TRAINING WITH PAWSITIVITY
USE "PAWSITIVE" TRAINING TO BRING UP A RELIABLE, CONFIDENT AND WELL CONTROLLED DOG
As a Behaviourist, I regularly work with dogs who suffer from fear anxiety and aggression which was triggered by out of date training techniques that are nowadays considered abusive. Being endorsed by the Kennel Club, or being advocated and demonstrated by well known TV personalities' is not always a sufficient recommendation. The result of this is a dog who is fearful, often aggressive and poorly controlled. Of course this causes a good deal of stress and conflict within the family home.
I have heard trainers telling owners that they should always be physically above their dog, should go through doors first and other general nonsense. Shouting at dogs, dragging them on a lead or using any kind of intimidation or bullying tactics is completely unacceptable and using fear and pain to intimidate a dog is only likely to trigger fears, phobias and ultimately aggression in your canine companion.
I have heard trainers telling owners that they should always be physically above their dog, should go through doors first and other general nonsense. Shouting at dogs, dragging them on a lead or using any kind of intimidation or bullying tactics is completely unacceptable and using fear and pain to intimidate a dog is only likely to trigger fears, phobias and ultimately aggression in your canine companion.
As I see far too many dogs who gave been psychologically and emotionally damaged by outdated training techniques including all of the above. So I wanted to write a post that explains how to train your dog using positive methods. If you are unfortunate enough to encounter a trainer who is not 100% positive, kind and gentle with your dog, PLEASE vote with your feet and get out of there immediately! Every bad experience has the potential to damage your dog emotionally and you may find yourself needing to pay for a Behaviourist to help sort your dog out.
My golden rule is to always treat your dog as you would your children. This means teaching your canine housemate how to live harmoniously with it's pack (Who happen to be humans not dogs)
LIVING IN HARMONYThis requires your dog to learn to follow human rules, which in my house involves our dog Ripley not jumping all over the furniture (She is allowed up on invitation), having her paws cleaned after a walk, ringing a bell if she wants to go into the garden, and only chewing the toys we provide for her. She also has to sit and wait at the front door before we go for a walk without whining and pawing at the door. None of these are natural behaviours for a dog. Ripley has no idea why we don't like it if she walks mud through the house, and doesn't understand why she cant chew and destroy cushions or fabric door stops. She doesn't enjoy having her paws cleaned, so we have to make it worth her while to put up with these human requirements so that we can all live in peace.
This is called training using POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT - It is based on years of scientific research and involves "Reward Based" training methods - often treats, but can also include praise, gentle touches, scratches, smiles, balls and tug toys. The trick is to find what works best for your individual dog and to use it wisely.
Positive reinforcement simply means that we add something nice to a situation when a dog is carrying out a behaviour which we would like him to repeat. It always works if it’s carefully timed and the dog is interested in the reward.
* Teaching dogs the behaviours we want as opposed to the ones we don't want
* Helping dogs to learn step by step
* Motivating dogs with food, fun, exercise and games
* Encouraging dogs to think for themselves - problem solving wears dogs out as much as a walk and builds self confidence and improves self esteem
* Valuing dogs' voluntary and natural behaviours
* Understanding how a dog is feeling from watching its body language
* Understanding how dogs learn, what they want and need to thrive in our world
* Using methods that work with ANY dog, big, small, puppies, elderly, disabled and reactive dogs can all learn and can enjoy a richer and more relaxed life if their humans make the effort to understand them.
* Managing your expectations about your dog's behaviour. Your dog is no more going to be 100% obedient than your children are, but most of us are able to negotiate peace within our home most of the time!
The Three Pillars
There are three "Pillars" to help create a Rock Steady dog who is relaxed, compliant and friendly most of the time - remember a dog is still a dog and will still react to new things with fear and suspicion, especially if it is anxious or lacks confidence.
🠟 🠟 🠟
Develop Self Control Develop a trusting relationship Build Self-Confidence
The Science: By using positive reinforcement we talk not only to the dog but also to their brain chemistry. Anything that produces a nice result (a game or a treat) will fire up the brain’s reward area and the neurotransmitter dopamine. This aids motivation and memory so the dog learns, remembers and enjoys the lesson. Dogs are also far more likely to repeat a behaviour that is rewarded and has positive associations.
Practice: This involves waiting until your dog does something you like, then rewarding with a treat. A few repetitions of this when the dog makes the link between the behaviour and the treat, will create a very solid behaviour that the dog will start to offer, in case there’s the chance of a reward.
Here are some positive training activities for you to try:
• Reward your dog for all four paws on the ground with a treat and ignore jumping up.
• Reward a barking dog with a treat or a stroke when he falls silent and ignore the barking.
• Reward a loose lead by walking forward and stand still when the dog pulls on the lead.
Use the word "Yes" or "Good" as you deliver the treat and your dog will quickly learn that these words mean he or she is getting something right!
How dogs learn: Any behaviour that you focus on and reward will be repeated, so focus on the helpful behaviours and reward it too. The dog will soon realise which behaviours produce a treat and repeat that far more often.
Isn’t it a bribe? – Owners always ask this question and the answer is.... Yes it is!
Most dogs, like their human owners, are MUCH more motivated when there is something in it for them! After a while the behaviours that you have recognised and rewarded will become a habit, and you won’t have to reward them so often, they will become part of your dog's normal behaviour.
Remember we humans usually work for a wage, and you need to reward your dog when it gives you a behaviour that doesn't come naturally - this could be walking to heel, doing a SIT, WAIT or LIE DOWN.
I am working with a Staffie at the moment who used to fly into the house after each walk and spin excitedly with muddy paws all over the kitchen. After 7 days positive reinforcement training he now sits down on the mat by the front door and holds up his front paws to have them wiped automatically. I would continue to use treats (one for each paw) for at least a month, after that I might wipe all four paws with one treat at the end. Eventually he will expect to always sit on the mat after a walk while I get a towel because that is what always happens, and he will never fly into the house full pelt with muddy paws again!
Note: Sometimes dogs find the most surprising thing rewarding, so get to know your dog’s preferences carefully. Some prefer to be told off to being ignored, as your attention is rewarding to them. Some will jump up just to be pushed off. Some will bark loudly if you reinforce their barking by barking back! (Shouting!)
Always offer a treat or reward for the behaviour you want and ignore everything else
Please contact me or enrol in a POSITIVE local training class if you are concerned about your dog's behaviour or you would like help and support in training your dog.
A confident and friendly dog is a joy to have living with you in your home, and I feel that as we have our amazing and wonderful dogs with us for what is a relatively short period of time in comparison to a human life span, we owe it to them and ourselves to give them the best life possible. This means your dog should trust you, be confident and have a good level of self control. You will never regret putting the work in with your dog as your relationship will improve beyond belief.
That's all for today folks! I
really hope you enjoy the blog and find the information useful. Please forgive any "clunkiness"
social media is a big learning curve for me!
Please check our our website
www.pawsforassistance.co.uk
Find us on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pawsforassistancelynnejones
Follow us on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/pawsforassistance/
Email: lynnejones004@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment