So. . .here's the scoop on clicker training. It was developed in the 60's for training dolphins by the military. It began to be used in the 90's for training service dogs. It is basically Classical Conditioning. A clicker (like in the home version of Jeopardy) is used to mark the desired behavior of the dog. The dog then receives a reward of either food, play or praise. Very small food reinforcers are used initially. When that clicker comes out they KNOW goodies are in their future! Our class is 6 weeks, and the behaviors we want to accomplish include a 30" "down", a 1' "sit", "off" (don't touch), walking on a lead, "come". Once the basic behavior is there, we begin to add "the three D's: Duration, distractions and Distance. From there, the sky's the limit. You can add "not barking at certain sounds", "not chewing on kitties", "releasing the ball when retrieving" and many others. Once a behavior is ingrained, you can replace the click with a verbal release, and the food reinforcer with praise or play.  The bottom line is that the training is all about POSITIVE reinforcement, not fear and intimidation. we think it's a great technique, but if you're interested, I really recommend finding a pro and learning it with their guidance. Like with any type of animal behavior, it's really about training the human!