I have heard lots and lots of good things about the method of training known as clicker training, but I'm not really sure WHAT it is! Can anyone share their experiences?

Here is a previous thread on clicker training that I responded to:
Clicker Training

I've also heard good things about it, but my dogs would probably try to eat the clicker! LOL

I've heard that this was an effective form. I'm just not sure that it would work on my dogs. They tend to be pretty independent.

Clicker training is basically just getting dogs to respond to a particular noise. I use it with my dogs, but the noise is the snapping of the fingers. I do not have to say anything; I just snap my fingers and my dogs will come to me wherever I am.

Originally Posted by crassus

Clicker training is basically just getting dogs to respond to a particular noise. I use it with my dogs, but the noise is the snapping of the fingers. I do not have to say anything; I just snap my fingers and my dogs will come to me wherever I am.

That is not what clicker training is at all. The clicker is used to MARK a behavior that you want the dog to repeat...its never used to get a dogs attention.
If snapping your fingers gets your dogs to come then the noise produced by the snapping of your fingers is a CUE for your dogs to come.