Clicker Training for Engineers

The following information is not based on scientific evidence. It reflects my way of describing operant conditioning in terms that I learned when studying and using electrical and computer engineering.

It is possible to go overboard when trying to apply engineering principles to behavior modification. Any analogy will break down if overused. My hope is that I have not overdone it and that I may provide engineers with some insight as to how training works.

Four particular engineering topics appear to apply to using the clicker for dog (or any animal) training.

• The use of a strobe signal for data acquisition;
• The use of principles of signal averaging;
• The concept of hysteresis;
• Polled vs interrupt mode for handling computer peripherals.