What type of training collar are you using? Here is a quick review on popular types of training collars and what can go wrong with them when it comes to dog training. I urge everyone to start to think about the devices that they use on their dog - I have one simple criteria when it comes to training devices - would I be happy to use it on me???
Check Chains & Prong Collar: Check Chains can do cervical spin damage to your dog, the constant jerking to correct your dogs behaviour has essentially resulted in your dog having whiplash, they can also result in trachea damage. Prong Collars may result in injury to the back of the dogs neck, bruising, puncture wounds or lacerations.
The reason that these devices are often used on dogs considered wilful or stubborn. The issue is that when you go walking with your dog you are expecting it to behave at the same level as it does at home, when the dogs doesn’t, because it is over-stimulated and extremely distracted – possibly even pulling on the lead. You then jerk the chain – which may already be choking the dog, in an attempt to regain it’s attention. Inadvertently, however by pulling on the chain while your dog is excited you are actually increasing his stimulation towards things external to you. I would suggest that we start to work with your dog to firstly reduce the excitement that your dog is experiencing, which generally starts before you even get to the front door. Secondly, as dogs don’t generalise well, begin to add training, using a clicker and an extremely motivating reward to help your dog behave on cue in environments external to your home.
In reducing the excitement I would suggest a front clip harness, it takes the pressure away from the neck and redirects the dog back to you if it does pull. Before we even go for a walk however we have to begin the process of reducing the importance of the lead. For most dogs the only time they see a lead is when they are about to go for a walk – it becomes very exciting to them. So while supervising your dog begin to put on the harness and lead on for up to 1 minute without taking the dog for a walk. You can do this a few times a day – varying the time period for attaching the lead – this reduces the importance of the lead as a gateway to a walk.
Then begin to put in the process of loose lead walking by stoping when your dog begins to pull, turn in another direction – say to your dog “let’s go!” and begin walking in the new direction. This refocuses your dog and makes you unpredictable and therefore more interesting to your dog.
Now we can look at re-teaching your dog on the outside world what it already knows in your house. You can start in your back yard with little distraction, then moving to more and more distracting environments – remember to keep these sessions short and interesting. Overtime your dog can learn to remain calm and stress free by gradually opening it up to new life experiences. Best of all it is easy and fun, and there won’t be any damage to your dogs spin.
Electric Stimulus Collar: There seems to be two main reasons that people are using electric shock collars at the moment – for barking control or for containment to stop a dog running away. The biggest issue with using a positive punishment device like a shock collar is that your dog can associate the shock with what it is focused on, which may result in fear and/or aggression towards something it was originally just interested in. Both of these barking and containment are best dealt with first by management, and then by training.
Management involves creating an area for the dog to relax in, removing/minimising stimulation that creates the desire for the dog to bark or run away. This is really essential when there is no one at home to supervise the dog. Dogs sleep 18 – 20 hours a dog, generally this should be what they do when we are not at home. Giving them a relaxing space with little interruptions will enable your dog to do what comes naturally to it. During those 4 to 6 hours that your dog is awake, this is the time to entertain, physically and mentally exercise your dog. You can train your dog not to bark, by teaching it to speak on command, and then teaching it to be quite on command.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Some Tricks for your pooch!
Teach your dog to beg:
1: With your dog in front of you hold the target stick (or food lure) just above your dog's head. Any movement up towards the stick by your dog should be met with a "click and treat".2: Now get your dog to reach up a little higher to touch the target stick. (Be patient and let your dog work in small steps and be generous with your rewards)
3: Continue to do the same but delay the "click" for a second or two. From this step you require your dog to be seated and raise it’s front legs (in a good beg position).
4: It is now time to add the verbal cue word. Say the cue word a just before presenting the target stick/lure to your dog. Repetitions this will build an association in your dog's mind between you saying "Beg" and the act of getting into the beg position.
5: Then you reduce your reliance on the target stick by "fading" it. We do this by taking it in and out quicker (instead of leaving it there for your dog to touch) and also by gradually shortening the stick until it eventually disappears into your hand. This step can take a while so keep practising until the target stick is not needed - you can still guide or lure your dog with your hand if need be.
6: The aim is to rely solely on our verbal "Beg" cue/hand signal to get into the "Beg" or "Sit-Up" position.
Trouble shooting
Many dogs try to stand up on their back legs instead of rocking back on their haunches when learning the Beg dog trick. If this happens to you simply lower the target stick or food lure and also ensure that your dog starts from a sitting position rather than standing on all fours.
Teach your dog to Spin:
1: With your dog in front of you, hold the target/ lure at your dog's eye level. Move the stick just to the left of your dog's nose. When your dog makes a movement towards the target stick you should immediately click and treat your dog.
2: Move the target stick from your dog's nose around to the side of his/her body. Your dog should follow the target/lure 90 degees to the side at which time you click and treat.
3: As with point 2 but now take the target stick from your dog's nose right around 180 degrees (half a full spin).
4: Now guide your target stick around a full 360 degree rotation
5: Now ask for 2 or 3 spins and only click and treat faster, tighter spins. Withhold your click and treat for slower spins.
6: Add your cue word or label for the behavior.
7: Phase out the use of the target stick (see "Beg" trick for example).
Trouble shooting
If your dog tries to back away rather than spin when you first start out, you can move your training session into the corner of the room or against a wall.
Teach your dog to Shake:
2: Add the cue word to it.
3: Fade the clicker and the treats.
Trouble shooting
If your dog is not lifting it's leg –
With your willing dog sitting in front of you from the top of the shoulder “tickle” gently down the dogs legs, as you approach the foot the leg should raise, click and treat. (Don't grab your dog's foot - it should raise by itself).
_________________
The next step from the Shake - the Wave:
2. You guessed it - add the cue!
Trouble shooting:
If your dog doesn’t hold it's leg up: try for smaller steps in the shaping (remember: patience and generosity!)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Training Jargon Explained
Reinforcement – behaviour more likely
Punishment – behaviour less likely
Positive – add something
Negative – subtract something
Positive Reinforcement:
Common Training Method:
• Clicker training - a desired behaviour, for example sitting, once the dog provides the behaviour, the secondary reinforcer signals the behaviour is correct and the primary reinforcer is then utilised as a payment for the desired behaviour.
Conditions that need to be met:
• Timing is essential, the length of time between the behaviour and the secondary reinforcer should only be two seconds, or the dog may perform another behaviour (it may look at a bird for example) before the conditioner is supplied.
• Consistency is important, without consistency the dog may become confused and frustrated as it may not be able to understand what is required of it.
• Clicker training should be fun for both the dog and the trainer/owner
• Short sessions only – if helps keep focus and ensures your ability to set the dog up for success
• Distractions should be kept to a minimum.
Positive Implications:
• Relationship and communication opens up between animal and person.
• Easy to do for the owner and the dog once the foundation is understood.
• Owner is has a positive association to the dog and the dog to the owner.
Negative Implications:
• Dog requires treats for behaviour (lure is not faded correctly)
Negative Reinforcement:
Common Training Method:
• Electric Collar for off lead training, although this may seem to be positive punishment at first, the use of an electric shock collar in this instance is negative reinforcement (although as Pamela Dennison states in The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Positive Dog Training, points out you already have to be using a punisher to be able to take them away). In the case of training a dog to be off lead, it is the attempt of the trainer to increase the dogs desire to be near the owner (increasing behaviour), as opposed to training the dog not to run away (decreasing the behaviour). It is actually the removal of the shock when it comes back to the owner that is the lesson for the dog.
Conditions that need to be met:
• Timing is crucial to getting the right reaction and the right behaviour, if the timing is out the dog can be confused.
• Knowledge, this isn’t the type of training that can or should be used by a novice,
• Consistency
Positive Implications:
• The dog learns stay near the owner off lead this creates a bond to the owner, and may make the dog think that the owner equals safety and security.
Negative Implications:
• The dog miss associates the signal, for example if this was occurring in the street and every time the shock was initiated the dog was moving towards a person or another dog, then the dog may associate the pain with people or other dogs – resulting in fear or aggression towards the thing that the dog perceives as causing pain
• Learned Helplessness, this comes from not knowing why it is being punished/reinforced. The dog may shut down because all experiences (beside being near the owner) have a negative association – not knowing what to do, it can only do nothing.
Positive Punishment:
Common Training Method:
• Citronella Collars to stop barking, essentially the citronella is added (sprayed at the dog) to decrease the barking behaviour.
Conditions that need to be met:
• Timing
• Correct Sound needs to be picked up
Positive Implications:
• Dog learns not to bark
Negative Implications:
• The dog associates the spray with something else other than barking and the incorrect behaviour is averted.
• The dog learns to avoid the spray (moving it’s head out of the way.
• The dog becomes accustomed to the spray
• The device picks up on other noises besides the dog barking, this confuses the dog further as it doesn’t understand what behaviour caused the spray.
Negative punishment:
Common Training Method:
• Removing attention when jumping up decreases the jumping up behaviour
Conditions that need to be met:
• Timing is important, you need to recognise when the behaviour has abated so that you can offer a reward.
• Owner must remain calm and quiet, so that they don’t inadvertently reinforce the behaviour.
Positive Implications:
• Dogs behaviour is reduced, tensions in the house between dog and owner are eased.
• Good basis for teaching further behaviours (reward the good, ignore the bad)
Negative Implications:
• Time it takes and calmness required from owner
Punishment – behaviour less likely
Positive – add something
Negative – subtract something
Positive Reinforcement:
Common Training Method:
• Clicker training - a desired behaviour, for example sitting, once the dog provides the behaviour, the secondary reinforcer signals the behaviour is correct and the primary reinforcer is then utilised as a payment for the desired behaviour.
Conditions that need to be met:
• Timing is essential, the length of time between the behaviour and the secondary reinforcer should only be two seconds, or the dog may perform another behaviour (it may look at a bird for example) before the conditioner is supplied.
• Consistency is important, without consistency the dog may become confused and frustrated as it may not be able to understand what is required of it.
• Clicker training should be fun for both the dog and the trainer/owner
• Short sessions only – if helps keep focus and ensures your ability to set the dog up for success
• Distractions should be kept to a minimum.
Positive Implications:
• Relationship and communication opens up between animal and person.
• Easy to do for the owner and the dog once the foundation is understood.
• Owner is has a positive association to the dog and the dog to the owner.
Negative Implications:
• Dog requires treats for behaviour (lure is not faded correctly)
Negative Reinforcement:
Common Training Method:
• Electric Collar for off lead training, although this may seem to be positive punishment at first, the use of an electric shock collar in this instance is negative reinforcement (although as Pamela Dennison states in The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Positive Dog Training, points out you already have to be using a punisher to be able to take them away). In the case of training a dog to be off lead, it is the attempt of the trainer to increase the dogs desire to be near the owner (increasing behaviour), as opposed to training the dog not to run away (decreasing the behaviour). It is actually the removal of the shock when it comes back to the owner that is the lesson for the dog.
Conditions that need to be met:
• Timing is crucial to getting the right reaction and the right behaviour, if the timing is out the dog can be confused.
• Knowledge, this isn’t the type of training that can or should be used by a novice,
• Consistency
Positive Implications:
• The dog learns stay near the owner off lead this creates a bond to the owner, and may make the dog think that the owner equals safety and security.
Negative Implications:
• The dog miss associates the signal, for example if this was occurring in the street and every time the shock was initiated the dog was moving towards a person or another dog, then the dog may associate the pain with people or other dogs – resulting in fear or aggression towards the thing that the dog perceives as causing pain
• Learned Helplessness, this comes from not knowing why it is being punished/reinforced. The dog may shut down because all experiences (beside being near the owner) have a negative association – not knowing what to do, it can only do nothing.
Positive Punishment:
Common Training Method:
• Citronella Collars to stop barking, essentially the citronella is added (sprayed at the dog) to decrease the barking behaviour.
Conditions that need to be met:
• Timing
• Correct Sound needs to be picked up
Positive Implications:
• Dog learns not to bark
Negative Implications:
• The dog associates the spray with something else other than barking and the incorrect behaviour is averted.
• The dog learns to avoid the spray (moving it’s head out of the way.
• The dog becomes accustomed to the spray
• The device picks up on other noises besides the dog barking, this confuses the dog further as it doesn’t understand what behaviour caused the spray.
Negative punishment:
Common Training Method:
• Removing attention when jumping up decreases the jumping up behaviour
Conditions that need to be met:
• Timing is important, you need to recognise when the behaviour has abated so that you can offer a reward.
• Owner must remain calm and quiet, so that they don’t inadvertently reinforce the behaviour.
Positive Implications:
• Dogs behaviour is reduced, tensions in the house between dog and owner are eased.
• Good basis for teaching further behaviours (reward the good, ignore the bad)
Negative Implications:
• Time it takes and calmness required from owner
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Beau - a poem about a man's relationship with his dog
Read by Jimmy Stewart on the Johnny Carson Show, very touching:
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
A dog is a dog!
There seems to be a rift in dog owners between those that say their dogs are their "furry, four-legged children" and those that say "a dog is a dog and should be treated like one". These extremes of canine ideologies both seem to fail - the "furry children" camp seems to neglect the dog side, not allowing many natural behaviours from flowing and the "dog is a dog" camp seems to justify any less than humane treatment that we may have and still do come up with.
At Doggy Dogma, we agree with accomplished Dog Trainer and Author Suzanne Clothier from her book Bones would Rain from the Sky:
"the dog lying at our feet chewing on a tennis ball is also a sentient being with feelings and emotions and thoughts and humour and language and loves and fears and creativity..."
At Doggy Dogma, we agree with accomplished Dog Trainer and Author Suzanne Clothier from her book Bones would Rain from the Sky:
"the dog lying at our feet chewing on a tennis ball is also a sentient being with feelings and emotions and thoughts and humour and language and loves and fears and creativity..."
As Suzanne goes on to point out, if we were to fully accept our dogs as sentient beings in their own right, then we would have to seriously begin to question the methods that we have been using to deal with our pets.
I was recently asked by a woman where she could get a personal alarm for training her 12 week old pup, I must say I had never heard of this training tool, but apparently a TV Vet and her behaviourist had both endorsed this product and therefore this was clearly the product that she needed.
Sound aversion isn't a new technique restricted to high tech devices, whether it is a throw chain or a can of coins, the idea of startling a dog into submission seems to be a popular one.
Yet what will it do for the relationship between this woman and her newly acquired pup? What will it teach a 12 week old about how to handle and react to loud noises? I personally wonder how many people who use these techniques also complain that their dog doesn't listen to them?
I generally ask myself one question and one question only when assessing a training technique - how would I feel if was done to me? (For a pup I may quantify this question - if I have only been alive for 12 weeks how would I feel if it was done to me, given my limited capacity for comparison?)
Now while a mugger might deserve a quick blast from a personal alarm - I can't with the same conviction agree that a dog exercising its curiousity deserves the same. I understand that like all little creatures, a puppy will attempt to put itself in danger - I would also concider it highly unlikely that at this time your going to have the foresight to have your (not so) handy dandy little techno gizmo at your disposal - and that is why consistant training is going to be more beneficial to you and your pooches time together.
You can teach your dog the word "stop" or "no" as these words are more likely going to be what the average joe is going to use in an emergency as a reflex action. The benefit of training a dog to our reflex words is you can add a recall so that you can condition your to head back to you after your reflex word has been used.
Training is a great way to assist you in building your relationship with your dog, enhancing your bond and creating trust and harmony between you.
I was recently asked by a woman where she could get a personal alarm for training her 12 week old pup, I must say I had never heard of this training tool, but apparently a TV Vet and her behaviourist had both endorsed this product and therefore this was clearly the product that she needed.
Sound aversion isn't a new technique restricted to high tech devices, whether it is a throw chain or a can of coins, the idea of startling a dog into submission seems to be a popular one.
Yet what will it do for the relationship between this woman and her newly acquired pup? What will it teach a 12 week old about how to handle and react to loud noises? I personally wonder how many people who use these techniques also complain that their dog doesn't listen to them?
I generally ask myself one question and one question only when assessing a training technique - how would I feel if was done to me? (For a pup I may quantify this question - if I have only been alive for 12 weeks how would I feel if it was done to me, given my limited capacity for comparison?)
Now while a mugger might deserve a quick blast from a personal alarm - I can't with the same conviction agree that a dog exercising its curiousity deserves the same. I understand that like all little creatures, a puppy will attempt to put itself in danger - I would also concider it highly unlikely that at this time your going to have the foresight to have your (not so) handy dandy little techno gizmo at your disposal - and that is why consistant training is going to be more beneficial to you and your pooches time together.
You can teach your dog the word "stop" or "no" as these words are more likely going to be what the average joe is going to use in an emergency as a reflex action. The benefit of training a dog to our reflex words is you can add a recall so that you can condition your to head back to you after your reflex word has been used.
Training is a great way to assist you in building your relationship with your dog, enhancing your bond and creating trust and harmony between you.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Welcome to Doggy Dogma
Hi, and welcome to the Doggy Dogma Blog spot. This is where you are able to learn more about our ideals and philosophy when it comes to Dogs and Dog ownership.
We hope to help you sift through the myriad of conflicting and confusing information out their for pet owners, to approach the care and maintenance of your dog in a holistic and fulfilling manner.
Please stop by regularly and join us in learning the wisdom of dogs- after all that is what Doggy Dogma is all about.
The below quote is our favourite doggy quote, that sums up what we feel about our glorious canine companions.
We hope to help you sift through the myriad of conflicting and confusing information out their for pet owners, to approach the care and maintenance of your dog in a holistic and fulfilling manner.
Please stop by regularly and join us in learning the wisdom of dogs- after all that is what Doggy Dogma is all about.
The below quote is our favourite doggy quote, that sums up what we feel about our glorious canine companions.
I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.
~Gilda Radner
~Gilda Radner
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