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Welcome

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Mike Jones Course Director

Signing in

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Presentation One

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Overview

• How do Dogs Learn

• Positive Dog Training

• Positive Reinforcement

• When we can say we have reinforced behaviour

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Overview

• The Difference Between Pro-Active and Re-active Training

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How do Dogs Learn?

• Observation

•Classical Conditioning

•Operant Conditioning (Dog Training)

•Association

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How do Dogs Learn?

They learn best when stress is kept to a minimum although a certain amount of positive stress is required to help them cope with day to day life.

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How do Dogs Learn?

What do we mean by positive stress?

•Learning the washing machine is no threat

•Traffic noise on a walk etc.

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Positive Dog Training.

What is positive training?

•We focus on the behaviours we want.

•Ignore the behaviours we don’t want.

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"Positive" is a word with many meanings, but when someone says they use "positive dog training techniques" they are usually identifying themselves as someone who prefers to use positive reinforcement and motivation rather than negative reinforcement and punishment to train their dog. They might believe that it is kinder, more fun, less prone to abuse, and even more effective than alternatives.

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So the burning question is why did YOU sign up for this course?

Was it because you wanted:

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- To have a better relationship with your dog?

- To have fun training your dog?

- To solve behaviour problems?

- To learn to train other people's dogs?

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- Because more 'traditional' dog training techniques didn't feel right to you?

- Because your dog didn't do well with older style dog training techniques?

- To learn to train more efficiently or effectively?

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These are some of the many reasons people choose to learn about positive dog training techniques, and there are many more.

While our training methods are 'softer', make no mistake. There are no fewer boundaries or rules. In fact, you can set as many boundaries or rules as you like, just as with any other style of training.

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• "Positive" does not equal "permissive".

• The real beauty is that positive trainers set their dogs up to get what the DOG wants in return for doing what the HUMAN wants. It's a win-win,

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Positive Reinforcement

• As promised in the previous section of this course, today we're going to find out what Positive Reinforcement really is. You've probably heard the term "Reinforcement" before, but do you know what it really means?

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• Reinforcement is the term behaviour analysts use when behaviour has been maintained or increased in frequency, duration or intensity.

• An example, a dog learns to sit to be patted, each time he is patted he learns to sit more often or for longer.

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• This means if you want a dog to keep doing something, or do it more often, more intensely or for longer, that behaviour needs to be reinforced.

• The traditional method of reinforcement was to do something the dog didn't like and stop doing it when the dog complied with the command

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These days most dog training professionals use Positive Reinforcement, we give the dog something he wants when he does something we want!

Sometimes it's not obvious to the dog exactly what we are trying to reinforce, and reinforcement of the desired behaviour does not occur as a result

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When can we say we have Reinforced behaviour?

By definition, we can only say reinforcement has occurred when we measure the increase or maintenance of a particular behaviour.

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• Scientists would carefully measure behaviour

• Some trainers make the mistake of assuming that behaviour has been increased or maintained when in fact it has not.

• All this might seem very theoretical

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The Difference between Pro-Active and Re-Active Training

We are now going to look at the difference between "pro-active" and "reactive" dog training.

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What is the difference between "pro-active" and "reactive" dog training?

When we make pro-active training choices we don't say "stop doing that", we say "this is what I want you to do instead".

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• Think about it. How does your dog know what to do instead?

• How do you know it's going to be something beneficial to your relationship and your lifestyle?

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Let's say he has some sort of emotional or physical need for exercise which is not being met. So he goes out into the yard and digs.

So what does he do instead? Maybe he starts escaping the yard and wandering about the neighbourhood.

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• You build a higher fence.

• Then what does he do instead?

Another Scenario…. Puppy is teething and needs to chew for relief; it might be from boredom or from the pain of teething.

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The answer, in part, is to become pro-active. Put your shoes away and give pup legal things to chew. It's ok to say 'no' in a neutral tone of voice when pup is chewing the shoe you foolishly left on the floor, but then you need to follow up by swapping your shoe for a pig's ear or chew toy instead.

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We all know that Consequences can be used to train new behaviours and reduce existing behaviours. But what about non-consequences?

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• Extinction is the process of not reinforcing a previously reinforced behaviour.

• It involves identifying what the reinforcer is for target behaviour and removing it.

• For a dog who likes to 'counter-surf', i.e. check out the kitchen counters looking for food, the reinforcer is easy to identify - FOOD.

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To solve that sort of problem we need to use extinction.

Dear God, thank you for the treats I am about to receive

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Summary

• How do dogs learn?

• Positive Dog Training

• Positive Reinforcement

• When Can We Say We Have Reinforced Behaviour

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Summary The Difference Between Pro-Active and

Re-Active Training

Any Questions?

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Presentation Three

Canine Rehabilitation

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Presentation Two

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Overview:

• It Will get worse, then better then go away

• A Practical Example

• Why Use Food

• Exercise Requirements

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Overview

• Games to Play

• Directorship Qualities

• Dominance: Fact or Fiction

• Dogs do What Works for Them

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In the short term, the behaviour will get worse. Then it will get better. Then it will go away.

• Beware the gambler's curse - Variable Schedules of Reinforcement.

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So how can you apply Extinction to your pet's behaviour problem? First - identify the reinforcer. Second - remove it.

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A Practical Example:

• So far we’ve talked about some of the basics of positive dog training including what reinforcement is and some of the ways we can stop unwanted behaviour.

• In this section we’re going to look at a practical example – how to stop your dog from jumping on visitors.

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A Practical Example:

• In this section we’re going to look at a practical example – how to stop your dog from jumping on visitors.

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So what would be a better way for our dogs to greet us or our visitors?

Most dog owners know that they need to teach Fido to “sit”. It’s usually the first thing taught in any dog obedience class. If your dog already knows how to sit, you are half-way to having a well-mannered pooch who doesn’t jump up on you or your visitors.

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• What if we were to fold our arms across our chest every time we asked Fido to sit? Then give Fido a small food reward when he sits, or some play time if Fido isn’t hungry.

This achieves two things:

• 1. It gives Fido something to do that isn’t jumping on our visitors, teaching him what we would prefer him to do.

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• 2. It makes our visitors less likely to accidentally reinforce the jumping by “making a game of it” when they try to shove Fido down off them.

It’s a “Win – Win” Situation

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Why Use Food?

If you go to any good dog trainer or read any of the many excellent books on dog training these days you will discover that most trainers are using food in their training. Why is this so?

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Why Use Food?

The question is what do dogs want? The list is almost endless;

So why do positive reinforcement trainers rely mostly on food in their training?

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Why Use Food?

• All dogs need to eat. Food is necessary to survival and dogs are hard-wired to work for food.

• Most dogs love to eat, even beyond basic survival

• Some food is particularly tasty to dogs and will get a more enthusiastic response.

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Why Use Food?

• Food is convenient for the trainer; lots of small pieces fit in a bag or pocket and can be used throughout the day whenever we catch our dog doing something we like!

• We have to feed our dogs anyway, so we might as well get something in return!

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Why Use Food?

• It is quicker and more efficient than training with play or toys; therefore we can get in many more reinforcements in a shorter space of time

• Food gives the dog positive associations with being trained.

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Why Use Food?

Why don’t some dogs work for food?

Whilst special treats are great to use for training, often they are fatty, sugary or salty and not particularly healthy, so use these in moderation

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Why Use Food?

Here’s a trick for owners with dogs that don’t appear to be food motivated:

1. Divide your dogs normal meal into small pieces suitable for training

2. Use those small pieces as training treats

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Why Use Food?

3. Some food is particularly tasty to dogs and will get a more enthusiastic response.

4. Food is convenient for the trainer; lots of small pieces fit in a bag or pocket and can be used throughout the day whenever we catch our dog doing something we like!

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Why Use Food?

5. We have to feed our dogs anyway, so we might as well get something in return!

6. It is quicker and more efficient than training with play or toys; therefore we can get in many more reinforcements in a shorter space of time

7. Food gives the dog positive associations with being trained.

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Why Use Food?

Why don’t some dogs work for food?

Other dogs might be anxious or stressed.

Whilst special treats are great to use for training,often they are fatty, sugary or salty and notparticularly healthy

Clicker WorkshopWhy Use Food?

Here’s a trick for owners with dogs that don’t appear to be food motivated:

1. Divide your dogs normal meal into small pieces suitable for training

2. Use those small pieces as training treats

3. When you have finished training, give your dog the remainder as his meal

Clicker WorkshopWhy Use Food?

If that doesn’t work, please seek help from a competent positive reinforcement trainer or veterinarian if you suspect health problems. All dogs need to eat, and all dogs will work for food – no exceptions!

Clicker WorkshopExercise Requirements

When asked what the biggest cause of dog behaviour problems is, most people would guess at lack of training, a ‘dominance’ problem, or inadequate socialisation. Some might even try to blame the dog’s genetics or temperament


So what are your dog’s exercise requirements?

That depends on age, breed and individual. Puppies shouldn’t be exercised for more than 20 minutes at a time, but they can be exercised gently quite frequently.


• Different breeds have different exercise requirements

• Some breeds, whilst they may appear to have high exercise requirements, may not.

• Individuals within any breed will have greater or lesser requirements for exercise than others of that breed.


• Nearly every adult dog requires at least 30 minutes walking each day.

• Some individual dogs have a very high exercise requirement

• These dogs almost certainly require more exercise than they are getting


Swedish studies conducted by Dr Anders Hallgren identified a very strong correlation between dogs with low activity levels and problem behaviours.


• Can you over-exercise a dog?

• Please also be aware of any physical limitations your dog may have

Clicker WorkshopGames to play.

In the last section we looked at what causes about 75% of all dog behaviour problems – lack of exercise and mental challenge. So here’s a game you can play with your dog, it doesn’t take much time and it will be really enjoyable for your dog.


The plan is really quite simple.

Pretty easy right, your dog shouldn’t have any trouble at all finding all the food you left lying around the yard.


What we’re trying to teach is a connection between the scents left on a track and the food. At first it’s just a continuous trail of food, but as you start leaving food out your dog will have to look for clues. The consistent clue is that the food is always where your footsteps have been.


Dogs already know how to track. They are born with an amazing ability to find things using their noses.


In this section we're also going to look at some cool toys you can make for your dog out of stuff you would throw in the rubbish bin otherwise.

You don't need to spend a fortune to keep your pet entertained. Your dog will love these pound saving ideas.


• Buy your Peanut Butter in plastic jars • Put food in old toilet rolls or cereal boxes • Old plastic (PET) soft drink bottles • Filling empty plastic (PET) soft drink bottles

with rice • 10" lengths of garden hose • Old catalogues and junk mail

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Directorship Qualities

What qualities do dogs look for in their directors? Adopt these 3 simple qualities to turn dog’s behaviour around almost literally overnight!

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Directorship Qualities

It probably won’t surprise you to learn that dogs look for the same directorship qualities that people look for – consistent directors who direct by example and who reward good behaviour.

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Directorship Qualities1. Consistency:

2. Direct by example:

3. Reward good behaviour:

By adopting these 3 qualities and making them habits in your day to day interaction with your dog, you will see positive changes in your relationship.

Clicker WorkshopDominance: Fact or Fiction

Does dog dominance really exist, or is the whole notion a hang-over from bad research done in the 1930s and 1940s? Are dogs really trying to "rule the roost"? Are we really such bad directors? Do dogs even recognise us as part of their social group?.

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Dominance: Fact or Fiction

Is Dog Dominance Fact or Fiction?

The answer is it is a fact.

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Yes, dogs do form hierarchies.

Dominance is a relative term, not absolute.

When it comes to individual behaviour problems, directorship is absolutely essential.

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Dominance: Fact or Fiction It is important to set rules and boundaries

The shortest path to solving a behaviour problem is to look at the behaviour for what it is.

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Then we can set about making what works for the dog the same thing that works for us, like a good director should.

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Dogs do what works for them.

Do you ever find yourself repeating yourself to your dog? This section explains how to train your dog to listen to you first time, every time.

Clicker WorkshopDogs do what works for them.

Dog owners frequently repeat commands over and over. If your dog didn't respond the first time, repetition isn't going to help. Repeating commands teaches a dog that either the command is meaningless or that it's ok to respond in their own sweet time!


• Train quietly.

• Remember to always set your dog up for success

• Quit while you are ahead

• Train often


• Be worth listening to.

• Teaching your dog to come when called

• Once you leave your house with your dog,

• What is reinforcement?

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So we start off training with food in a quiet, distraction-free area inside the house. We put any other pets out of the room. We turn off the TV. We wait until the kids are in bed. Then we shut the door and train. There are numerous books and articles explaining how to do this, so I won't re-hash the basics.

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• But it doesn't need to.• The big secret to dog training is to always set

the dog up for success. If the dog fails, we can't reinforce. If we can't reinforce, behaviour can not be maintained or increased. If behaviour hasn't been maintained or increased, training has failed.

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The best way to set our dogs up for success is to control the environment as best we possibly can until they are well and truly proofed and ready for the big wide world.

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1. Place a tennis ball in the middle of the floor

2. Turn the radio on softly, and then turn it up gradually throughout our training session

3. Have a friend come into the room with us


4. Put a piece of stale dog food on the floor

5. Wave our arms around

6. Turn the taps on halfway through an exercise

7. Whistle a tune

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8. Roll a tennis ball slowly in front of our dog

9. Turn away from our dog

... Or any combination of the above

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Remember, the secret is to always set our dogs up for success, so that we may reinforce (maintain or increase) their good behaviour.

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Summary

• It Will get worse, then better then go away

• A Practical Example

• Why Use Food

• Exercise Requirements

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Summary

• Games to Play

• Directorship Qualities

• Dominance: Fact or Fiction

• Dogs do What Works for Them

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Any Questions?

Choose One


Presentation Three


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Presentation Three

Clicker Training Workshop

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The Training Game

Your Turn to have fun

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Presentation Three


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