A popular topic in the dog training field for trainers and pet parents is Positive Reinforcement. To be honest, before I became a dog trainer in 2012, I didn’t even know that there were different methodologies that were taught in training dogs. I am only knowledgeable and comfortable teaching positive reinforcement techniques. However, I have experienced the other method of training dogs, which is “correction” based, when I signed up for training my Corgi, Hank, in 2005.
You have to remember that even as recently as 20 years ago, the big box pet stores like Petco and PetSmart were not as well known and widespread as they are now. In-store dog training classes were not offered until sometime in the 1990s. People didn’t even think about getting their dog trained from a private dog trainer, let alone a pet store. Now, it is common to attend training classes with your dog, and the benefits of it are more well known. It has become more common to seek out a trainer for problem issues at home and/or just basic obedience skills. In fact, a lot of breeders either highly suggest or require that the puppy they have raised, attend basic obedience classes. Dogs went from being thought of as an animal that lived in a dog house outside, to a family member that sleeps in our beds, in a relatively short period of time!
When I was growing up, there was no leash law. Very few families on our street had dogs that roamed the neighborhood. The only bad thing I remember about that was the dog poop. No one liked it then when a dog pooped on your lawn, and no one likes it now! I’m sure kids got bit by these dogs, but they were far and few between. Not that many households had dogs like they have today. There are still cities and communities with no leash laws. However, with the threat of rabies from dogs attacking other dogs and humans, leash laws have become the standard.
In my early teenage years, my parents took care of my brother’s dog, Rama, for several years while my brother was in college. Rama was not allowed in the house. Rama was not my sole responsibility, but if my Mom told me to walk or feed him, I was happy to do that. I even used to walk him into town, off leash, bring him into the small grocery store and he would stay at the entrance until I was finished with my shopping. That is unheard of in my neighborhood today. If you do walk your dog off leash, you risk paying a fine if the police happen to see you in action.
Today, most of the neighbors on my street have dogs. The way we think about dogs has changed. They clearly are family members and because of that, people want the best care for them. Not to say that people didn’t want what was best for their dog back 20-30 years ago, but in general, people are more aware of caring for their dogs. What seems to resonate with pet parents today is positive reinforcement techniques versus correction based methods.
People have become more aware of how we care for our pets. How we train them, discipline them, feed them, and provide veterinary care for them, has changed. This all has an impact on the dog’s behavior and well being. There still are people who espouse the correction based methods of training and disciplining a dog, but they are becoming the minority. I remember asking my manager at Petco when I started to become aware of this difference in training, if there was an “old school” and “new school'“ way of training dogs, and he immediately said “Yes!”
So back in 2012, when I got the job at Petco, the curriculum there was all based on positive reinforcement. It was written by a well known animal behaviorist named Patricia McConnell. Positive reinforcement is a behavior modification technique. In order to get the dog to do the desired behavior you're looking for, you use something very positive. Most often it is treats, pea sized treats. You can also use a toy as long as the dog doesn't get too excited about the toy. When you're doing repetition after repetition to instill that behavior in the dog, a toy can take up too much time and cause too much excitement. You have to wait until the dog can refocus again on training. However, toys are great after a training session and the dog has some “free time'“ to decompress.
The other tool you always have on your person is your voice. You can praise your dog with your voice. The only thing you have to be aware of when using your voice is the excitement level in your voice. If you are too excited with your voice, the dog can get too excited and distracted by that. I happen to use both my voice and treats when shaping a particular behavior. Sometimes if I have been working on a particularly challenging behavior and the dog finally “gets it”, I want to shout for joy. However, I refrain because I want to do even more repetitions without having to spend time calming the dog back down from my excitement. Instead, I recommend giving a jackpot of very small treats and my energy is very happy.
The 3 D’s in dog training: distance, duration and distraction
Keep the distance from the dog very close, have them hold that behavior for a short duration ( 2-3 seconds), and keep the distractions at a minimum. Always work with your dog keeping these 3 factors in mind. You want to set your dog up for success. This is a great formula to achieve that. As you get in hundreds of repetitions, you can increase the distance by another foot, increase the duration by seconds, and then provide a little more distraction by either the movement of your arm or head, for example.
When teaching a dog a new behavior, I always lure the dog right up to his nose to best utilize his sense of smell. I keep it there until I get the behavior I am looking for. I don’t say a word. The command comes later after the dog has done the behavior at least 5-10 times in a row. It is only vocalized while the dog is in the process of doing the behavior you are asking for, and you are 99% sure the dog is in the act of doing the behavior. Within two seconds, I give them a “Yes!” marker word and the treat. After you give them the treat, that is their release, which means they can get up. Then, it’s lots of repetitions, until you are ready to go to the next stage of that behavior.
Dogs stay motivated because they love the treat that you're giving them. If they start to get uninterested in the treat, switch to another one that has a different scent.
The next stage of shaping a behavior after luring, marking and adding the command is adding a hand signal and making the dog hold that behavior until you release them. I recommend having a treat hand and a signal hand. This eases the weaning off the treats process. They still get the treat within 2 seconds, but it comes from the hand with the treat which is behind your back. When I release a dog from any behavior, a sit, down, or stay, I personally slap my leg and say, “Okay!”, and take a step backwards. That step backwards makes the dog want to follow you. Most likely, they will get up to get the treat (again within two seconds).
Back in 2012, when I was doing the online courses at Petco, the curriculum said to reward the dog within 2 to 3 seconds. By the time I left in 2016, they changed that to reward the dog within 2 seconds. One second can be the difference between keeping the dog's attention and them moving on and deciding what's next. The human should be in control of what’s next for the dog, not the dog.
When dogs are left to make decisions, they make dog decisions.
These dog decisions usually don’t mesh with the human’s decisions. Even if you give your dog a command that they have some free time and no longer have to be in communication with you, you are the one telling them that. This is what effective and clear communication is all about.
We can't talk about positive reinforcement without also talking about what if the dog doesn't sit? What do we do then? Sometimes the dog won't naturally sit. So, we might have to apply a little pressure right at the base of their back where the tail is, and just gently push their butt down. Sometimes that will work, depending on the dog. Other times, maybe your treat isn't motivating enough. I always advise having two to three different types of treats. Dogs will get used to and kind of bored with that one taste and smell. You bring in a brand new smell, they're motivated to work again.
If your dog is just unruly and does not want to pay attention, then I say change the venue. Instead of training in your kitchen, go into the living room and try there. You may have to go outside and throw the ball a few times to release any pent up energy. Better yet, go for a nice long walk. If the weather is not conducive to walking that day, put the dog on a treadmill!
A tired dog is a good dog. A dog that has had their energy drained is more submissive and receptive to learning.
Remember, you have to keep the distractions very few so that you can hold their attention. So many of my clients say with puppies that their puppies have attention deficit disorder. Well, they don't. They just can't stay focused on you for very long. That is very common. Keep the training sessions short, maybe 10-15 minutes or until you notice that your dog is starting to get too distracted too easily. Also, check your energy. Maybe you are losing your patience and starting to get frustrated. Take a break or pick the training session up later. Always end the session with an easy “Sit”, and release them. You are the one ending that conversation, not the dog.
We can’t talk about positive reinforcement without talking about discipline. When you are searching for a dog trainer, it is advisable to find out how the trainer disciplines dogs. Dogs are going to misbehave just like children will. How does the trainer handle this? In my opinion, there is no tolerance for hitting a dog. Not even two fingers on the nose. This is a topic I will discuss further in another episode.
We were taught a method of discipline at Petco called a snug hug. This only works for puppies and very small dogs. It involves holding the puppy facing away from you with your hands underneath their front legs and around their chest. Their back legs should be firmly on the floor and their front legs are suspended. You wait until your puppy calms down to release them. Their body will actually go limp or they will let out a big sigh. This is key. Once you start this, you have to finish it. It can be challenging when the puppy is trying to reach around to bite you to get away from you. It does work. I had to do it countless times on puppies and small dogs I encountered while working at Petco. The clients who implemented this technique always said it worked.
Even Petco did not address how to discipline a dog when he gets too big for the snug hug. So, I came up with my own method. I put the dog in a submissive position, like a down stay, within two seconds of doing the act that merits discipline. Even their head should be on the ground as shown in the picture below. I stand right in front of them. I don’t say anything to the dog. My energy says enough. The dog has misbehaved enough that it needs to be disciplined. For example, chasing the cat aggressively, running out the front door or snapping at you in an aggressive manner, all warrant this type of discipline. This down position is a hands off approach to avoid getting bit. Typically the dog is all wound up and unruly and possibly wanting to be aggressive because your energy is frustrated and angry. From a dog’s eye view, this is translated as excitement.
After putting them in this down position, wait several minutes, or however long it takes for both of you to calm down. Then, release the dog and walk away. There are no treats in this process. The only time you may have to give them treats is when you are teaching this down stay as a form of discipline. Then, you must wean them off the treats for this purpose. So, working on the down stay as an obedience skill is essential for this to be effective.
Discipline is also all about setting limits, boundaries and providing structure. The dog needs to know where they can and cannot go in your house, what they can or cannot chew, and the rules of the house you have established. Dogs also thrive off of structure and schedules. If the dog is unsure of who is establishing the rules, they will make up their own rules. When a dog can’t depend on a time of day when they can go for a walk with you, they can get unruly. If the dog has to lead you on the walk, they can get uncertain about stimuli they come across and make poor decisions. Dogs actually prefer that we make the decisions for them. It gives them security knowing that you “got this”.
Before positive reinforcement really took off, there was another type of method of training dogs. The other method is a more correction based method. I have never trained on that method because I don’t know enough about it. In fact, I really am not in a position to even describe it from a teaching point of view, because I was trained only on positive reinforcement methods. However, from what I do know, the correction based method is about handling the dog when he or she doesn't do what they are supposed to do or what you're trying to shape. This usually involves a special collar and a small leash attached to it. You tug on the leash to get their attention and stop the behavior. My issue with this method is we all can get frustrated and angry at our dogs. When we are in that moment, we could tug too hard on the collar unnecessarily. As a trainer, I have to remember how the information I give the client is then implemented. Anything that involves force or strength can get interpreted and implemented incorrectly in a harsh manner.
The exposure I had with the correction based method was when I was going through training with my Corgi, Hank, back in 2005. What I interpreted what the trainer told the class to do was anytime Hank didn't do what I was asking him to do, I was supposed to give him a tug, or “pop” on the short leash attached to a slip collar. That technique totally backfired on me because I'm sure I had the wrong timing. I'm sure I did not discipline him within two seconds. So, my timing was off, and I am certain my energy was negative and frustrated.
I had an experience in one of my classes with Hank when he went over to the water dish. Another dog came over to get a sip of water. Hank growled at the dog. The dog took off. The trainer asked me if I was going to do anything about that. I responded with a question, “Well, isn’t that what dogs do?” She agreed with me that dogs do that, but that it is not acceptable. From what I know now, that behavior is unacceptable and needs to be corrected. It’s just the way she believed in correcting that behavior is, in my opinion, an unacceptable and unnecessary way to teach the dog not to do that.
So, we set Hank up again to see if he would exhibit the same behavior that we call in the dog training world, resource guarding. We put the water dish in the same place, called Hank over to drink, invited another dog to the dish, and Hank did the same thing. He actually growled a little louder and chased the dog away. The trainer went over to Hank, grabbed his leash and lifted up on the leash so that his back legs were barely on the ground, swung him back and forth and then laid him down on his side. I was supposed to do this at home if Hank showed any of us this type of resource guarding. I showed my husband. My daughters were too young to do this. I tried it, maybe twice, and it backfired on me. Hank showed aggression towards me. I stopped it immediately, but never told the trainer. I’m not sure why I didn’t tell her, but that’s my fault. I am sure not everyone’s dog will have the same outcome with this type of discipline, but you are increasing the odds of the same thing happening to you and your dog as happened with Hank.
After experiencing this adverse reaction to this type of discipline, I came up with my own method that was a hands off approach and just as effective. I put Hank in a down stay. This worked beautifully with Hank. I still had other issues with Hank, but at least I could diffuse a very tense situation.
I remember my vet at the time told me to discipline Hank by laying him on his side, grabbing his front paws with one hand and the back paws with my other hand, and lean my forearm on his belly to hold him down. This didn’t work either. I tried this method more times than the other method, but Hank wiggled out of it and that restraint made him aggressive. Most dogs are not receptive to being restrained.
Another dog trainer I tried out was connected to my vet’s office. Her method of discipline was to spray bitter apple spray directly into the dog’s mouth. She demonstrated this on a puppy in the class and the puppy foamed at the mouth and was in distress until the bitterness of the spray subsided. I tried this too, but I couldn’t get Hank’s mouth open. A friend of mine who worked with dogs told me to stop that type of discipline. It just didn’t sound right to her. I actually believe that the way I was told to discipline Hank had a very negative effect on his whole behavior. He must have always been wondering if I was going to yank on his leash at anytime, or restrain him in the manner I was shown, which only made him want to escape and defend himself by biting me. This, combined with my lack of leadership and his temperament, created one of the most difficult dogs I have experienced to this day. The good news is that when I started implementing positive reinforcement techniques and changing my energy, Hank started to change.
I would like to add that once you get the dog in a down stay, if you can roll him on his side, that is the ultimate submissive position. My only problem with that is if I told clients to do this, they may get bit in the heat of the moment. I will add that if I do this with my current dog, Ebi, she would not disrespect me and bite me. I have the right energy to pull this off. I also have earned her respect for me. It took me awhile to achieve this calm and assertive energy and most clients don’t have it. It doesn’t come naturally to a lot of people.
I still advise a down stay as a form of discipline to my clients. It’s the equivalent of putting your young child in a time out versus spanking them. The old school method of disciplining children was spankings. The new school method is a time out. Once your dog has cooled down (there is no time limit to this), and you have to also, release them from that down position and walk away. I don’t want my dogs or children to fear me, I want them to respect me for being their leader and establishing rules with a hands off approach.
The one negative thing that can happen with positive reinforcement and all the treats is that people tend to give too many treats for too long. For example, when starting out shaping a new behavior, I recommend that the dog get a treat every time they are successful in doing the behavior. After hundreds of repetitions of the same behavior have consistently occurred and you are shaping exactly how you want it to look, then you can start the weaning off process.
We don’t want our dogs looking at us like a treat machine!
The weaning process looks like rewarding with a treat every other time they do a particular behavior for you. Then, they get a treat for every two times they do the behavior, etc., until they can do the behavior without expecting a treat. However, as Gary Flynn says, “Never abandon your reward system!”The dog still needs to be rewarded every now and then just to become or stay motivated. Instead of rewarding the dog as you are shaping the behavior, you are rewarding the dog more as a motivator to keep doing the behavior in the future.
Whether you are training your dog using positive reinforcement techniques or correction based methods, the end result we all should be looking for is a cooperative relationship built on trust, not fear and forced submission.
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