A Different View On Dog Behavior
Someone shared with me the other day of her frustration she was having with her dog. It seems her dog has a favorite pillow in her bedroom she keeps on the ground and as soon as she goes in there with her dog, Fido lays on it. She keeps yelling at her dog when Fido […]
Positive Reinforcement In Dog Training
Just a brief reminder about behavior…teaching using positive reinforcement is not about bribing, and most certainly is not about force. Scientifically speaking, positive reinforcement is a consequence of a behavior that either maintains or strengthens it. As trainers, we are using positive reinforcement to build value for a behavior by pairing it with something the […]
Dog Arousal And Training
In all my years of sharing a home with dogs, and all my work with them, many times I’ve seen and experienced the impact of arousal on a dog’s ability to learn and problem solve what I am teaching.
Your Dog Says, “No Head Locks Please”
Parents…I wanted to share another reminder that Dog Super Heroes avoid head locks and big bear hugs as that can make a dog feel very uncomfortable – and past experiences build future associations. Instead of a head lock, your child can sit beside or in front of your dog, careful not to loom over your […]
How To Create New Reinforcers
Since my focus is on training and modifying behaviors in the most positive ways, I am always thinking in terms where the value is for the learner because the way in which you build value for a particular behavior, is by having that behavior followed by something the animal wants. This is teaching with positive […]
Teaching A Bird To Step Onto A Perch
I have a perch in my kitchen that adheres to my refrigerator, and when I bring Dreyfuss (my Maximillum Pionus parrot) in with me, I usually keep her there while I am cooking. However, I began noticing the other day that when I’d move my arm to the perch for her to ‘step up’ onto […]
Your Role In Training Success
When you ask your dog to sit or lay down, does it ever immediately pop back up into a stand instead of stay in position? And, what happens when you are out for a walk and stop to talk to someone? Does your dog go exploring and begin to pull on the leash when you’d […]
Realize That Each Dog Will Learn Differently
I was reminded again the other day, the importance as a teacher of recognizing that different animals learn differently, have different thresholds for frustration, and different values of reinforcement. That recognition and application to the lesson at hand can very well be what either helps and animal succeed…or fail.
Who Is Training Whom?
Just for fun, kind of/sort of, do you live with a skilled human trainer? I remember once hearing Susan Garrett say that anytime two animals are living together, one is always training the other.
Watch What You Are Reinforcing
I have some questions for you. Does your dog bring a toy back to you only to play keep-a-way as it gets within reaching distance? Does your dog back up from you when you reach down to snap a leash on its collar?