Having used both clickers and words, several thousand times, I can assure you that the difference between a clicker and a word is easily observable. The essence of this method is using a precisely timed signal to mark good behavior. This does not mean that clicker trainers always use a clicker in every training situation. Next month we will look at the way the clicker works, and why it is not always the best,or only tool for the job. Using a clicker to modify an instinctive behavior, like herding, or bite work, will wreck the animal's drive.
All trainers use instinctive behaviors as the foundation for their training.
The clicker is actually a great tool for fine tuning a high drive dog who is barely under control. However, using corrections and reinforcements to maintain a learned behavior are no different with a clicker dog than with a traditionally trained dog. He will soon get the idea that creativity is for training and precision is for performance. Reliability is not really dependent on whether you use a clicker or food in training. As with all methods of training, much of the reliability is a matter of how well the trainer crafts the training to match the dog's temperament.