Looking After Pets

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