Dog Training Chico makes fascinating television, but some trainers use techniques that may not be effective or humane. It is important to understand the basics of behavior modification so you can distinguish knowledgeable trainers from rookies.

Lure/reward or shaping is a simple and straightforward method of teaching your dog to do something. It involves gradually luring your dog into the correct position and then rewarding it.

Dog training makes surprisingly fascinating TV, and a large portion of what is shown on television is about dog trainers using various methods to teach dogs obedience. When watching these programs, it is important to remember that many of the techniques used may not be scientifically sound or in the best interest of the dog.

Some of the more popular and often used training methods are positive reinforcement, clicker training, and negative punishment. Positive reinforcement involves adding something the dog likes after a desired behavior has been performed. A reward could be a treat, verbal praise, or playing with your dog. Negative punishment is the opposite; it involves removing something your dog does not like after a desired behavior has been performed. An example of this would be a trainer yanking a dog’s collar to get it to sit down after the dog disobeyed a command.

Science-based dog training is continually being improved from the results of investigations by animal behaviorists who are trying to understand what makes a dog tick. These discoveries will help trainers be able to make better decisions about how to train their dogs.

One group of trainers that may not be using the latest scientific information is the force-free community. These are the trainers who recommend ignoring problem behaviors that do not threaten the safety of people or animals, and instead teaching the dog new acceptable behaviors. A highly skilled force-free trainer may only need to use a stern voice or touch to correct an aggressive or other problem behavior, but even the most skillful trainer can not guarantee success with all dogs.

A second group of trainers is the correction-based trainers. These are the trainers who believe that a dog must be taught to obey commands by being punished for disobedient behavior. Some of these trainers use the term “balanced training” to describe their method, but many do not have the knowledge or skill to effectively balance rewards and punishments. Some of these trainers also encourage owners to try to be the dominant figure in their dogs’ lives, and this can lead to aggression problems later on.

Rewarding

A dog that is trained with reward-based methods learns to do what you ask because it wants to get the rewards. It does not do it because it is scared or worried about punishment if it doesn’t do it. This is the most humane way to train dogs and it also addresses any unwanted behaviours without using aversives, such as physical punishment or asserting dominance over the dog.

The most powerful rewards for training are food, toys, praise and affection, but it also depends on your dog’s individual motivators. For example, a food motivated dog will likely appreciate bits of chicken or freeze-dried liver for their work in training, while a play motivated dog will enjoy a round of tug and fetch as a reward.

If you are unsure what your dog would find rewarding, it’s worth getting to know your dog better so that you can identify their likes and dislikes. You will find that almost all dogs love treats, but some may not enjoy the same ones as you do, for example, a dog who does not like stale saltine crackers might prefer a piece of cheese or a frozen treat.

Rewarding is used to teach your dog what actions it should do, such as look at you when you say ‘look’ or to sit when you ask for it. This is done by luring the dog with food or treats until it begins to perform the action without being lured and then rewarding them when they do. Gradually the food can be replaced with a clicker and eventually, the dog will begin to perform the desired behavior independently of your presence.

Some people use reward based training incorrectly, such as using food as a bribe for their dog to do what they ask. This is a common mistake and it causes the dog to become treat savvy and only does what they are asked to do because they want the reward. This is not the intended purpose of reward based training and it is important to understand the nuances of using rewards in training.

Punishment

Punishment is anything that stops a behavior and can be both negative or positive. For it to be effective it must meet three critical criteria – it must stop the behavior, be immediate and have the potential to change the animal’s motivation to avoid the punishment in the future. If the training does not meet all three of these requirements it can actually be counter-productive and create more issues than it solves.

Negative Punishment – also known as Discipline – occurs when something is taken away from the dog after they have done an undesired action making the behavior less likely to happen again. Examples include using a citronella collar that squirts citronella in the dog’s face to stop them from barking, physically pulling a dog on their leash to stop them from pulling or putting them in their crate after they have destroyed something. Positive Punishment – also known as Encouragement – is adding something to the situation that the animal likes to increase the likelihood of them offering the behavior. Examples of this are giving the dog treats after they perform a desired behavior, playing tug with them or even petting them (though it can be a slippery slope when petting).

In order to punish or discipline effectively the punishment must occur immediately. If it happens too late the animal will not associate it with the undesirable behavior. This can also be a problem if the trainer or owner is angry when they are punishing the dog as this will lead to too much intensity and inconsistency.

It is important that the person training their dog is not angry as this will cause them to become over-zealous and not use their punishment with a clear mind. Angry people may use inappropriate techniques that hurt the dog unnecessarily and make them fearful of their owners. This can also cause the dog to shut down and not learn because it will focus on staying safe, which is a different goal than learning.

Punishment can be used in conjunction with positive reinforcement to help teach the dog what to do and how to do it, however the positive reinforcement must be stronger than the punishment to create effective training. If the positive reinforcement is not strong enough the dog will not want to offer the desirable behavior and will remain frustrated.

Discipline

There is a lot of debate over discipline in dog training. Some trainers say they don’t use any kind of punishment at all and just reward good behavior. Other dog trainers will tell you that your only choice is to punish the undesired behavior because dogs can’t learn with positive reinforcement alone. The truth is that both methods include discipline, and the method you choose to use will depend on how much control and consistency you need in your training session.

Positive Reinforcement is a great way to teach a dog new behaviors, but it can be difficult to maintain control of the behavior once you are finished training. It is also very important to make sure that all rewards are given in the correct way. For example, if you want to reward a dog for sitting, it is important that you say “good” and then give them their treat or play immediately. This will help the dog to understand that they need to comply with commands and not just do the behavior for the reward.

Negative Punishment is a training technique that is used to reduce the likelihood of an undesired behavior. It is typically done by taking something away. This could be a physical action (such as removing the treat from the dog or stopping petting them) or a verbal cue (such as saying no or squirting with a water bottle). To be effective, this type of punishment must be delivered in the exact right way to prevent it from becoming a learned behavior or simply making the dog fear you.

The quickest way to control undesired behavior is by using a combination of both positive and negative reinforcement. Generally, you will start with the positive reinforcement and then gradually introduce the negative reinforcement as your dog shows more and more understanding of the behavior. This helps to ensure that the training sessions don’t become too intense or stressful for your dog.

It is also important to only use one type of punishment at a time, and to start with a low level of punishment. For example, if you are training a dog to not lunge at other dogs while on the leash, you will start with a reprimand (Antecedent Signal) and then try a jerk of the collar or a quick verbal reprimand before trying a more intense punishment.