the behavior occurs
Use small, really tasty treats
Give a treat after every click
Keep training sessions 5 to 10 minutes or less
Take baby steps, building on each success
End each training session a positive note

Scold, punish or use force on your dog
Yank on the leash
Click more than once
Use dry dog food instead of tasty treats
Train when you're in a bad mood or impatient
Expect more than your dog can deliver

      Anne says that clicker training can help teens and kids develop confidence that spills over to other aspects of life. "Training dogs in front of adults has helped me develop more confidence to perform gymnastics in front of crowds," Anne says. "Everyone should try clicker training. It's fun and dogs love it."

Pet expert Arden Moore is the author of 15 books on dogs and cats and managing editor of Fido Friendly a bi-month/y travel magazine. She can be reached through her website: www.ardenmoore.com