 |
Our PhilosophyHere at The Dog House, we are firm believers in learning how to communicate with your dog. We use a series of training techniques, all of which are personalized to each specific dog. After all, not all dogs learn the same way. We teach people to properly communicate - both verbally and with their body language - so they have full control of their dogs in any given situation. Our training is based on the theory of Operant Conditioning -more commonly reffered to as Positive Reinforcement - a method that has been proven effective time and time again. Most trainers now-a-days train with treats, choke collars, shock collars - you name it. At the Dog House, we strive to be un-reliant on "devices". Treats are fine for learning, but we want our dogs to sit because we asked, not because we bribed them with a cookie. Your dog will learn to listen because he has been conditioned to do so, not because you shocked or choked it -- after all, what is one to do when they are out of treats or their batteries run out? What is Operant Conditioning?Operant conditoning, aka "positive reinforcement" is the idea of providing a positive stimulus for behaviors you want to increase, and giving a correction, or ignoring those you want to decrease. Dogs are "Cause-and-Effect" creatures. They will perform actions more often that get them the direct results they want; and dogs will always act in their best interest. For Example: Let's say everytime you come home from work, Buster greets you at the door, excited as ever that his familiar face has once again returned to his domain. Problem is, however, that Buster is a 75lb lab-mix that likes to greet you face-to-face, and on two feet. Now, while one may endure this and exclaim "He's just happy to see me", we all know this becomes troublesome when we have our hands full of groceries, or heaven forbid when poor Great Gramma Elsie comes over for the holidays. What we need to do is teach our dog that jumping is only appropriate when called for, or on command, and that all other times are off limits. How do we do that, you ask? By conditioning the dogs behavior, and counterconditioning it with a "sit" instead of jumping. A dog cannot physically sit and jump at the same time. The key is consistency.
Ok, I understand, now what do I do? Practice first teaching Buster to sit when he meets people. Start with all members of the house, in a non-excited manner. Then bring guests, or practice coming thru the front door. If Buster does not sit for you in this early stage, you can show him a treat to speed along the process. Once he sits, reward him with both cookie and affection. Practice consistently ignoring your dog when you come thru the door until he calms down - either bumping him off with your hips when he jumps or turning your back. Remember hands are just as positive as cookies, so no touching! If you must say something, use a negative marker like "Eh!" in a calm and deep tone, almost like clearing your throat. The first day it may take 10 mins to calm Buster down, but eventually he will learn he does not get any attention unless all four paws are touching the floor. So we've modified a behavior in a few simple steps. Our dog went from: Jumping = Attention TO Jumping = No Attention TO All paws on deck = Attention Positive reinforcement in a nutshell. We didn't have to yell, hit, shock, beat, or kick anyone! The hard part is consistency. If your dog is allowed to jump on one family member, he's allowed to jump on them all - including Great Gramma Elsie..... that is of course until you teach him a jumping command -- but that's a story for another time. Questions? Ask the Trainer!
| ||||||
Buster is used to being greeted with that same attention he desires - whether its positive or not from your perspective. Let's give an example and say you went to the store to buy groceries. From Buster's point of view that's an entire hour he has been so horrifically deprived of his masters love and affection. When he hears that key turn in the latch, his ears perk up and his tail becomes a method of destruction. You finally emerge through the threshold, smelling of food and fantastic adventures. the first words from your mouth are "Ugh, Buster down!" and since Buster doesn't speak English, he takes this as an invitation. You set your groceries on the floor to defend yourself from those sharp nails and an unwanted make-out session. Pushing him down and shouting "down! down!", you become frustrated because this only seems to arouse him further. If only you had a dog trainer to help you understand why Buster just wont listen! ; )
|
|