How
Dogs Learn
(or, Why I stopped
Worrying and Learned to Love My Dog)
by Dog Whisperer
Paul Owens
Marcy
was upset and I could hear her frustration
over the phone. She called me to schedule
a private dog training session with
her and her dog Buster. No matter how
hard she worked at it, “He just doesn't
listen to me! He jumps on people, barks
at the mail carrier, chews my slippers,
steals things off the counter and chases
the cat. My other dog was never like
this! Buster is just plain stubborn
and I think he does things just to spite
me.”
These
are common complaints voiced by the
over 300 families I see each year. One
person says, “He's lazy.” Another complains,
“She's defiant.” The most common complaint
is, “He knows what to do but he's just
being stubborn.” As frustrating as this
can be for us humans, the truth is,
it isn't about being disobedient or
defiant or stubborn. The reality is
that none of these dogs really know
what they are supposed TO DO.
Positive
training isn't about teaching your dog
to stop doing something, but teaching
him what you want him TO DO instead.
For example, it isn't how Marcy can
get Buster to stop jumping, it's about
teaching Buster to lay down when people
come in the door. It isn't about getting
Buster to stop chewing slippers, it's
about teaching Buster to chew appropriate
toys and ignore slippers. If you don't
know what you want your dog to do in
any given situation, your dog won't
be able to figure it out either. So
it's all about first picturing what
you want your dog TO DO, not what you
want him to stop doing.
Let's
say you want your dog to sit and stay
when a squirrel runs through the yard
or the mail carrier comes up the walk
or someone walks in the door. These
are pretty powerful distractions! In
essence, you have to be more attractive
than any of them. Let's face it, these
distractions are worth the equivalent
of $10,000 to your dog—and you're worth
squat. Therefore, in order to get your
dog to do what you want, you
need to become worth more than these
distractions and teach your dog in baby
steps.
Positive
Reinforcement
Positive
reinforcement means using rewards for
behaviors you want your dog to do and
repeat. When your dog performs the sit
behavior for example, reward him. Give
him a treat every time he puts his behind
on the floor, and there's a good chance
he'll keep putting his behind on the
floor. Start the training process in
a non-distracting environment and gradually
add more challenging distractions until
he reliably stays in a sit position
even with a squirrel running by. The
key is to have realistic expectations
of what is possible for your particular
dog and simply progress from kindergarten
to a college level of reliability.
To
do this, we use two simple methods:
- The
Magnet Game : Simply wait
for the behavior to occur, then let
the dog know that what he just did
thrilled you to no end by rewarding
him with praise, a scratch behind
the ear, and especially treats. In
essence, the “sit” behavior attracted
the treats, just like a magnet attracts
iron.
- Step-by-step
training a/k/a “School” :
Use a visual prompt such as food,
a favorite toy, or other object to
lure the dog to do what you want,
then praise and reward. Gradually
add more distractions. By the way,
your dog will have to be at a “college”
level of “sit/stay” to be successful
with a squirrel running by.
The
difference between the two is that in
Method 1, you don't ask for the beahvior
but reward your dog whenever it happens
to occur. For example, you're watching
television and you see your dog sit
on her bed. You then say “good dog”
and throw her a treat. In the second
method, you are asking for the behavior
and then rewarding her. Both methods
are used throughout the day until the
dog realizes a certain beahvior (like
“sit”) is always worth a reward.
Using
Treats in the Training Process
But
does that mean you always have to use
treats? Absolutely not. Once an association
is made, you simply begin to reward
your dog on variable reward schedule
until eventually treats are unnecessary.
In human terms, think of a Las Vegas
slot machine. At first you put money
in the slot machine just for fun. But
once in a while you actually win. That
occasional jackpot keeps you playing.
It's the same with positive training.
At first your dog gets a treat every
time he sits, then you gradually wean
him off treats but he'll continue to
sit because every once in a while he'll
get a jackpot. Of course he's still
being praised and petted so his interest
always remains high. We recommend using
high quality treats like chicken, turkey,
cheese, pieces of dry kibble, etc. Stay
away from greasy foods and commercial
dog training treats that list ingredients
like by-products, artificial coloring
or additives, wheat, corn, and sugar.
You
can shape virtually any behavior you
want. All you need to do is: 1) Catch
your dog doing something and reward
him in the act (The Magnet Game); and
2) Teach your dog what you want him
to do step-by-step (School).
It's
just a matter of being consistent, communicating
in clear terms what you want your dog
to do and managing your environment
so your dog can't get into trouble while
the training is taking place.
If
your dog is aggressive or has moderate-to-severe
behavioral problems, a professional
trainer is needed. Always err on the
side of safety. You can learn a lot
about positive dog training from books
and DVDs. However, it can be fun to
join a group class. Because many dog
trainers still teach methods that include
physical force, I suggest interviewing
the trainer before hiring him or her.
You can find a trainer who uses positive
training methods through the Association
of Pet Dog Trainers ( www.APDT.com ) or The National Association of Dog
Obedience Instructors ( www.NADOI.org ).
About the
Author:
Paul
Owens
Author: The Dog Whisperer DVD and the
book: The Dog Whisperer,
A Compassionate Nonviolent Approach
to Dog Training
Certified by The Association of Pet
Dog Trainers
Endorsed by the National Association
of Dog Obedience Instructors
Director: Raise with Praise, Inc. Dog
training
www.DogWhispererDVD.com
