text: Although the Brelands tried to promote clicker training for dogs in the 1940s and 1950s, and the method had been used successfully in zoos and marine mammal training, the method failed to catch on for dogs until the late 1980s and early 1990s.  In 1992, animal trainers Karen Pryor and Gary Wilkes started giving clicker training seminars to dog owners.  In 1998, Alexandra Kurland published "Clicker Training For Your Horse," which rejected horse training that uses aversives such as horsebreaking and the use of the spur, bit (horse), crop (implement), and longeing with a horsewhip By the 1990s, many zoos used clicker training for animal husbandry because with this method, they did not have to use force or medication. They could be moved to different pens or given veterinary treatments with much less stress on the animals. In the 21st century, training books began to appear for other companion animals, such as cats, birds, and rabbits (See "Further Reading").
  Method
  The first step in clicker training is teaching the animal to associate the clicker sound (or other chosen marker such as a whistle) with a treat. Every time the click sounds, a treat is offered immediately.
  Next the click is used to signal that a desired behavior has happened. Some approaches are:
  capturing: catching the animal in the act of doing something that is desired, for example sitting or lying down. Eventually the animal learns to repeat the behavior for a treat.
  shaping: gradually building a new behavior by rewarding each small step toward it.
  luring: using the treat like a magnet to get the animal to move toward the desired position.
  Once the behavior is learned, the final step is to add a cue for the behavior, such as a word or a hand signal. The animal will have learned that a treat is on the way after completing the desired behavior.