Clicker

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Clicker-training clickers come in various shapes and forms. ClickersFxwb.jpg
Clicker-training clickers come in various shapes and forms.

A clicker, sometimes called a cricket, [1] is any device that makes a clicking sound, usually when deliberately activated by its user.

Contents

They usually consist of a piece of thin metal or plastic held in a casing so that the metal is slightly torqued; depressing one end of the metal causes it to pop out of alignment and releasing it causes it to pop back into alignment, each time making a sharp click.

With some clickers, the user depresses the metal directly with thumb or finger; with others, a button extends above the surface of the casing so that depressing the button makes the metal click.

Use in animal training

Clickers were first used by marine mammal trainer Karen Pryor as a way of communicating with their animals. Dolphins and whales communicate underwater through a series of clicks and whistles known as echolocation, and the clicker allowed a trainer to produce signals they were more likely to understand.[ citation needed ]

Nowadays, clickers are used to train all kinds of animals, most commonly dogs. When associated with a treat, a click allows the owner to mark the precise moment the desired behavior is executed.[ citation needed ]

Other uses

D-Day cricket issued to Allied paratroopers D-Day cricket issued to Allied paratroopers preceding and during Operation Overlord.jpg
D-Day cricket issued to Allied paratroopers

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References

  1. "The D-Day Cricket". 19 February 2016.
  2. 1 2 Jonathan Ferguson (5 June 2024). D-Day 80th Anniversary Special, Part 1: Paratroopers, with firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson. Royal Armouries. Event occurs at 16:40-17:30. Retrieved 6 June 2024.