Positive Training

WHY POSITIVE REWARD BASED TRAINING?  A.B.C.

The answer is easy.  It is cost effective, it produces results quickly & easily, and it feels good!  Whatever the task, whether keeping a toddler quiet in public, training a dog or coaching a team, it will go faster and be more reliable if you know how to use positive reinforcement.  The basic laws of PR are simple and applies to all species, not just dogs!  PR is anything that, when occurring in conjunction with an act, tends to increase the probability that the act will occur again.  It's the ABC's of behavior shaping.  A.  Antecedent   B.  Behavior   C.  Reward    

Even more important, positive reward based training gives the puppy an opportunity to be creative and offer you behaviors without fear of retribution (being jerked around, yelled at or other aversive consequences).  When a pup (or older dog) offers behaviors and is rewarded, I am 100% positive that they learn the behavior more reliably.  In the future, this behavior is more predictable and behaviors more controllable.  It eliminates having to fade out prompts like "butt-tucks" for sit or "front-leg pulls" for down.  You are getting your puppy to use their "smarts" to learn.  Sure, they will make mistakes, but so do we.  We are all perfect in our imperfections. 

The communication & relationship between dog and human is "unique". 

Let's treat it that way, especially with puppies who come to us innocently and with a clean canvas.  

Even simpler; teach, then reward the behaviors you desire (or snapshot) on a regular basis.  When a puppy (or dog) offers you a jackpot behavior like lying down when company arrives, automatically sitting by the back-door, waiting to go out, "yes", and reward. 

Develop your observational skills.    When you see your dog offering a behavior you want anyway, this is an opportunity to shape that behavior.  "You lied down by yourself" - PRAISE - "good down"!  The bottom line is -- this works and feels good.  It is stacking the deck in your favor.  The by-product is a respectful and trusting relationship with your dog. 

Training your puppy can be easy, challenging & rewarding.  It is very impressive when your dog learns how to respond to you at home, outside in other environments, with hand or voice cues or just a whisper or look.  Yes, YOU CAN DO THIS with a little bit or determination, commitment, effort, skill, focus and breathing. FOCUS, BREATHE, FOCUS, no not the dog, YOU! 

Dogs live in the here and now.  The present matters to them, not 5 or 10 seconds later.  To train well, breathe well and get yourself centered in the moment.  Before training, take a couple of minutes to land.  Inhale a few deep belly breaths of fresh oxygen that will nourish your cells and organs.  Breathe out stress and toxins.  Put everything else away for the this time with yourself and your dog.  You'll notice a change in your dog's behavior.  You may notice a change in yours!  The less stressed you are, the more positive energy you'll have to pour into your training practice.  It has a rippling effect to other areas of your life. 

EMOTIONS (yes, dogs have them too ... but)

Dogs live in the present moment.  They imprint and learn through associations!  However, they do not hold onto endless emotions, revenge or vendettas.  The associations and imprints teach them what to do to get what they want, and what not to do to avoid unpleasant situations. 

Dogs do many things for us.  They are flexbile and resilient companions through our day-to-day life experiences.  These experiences are enmeshed with human emotions.  Your emotions are like a catalyst that travel down the leash to the dog.  Puppies cannot possibly process all of these emotions (anger, fear of failure, stress, worrying about the past).  Let it go and my guess is you'll find yourself connecting to your dog (and yourself) in a whole new way.  Knowing that they can be a companion , but at the smae time, a different species is paramount to developing a trusting and respectful relationship. The possibilities when we are aware of this are many.  With our dogs by our side, teaching us a new way to communite effectively, they are endless.  

Some people get "hung-up" on the word positive.  Let-it-go!  There are many ways to train, teach and modify behaviors.  It matters not to the dog what 4-generations ago, authors and/or the latest "flavor-of-the-internet-tv" trainer says.  Ask yourself:  "does this apply to me and my dog and/or lifestyle."  That's what matters.  Does it feel right? 

There are 4-reinforcements that the books-behaviorists tell us to consider:  Positive Reinforcement, Positive Punishment, Negative Reinforcement, Negative Punishment.  If this speaks to you, terrific! Explore more about theory and how we all learn.  Be mindful, that behaviorists - trainers study & practice for many years to know how to use many of these techniques efficiently and effectively.  Good ones will tell you that they make mistakes and learn from them too!  Not all approaches work for all dogs.  The only one needed for PUPPIES & FAMILES is positive reward based training. 

UNDERSTANDING FOOD LURES ... NOT GETTING HUNG-UP ON THEM!

Anything can be considered positive reinforcement; it doesn't have to be food.  Food is very effective (an unconditional reinforcer).  Food Lures are attention getters.  Luring is the dictionary is "something that entices."  *Clicking is a "conditional" reinforcer, marking behaviors you want immediately, crisply and clearly.  Praise is a conditional reinforcer too.  It marks a desired behavior. 

LIFE REWARDS ... use em or lose em!

You can accidentially positively reinforce behaviors that you don't want too.  To be effective, the choice of reinforcement needs to be something that the dog intrinsically needs and want (life reward).  Ask yourself, what motivates my dog(s).  What is most valuable to them?  The dog needs and wants sex, food, play and social interaction.  Usually, we take sex away (neuter/spay), so the other life rewards are vital for dogs!  A life reward can be you taking them for a walk, a sniff, or giving them a massage.  It can be a 5-mile hike if you are both conditioned for it, a 15 minute walk around the block or a 5-minutes mindfulness walk in the yard.  It's your choice!  A delicious, "healthy" treat can be savored for exemplary behavior.  What's exemplary behavior?  This is as different and individual as you and your dog.  If any of my dogs do something that tickles me, I reward them with a hug, a quick massage, a play date, a walk or just throw a treat.  It's our choice, depending on what we are doing at the time.  It's not about right or wrong.  It's about what works for you and your dog. 

The mantra that helps make reward based training triumphant is:  "you do something for me and I'll do something for you".  Isn't that what respectful relationships are based upon?  For example, you can easily integrate your training into everyday living by not habitually putting your dog's food dish down the same way everyday.  Ask for a "sit or a down" and a wait, then praise enthusiastically, then give them their food.  This is mentally stimulating for the dog.  It gives them a chance to think. You are cleverly combining desensitization to hands near the bowl too.  Holding the kibble and hand-feeding doubles as biting inhibition.  Too hard, "OUCH...".

For more intense training with a coach, seek out a good positive reward based training class.  Good canine coaches know the difference between doling out treats and learning theory 101, where randomization, intermittent or differential reinforcement is built into the training agenda (also known as twofers & threefers).  You should feel as comfortable with your instructor as you do with your family practitioner.  If you don't, then maintain your dignity and integrity, let it go and move on

 ~ The only thing that create change is change!  ~

* Note:  Clicker training is a crisp, clear way to mark (target) behaviors with dogs and other species.  You can find clicker training in our book below.  Karen Pryor's website, www.clickertraining.com is recommended. 

Excerpt taken from Train Your Dog, Change Your Life

by Maureen Ross and Gary Ross, Howell Book House, Wiley Inc., 2001.