nicelytraineddog.com

It is said what goes up always come down. This is not always true without a little help. Yesterday I got a call for h elp from a client with a dog on the third floor and would not come down the stairs.

It is important to expose your dog to as much as possible so when it encounters something new it has some reference point. It was easy to get the dog down it just had to realize it had nothing to fear.

Steve’s experience and expertise has helped us immensely when training Rollick, our Aussie pup.  He is incredibly knowledgeable and has taught us the most effective training methods.  Our puppy responded very positively to his friendly demeanor, making training run as smoothly as possible.
christina frisard [cfrisard@yahoo.com]

It seems many of the pet trainers promote pure positive training procedures. An example is this quote taken for a website… “all subscribe to positive training methods. What this means is that dogs will not be yelled at, jerked, pinched, or treated in other ways normally associated with punishment. In fact, rather than punishing for undesirable behavior, positive training methods mean rewarding a dog for the desired behaviors.”

When trainers say they are using strick positive reinfocement thy are attempting to use what is known as “Differential Reinforcement of either alternative or incompatible behaviors. (DRA or DRI) They are also attempting to use pure extinction training. This concept can be very misleading and is not always the correct approach.

DRA and DRI work well in controlled environments. Their use is essential when first training a skill. The first rule of training any animal is the trainer must be in control of the reinforcement used. If they are in an area where reinforcement cannot be controlled this concept will not work. The textbook application involves starting in a controlled environment then slowly increasing distractions. This concept works perfectly if the reinforcer used is the highest on the dog’s reinforcement hierarchy. However if not it you and the dog are being set up for failure and embarrassment.

This approach does not always work in real world conditions. For example, every time you do a certain task your boss lays out a twenty dollar bill for you. Then one time he lays out a 1,5,10, and 20. Which one will you take? The next time a 20, 50, and 100 dollar bills are placed. Which will you take?  Most people given the choice will take the highest reinforcement available. Dogs are no different.

Let’s say your trainer is using a food treat but your dog’s prey instincts are easy to stimulate. It would really rather chase a cat or squirrel then take a treat. You have your dog off leash and a cat or squirrel suddenly passes your dog what is it going to do? Just like you given the choice it will do what has the highest reinforcement value. Since your voice has no negative effect on the dog, and it has never been corrected other than being ignored your dog is likely off to the races. It does not care if you ignore it while it chases something. As a owner and one paying for services you have the choice, you can have a dog that knows the skill but only performs it when it wants to. You can choose a trainer who understands the importance of positive training, but also understands the application of escape and avoidance training and how to apply each at the proper time.  In the end it is your dog, and your money. Remember obedience is the dog responding because you said so not because you have a treat. 

Should your dog be off leash and became hurt because you allowed it to approach another dog in a public area that is on leash and at its owner’s side how would you feel? Who do you think did the most to prevent the incident. Dog bites and fights rarely just happen they are allowed to occur. A safety conscious owner can tprevent their dog from committing an unsafe behavior. Having your dog in the public area is no different than driving, defensive driving can prevent accidents, defensive handling of your dog can prevent accidents.

Does your dog seem to do well in formal training but when it is away from the training area it acts as if it never received any training at all? It does this because it knows the difference. Training your dog is not only behavior modification for the dog but for you the owner as well. It is a life style change were the dog thinks it is always in training because you act the same during training as when not in training.

A long time ago a legend in the police dog world taught me that praise must come from the heart. He told me when you touch a dog you should feel something inside you. What you feel the dog will feel as well. I am not sure this is exactly right, but it may be very possible.

What I do know is when I touch a dog I feel my heart rate change. Over years of experience my heart rate seems to either increase or decrease when I first meet a dog. I believe the change is based on my perception of individual needs.

As a Marine when I first got into K9 it was difficult to release emotions in such a way to receive a positive response from the dog. My prior training had taught me to show no emotion an element dogs need. It took work.

When training of police officers some would struggle to build a relationship with their dog. I would ask them to pet their dog and tell me what they feel inside. The answers would vary but it had to do with the release of emotion. Not say “good dog” with your voice but saying “good dog” with emotion.

Animals are masters of body language. The majority of their commutations are visual, or touch with very little audio. Your mental set of frame of mind can be communicated through your body language, touch, and your eyes. You can say the correct words but to the dog they are empty.

The next time you pet your dog concentrate on your feelings. If you feel nothing your dog most likely feels nothing when you touch it. Increase your touch as positive reinforcement my releasing feelings.

Often overlooked is the dog’s basic predator instinct. Very often when dogs such as retrievers and herding breeds begin to exhibit destructive behaviors they are trying to relive their needs to express prey instincts. One way to allow your dog to constructively act on its predator or hunting instincts is to have it search for its food.

Instead of putting the dog’s food in a bowl you can teach it to search for it in the yard or any open field. This can be time consuming, but it provides the dog with mental stimulation it needs. It also builds confidence and independence which helps when dealing with separation anxiety.

Currently I am working on a video clip of how this works.

The dictionary defines “nice” as good, pleasing, agreeable, thoughtful, and kind. How appropriate that Steven has this word as his last name.