Have you ever been so excited that your dog did what you wanted you said, “Good sit!” ??? I think almost everyone on the planet has been there. However, this is actually not a good idea. You see, the cue (Sit in this case), should be taught as a verb. It’s an action. When “Sit” leaves your lips, you want your dog to preform the action of “Sit.” After your dog is already sitting, saying “Sit” again is actually asking them to sit again. Because it’s an action cue.
Canine Life and Social Skills is starting to take off. It’s a new three part program from the APDT, which far exceeds most I’ve ever seen. It has obedience, manners, and real life training such as waiting to get out of your car. The objectives are to promote positive training methodology, strengthen the dog & owner relationship, encourage ongoing training, value real life skills, educate about dog behavior, and to promote the value of dog trainers & dog training.
Anti-Bark Collars INCREASE Barking. Yes, you read that right. Anti-bark collars increase barking behavior. And you’re probably thinking, “no way, the dog knows when that collar is on and doesn’t bark.” And I tell you…. that is the kicker.
Just say, “NO” to being anti-yes! Don’t tell your dog to “don’t.” Tell him what you want!… if I said, “Don’t think of pink elephants. Matter of fact, don’t think of a baby pink elephant riding a tricycle down your street right now.” And voilà! You’re probably not thinking about how the stock market is doing.
Ever have an inadequate reward before? Like when someone sarcastically promises you a shiny new quarter to clean the toilet? Well whoo freakin hoo…. And I’d bet if you knew this was the usual outcome, you’d rather opt out of cleaning the toilet. Am I right? Think about this. Your dog is getting a good chew on, and we take the item away and give him a pat on the head with a “good boy.” Well whoo freakin hoo, you’ve just probably given your dog a shiny new quarter.
What is reinforcement? Too many people don’t truly understand what it is nor how to use it properly. Is it “a thing?” Technically reinforcement is a process. It means: behavior increased. That’s it. So something that is reinforced means it increased behavior. We generally like to say “reinforcer” as the
There is a huge range of people who call themselves dog trainers and/or behaviorists. And unfortunately, there is actually no clear definition for either. The world of animal behavior isn’t regulated and there are a zillion certificates out there. And even if someone passes a test and earns a certificate, how much experience do they have? What methods do they use? There is a lot of homework that goes into finding a qualified person.
Lately I’ve seen a lot of cases where a client was trying to extinguish a behavior but instead created a wicked duration with intensity. For some reason I always think of a small child tugging on his mom’s shirt saying, “Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!” until the mom turns around and says, “WHAT?!?!!” Which has now taught the kid this works.
How to teach your dog to “drop it” using positive reinforcement training methods.
Practical Solutions for Practical People, Saturday, Mar 13, 2010, 2:00pm – 4:00pm, This is a free workshop, but registration is required. Approved for: 2 CEUS for IAABC, 2 CEUs for CPDT
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