Looking After Pets

The use of reward training and positive reinforcement for dog training has long been recognized as both extremely effective for owner and a positive experience for the dog.In today’s entertainment industry, positive reinforcement training is the only method that is used to train dangerous animals.

Proponents of positive reinforcement swear by the effectiveness of their methods, and it is true that the vast majority of dogs respond well to these training methods.

Reward training has become increasingly popular in recent years, but chances are some sort of reward training between humans and dogs has been going on for hundreds if not thousands of years.

One reason that positive reinforcement training is so effective is that is uses rewards to teach the dog what is expected of it.  When the dog performs the desired behavior, he is provided with a reward, most often in the form of a food treat, but it could be a scratch behind the ears, a rub under the chin or a pat on the head as well.Always consistently reward the dog for doing the right thing, this is key.

When understanding what makes reward training so effective, some knowledge of the history of humans and dogs is very insightful.Years ago, wolf pups were tamed and used for protections from predators as alarm systems and later for herding and guarding livestock. 

 It is possible that the wolf pups that made the best companions were the most easily trained, or it is possible that these early dogs were orphaned or abandoned wolf pups.  Whatever their origin, there is little doubt today that the vast variety of dogs we see today have their origin in the humble wolf.

 Wolf packs, like packs of wild dogs, operate on a strict pack hierarchy. Since wolf and dog packs hunt as a group, this type of hierarchy, and the cooperation it brings, is essential to the survival of the species.  Every dog in the pack knows his or her status in the pack, and except in the event of death or injury, the hierarchy, once established, rarely changes.

Every dog, therefore, is geared by nature to look to the pack leader for guidance.  The basis of all good dog training, including reward based training, is for the trainer to set him or herself up as the pack leader.The pack leader is much more than just the one who directs all the subordinates, or is the dominant dog.  More importantly, the pack leader provides leadership and protection, and his or her leadership is vital to the success and pack survival.

 It is important for the dog to see itself as part of a pack, to recognize the human as the leader of that pack, and to respect his or her authority.  Some dogs are much easier to dominate than others.  If you watch a group of puppies playing for a little while, you will quickly recognize the dominant and submissive personalities. 

A dog with a more submissive personality will generally be easier to train using positive reinforcement, since he or she will not want to challenge the trainer for leadership.Dogs that are dominant by nature also tend to respond very well to positive reinforcement.It is know that there are very few dogs that do not respond to positive reinforcement also called rewarding training.

 Positive reinforcement is also the best way to retrain a dog that has behavior problems, especially one that has been abused in the past. When working with an abused dog it can be very difficult to obtain their respect and trust. Positive reinforcement is a much superior training technique than other at creating this bond.

No matter what breed of dog you are working with, chances are it can be helped with positive reinforcement training methods. Based training methods on respect and trust, rather than on pressure and fear, is the best way to get the most from any dog.

Owning a dog is one of the most rewarding experiences a person can enjoy. The bond between owner and pet grows over the course of years, and strengthens with time. Many owners consider their dogs a part of their own family. And those who remain single find a lasting companionship with their pooch that is irreplaceable.

That being said, canines can develop bad habits that drive their owners crazy. It’s worth noting that nearly all such issues can be resolved through desensitization training and positive reinforcement of acceptable behaviors. In this article, we’ll provide an overview of 4 common canine problems that can leave you growling in frustration.

Tip 1 – Digging

Your pooch might start digging for many reasons. Boredom can leave him looking for ways to entertain himself. The bugs and roots he can discover by digging up the dirt will provide him with a distraction. He might also dig if the weather is making him hot and he lacks shade. The uncovered dirt will cool and sooth him. And of course, he might dig in order to hide bones and other possessions.

Tip 2 – Soiling

Puppies will urinate and defecate in inappropriate places until they are properly housebroken. That is expected. However, older dogs will occasionally do the same, even after having been successfully housebroken in the past. Sometimes, they do it as a result of feeling anxious. Other times, it’s to mark territory (acceptable when done outside). Still other times, adult canines do it as a submissive trait.

Tip3 – Jumping On People

Jumping is often misinterpreted by owners as an excited greeting their dogs give them. In truth, it can also be seen as an act of dominance.

When your canine was a puppy, he likely jumped on his littermates and mother until they taught him that doing so was unacceptable. If you adopt your dog a few weeks after he is born and fail to curb the behavior, it can become problematic. If you do not take steps to modify his behavior, he might gradually infer that his place in the pack (i.e. your household) is the same as your own. That makes curbing his jumping even more difficult.

Tip 4 – Excessive Barking

Every dog barks. Aside from whining or howling, it’s the only way they can audibly express their emotions to those surrounding them. However, if barking becomes constant or excessive, if can quickly become an issue – for you and your neighbors.

It’s important to understand the reasons your canine barks. He might do it to warn intruders away from his territory. He might do it to get your attention. He might also bark out of sheer boredom, barking give him something to do. While it can be nerve-wracking, excessive barking can be resolved with training and patience.

The companionship you enjoy from your dog will last throughout his life. Even though he may develop behavioral issues that can drive you crazy, those behaviors can be modified with the right approach. And that keeps the friendship you share with one another alive.

As in all areas of teaching, there are different methods of doing things, and different beliefs about what is right and wrong. In this department you will find topics like religion. The next thing that occurs is that children have different ways of learning. To hit or not to hit, that is the question. How to train your dog might run a close third with questions like Pinch collar, or Choke Chain or none of the above?

Good behaviors can be encouraged in 3 different ways.

1. Positive reinforcement is a reward that encourages a response. Your dog will likely repeat his good behavior if you reward him more than once for that postiive behavior.

2. Negative reinforcement means that something is taken away in order to encourage a response. Dogs that are trained with electric shock collars figure out that when they perform correctly they don’t get shocked. He learns that when he is a good dog the shock is eliminated. When you left early for work one day and suddenly the traffic was diminished you valued what was missing for your action, hence you repeat the action of leaving early for that result. Repeated experience with the elimination of the traffic teaches you to leave the house early.

3. Punishment is an unpleasant thing that is added to the situation. This is entirely different from “Negative Reinforcement”. Owners yell or smack their dogs for bad, aggressive behaviors. when children misbehave many parents have been known to get loud and in the childs face. Fear of punishment will also give you what you want from your dog.

On the surface it seems all techniques work. The dog will come when you are rough with his leash. The anticipation of a reward will engage your dog is good behavior. Also, dogs will chase after running people.

A bad dog will listen when you yell at him and pull hard on the leash. Or, his desire for the treat you are about to give him will encourage the right response.

What are the implications? Would you rather your dog behaves well for pleasing you or out of fear? We have the freedom of choice. Which will it be.

By

Dr. Marika Zoll

DrDogTalk.com

As in all areas of educating, there are different methods of doing things, and different beliefs about what is right and wrong. Religion is a frontrunner in this category. There are also many ways to dicipline a child. Using physical force for dicipline is a hugely debated topic. How to train your dog might run a close third with questions like Pinch collar, or Choke Chain or none of the above?

There are 3 ways of reinforcing a dog’s behavior in order to get what you want.

1. Positive reinforcement is a reward that encourages a response. dogs will come back for more when the “more” is a good thing that makes them feel good.

2. Negative reinforcement means that something is taken away in order to encourage a response. A dog that is being trained with the use of a shock collar, will do what he is supposed to do when the shock is taken away. After behaving there is no shock, hence he learns to behave to avoid the shock. When you left early for work one day you might have figured out that something was missing, the heavy traffic, hence you desire now to leave early again and again. You eventaully realize that leaving early eliminates the traffic burden.

3. Punishment is an unpleasant thing that is added to the situation. There is no question about the differences from “negative reinforcement”. When a dog growls you might “smack” him and yell at him. When a child misbehaves it is easy to repond with a yelling tone of voice and threats. Fear motivates your dog to behave.

Whatever approach you use it will ultimately work. Dogs respond to hard leash tugging. If your dog believes that he is getting a treat from you he will come. And, the dog will come when you run away from him.

Choking your dog hard with a metal choker collar or yelling at him could be your responses to misbehavior. Or, he will behave when he realizes he will get a treat for being good.

What does this all mean? Would you rather your dog behaves well for pleasing you or out of fear? You make the choice.

By

Dr. Marika Zoll

DrDogTalk.com

The biggest secret to training your dog is understanding the process of positive conditioning. All that’s really necessary after that is lots of patience and consistency. Most problem behaviors in dogs come from not understanding conditioning or from not using it consistently.

To utilise it consistently, you’ll find that you need lots of patience. You need to appreciate the levels of time needed to train a dog. You also need to appreciate that you need to be consistent every time you are with your dog, not just during training sessions. This means that you also need everyone in your household to be consistent also.

Positive conditioning means that a positive reinforcement i.e. pleasing stimulus when your dog performs some behavior will encourage him to perform that particular action again. Many dog owners will give lots of positive reinforcements when their dog is doing unwanted behaviors. For example, they enter the house, the dog is jumping up on them and they give affection to the dog. They are positively reinforcing their dog to jump up on people without realising it.

If you ever watch the Dog Whisperer on TV, you will see that even though the families have watched his program, maybe even read his books and know intellectually what they should do, they still reward all sorts of unwanted behavior without realising it. The Dog Whisperer is very different which is why the dogs behave differently with him. He behaves consistently and ignores the dog if it’s doing unwanted behaviors. In nearly all cases that he helps, the problems are with the owner and his inconsistency.

Lots of awareness and self-discipline are needed to stop yourself giving affection to a misbehaving dog. You also need to be aware that any attention, even when it’s shouting at your dog “stop barking”, may act as a positive reinforcement. So, it may be best to respond to unwanted behaviors by ignoring them and turning away from your dog.

Focusing on reinforcing positive behavior is more effective than trying to negatively reinforce unwanted behavior. The more you reinforce positive behaviors, the less the unwanted behaviors will occur.

Obviously, you may have to stop your dog doing unwanted behaviors For example, if he jumps on the food counter, you can just pull him off.

How do you positively reinforce actions you want to encourage? Possible rewards are tasty treats, affection or a toy to play with. Using small tasty treats is probably the most efficient method. The treat needs to be given as close in time to the action as possible. Because of the importance of timing, the use of a clicker makes the reward process clearer to your dog. The clicker sound is used to mark the behavior precisely as it happens and the treat comes immediately afterwards. I encourage you to look more into the whole subject of clicker training since it does streamline process of positive reinforcement.

Read more about the Dog Training Secrets, about clicker training with dogs and about handling dog behavior problems in general.