I have encounter dogs who are... unfazed by the electric shock given by invisible collars, but I can't honestly say I've met a single one who was unaffected. The added stress of such extreme positive punishment or so many less extreme positive punishments is perceived by the dog as at least moderate levels, if not extreme.
Invisible fence collared dogs tend to be very hyper, at best, and very prone to aggression, at worst.
Some dogs will even use aggression to keep owners &/or guests from being bitten by the bad thing that is out there.
They fail to physically prevent the dog's access to danger.
They expose the dog to the danger posed by other dogs who are now reacting to your e-collared dog who has learned that other dogs "bite" when you approach them.
Dogs who receive a warning tone end up reacting to the warning tone in exactly the same way as they do to the HIGHEST LEVEL of shock ever experienced. The warning tone is actually MORE stressful than collars that increase in shock intensity.
Is it the shock alone? I don't think so. I've actually seen dogs trained on remote collars who act completely normal. Granted, these are high-drive dogs in the hands of a trainer with precise timing receiving a consistent message in extremely rewarding environments where they have a pretty good idea of what is expected of them already.
What is it that makes invisible fences so effective at creating problems?
Today's incident with Lila was absolutely typical. A not-so-new dog on a fairly new fence. I guess around 18 month old-- intact black Labrador male. Sees Lila. Lila, though spayed since 6 mos, literally drives male dogs insane. (Dogs really do resemble their owners! Well, I drive the boys crazy... not the spaying part.)
Runs to check out the Hot Chick Dog. On his way, she BITES him! From a distance! (collar zap, for our sleepy readers) Well, distance biting is FIGHTING WORDS. He runs at Lila making sounds and quick movements like he wishes to eat her. (This terrifies my mother, who said her adrenaline shot through the roof.)
Lila is a very well-socialized dog. Extremely. When we are at an off-leash park, and I am ready to leave, I would say she is OVERLY social. No matter what kind of nut job she meets, she "talks it out".
In today's interaction (which many owners would be inclined to describe as an "attack"), she stands stock still at 90 degrees to the other dog's loud and maniacal approach. She lifts her head to say "No, you're not going to bite me", and gives a warning growl. She slowly lowers her head, telegraphing her intention to sniff the other dog's butt "Is this ok with you?" He says, "No. Sniff my face." and shoves his face to hers. She repeats the intention to butt sniff. Now that she's older, there's a bit of pee-fighting. (Just a slight "piss on your bad attitude"?) There is more sniffing, and thoughts from the male of mounting, which between my body language (angle of approach and a few well-timed pokes) and Lila's dirty, disdaining looks (she is very proper), he gets the message "That's a no-go, crazy pants." She says "Let's just be friends instead." Finally there is a butt-sniffing circle. This is highly desirable, and on the way to working it out. There is a reversal of direction to the doggy-handshake-butt-sniffing circle. We've changed from challenge to working it out. (It can go the other way, too. Reversal of circling direction is very communicative.) Sniffing ensues. She takes a short sprint away with her tail held at a crazy angle which invites him to play. I curse my short leash 6' instead of my 26' retractable, which is fantastic for controlled romps with crazy dogs. We've worked it out.
Why was it so critical for us to stay and work it out? Couldn't we have just walked past?
Round 2. A few hours later.
On this round, he knew she was nice. So when he got nailed by the collar again on his way out of the yard, well, he learned that it was worth it. Just a quick flash of pain, and then --freedom and sexy romps with the hot grey Lab chick! "Totally worth it," I hear him say in a 15 year old voice.
His owners, trying to be responsible, realize in short order that he is loose. They call him back into the yard -- while they are standing INSIDE the fence. Poor great doofus charges back to them, yipes as he hits the fence, and continues into the house. NOW he has learned that listening to COME takes away the hot female & freedom, gets him bitten again, and then he ends up in confinement. I don't think you have to be a pro to guess what effect this is going to have.
Why do people use them?
Sadly, I think it is with good intentions. It makes them feel good. They can give their dog more freedom. They are protecting the dog from traffic. And, let's face it, these things are well-marketed, and cheap and easy compared to a fence.
Unfortunately, they believe the hype, and they discredit the concerns of folks like me because sometimes, they DO work. Or they appear to work. A mild-mannered dog is not highly motivated to leave the yard in the first place, and a highly aversive punishment definitely keeps the dog in the yard.
And that's their goal. No matter what the cost to the dog, or what side effects it causes, they will only turn their tunnel vision towards keeping the dog in the yard.
Even when the fence fails, the frustration they feel makes the dog's pain seem acceptable. At least they didn't hit him. At least he "learned a lesson" (of course, which one is it??). They truly believe that their dog is just slow, and that it will just take more pain and more loose running in the neighborhood for the dog to learn to stay in the yard.
I admire their optimism, and stalwart resistance to being confused with facts.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire
(Title links to article.)
"Extroversion"= energetic & bouncy “hyperactive” to “eager” to “quiet”
"Neuroticism"= nervousness, sensitivity and caution, combined with curiosity
Similar but not identical to human neuroticism. Canine neurosis, unlike the human version which mainly consists of anxiety, may be related to that of hyenas.“Perhaps a combination of fearfulness and curiosity represents a single factor in the dog but contributes to two separate factors in humans . . . further research will be required to determine the exact components of ‘neuroticism’ in dogs,” says the study.
"Amicability"= happy-go-lucky or gentle
different from friendliness in humans “lacked the altruism qualities commonly found in human studies
"Training Focus"= characteristics selectively bred by humans, such as the ability to follow a scent or retrieve a bird
"Self-assurance"= assertiveness, dominance and comfort in its surroundings.
"Extroversion"= energetic & bouncy “hyperactive” to “eager” to “quiet”
"Neuroticism"= nervousness, sensitivity and caution, combined with curiosity
Similar but not identical to human neuroticism. Canine neurosis, unlike the human version which mainly consists of anxiety, may be related to that of hyenas.“Perhaps a combination of fearfulness and curiosity represents a single factor in the dog but contributes to two separate factors in humans . . . further research will be required to determine the exact components of ‘neuroticism’ in dogs,” says the study.
"Amicability"= happy-go-lucky or gentle
different from friendliness in humans “lacked the altruism qualities commonly found in human studies
"Training Focus"= characteristics selectively bred by humans, such as the ability to follow a scent or retrieve a bird
"Self-assurance"= assertiveness, dominance and comfort in its surroundings.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Isn't that Pain? -- REdefining Punishment
A dog ALWAYS has free choice. A dog can ALWAYS choose all "bad" behaviors, including biting. No amount of training reward or punishment will ever remove a dog's opportunity to choose.
There are trainers who report that they can. These people are fools, at best, who really believe that such a cognitive overhaul is possible. These people are slick salesmen, at worst, telling people what they want to hear in the interest of selling something, even though it isn't actually true!
There are, in fact, NO GUARANTEES when it comes to dog behavior. Just as there are no guarantees when it comes to human behavior. We can all choose any behavior we are capable of at any moment.
What good training & management does is continually to make "good" choices extremely appealing, and "bad" choices unappealing. Dog ownership is risk management. We want to make it probable that a dog will choose to resolve conflict with "good" behaviors. Creating this likelihood is a deliberate choice on the part of the owner.
While behaviors can be deliberately chosen, EMOTIONS cannot. Emotions are reactions to stimuli. Neither we nor dogs can choose whether to receive hot or cold stimuli-- to sense "hot" or "cold". We can only choose behaviors that avoid hot or cold triggering reactions. Dogs cannot choose to be fearful or frustrated. We can only teach them to choose behaviors that avoid triggering those emotions. Through careful emotional intervention-- modeling neutral/positive emotions, building trusting relationships, and establishing unmistakeable communication, we can re-shape dogs beliefs & reactions to some degree, but we cannot cause a dog (or human) to DELIBERATELY CHOOSE a feeling.
PUNISHMENT = anything the dog doesn't like or want (not necessarily pain) -- decreases the frequency of the behavior preceding it (does NOT eliminate it)
Dog owners often THINK they are looking for punishers to institute "discipline". Nothing could be further from the truth. "Discipline", "structure", and "leadership" are all created by telling the dog what to START or CONTINUE doing. You want a dog to do good behaviors MORE. Only reward increases behaviors.
Punishments are only a small part of a communication picture, because they only tell a dog what to STOP doing. The dog has only a piece of the information. It's as if a trainer told a human: "Don't use punishment." The human is left thinking, "Well, what SHOULD I use?" Or if a coach tells an athlete, "Don't throw the ball like that." The athlete thinks, "Well, I can throw it 15 other ways. What way SHOULD I throw it?"
A punishment is most often thought of as pain, but trainers who can only identify pain or intimidation as a punisher don't completely understand canine cognition. Punishers diminish the frequency of the behavior that caused them because the dog does not like the result that behavior seems to cause.
For example, imagine a dog encounters a baseboard covered in Bitter Apple spray. Tasting & chewing the baseboard seems like a good idea because, well, dogs aren't humans. "I feel like chewing. That looks chewable." The baseboard punishes the dog by delivering a nasty taste, which makes the dog rethink his next chewing selection. (Well, unless the dog is one of the ones who LOVE Bitter Apple spray flavor.... Then the baseboard rewards the dog with chewing release AND a delicious taste!) The frequency of tasting the baseboard is likely to diminish over time.
Like reward, what any individual dog perceives as punishment varies by individual. If your dog doesn't like to go out for walks, walks are actually punishment! Forcing treats into the mouth of a dog turning away from you is punishing. Going for car rides for a dog who gets carsick is a punishment.
Like reward, there is a scale of punishment from most aversive (Worst. Thing. Ever.) to least aversive (mildly irritating, distracting). The relative badness of a specific punishment can change depending on the dog and the situation. For example, during a food- or play-training session, complying with various commands can be quite enjoyable. The same command requested mid-play session or mid-dash after a squirrel? If successfully elicited, the exact same command can serve to punish.
Punishment also comes in 2 flavors: "positive", meaning something unpleasant STARTS happening, and "negative", meaning a good thing STOPS happening or is taken away.
Positive punishers: TASTING Bitter Apple spray, GETTING a collar correction, SMELLING citronella spray
Negative punishers: NO MORE treats, REMOVED from social interaction
Like reward, some punishments can be implemented by you, the handler, and some can come from the environment. Sneaky handlers (like me) will find ways (like Bitter Apple spray) to set up the environment to do the punishing so I can do the rewarding. (When I see a dog turn away from an object he has decided not to chew, I reward him with food and celebrate! Woo hoo!)
Absolutely unacceptable punishments -- can NEVER be humane under ANY circumstances:
These are all punishments owners have reported and I have read in a book.
Uh,,, yeah. Good job done, there. Like addressing the hole in your back yard by digging one hole for the dirt to fill the first. Well, I guess that worked for the first hole, but isn't the second one a bit of a problem? And, generally, whether holes or dog problems, the second one is BIGGER than the first. Hey, I have a good idea -- let's not do it that way.
Not saying it's 100% impossible for these to work. People assume the risk inherent in these activities, because there's always someone's Aunt Bertha who has a story about how she successfully addressed some behavior with one of these abusive punishments. It's possible that some other reason is why the dog stopping doing the bad behavior, and Aunt Bertha just THINKS it was her foolish punishment. If it DID work, it's a credit to the DOG's patience, tolerance, non-retaliatory nature, not to mention intellect, that the dog figured out what was going on.
These tactics are NOT effective or easy for the dog to understand. So things that are difficult to understand will NOT be understood by some dogs. Who will have been treated aggressively for no reason at all.
Why do these tactics so often fail?
These actions don't remotely resemble dog-dog social interactions. A human is shaped nothing like a dog, and though our actions will be interpreted through a canine filter, dogs don't think that humans are dogs.
To be effective, they often require an emotional intensity from the owner. This emotional intensity can interfere with a trusting relationship & break down loyalties. Punishing with hatefulness, even if you achieve your goal of reducing a certain behavior, has also displayed to the dog that you can be hateful. Punishing with an appearance of being out of control can come across as weakness. Weakness does not make you a reliable authority figure. It makes you likely to crumble when the going gets tough-- and in need of being lead by someone more rational (like me, thinks the leadership-motivated dog).
Dogs do punish each other, and sometimes they even use aggression to do so -- but they don't use ANY of these tactics. Because dogs do not develop using sticks and hits and knees to the chest, these behaviors demand more interpretation from a dog than a typical dog-dog punishment. A fair dog-dog punishment, starts with loads of warning, and gradually escalates. The sequences of events include a number of these elements that are difficult for humans to recognize: context (dog being punished did something)--a tiny pause, decreased overall body movement, change in eye contact, ear placement, growling, tail thrashing (wagging), hair stands up, breathing rate changes, increased speed of approach, specific angle of approach telegraphs intent of bite.
It may be because of the time required to "make your point" (a point which, frankly, I understand to be you saying "I'm. A. Jerk."), or because the brain is loaded with pain signals and juiced up with stress chemicals, leaving no processing circuits for learning, or another reason, but more often than not, with such techniques, the dog can have difficulty making the cause-effect connection, so cannot identify which behaviors to eliminate.
On the next repetition, the dog may have eliminated a behavior he thought was the cause behavior, which you don't notice, because you are paying attention to another behavior that he is still doing, so you punish anyway. From the dog's perspective, being punished after changing your behavior is a good way to break down trust and predictability. Trust affects a dog's motivation to comply, and her feelings about you, which affect her future interpretation of your future behaviors. A dog's ability to correctly interpret your behaviors is fundamental to clear communication. Communication is the foundation of a healthy relationship.
ACCEPTABLE PUNISHERS
Acceptable punishments, to make this list, are ones that are highly effective because they center around removing access to things dogs find strongly motivating. This is called negative punishment, because a good thing (reward) is REMOVED, TAKEN AWAY, or STOPS happening. The word "negative", like the symbol we use, can be thought of as "take away". or strongly repulsive without being physically painful. From a dog's perspective, though, something like not getting to walk RIGHT NOW is extremely "painful" (aversive)!
Although owners feel safe about applying punishments that don't use pain, ineffective or mistimed punishments can really break down a relationship. In other words, you can damage your relationship with your dog using punishment WITHOUT using pain! This argument is yet another reason why consultation or classwork under the supervision of a reputable professional is SO important.
In no particular order:
Is there a risk of misinterpretation? Yes. To be effective, the punishment has to be exquisitely timed, and appropriately administered, THEN something rewardable must occur at some future time.
Coming home, finding chewed belongings, screaming like a banshee and throwing the dog in the crate for the rest of the night has done nothing for the dog, but you do it because it vents your frustration. Onto the dog. Who chewed things that smelled like YOU because he missed you. That is really wrong. Throwing some treats in the crate afterwards may ease your conscience, but it has NOT trained the dog in any way.
DISTRACTORS
Mildly irritating punishments, though often ineffective at significantly reducing an entire behavior chain can often function effectively as distractors. However, for sensitive dogs (fearful or reactive), these may be viewed as stronger punishments, making them unsuitable as distractors for those dogs.
The key to using distractors effectively is just like using any other punisher effectively: having something to reward! Dogs (and humans) do things to get rewards. No reward= NOT TRAINING.
RISKY OR QUESTIONABLE PUNISHERS
A smart owner will hesitate before trying ANY of these techniques frequently recommended by books, DVDs, pet store personnel, TV shows, and other dog owners. In order to use these properly, a good deal of understanding is required. Simply trying one of these techniques does not make a problem behavior solution!
Determining if your dog is responding to a punishment is difficult. Is it not unpleasant enough? Or is it too unpleasant? Does he not know what behavior is being punished? Have I simply failed to teach him what he SHOULD do? Am I seeing an emotional reaction or a cognitive one? Is this deliberate or am I provoking him to beyond his limits?
You will never go wrong if you start by identifying what you WANT the dog to do. Punishment is reactive -- it admits that YOU, the teacher, has failed. Sadly, it's the DOG who pays the price for YOUR failure.
There are trainers who report that they can. These people are fools, at best, who really believe that such a cognitive overhaul is possible. These people are slick salesmen, at worst, telling people what they want to hear in the interest of selling something, even though it isn't actually true!
There are, in fact, NO GUARANTEES when it comes to dog behavior. Just as there are no guarantees when it comes to human behavior. We can all choose any behavior we are capable of at any moment.
What good training & management does is continually to make "good" choices extremely appealing, and "bad" choices unappealing. Dog ownership is risk management. We want to make it probable that a dog will choose to resolve conflict with "good" behaviors. Creating this likelihood is a deliberate choice on the part of the owner.
While behaviors can be deliberately chosen, EMOTIONS cannot. Emotions are reactions to stimuli. Neither we nor dogs can choose whether to receive hot or cold stimuli-- to sense "hot" or "cold". We can only choose behaviors that avoid hot or cold triggering reactions. Dogs cannot choose to be fearful or frustrated. We can only teach them to choose behaviors that avoid triggering those emotions. Through careful emotional intervention-- modeling neutral/positive emotions, building trusting relationships, and establishing unmistakeable communication, we can re-shape dogs beliefs & reactions to some degree, but we cannot cause a dog (or human) to DELIBERATELY CHOOSE a feeling.
PUNISHMENT = anything the dog doesn't like or want (not necessarily pain) -- decreases the frequency of the behavior preceding it (does NOT eliminate it)
Dog owners often THINK they are looking for punishers to institute "discipline". Nothing could be further from the truth. "Discipline", "structure", and "leadership" are all created by telling the dog what to START or CONTINUE doing. You want a dog to do good behaviors MORE. Only reward increases behaviors.
Punishments are only a small part of a communication picture, because they only tell a dog what to STOP doing. The dog has only a piece of the information. It's as if a trainer told a human: "Don't use punishment." The human is left thinking, "Well, what SHOULD I use?" Or if a coach tells an athlete, "Don't throw the ball like that." The athlete thinks, "Well, I can throw it 15 other ways. What way SHOULD I throw it?"
A punishment is most often thought of as pain, but trainers who can only identify pain or intimidation as a punisher don't completely understand canine cognition. Punishers diminish the frequency of the behavior that caused them because the dog does not like the result that behavior seems to cause.
For example, imagine a dog encounters a baseboard covered in Bitter Apple spray. Tasting & chewing the baseboard seems like a good idea because, well, dogs aren't humans. "I feel like chewing. That looks chewable." The baseboard punishes the dog by delivering a nasty taste, which makes the dog rethink his next chewing selection. (Well, unless the dog is one of the ones who LOVE Bitter Apple spray flavor.... Then the baseboard rewards the dog with chewing release AND a delicious taste!) The frequency of tasting the baseboard is likely to diminish over time.
Like reward, what any individual dog perceives as punishment varies by individual. If your dog doesn't like to go out for walks, walks are actually punishment! Forcing treats into the mouth of a dog turning away from you is punishing. Going for car rides for a dog who gets carsick is a punishment.
Like reward, there is a scale of punishment from most aversive (Worst. Thing. Ever.) to least aversive (mildly irritating, distracting). The relative badness of a specific punishment can change depending on the dog and the situation. For example, during a food- or play-training session, complying with various commands can be quite enjoyable. The same command requested mid-play session or mid-dash after a squirrel? If successfully elicited, the exact same command can serve to punish.
Punishment also comes in 2 flavors: "positive", meaning something unpleasant STARTS happening, and "negative", meaning a good thing STOPS happening or is taken away.
Positive punishers: TASTING Bitter Apple spray, GETTING a collar correction, SMELLING citronella spray
Negative punishers: NO MORE treats, REMOVED from social interaction
Like reward, some punishments can be implemented by you, the handler, and some can come from the environment. Sneaky handlers (like me) will find ways (like Bitter Apple spray) to set up the environment to do the punishing so I can do the rewarding. (When I see a dog turn away from an object he has decided not to chew, I reward him with food and celebrate! Woo hoo!)
Absolutely unacceptable punishments -- can NEVER be humane under ANY circumstances:
These are all punishments owners have reported and I have read in a book.
- NO yelling
- NO hitting
- NO spanking
- NO kicking
- NO hanging
- NO throwing dog to ground
- NO rubbing his nose in potty mistakes
- NO filling holes from digging with water and submerging dog's head
- NO scruff-shake
- NO swatting with fly-swatters
- NO beating with sticks
- NO flicking dog in the nose
- NO knee to the chest
- NO ear pinches
- NO chin grab & shake
Uh,,, yeah. Good job done, there. Like addressing the hole in your back yard by digging one hole for the dirt to fill the first. Well, I guess that worked for the first hole, but isn't the second one a bit of a problem? And, generally, whether holes or dog problems, the second one is BIGGER than the first. Hey, I have a good idea -- let's not do it that way.
Not saying it's 100% impossible for these to work. People assume the risk inherent in these activities, because there's always someone's Aunt Bertha who has a story about how she successfully addressed some behavior with one of these abusive punishments. It's possible that some other reason is why the dog stopping doing the bad behavior, and Aunt Bertha just THINKS it was her foolish punishment. If it DID work, it's a credit to the DOG's patience, tolerance, non-retaliatory nature, not to mention intellect, that the dog figured out what was going on.
These tactics are NOT effective or easy for the dog to understand. So things that are difficult to understand will NOT be understood by some dogs. Who will have been treated aggressively for no reason at all.
Why do these tactics so often fail?
These actions don't remotely resemble dog-dog social interactions. A human is shaped nothing like a dog, and though our actions will be interpreted through a canine filter, dogs don't think that humans are dogs.
To be effective, they often require an emotional intensity from the owner. This emotional intensity can interfere with a trusting relationship & break down loyalties. Punishing with hatefulness, even if you achieve your goal of reducing a certain behavior, has also displayed to the dog that you can be hateful. Punishing with an appearance of being out of control can come across as weakness. Weakness does not make you a reliable authority figure. It makes you likely to crumble when the going gets tough-- and in need of being lead by someone more rational (like me, thinks the leadership-motivated dog).
Dogs do punish each other, and sometimes they even use aggression to do so -- but they don't use ANY of these tactics. Because dogs do not develop using sticks and hits and knees to the chest, these behaviors demand more interpretation from a dog than a typical dog-dog punishment. A fair dog-dog punishment, starts with loads of warning, and gradually escalates. The sequences of events include a number of these elements that are difficult for humans to recognize: context (dog being punished did something)--a tiny pause, decreased overall body movement, change in eye contact, ear placement, growling, tail thrashing (wagging), hair stands up, breathing rate changes, increased speed of approach, specific angle of approach telegraphs intent of bite.
It may be because of the time required to "make your point" (a point which, frankly, I understand to be you saying "I'm. A. Jerk."), or because the brain is loaded with pain signals and juiced up with stress chemicals, leaving no processing circuits for learning, or another reason, but more often than not, with such techniques, the dog can have difficulty making the cause-effect connection, so cannot identify which behaviors to eliminate.
On the next repetition, the dog may have eliminated a behavior he thought was the cause behavior, which you don't notice, because you are paying attention to another behavior that he is still doing, so you punish anyway. From the dog's perspective, being punished after changing your behavior is a good way to break down trust and predictability. Trust affects a dog's motivation to comply, and her feelings about you, which affect her future interpretation of your future behaviors. A dog's ability to correctly interpret your behaviors is fundamental to clear communication. Communication is the foundation of a healthy relationship.
ACCEPTABLE PUNISHERS
Acceptable punishments, to make this list, are ones that are highly effective because they center around removing access to things dogs find strongly motivating. This is called negative punishment, because a good thing (reward) is REMOVED, TAKEN AWAY, or STOPS happening. The word "negative", like the symbol we use, can be thought of as "take away". or strongly repulsive without being physically painful. From a dog's perspective, though, something like not getting to walk RIGHT NOW is extremely "painful" (aversive)!
Although owners feel safe about applying punishments that don't use pain, ineffective or mistimed punishments can really break down a relationship. In other words, you can damage your relationship with your dog using punishment WITHOUT using pain! This argument is yet another reason why consultation or classwork under the supervision of a reputable professional is SO important.
In no particular order:
- time-out (60-90 seconds or until calm) **
- compliance with commands (60-90 seconds or until calm) **
- moving dog away from other dogs or people **
- moving people or other dogs away from dog
- moving treat away from dog
- moving dog away from treat
- ignoring attention-seeking behavior
- refusing to enter the room (staying behind closed door)
- backing out of room & closing door once entered
- refusing to open ANY door or gate
- closing door or gate once open
- refusing to touch a toy that isn't dropped
- refusing to attach leash
- removing leash (if inside) -- displays taking away the walk
- returning to the house (if outside) -- display ending the walk
- dropping toy and leaving room -- displays ending a play session
- applying Bitter Apple & other taste aversion (bad-tasting) sprays to objects
- applying scent aversion (bad-smelling) substances to environment
Is there a risk of misinterpretation? Yes. To be effective, the punishment has to be exquisitely timed, and appropriately administered, THEN something rewardable must occur at some future time.
Coming home, finding chewed belongings, screaming like a banshee and throwing the dog in the crate for the rest of the night has done nothing for the dog, but you do it because it vents your frustration. Onto the dog. Who chewed things that smelled like YOU because he missed you. That is really wrong. Throwing some treats in the crate afterwards may ease your conscience, but it has NOT trained the dog in any way.
DISTRACTORS
Mildly irritating punishments, though often ineffective at significantly reducing an entire behavior chain can often function effectively as distractors. However, for sensitive dogs (fearful or reactive), these may be viewed as stronger punishments, making them unsuitable as distractors for those dogs.
The key to using distractors effectively is just like using any other punisher effectively: having something to reward! Dogs (and humans) do things to get rewards. No reward= NOT TRAINING.
- Making noise: dropping things, shake cans, air horns (I personally cringe for air horns, yuck.)
- Squirt bottles**
- Pokes**
- Tickles**
- Head-patting
- Throwing things (toys, treats) near (NOT AT) dog (visually & olfactory distractraction)
RISKY OR QUESTIONABLE PUNISHERS
A smart owner will hesitate before trying ANY of these techniques frequently recommended by books, DVDs, pet store personnel, TV shows, and other dog owners. In order to use these properly, a good deal of understanding is required. Simply trying one of these techniques does not make a problem behavior solution!
- holding a grudge/withdrawing attention/ignoring non-attention seeking behavior
- paw squeezing
- holding mouth closed
- Snappy Trainer & other scary booby traps
- Ultrasonic bark deterrents
- Spray Shield hand-held citronella spray can
- Spray Commander (remote citronella spray collar)
- citronella or shock bark collar
- pressure
- stress
- "chin-bonk" for forced retrieve
- choke collar
- prong collar
- shock collar
- Headcollars (Halti, Gentle Leader, Snoot Loop), EZ-Walk harnesses, and Sporn harnesses
- alpha rolls
- noise (air horns for me -- too aversive)
Determining if your dog is responding to a punishment is difficult. Is it not unpleasant enough? Or is it too unpleasant? Does he not know what behavior is being punished? Have I simply failed to teach him what he SHOULD do? Am I seeing an emotional reaction or a cognitive one? Is this deliberate or am I provoking him to beyond his limits?
You will never go wrong if you start by identifying what you WANT the dog to do. Punishment is reactive -- it admits that YOU, the teacher, has failed. Sadly, it's the DOG who pays the price for YOUR failure.
Elicitation-- Step 2 -- Getting the Dog to Do It
This step of teaching is, by far, the most controversial and misunderstood.
One effective approach, especially for beginners, is to actually start here. The human must learn how to draw out the desired behaviors. Once you are certain you can reliably get your dog to do a behavior, THEN go back and put it on cue by presenting your cue (hand signal, verbal command, context clue, or other), get the dog to do the behavior, release, and reward.
For non-beginners, this approach is unnecessary, because they can already reliably get the dog to do certain behaviors. Generally, people have ideas about what works for them personally. As long as what works for you personally is working for your dog, I'm generally ok with it.
There are a few basic approaches to eliciting the behavior. THEY ALL WORK.
Waiting for the behavior
PRO:Absolutely no added stress to the dog.
CON: Time-consuming, can add frustration to the owner.
Luring (leading with a bit of food)
PRO: Does not require physical contact with dogs uncomfortable with contact
CON: Lure can become part of cue if not faded quickly
Physical guiding
PRO: Dog is getting right answer more quickly. Can teach dog to accept handling as communicative.
CON: Bite risk for dogs uncomfortable with contact. Touch can become part of cue if not faded quickly.
Gimmicks/Band-Aid Solutions/Equipment
Baby gates, headcollars, visual barriers, prong collars, anti-bark, crates, muzzles, squirt bottles, etc.
PRO: Immediate results.
CON: Dog learns nothing unless gimmick is part of long-term training program. No long-term results if gimmick is removed.
Feedback (Tertiary Reinforcers)
Using a continuous stream of markers: "good. good. good. no. good. good. no. good. good. good." followed by release "OK" & motivational reward.
"Good" = one treat. "No" = no treat and/or acceptable punisher. OK = 5+ treats fed one at a time.
PRO: Once communication system learned, all future learning is significantly more rapid. Exquisitely clear communication.
CON: Demands intense concentration, ultra-precise timing, rapid decision-making from owner. Human brains tend to opt for option that involves least thinking. That would not be this option.
Punishment (Traditional training)
I don't like to do things that make me feel icky. Punishment that consists of more than a brief discomfort makes me feel icky. Punishment that is unfair (the dog doesn't know what caused it) makes me feel icky. "Punishment" that consists of owner venting emotions onto the dog makes me feel icky. What makes me feel most icky is application of ineffective punishment. I can't honestly say that all punishment is ineffective. I also can't say that it is free of side effects. But, for me, immediate effectiveness defines humane punishment. ANY punishment, no matter how mild, that requires dozens of repetitions is a red flag. More on punishment in another post.
Traditional training uses pain as both cue and feedback. Pain/lack of pain is used as the primary communicator. While this works, it is a) unnecessary, and b) risks very serious side effects.
PRO: Works.
CON: Slower response times. Relationship built on avoidance of pain. High potential for mis-communication. Extremely high risk of "breaking" the dog -- pushing frustration level beyond dog's ability to tolerate = very serious intentional "you will stop that now" bite.
One effective approach, especially for beginners, is to actually start here. The human must learn how to draw out the desired behaviors. Once you are certain you can reliably get your dog to do a behavior, THEN go back and put it on cue by presenting your cue (hand signal, verbal command, context clue, or other), get the dog to do the behavior, release, and reward.
For non-beginners, this approach is unnecessary, because they can already reliably get the dog to do certain behaviors. Generally, people have ideas about what works for them personally. As long as what works for you personally is working for your dog, I'm generally ok with it.
There are a few basic approaches to eliciting the behavior. THEY ALL WORK.
Waiting for the behavior
PRO:Absolutely no added stress to the dog.
CON: Time-consuming, can add frustration to the owner.
Luring (leading with a bit of food)
PRO: Does not require physical contact with dogs uncomfortable with contact
CON: Lure can become part of cue if not faded quickly
Physical guiding
PRO: Dog is getting right answer more quickly. Can teach dog to accept handling as communicative.
CON: Bite risk for dogs uncomfortable with contact. Touch can become part of cue if not faded quickly.
Gimmicks/Band-Aid Solutions/Equipment
Baby gates, headcollars, visual barriers, prong collars, anti-bark, crates, muzzles, squirt bottles, etc.
PRO: Immediate results.
CON: Dog learns nothing unless gimmick is part of long-term training program. No long-term results if gimmick is removed.
Feedback (Tertiary Reinforcers)
Using a continuous stream of markers: "good. good. good. no. good. good. no. good. good. good." followed by release "OK" & motivational reward.
"Good" = one treat. "No" = no treat and/or acceptable punisher. OK = 5+ treats fed one at a time.
PRO: Once communication system learned, all future learning is significantly more rapid. Exquisitely clear communication.
CON: Demands intense concentration, ultra-precise timing, rapid decision-making from owner. Human brains tend to opt for option that involves least thinking. That would not be this option.
Punishment (Traditional training)
I don't like to do things that make me feel icky. Punishment that consists of more than a brief discomfort makes me feel icky. Punishment that is unfair (the dog doesn't know what caused it) makes me feel icky. "Punishment" that consists of owner venting emotions onto the dog makes me feel icky. What makes me feel most icky is application of ineffective punishment. I can't honestly say that all punishment is ineffective. I also can't say that it is free of side effects. But, for me, immediate effectiveness defines humane punishment. ANY punishment, no matter how mild, that requires dozens of repetitions is a red flag. More on punishment in another post.
Traditional training uses pain as both cue and feedback. Pain/lack of pain is used as the primary communicator. While this works, it is a) unnecessary, and b) risks very serious side effects.
PRO: Works.
CON: Slower response times. Relationship built on avoidance of pain. High potential for mis-communication. Extremely high risk of "breaking" the dog -- pushing frustration level beyond dog's ability to tolerate = very serious intentional "you will stop that now" bite.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
DIY Dog Training
To the novice owner, DIY dog training is not attending any classes, not consulting any professionals. They may consider a book, DVD, TV show or other less personal (and, unbeknownst to them, less accurate) reference.
They want the pride of having trained the dog themselves.
Sadly, dog pros know, this is NOT an intelligent approach to DIY. The truth is, even if you have a consultant in your home once a month, a group class once a week, and a dog walker every day-- the dog's behavior is STILL determined entirely by the owner.
In fact, most dog pros will tell you that even having a dog trainer come to your house every single day will not necessarily result in the dog behaving for you! Dog ownership, by its very nature IS DIY. There's no need to deprive yourself and your dog of the experience and direction that pros & group classes can provide.
As a former PetSmart employee, in contact every day with scores of dog owners -- I have yet to meet an exquisitely well-trained dog who belonged to a novice owner who had never had ANY instruction. I met nice dogs, great dogs, lovable dogs -- even the occasional naturally well-behaved dog-- but... The dogs who knew what to do and would do it with alacrity, without hesitation, always belonged to someone participating in at LEAST one dog-related activity, often more.
No pro dog trainer I know and respect would consider starting a dog with absolutely no participation in a formal activity of some kind.
If you've gotten yourself into a corner, where your dog's behavior prohibits you from participating in a group activity, get some private help. In-home or at a facility.
If you simply cannot manage right now, sending a dog away to board & train is a short-term solution that can jumpstart your success together IF you are able to begin private work LITERALLY the moment the dog returns to your home.
It's still all you.
They want the pride of having trained the dog themselves.
Sadly, dog pros know, this is NOT an intelligent approach to DIY. The truth is, even if you have a consultant in your home once a month, a group class once a week, and a dog walker every day-- the dog's behavior is STILL determined entirely by the owner.
In fact, most dog pros will tell you that even having a dog trainer come to your house every single day will not necessarily result in the dog behaving for you! Dog ownership, by its very nature IS DIY. There's no need to deprive yourself and your dog of the experience and direction that pros & group classes can provide.
As a former PetSmart employee, in contact every day with scores of dog owners -- I have yet to meet an exquisitely well-trained dog who belonged to a novice owner who had never had ANY instruction. I met nice dogs, great dogs, lovable dogs -- even the occasional naturally well-behaved dog-- but... The dogs who knew what to do and would do it with alacrity, without hesitation, always belonged to someone participating in at LEAST one dog-related activity, often more.
No pro dog trainer I know and respect would consider starting a dog with absolutely no participation in a formal activity of some kind.
If you've gotten yourself into a corner, where your dog's behavior prohibits you from participating in a group activity, get some private help. In-home or at a facility.
If you simply cannot manage right now, sending a dog away to board & train is a short-term solution that can jumpstart your success together IF you are able to begin private work LITERALLY the moment the dog returns to your home.
It's still all you.
Correction does not equal Learning
Imagine teaching someone to drive by waiting for them to crash, and then punishing them (with yelling, shaming, hitting, or any other thing you like--rub their nose in it?) every time they made a mistake.
Just as they are for learning drivers, the stakes when we work with dogs are very high. If we fail to teach bite inhibition, if we fail to provide sufficient exercise & interaction to prevent frustration -- innocent children, neighbors, other dogs, are all at serious risk.
Good training is rewarding every good decision a dog makes, all day long. Advanced trainers can elicit good decision making, even from historically bad decision makers, using precise timing and crystal-clear (to the dog) communication.
Poor training is failing to plan. Failing to anticipate. Reacting to the dog's behavior.
Leadership is a controversial subject. But for dogs who require human leadership, REACTIVE (punishment-oriented) training is FOLLOWING THE DOG. By clearly indicating what the dog is to do, eliciting that behavior via physical guiding, luring, or simply waiting for it, and actively rewarding it, you are LEADING THE DOG. Not all dogs require this kind of leadership.
Dogs who don't necessarily require so much explicit human leadership don't need directive commanding, but still benefit from rewards for good behaviors.
Imagine yourself in kindergarten. Imagine being asked to write an "A" on your paper. In your entire life so far, no one has told you to write an "A". You may not even consciously realize that "A" exists.
Now someone starts yelling at you for your defiance. Or they do something painful to you.
Wouldn't it be easier if someone gently took your hand and guided you through the strokes to make an "A"? Or at least pointed to where you should guide your pencil? Or at least encouraged you when you made one correct stroke on your paper?
This is learning.
Will you later benefit from knowing when your stroke is at the wrong angle? Yes. Does that matter for the first one? No.
Being the teacher is facilitating the learning. Not just knowing what is a carrot and what is a stick. It's knowing how to communicate success and failure. Knowing how rapidly to escalate criteria. Knowing what criteria to choose. Knowing how to clearly compare and contrast success and failure.
Smarter teaching = faster learning.
Just as they are for learning drivers, the stakes when we work with dogs are very high. If we fail to teach bite inhibition, if we fail to provide sufficient exercise & interaction to prevent frustration -- innocent children, neighbors, other dogs, are all at serious risk.
Good training is rewarding every good decision a dog makes, all day long. Advanced trainers can elicit good decision making, even from historically bad decision makers, using precise timing and crystal-clear (to the dog) communication.
Poor training is failing to plan. Failing to anticipate. Reacting to the dog's behavior.
Leadership is a controversial subject. But for dogs who require human leadership, REACTIVE (punishment-oriented) training is FOLLOWING THE DOG. By clearly indicating what the dog is to do, eliciting that behavior via physical guiding, luring, or simply waiting for it, and actively rewarding it, you are LEADING THE DOG. Not all dogs require this kind of leadership.
Dogs who don't necessarily require so much explicit human leadership don't need directive commanding, but still benefit from rewards for good behaviors.
Imagine yourself in kindergarten. Imagine being asked to write an "A" on your paper. In your entire life so far, no one has told you to write an "A". You may not even consciously realize that "A" exists.
Now someone starts yelling at you for your defiance. Or they do something painful to you.
Wouldn't it be easier if someone gently took your hand and guided you through the strokes to make an "A"? Or at least pointed to where you should guide your pencil? Or at least encouraged you when you made one correct stroke on your paper?
This is learning.
Will you later benefit from knowing when your stroke is at the wrong angle? Yes. Does that matter for the first one? No.
Being the teacher is facilitating the learning. Not just knowing what is a carrot and what is a stick. It's knowing how to communicate success and failure. Knowing how rapidly to escalate criteria. Knowing what criteria to choose. Knowing how to clearly compare and contrast success and failure.
Smarter teaching = faster learning.
Thinking & Feeling
These concepts are grossly misunderstood by the average person. Many people believe that only knowing what they did wrong is how they learned to do something. This is not true. They also think that any brain can learn anything, which is also, sadly, not true.
Teaching is a deliberate process of guiding learning. Teaching is NOT demonstration, although demo can help. Teaching is not telling, although telling can help. Good teaching is a deliberate process of selecting, designing, and presenting controlled experiences designed to facilitate learning.
Learning is a yes/no process of comparison. Does my letter "A" look like the teacher's? Yes or no. Does jumping up get me what I want? Yes or no.
Emotions are an inseparable part of the learning process. Repeated failure is disheartening, even frustrating. Success is joyful.
To complicate the picture, much of the work that is done with dogs is an attempt to address feelings directly. While operant conditioning is a wonderful way to teach behaviors, feelings are not teachable. Feelings are not learned or deliberate, but rather instantaneous chemical reactions. I cannot intentionally make myself genuinely sad without thinking of actual sad triggers. I cannot intentionally make myself genuinely frustrated without thinking of a frustrating stimulus. Feelings are not behaviors, although feelings can be inferred from the appearance of behaviors.
Because feelings are so often what dog owners wish to address, one way to address them is to provide the joy of success.
Now, this is where we begin to walk a slippery slope. Obedience training, a purely intellectual pursuit, can offer the dog the opportunity to experience success, and the emotion of joy that results from this success. So, what does the human learn from this? "Oh, obedience training fixes problem behaviors." Well, it can help, but SIT, DOWN, HEEL, COME, etc. aren't really the reason the problem behaviors (displaying unwanted emotions) disappear.
Why do SOME kinds of obedience training fix problem behaviors, while others have no effect or even worsen? Successful training approaches allow the dog to experience what the DOG recognizes as success. Problems arise when, though the owner may feel successful, the DOG does not!
There is no magic in teaching obedience commands. From the dog's perspective, I'd say most behaviors are roughly equivalent when there are no social interactions apart from handler -- no other dogs or critters or people around. You could have a fair degree of success teaching your dog to turn off the light, sit up and beg, jump through hoops, or whatever your dog is physically capable of doing!
The magic is in success. "Nothing succeeds like success," the old adage goes.
Rewards -- food, play, attention, access to any desired activity -- are an easy way owners can unmistakably communicate a dog's success to the dog.
Teaching is a deliberate process of guiding learning. Teaching is NOT demonstration, although demo can help. Teaching is not telling, although telling can help. Good teaching is a deliberate process of selecting, designing, and presenting controlled experiences designed to facilitate learning.
Learning is a yes/no process of comparison. Does my letter "A" look like the teacher's? Yes or no. Does jumping up get me what I want? Yes or no.
Emotions are an inseparable part of the learning process. Repeated failure is disheartening, even frustrating. Success is joyful.
To complicate the picture, much of the work that is done with dogs is an attempt to address feelings directly. While operant conditioning is a wonderful way to teach behaviors, feelings are not teachable. Feelings are not learned or deliberate, but rather instantaneous chemical reactions. I cannot intentionally make myself genuinely sad without thinking of actual sad triggers. I cannot intentionally make myself genuinely frustrated without thinking of a frustrating stimulus. Feelings are not behaviors, although feelings can be inferred from the appearance of behaviors.
Because feelings are so often what dog owners wish to address, one way to address them is to provide the joy of success.
Now, this is where we begin to walk a slippery slope. Obedience training, a purely intellectual pursuit, can offer the dog the opportunity to experience success, and the emotion of joy that results from this success. So, what does the human learn from this? "Oh, obedience training fixes problem behaviors." Well, it can help, but SIT, DOWN, HEEL, COME, etc. aren't really the reason the problem behaviors (displaying unwanted emotions) disappear.
Why do SOME kinds of obedience training fix problem behaviors, while others have no effect or even worsen? Successful training approaches allow the dog to experience what the DOG recognizes as success. Problems arise when, though the owner may feel successful, the DOG does not!
There is no magic in teaching obedience commands. From the dog's perspective, I'd say most behaviors are roughly equivalent when there are no social interactions apart from handler -- no other dogs or critters or people around. You could have a fair degree of success teaching your dog to turn off the light, sit up and beg, jump through hoops, or whatever your dog is physically capable of doing!
The magic is in success. "Nothing succeeds like success," the old adage goes.
Rewards -- food, play, attention, access to any desired activity -- are an easy way owners can unmistakably communicate a dog's success to the dog.
Cotton --Canine Disarming?
Reducing the size of canine teeth may make the owners feel better, but if this isn't a classic case of avoiding the issue, I don't know what is!
The unfortunate part about this lawyer's "due diligence" with her canine is that she simply doesn't "get it". She tried every possible punishment, but what did she teach?
The unfortunate part about this lawyer's "due diligence" with her canine is that she simply doesn't "get it". She tried every possible punishment, but what did she teach?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Large Dog, Glass Sliding Door
When you walk out your sliding glass door, your dog jumps up on it.
What could cause this behavior?
However, you don't have to use anything other than good old treats and patience (or is it a stubborn streak? Let's call it patience.) to make it happen! These ideas are only suggestions, and there are ways to successfully modify them. As the adage goes, "there's more than one way to skin a cat." Just, please, don't skin anything.
"Desensitize/Counter-condition"
Go out of the door and come back in before dog has time to jump. Just before you head out, you may need to leave the dog something to do (like a handful of kibble on the floor or Kong or greenie, etc) so it doesn't become a chase game.
Repeat until the dog looks uninterested in you going in and out of the door. This display conveys the idea that most of the time, if you are going outside, you are probably just coming right back in, anyway, so it means nothing when you go out the door.
"Training"= TELLING THE DOG WHAT YOU WANT
Leave door open and ask dog to WAIT.
I know this sounds rather obvious, but it's a great opportunity to practice impulse control. Instead of FORCING the dog to remain behind, you ask the dog to CHOOSE to remain behind, and reward it for doing so.
Approach door & open it.
Ask dog to WAIT.
"Behavior Modification" = NO TALKING TO THE DOG
Do you want to use a command or do you want it to be automatic?
Do you have easy access to food? Will you remember to use it?
Do you have easy access to a clicker? Will you remember to use it?
Can you pay 100% attention to your dog's body language for 20 minutes or longer or will you get distracted?
What makes the most sense or sounds the most fun?
Choose one you like and see how it goes for you. If it doesn't work, try another. Or ask me or another trainer for ways to modify! You CAN use ALL of them to convey the same basic idea, but it may be easier for both you and the dog if you do each approach separately.
Since almost all the approaches depend on you being committed to continuing until the dog gets it right, what do you do if you don't have the time right now? Don't undo all your hard work by letting the dog rehearse the old behavior. Place the dog in another room, in his crate, tie him somewhere he can't hurt himself or your stuff, etc.
What could cause this behavior?
- The bored dog believes something interesting is going to happen on the other side of the door -- which he is missing out on.
- The dog has learned that this behavior attracts your attention, gets you to vocalize ("Get down!"), or even gets you to come back!
- The dog relies on you for assurance and support, and is stressed by being separated from you.
- The dog believes you rely on HIM for assurance and support, and is stressed by being separated from his job, or determined to try to do his job.
- Something else!
However, you don't have to use anything other than good old treats and patience (or is it a stubborn streak? Let's call it patience.) to make it happen! These ideas are only suggestions, and there are ways to successfully modify them. As the adage goes, "there's more than one way to skin a cat." Just, please, don't skin anything.
"Desensitize/Counter-condition"
Go out of the door and come back in before dog has time to jump. Just before you head out, you may need to leave the dog something to do (like a handful of kibble on the floor or Kong or greenie, etc) so it doesn't become a chase game.
Repeat until the dog looks uninterested in you going in and out of the door. This display conveys the idea that most of the time, if you are going outside, you are probably just coming right back in, anyway, so it means nothing when you go out the door.
"Training"= TELLING THE DOG WHAT YOU WANT
Leave door open and ask dog to WAIT.
I know this sounds rather obvious, but it's a great opportunity to practice impulse control. Instead of FORCING the dog to remain behind, you ask the dog to CHOOSE to remain behind, and reward it for doing so.
Approach door & open it.
Ask dog to WAIT.
- As long as dog is pausing (or at least not crossing the line) keep repeating the word "GOOD" & reward with a bit of food after every time you say it.
- If dog thinks about crossing the line--SILENTLY or using a single, calm "no" at the moment he thinks about crossing--close door.
- If dog crosses the line--SILENTLY or using a single, calm "no" at the moment he crosses-- immediately bring dog back in (use leash, luring, or any other method you like) and try again UNTIL HE DOES IT RIGHT. Failing to repeat until he succeeds is pointless.
- Release and reward. (Have long-line or leash attached if running off is a worry.)
- Gradually extend the amount of time before the dog is released. Once the dog can wait for just a breath or two, you can reward the dog with food on the inside side of the door. ALTERNATIVELY, you can never let the dog out the door, and reward only with food or play inside. Fun inside, boring out.
"Behavior Modification" = NO TALKING TO THE DOG
- Leave the door open. Click & reward continuously while dog is doing any acceptable behavior that is NOT crossing the line.
- Click & reward continuously for any & all non-door contact behavior as you approach, open & exit the door. Gradually progress to closing the door for longer and longer times behind you.
- Go outside as usual. Time how long the dog fusses at the door. (This is your baseline.) Next time you go outside, don't look, speak, or come back inside until your dog is calm for that same amount of time. Generally, this makes the dog try harder, faster, longer, louder --worsens the behavior before the dog realizes it isn't making you come back. A rule of thumb I read was that it gets about 5times worse before it dawns on the dog. So if your dog normally fusses for 3 minutes, on the next time out, take a book-- you'll probably be there about 15 minutes of fussing plus at least 3 minutes of calm! Only the calm brings you back in the door.
- Wait facing the door with hand on handle until you see "calm-submissive" body language. Dog should be standing still, not wiggling, with all feet on the floor, relaxed tail, neutral ear position, etc. (If you have to wait more than 5 minutes for this--dog needs more physical and mental stimulation in his life!!)
- Slowly open the door.
- Immediately close the door in front of you & walk away (you are inside) for 30-60 seconds if the dog gets even the tiniest bit excited--tail wagging, panting, foot-lifting, ear-perking, pacing, etc. Then you MUST return to try again.
- Continue until you get the entire exercise completed with no excitement.
- Give affection!
Do you want to use a command or do you want it to be automatic?
Do you have easy access to food? Will you remember to use it?
Do you have easy access to a clicker? Will you remember to use it?
Can you pay 100% attention to your dog's body language for 20 minutes or longer or will you get distracted?
What makes the most sense or sounds the most fun?
Choose one you like and see how it goes for you. If it doesn't work, try another. Or ask me or another trainer for ways to modify! You CAN use ALL of them to convey the same basic idea, but it may be easier for both you and the dog if you do each approach separately.
Since almost all the approaches depend on you being committed to continuing until the dog gets it right, what do you do if you don't have the time right now? Don't undo all your hard work by letting the dog rehearse the old behavior. Place the dog in another room, in his crate, tie him somewhere he can't hurt himself or your stuff, etc.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
BOYCOTT Lancaster County Products
Round of applause for Whole Foods, who is refusing to buy products sourced from puppy-mill convicted farms.
Lancaster County, PA is the "Puppy Mill Capital of the East". It is also, coincidentally, where I was born and raised. Unlike many who discuss this topic from a philosophical viewpoint, I've spent many years in close contact with the Amish & Mennonite religious extremism.
While most people want to view the Amish lifestyle as quaint, idyllic, enviable, the reality of Amish & Mennonite values may not be something most people share.
Most Mennonite & Amish view all animals as for their use. Care provided for the animals is only enough to keep the animal's welfare from interfering with its function. Animal functions are breeding, draft, milk, egg, or meat production.
It is not uncommon to see open sores from pressure placed on a draft animal by ill-fitting harnesses, or overwork. These sores are often covered with flies.
Horses pull buggies in traffic, on regular roads, in ALL weather: rain, snow, sleet, extreme heat, etc. While many stores frequented by Amish provide a place to tie the horses, and a few even provide horses shelter, absolutely NO WATER is offered.
Amish & Mennonite are words that some people associate with "hard-working". This is not untrue. However, many people are shocked that this work is not demonstrated in care of animals or property. Most Amish & Mennonite farms have a distinctive unkemptness. Their livestock are frequently extremely dirty, diseased, and of poor conformation.
Amish & Mennonite ideas of breeding livestock reflect their own tradition of in-breeding, a practice which has been responsible for serious health problems. The study of genetic problems often includes Amish communities for this reason. If you are capable of breeding, you should. Doesn't matter if you are risking your cousin-children's health.
The Amish, particularly, value forgiveness. In application, this means that you can do whatever you want. Drug and alcohol problems are serious, especially among the youth.
Puppies are rarely, if ever, seen on an Amish farm. If you pass on foot, you will occasionally hear barking from a barn with no windows. "De-barking" is critical to prevent discovery. While many people think of "de-barking" as a surgical operation, Amish "debarking" is ramming a rod down the throat of the dog to destroy the vocal chords. No painkillers are administered.
Breeding dogs, sick dogs, and otherwise unsaleable dogs, along with all urine & feces are permitted by law as acceptable fertilizer for farm fields. Horse manure is dropped wherever a horse happens to be when it drops. This includes roadways, and even hospital parking lots!
I don't have a problem with the Amish & Mennonite beliefs. Freedom means that you can believe whatever you want. I don't have a philosophical problem with healthy horses and draft animals doing hours of work. I eat eggs, and I drink milk.
Freedom doesn't mean that you can DO whatever you want. I do have a serious problem with the practices that include the acceptability of failing to provide adequate animal welfare. The PA Dept of Agriculture has the ability to prosecute many of these practices, but until Lancaster County, PA stops being a desirable tourist destination, not much is going to change.
Lancaster County, PA is the "Puppy Mill Capital of the East". It is also, coincidentally, where I was born and raised. Unlike many who discuss this topic from a philosophical viewpoint, I've spent many years in close contact with the Amish & Mennonite religious extremism.
While most people want to view the Amish lifestyle as quaint, idyllic, enviable, the reality of Amish & Mennonite values may not be something most people share.
Most Mennonite & Amish view all animals as for their use. Care provided for the animals is only enough to keep the animal's welfare from interfering with its function. Animal functions are breeding, draft, milk, egg, or meat production.
It is not uncommon to see open sores from pressure placed on a draft animal by ill-fitting harnesses, or overwork. These sores are often covered with flies.
Horses pull buggies in traffic, on regular roads, in ALL weather: rain, snow, sleet, extreme heat, etc. While many stores frequented by Amish provide a place to tie the horses, and a few even provide horses shelter, absolutely NO WATER is offered.
Amish & Mennonite are words that some people associate with "hard-working". This is not untrue. However, many people are shocked that this work is not demonstrated in care of animals or property. Most Amish & Mennonite farms have a distinctive unkemptness. Their livestock are frequently extremely dirty, diseased, and of poor conformation.
Amish & Mennonite ideas of breeding livestock reflect their own tradition of in-breeding, a practice which has been responsible for serious health problems. The study of genetic problems often includes Amish communities for this reason. If you are capable of breeding, you should. Doesn't matter if you are risking your cousin-children's health.
The Amish, particularly, value forgiveness. In application, this means that you can do whatever you want. Drug and alcohol problems are serious, especially among the youth.
Puppies are rarely, if ever, seen on an Amish farm. If you pass on foot, you will occasionally hear barking from a barn with no windows. "De-barking" is critical to prevent discovery. While many people think of "de-barking" as a surgical operation, Amish "debarking" is ramming a rod down the throat of the dog to destroy the vocal chords. No painkillers are administered.
Breeding dogs, sick dogs, and otherwise unsaleable dogs, along with all urine & feces are permitted by law as acceptable fertilizer for farm fields. Horse manure is dropped wherever a horse happens to be when it drops. This includes roadways, and even hospital parking lots!
I don't have a problem with the Amish & Mennonite beliefs. Freedom means that you can believe whatever you want. I don't have a philosophical problem with healthy horses and draft animals doing hours of work. I eat eggs, and I drink milk.
Freedom doesn't mean that you can DO whatever you want. I do have a serious problem with the practices that include the acceptability of failing to provide adequate animal welfare. The PA Dept of Agriculture has the ability to prosecute many of these practices, but until Lancaster County, PA stops being a desirable tourist destination, not much is going to change.
The Rescue Business
Plenty of overtime. Loads of job satisfaction. Pay? Fulfillment?
There are many misconceptions about how rescues operate, which leads to hurt feelings and frustration.
Public animal control shelters receive owner surrenders, lost pets, and strays. Just like you, they can only provide for as many animals as their budget and manpower will allow. While there are always horror stories, euthanasias are for animals they simply do not have the resources to care for adequately. Given the choice between starving to death and euthanasia, I think most animals would choose euthanasia. Medical issues are not something these shelters are equipped or funded to address, so many animals are euthanized for medical conditions. Other animals are euthanized for behavior problems that could potentially put the public at risk. Some public shelters are able to work with private rescues to give mild behavioral problems a chance to be rehabilitated. Others simply don't have the manpower to make the phone calls and coordinate pick-ups, etc. Changing what happens at our public animal control shelters means increasing funding to public animal control shelters.
Private animal rescue groups receive animals directly from owners, from public animal control shelters...
There are many misconceptions about how rescues operate, which leads to hurt feelings and frustration.
Public animal control shelters receive owner surrenders, lost pets, and strays. Just like you, they can only provide for as many animals as their budget and manpower will allow. While there are always horror stories, euthanasias are for animals they simply do not have the resources to care for adequately. Given the choice between starving to death and euthanasia, I think most animals would choose euthanasia. Medical issues are not something these shelters are equipped or funded to address, so many animals are euthanized for medical conditions. Other animals are euthanized for behavior problems that could potentially put the public at risk. Some public shelters are able to work with private rescues to give mild behavioral problems a chance to be rehabilitated. Others simply don't have the manpower to make the phone calls and coordinate pick-ups, etc. Changing what happens at our public animal control shelters means increasing funding to public animal control shelters.
Private animal rescue groups receive animals directly from owners, from public animal control shelters...
Recall = "Come" Command
Getting the dog to come to you is one of the top two reasons pet owners seek professional dog training help. (The other being "get my dog to stop [insert unwanted behavior here].)
What does this mean?
It means that COME, although it seems simple, is a difficult behavior to teach, AND an easy behavior to ruin.
It also means that most pet owners realize how critically important recall is: a dog responding to COME cannot engage in any other problem behaviors! If you have only enough time to teach one very reliable command, this is the one you should choose.
Why is it so hard?
Recall is hard to teach, because it punishes dogs who listen. WHAT?!?
That's right. When the dog does what WE want, it is not getting to do what HE wants. After all, if the dog WANTED to hang around sitting in front or beside us... well, we wouldn't ever need a recall command.
We ruin COME because of how we use it.
The dog is having a lovely sprint or romp or sniff or chat with a new doggy or human friend. She is exploring, leaving pee-mail, chasing prey. She is making her own decisions. She has found a lovely cool spot to lay with a good view. She is taking a dip in running water. She is exploring.
NOW is when you choose to say COME. "COME, doggy. Come get in the hot car and go to the boring house. Come do as I tell you. Stop all those fun things you are doing and come here."
Everything you call a "distraction" is something your dog calls a "reward". So, what you call "ignoring distractions", your dog calls "negative punishment". ("Negative punishment"= taking away something the dog likes.)
If the poor soul complies, and many of them actually do, bless them, the best we can manage to compensate with is a "good boy", some pets, the most generous among us are giving some treats. For some dogs, this compensation is actually enough. For others, more strategy is necessary!
To make things worse, sometimes after the dog gets to you, he now needs a bath or a nail trim or a car ride, or some other horrible thing happens. This can be viewed as "positive punishment" -- giving things the dog doesn't like. Of course, if you have one of those dogs who just LURVES a good massaging scrub, the picture is a bit different.
The worst of ALL is the idea that the dog can make the connection between bad behavior WAY over there and a punishment delivered HERE by me. Even the smartest of dogs are unlikely to make that connection! Next to you should be your dog's safest of safe zones.
Don't EVER call your dog and then punish it. Even if you did not get the timely response you want, by the time the dog gets to you, she is now GETTING IT RIGHT. Generally, positive punishment slows responses, positive reinforcement (rewards) speeds up behaviors. (Because, dogs, too, are more motivated by getting something they want than by avoiding something unpleasant.)
Some dogs have difficulty with recall because they have not yet bonded to or even trust their owner. For shy or fearful dogs, being near people is a positive punishment. For these dogs, it may make more sense to ask them to sit, down, or wait... or direct them to go to the car or another spot. They may be more comfortable approaching you from a non-confrontational direction (not straight-on), so you could turn yourself, walk away, and ask them to come to your back side. Reward by your side or slightly behind you without eye contact. Gradually transition to front-on, if you need it for some reason.
For many dogs, that sweet freedom, that stress-relieving run, that delicious scent of sex or prey or company -- it's all they can think about. Some brains are so stimulated by the rush of chemicals & electricity these salient (delicious) stimuli present, that their brain literally may not register your call. These are dogs that some trainers recommend never allowing off-leash.
For me, that is not an acceptable solution.
So how do we make sure that COME is reliable? How do we avoid making it a punishment?
You can have your dog's BEST recall, and it may not look like that. But your dog can't do better than it's best, and neither can you. Don't expect too much -- you'll both be frustrated for absolutely no reason.
What does this mean?
It means that COME, although it seems simple, is a difficult behavior to teach, AND an easy behavior to ruin.
It also means that most pet owners realize how critically important recall is: a dog responding to COME cannot engage in any other problem behaviors! If you have only enough time to teach one very reliable command, this is the one you should choose.
Why is it so hard?
Recall is hard to teach, because it punishes dogs who listen. WHAT?!?
That's right. When the dog does what WE want, it is not getting to do what HE wants. After all, if the dog WANTED to hang around sitting in front or beside us... well, we wouldn't ever need a recall command.
We ruin COME because of how we use it.
The dog is having a lovely sprint or romp or sniff or chat with a new doggy or human friend. She is exploring, leaving pee-mail, chasing prey. She is making her own decisions. She has found a lovely cool spot to lay with a good view. She is taking a dip in running water. She is exploring.
NOW is when you choose to say COME. "COME, doggy. Come get in the hot car and go to the boring house. Come do as I tell you. Stop all those fun things you are doing and come here."
Everything you call a "distraction" is something your dog calls a "reward". So, what you call "ignoring distractions", your dog calls "negative punishment". ("Negative punishment"= taking away something the dog likes.)
If the poor soul complies, and many of them actually do, bless them, the best we can manage to compensate with is a "good boy", some pets, the most generous among us are giving some treats. For some dogs, this compensation is actually enough. For others, more strategy is necessary!
To make things worse, sometimes after the dog gets to you, he now needs a bath or a nail trim or a car ride, or some other horrible thing happens. This can be viewed as "positive punishment" -- giving things the dog doesn't like. Of course, if you have one of those dogs who just LURVES a good massaging scrub, the picture is a bit different.
The worst of ALL is the idea that the dog can make the connection between bad behavior WAY over there and a punishment delivered HERE by me. Even the smartest of dogs are unlikely to make that connection! Next to you should be your dog's safest of safe zones.
Don't EVER call your dog and then punish it. Even if you did not get the timely response you want, by the time the dog gets to you, she is now GETTING IT RIGHT. Generally, positive punishment slows responses, positive reinforcement (rewards) speeds up behaviors. (Because, dogs, too, are more motivated by getting something they want than by avoiding something unpleasant.)
Some dogs have difficulty with recall because they have not yet bonded to or even trust their owner. For shy or fearful dogs, being near people is a positive punishment. For these dogs, it may make more sense to ask them to sit, down, or wait... or direct them to go to the car or another spot. They may be more comfortable approaching you from a non-confrontational direction (not straight-on), so you could turn yourself, walk away, and ask them to come to your back side. Reward by your side or slightly behind you without eye contact. Gradually transition to front-on, if you need it for some reason.
For many dogs, that sweet freedom, that stress-relieving run, that delicious scent of sex or prey or company -- it's all they can think about. Some brains are so stimulated by the rush of chemicals & electricity these salient (delicious) stimuli present, that their brain literally may not register your call. These are dogs that some trainers recommend never allowing off-leash.
For me, that is not an acceptable solution.
So how do we make sure that COME is reliable? How do we avoid making it a punishment?
- Recall an off-leash or long-line-wearing dog (=say "COME')
- Reward with 5 or 10 of your highest-value treats, (I use 20 or more pieces of kibble). Feeding one at a time makes it seem like more.
- AND THEN (this is key) re-release back to good stuff.
- Pause for enjoyment of good stuff (which is NOW rewarding your dog's successful COME)
- Repeat
- Call your dog for good things, like mealtimes, food- or play-based training sessions, and walks.
- Recall an off-leash dog, ask for a sit or down or shake, reward, and release to play.
- Occasionally use SIT, DOWN, or WAIT to stop your dog, then go get them. If you do this ONLY at the end of off-leash time, the dog may catch on to this.
- PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE Vary location, context, distractions, number of recalls before the dreaded LAST CALL.
You can have your dog's BEST recall, and it may not look like that. But your dog can't do better than it's best, and neither can you. Don't expect too much -- you'll both be frustrated for absolutely no reason.
You're Going To Do What I Say.... Or You're Going To Ignore Me
All learners (canine and human) have free choice. Sometimes, this basic idea is forgotten.
While many trainers abhor the idea of using force to train dogs, ... well, they insist on a single approach to training the dog. The "my way or the highway" approach.
This leaves the learning human with two choices:
3. Recognizing and discussing the learner's options.
Those options, while you (as the pro) may rule them out, appear very real to the learner.
Many beginning dog pros don't believe that other methods work or appear to work. They aren't well-versed enough in what options are even out there, because they focus on studying their philosophy of choice.
They also don't realize that certain approaches will naturally make more sense to a (human or canine) learner than others.
By learning about methods you don't ever intend to use, you can guide the learner's decision-making process. Your argument can be better than, "Oh, that doesn't work." It works -- or appears to work for someone -- that's why it is used!
Beginning trainers (owners) will often mistake irrelevant items for causing a behavior. If the dog did this, we'd call it "superstitious". They want the specific kind of collar or treats or toy or leash or "stuff" their source uses. "My neighbor uses this for his dog, and it works." "I saw Victoria Stilwell or Cesar Millan using this on TV."
All of this behavior points to an overall lack of understanding (or denial) of how things actually function.
At some point, punishment-only methods use rewards. Why do these methods seem so successful for working dogs? Hunting, protection, guide work, etc. are contexts the dogs it works for find highly rewarding! Just because "it works" for that dog and that handler in that context -- doesn't mean it will work for you!
By functioning as a sounding board, the effective dog pro will enable the learner to make decisions.
Be supportive through bad decisions (we all make them): "Bought wits are the best kind, as long as they don't cost too dear". Sadly, sometimes bad decisions DO cost very dearly, when they result in injury to ourselves, our dogs, other dogs, other people.... I wish dog training was not such a high-stakes business.
Be encouraging of good decisions, even if you don't find them to be the BEST decision. If it's good enough to meet your client's goals, and it's not detrimental to the dog, isn't that good enough?
While many trainers abhor the idea of using force to train dogs, ... well, they insist on a single approach to training the dog. The "my way or the highway" approach.
This leaves the learning human with two choices:
- The trainer's way Which I don't understand, don't like, or find ineffective, inhumane, or unwieldy, or have some other problem using.
- The highway A free-wheeling bad time of seeing all other approaches as roughly equivalent. My aunt, my neighbor, the breeder, the vet, this guy I met, this TV show I saw, a thing I read in a forum online ... These sources now all appear to the struggling owner to be equally good.
3. Recognizing and discussing the learner's options.
Those options, while you (as the pro) may rule them out, appear very real to the learner.
Many beginning dog pros don't believe that other methods work or appear to work. They aren't well-versed enough in what options are even out there, because they focus on studying their philosophy of choice.
They also don't realize that certain approaches will naturally make more sense to a (human or canine) learner than others.
By learning about methods you don't ever intend to use, you can guide the learner's decision-making process. Your argument can be better than, "Oh, that doesn't work." It works -- or appears to work for someone -- that's why it is used!
Beginning trainers (owners) will often mistake irrelevant items for causing a behavior. If the dog did this, we'd call it "superstitious". They want the specific kind of collar or treats or toy or leash or "stuff" their source uses. "My neighbor uses this for his dog, and it works." "I saw Victoria Stilwell or Cesar Millan using this on TV."
All of this behavior points to an overall lack of understanding (or denial) of how things actually function.
- Know and be honest about what you are using. Clearly identify what the dog may (or may not) understand as reward and punishments. Identify what are acceptable and unacceptable rewards & punishments.
- Don't argue with success. A sitting dog is sitting, no matter how he got there. Explain what you like or don't like about various ways to elicit the sitting behavior.
- Identify indicators of a dog's reaction -- the chart in every dog training book of "dog body language" is so painfully rudimentary!
- Define success & failure. Owners need to understand what are realistic expectations, given their dog, their time, their physical limitations, even their financial limitations. Anything is possible, but what is probable?
At some point, punishment-only methods use rewards. Why do these methods seem so successful for working dogs? Hunting, protection, guide work, etc. are contexts the dogs it works for find highly rewarding! Just because "it works" for that dog and that handler in that context -- doesn't mean it will work for you!
By functioning as a sounding board, the effective dog pro will enable the learner to make decisions.
Be supportive through bad decisions (we all make them): "Bought wits are the best kind, as long as they don't cost too dear". Sadly, sometimes bad decisions DO cost very dearly, when they result in injury to ourselves, our dogs, other dogs, other people.... I wish dog training was not such a high-stakes business.
Be encouraging of good decisions, even if you don't find them to be the BEST decision. If it's good enough to meet your client's goals, and it's not detrimental to the dog, isn't that good enough?
I will not tolerate your crap
When we train a dog, the message should be that NEITHER of us should have to tolerate crap.
The dog should not receive mixed messages, unmerited punishments, or any avoidable unpleasantness.
The human should not have to tolerate behaviors that pose risk of injury.
But if our relationship is only this deep? We have no relationship at all. Neither of us knows how to make the other happy, how to communicate with the other, how to embrace the other, how to deepen the bond.
For me, only knowing each other's hot buttons is NOT an acceptable relationship with my dog.
I want to know every detail of what you like, don't like, and ponder about. What scares you, what excites you, what "feels so right" to you.
For many pet owners, this level of connection is not occurring, and that saddens me. Dogs can be such dear companions, partners, "personalities".
Dogs are not just a clothes tree or hand bag ornament. They aren't just decor for the yard or home. They aren't some proof of the superiority of your training approach. They aren't a competition vehicle. They aren't objects for your contemplation. They aren't toys for your children. They aren't evidence of your toughness.
Dogs are highly intelligent, emotionally complex, social creatures. Everything about them is interactive, adaptive, communicative.
I feel sorry for you and your dog if you are so distant. It is my fervent hope that I can encourage you to find more from your relationship with your dog.
The dog should not receive mixed messages, unmerited punishments, or any avoidable unpleasantness.
The human should not have to tolerate behaviors that pose risk of injury.
But if our relationship is only this deep? We have no relationship at all. Neither of us knows how to make the other happy, how to communicate with the other, how to embrace the other, how to deepen the bond.
For me, only knowing each other's hot buttons is NOT an acceptable relationship with my dog.
I want to know every detail of what you like, don't like, and ponder about. What scares you, what excites you, what "feels so right" to you.
For many pet owners, this level of connection is not occurring, and that saddens me. Dogs can be such dear companions, partners, "personalities".
Dogs are not just a clothes tree or hand bag ornament. They aren't just decor for the yard or home. They aren't some proof of the superiority of your training approach. They aren't a competition vehicle. They aren't objects for your contemplation. They aren't toys for your children. They aren't evidence of your toughness.
Dogs are highly intelligent, emotionally complex, social creatures. Everything about them is interactive, adaptive, communicative.
I feel sorry for you and your dog if you are so distant. It is my fervent hope that I can encourage you to find more from your relationship with your dog.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Effects of Stress on (Human) Cognition
Click the title of this post for a link to the info that inspired this post. Summary: mild stress offers maximum benefit to cognition, no stress, moderate stress, and extreme stress interfere with cognition.
Anyone interested in footing the bill for me researching if there is a parallel in canine brains? Anecdotally, it appears there may be.
No stress: Waiting for good behaviors, though very effective and something I use & recommend for specific situations, does not lend itself as well to rapid escalation of criteria.
This situation is one I occasionally see when I walk into a client's home. I like this one. It's well-intentioned, even if it isn't maximally effective. Plus, it's always easier to increase stress than it is to decrease stress.
Mild stress: "The sweet spot" Insistence, mildly forceful elicitors=physical guiding or pressure on flat collar or harness, or CORRECTLY used training devices. Benefits learning as compared to no or moderate stress.
Using some elicitors, distractors, insistence definitely increases the rate at which I personally can progress a dog through a single training session.
Does that make it a good idea for a struggling dog owner to begin increasing stress on a dog? NO! The potential problem is the next paragraph. A little is good, so a LOT is ... NOT BETTER!
Moderate stress: Yelling, fear, confusion, excessive frustration, incorrectly used training collars, headcollars, alpha rolls, shock collars-- poorly selected, poorly timed, poorly executed. Bad training interferes with progress.
The ease with which mild stressors become moderate and even extreme is a great reason not to use ANY training tool without supervision.
This vision is primarily what I encounter when I walk into the home of failing owners--generally it's adolescence when they have realized they are in over their heads and should have gotten help before--who make me cringe by doing all of the above (except shock collars and alpha rolls--I'm not watching you break your dog or get yourself bitten). The "bad" dog is overstimulated. The owners generally are not intentionally causing extreme stress, but their "training" is actually COUNTERPRODUCTIVE!
I do definitely notice a cognitive delay during the owner handling that I do not find when I handle the same dog in the same environment with the same tool. Even if the dog DOES learn, and not break (as with extreme stress), it's at a slower pace. Who wants that?
I wonder if this cognitive delay is why punishers slow behaviors down -- presence of stress chemicals, processing of strong stimuli interferes with learning?
Extreme stress: Deliberate harsher use of training tools than most accidental misuse. ALSO Long-term use of moderate stressors accumulates.
A primarily positive Schutzhund group I trained with splintered because one individual was beyond harsh with his dog. Harsh but fair punishers that are effective, I can stomach, if the dog can. Unfair punishments (ones whose causality is not identified by the dog) are just abusive. They cause stress, which I find practically to be significantly more deterimental to the dog than brief pain.
But, separating myself from the stomach-churning feeling,... Well, let's address that for just one minute. I would like to congratulate myself for displaying extreme impulse control in not sending and accompanying my own dog to "address" this individual's behavior. Good girl, Nicole.
The dog just broke. He whined, he forgot things he knew, ... his general body language was not right, and the barking I heard from his crate was just psychotic in nature. I suspect it was only good breeding for ridiculous stability (he was from a very good line) and the release afforded by being able to hold a sleeve and thrash that kept this poor dog even mildly functional. He was able to do very little correctly.
From a "do whatcha gotta do" perspective, extremely harsh punishments ARE NOT extremely effective. They are NOT guaranteed to create the "single-event learning", as the dog can easily misidentify or never identify the cause of the punishment. This failed learning sets up a situation where the handler places the dog under the kind of long-term stress that is associated with decreased human cognition.
It makes perfect sense to me that excessive stress hormones overwhelm the brain, and over time begin to actually break it down. There is, in my mind, absolutely no justification for such treatment of a dog. Ever. I'd rather see you euthanize the dog than continue with your "training". ("Oh, I want my dog to be intense." Psychotic does not equal intense. For either dogs or people. Grr..... )
There's a reason for such treatment: you're a powerless pathetic idiot asshole who doesn't have a clue what you are doing... but there's no justfication.
Anyone interested in footing the bill for me researching if there is a parallel in canine brains? Anecdotally, it appears there may be.
No stress: Waiting for good behaviors, though very effective and something I use & recommend for specific situations, does not lend itself as well to rapid escalation of criteria.
This situation is one I occasionally see when I walk into a client's home. I like this one. It's well-intentioned, even if it isn't maximally effective. Plus, it's always easier to increase stress than it is to decrease stress.
Mild stress: "The sweet spot" Insistence, mildly forceful elicitors=physical guiding or pressure on flat collar or harness, or CORRECTLY used training devices. Benefits learning as compared to no or moderate stress.
Using some elicitors, distractors, insistence definitely increases the rate at which I personally can progress a dog through a single training session.
Does that make it a good idea for a struggling dog owner to begin increasing stress on a dog? NO! The potential problem is the next paragraph. A little is good, so a LOT is ... NOT BETTER!
Moderate stress: Yelling, fear, confusion, excessive frustration, incorrectly used training collars, headcollars, alpha rolls, shock collars-- poorly selected, poorly timed, poorly executed. Bad training interferes with progress.
The ease with which mild stressors become moderate and even extreme is a great reason not to use ANY training tool without supervision.
This vision is primarily what I encounter when I walk into the home of failing owners--generally it's adolescence when they have realized they are in over their heads and should have gotten help before--who make me cringe by doing all of the above (except shock collars and alpha rolls--I'm not watching you break your dog or get yourself bitten). The "bad" dog is overstimulated. The owners generally are not intentionally causing extreme stress, but their "training" is actually COUNTERPRODUCTIVE!
I do definitely notice a cognitive delay during the owner handling that I do not find when I handle the same dog in the same environment with the same tool. Even if the dog DOES learn, and not break (as with extreme stress), it's at a slower pace. Who wants that?
I wonder if this cognitive delay is why punishers slow behaviors down -- presence of stress chemicals, processing of strong stimuli interferes with learning?
Extreme stress: Deliberate harsher use of training tools than most accidental misuse. ALSO Long-term use of moderate stressors accumulates.
A primarily positive Schutzhund group I trained with splintered because one individual was beyond harsh with his dog. Harsh but fair punishers that are effective, I can stomach, if the dog can. Unfair punishments (ones whose causality is not identified by the dog) are just abusive. They cause stress, which I find practically to be significantly more deterimental to the dog than brief pain.
But, separating myself from the stomach-churning feeling,... Well, let's address that for just one minute. I would like to congratulate myself for displaying extreme impulse control in not sending and accompanying my own dog to "address" this individual's behavior. Good girl, Nicole.
The dog just broke. He whined, he forgot things he knew, ... his general body language was not right, and the barking I heard from his crate was just psychotic in nature. I suspect it was only good breeding for ridiculous stability (he was from a very good line) and the release afforded by being able to hold a sleeve and thrash that kept this poor dog even mildly functional. He was able to do very little correctly.
From a "do whatcha gotta do" perspective, extremely harsh punishments ARE NOT extremely effective. They are NOT guaranteed to create the "single-event learning", as the dog can easily misidentify or never identify the cause of the punishment. This failed learning sets up a situation where the handler places the dog under the kind of long-term stress that is associated with decreased human cognition.
It makes perfect sense to me that excessive stress hormones overwhelm the brain, and over time begin to actually break it down. There is, in my mind, absolutely no justification for such treatment of a dog. Ever. I'd rather see you euthanize the dog than continue with your "training". ("Oh, I want my dog to be intense." Psychotic does not equal intense. For either dogs or people. Grr..... )
There's a reason for such treatment: you're a powerless pathetic idiot asshole who doesn't have a clue what you are doing... but there's no justfication.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Puppyhood--Keep The Faith
Most pet owners' worst fears about how a new dog will develop include fears about the appearance of problem behaviors.
The scariest and most serious problem behaviors often result from poor socialization. Socialization is an umbrella term that really refers to the adoption of beliefs that make a dog suitable for human-social interaction. This information only "sticks" permanently if taught before 4 months of age, with a few repetitions before 6 months of age. After that, we have to frequently remind dogs of these ideas to keep them "believing".
How could you show your dog these ideas?
Preventing resource guarding
Punishments are never appropriate for puppies. Beyond the general icky-ness of punishing a being whose brain only finished developing at age 6 weeks--this is absolutely inhumane, there is the issue of ineffectiveness. Not only will the punishment not work properly, but puppies are likely to misinterpret. Pain will be associated with people. People hurt. People are unpredictable and scary. I should run from them or get them to run from me.
Most pet owners are not trying to accomplish these "lessons", but most experienced dog trainers can tell you stories of working with dogs after these lessons have been a bit too well "learned."
Just like all the good, desirable beliefs "stick" when formed in puppyhood, so do bad, undesirable beliefs. Sometimes these faulty beliefs can be changed, but , sadly, sometimes they can't.
The scariest and most serious problem behaviors often result from poor socialization. Socialization is an umbrella term that really refers to the adoption of beliefs that make a dog suitable for human-social interaction. This information only "sticks" permanently if taught before 4 months of age, with a few repetitions before 6 months of age. After that, we have to frequently remind dogs of these ideas to keep them "believing".
How could you show your dog these ideas?
Preventing resource guarding
- Hands give, they don't take away.
- When hands take away, they give right back.
- Hands that take away my stuffed Kong help me pull good stuff out of it.
- Cooperation reduces pressure/time duration of restraint. Uncooperativeness increases pressure/time duration of restraint.
- Tolerance of discomfort/fear results in reduced time, reduced restraint, food, and FREEDOM.
- Cars don't always take us away from our home.
- Cars take us good places that we want to go more often than they take us bad places.
- People are non-threatening.
- People are fragile.
- People can be rewarding.
- Wheely things are to be mostly ignored, or simply contemplated.
- Kongs, nylabones, and other chew items are where we chew.
- Our person will not let other dogs eat our food or take our stuff.
- We do not take other dog's food or stuff. We wait for a turn.
- We do not leap on other dogs unless they ask us to. We wait for an invitation.
- We approach other dogs correctly-- with enough speed (=confidence) to not be eaten, but without being a bully.
- We sniff butts politely. We leave if the other dog gets scared.
- We allow our butt to be sniffed if we want to or we go away if we don't.
- If another dog cowers, growls, or even snaps at us, we go away.
- We ignore crazy barker dogs.
- We do not bully other dogs. If another dog bullies us, we go away.
- If everyone is going to fight over it, it belongs to the human.
- Sharing means we both get it. Taking it away means no one gets it.
- We do not pee on dogs who are peeing. We wait.
- Being left alone means your person will come back if you wait quietly.
- Being boarded does not mean your person will never come back.
- Being on the leash is not really different from being off-leash.
- Doors are unpredictable, so you should not dash towards them. You should wait.
- Being very quiet will get you out of your room or crate.
- Laying down is a really good thing.
- Pottying outside is a really good thing.
- Being calm is a really good thing.
- Making eye contact with my person is a really good thing.
- Coming to my person is a really good thing.
- Everything and everyone leaves me alone if I retreat to my crate.
Punishments are never appropriate for puppies. Beyond the general icky-ness of punishing a being whose brain only finished developing at age 6 weeks--this is absolutely inhumane, there is the issue of ineffectiveness. Not only will the punishment not work properly, but puppies are likely to misinterpret. Pain will be associated with people. People hurt. People are unpredictable and scary. I should run from them or get them to run from me.
Most pet owners are not trying to accomplish these "lessons", but most experienced dog trainers can tell you stories of working with dogs after these lessons have been a bit too well "learned."
Just like all the good, desirable beliefs "stick" when formed in puppyhood, so do bad, undesirable beliefs. Sometimes these faulty beliefs can be changed, but , sadly, sometimes they can't.
Guest Post on ILRA
Nikki & Ashley are two ladies committed to putting their effort where their hearts are. I am delighted to be featured on their website. My post is called "I Brought Fluffy Home This Morning, Now What?" Click the title of my post: it's (supposed to be) a link to their blog.
About Rescue Animals http://iloverescueanimals.org
About Rescue Animals http://iloverescueanimals.org
In short, we are a site dedicated to celebrating rescue animals of all kinds, supporting shelters, rescues and animal rights groups and to animal welfare worldwide. We advocate always choosing adoption over buying an animal. (Note: We do not condemn responsible breeders but still feel you should consider adoption first.) We have no preferences for mixed breed or purebred animals as both can be found in shelters and rescues. We seek to raise awareness within our communities and to work towards a future where all animal owners are responsible and we no longer have to make the choice to put down otherwise adoptable animals simply due to a lack of space and resources. We also strongly believe in spaying and neutering your animals to help reduce the number of homeless animals. We support animal welfare causes from around the world and believe people should take action in any way they can, whether it’s signing petitions, speaking up when they see mistreatment of animals, fostering animals, anything! Everyone can make a difference!
Hungarian study of 14,000 -- Dog and owner demographic characteristics and dog personality trait associations
Click title of post for link.
INTERESTING
Dog and owner demographic characteristics and dog personality trait associations
Enikő Kubinyi, Borbála Turcsán1, and Ádám Miklósi
Eötvös University, Department of Ethology, H-1117, Pazmany P. s. 1/c, Budapest, Hungary
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between four personality traits (calmness, trainability, dog sociability and boldness) of dogs (Canis familiaris) and dog and owner demographics on a large sample size with 14,004 individuals. German speaking dog owners could characterize their dog by filling out a form on the Internet. There were five demographic variables for dogs and nine for owners. Two statistical methods were used for investigating the associations between personality and demographic traits: the more traditional general linear methods and regression trees that are ideal for analyzing non-linear relationships in the structure of the data.
The results showed that calmness is influenced primarily by the dog's age, the neutered status, the number of different types of professional training courses (e.g. obedience, agility) the dog had experienced and the age of acquisition. The least calm dogs were less than 2.5 years old, neutered and acquired after the first 12 weeks of age, while the calmest dogs were older than 6.9 years. Trainability was affected primarily by the training experiences, the dog's age, and the purpose of keeping the dog. The least trainable dogs had not received professional training at all and were older than 3 years. The most trainable dogs were those who participated in three or more types of professional training. Sociability toward conspecifics was mainly determined by the age, sex, training experience and time spent together. The least sociable dogs were older than 4.8 years and the owners spent less than 3 h with the dog daily. The most sociable dogs were less than 1.5 years old. Males were less sociable toward their conspecifics than females. Boldness was affected by the sex and age of the dog and the age of acquisition. The least bold were females acquired after the age of 1 year or bred by the owner. The boldest dogs were males, acquired before the age of 12 weeks, and were younger than 2 years old. Other variables, including the owner's gender, age, education, previous experience with dogs, the number of people and dogs in the household, and purpose of keeping the dogs had minor, but detectable effects.
The results suggest that on-line questionnaires are a very effective means for collecting data about dog behavior, especially if owners are motivated by instant feedback. However, note that the characteristics of dogs in the present study were reported by the owners, and the associations with the traits do not necessarily represent a causal relationship.
INTERESTING
Dog and owner demographic characteristics and dog personality trait associations
Enikő Kubinyi, Borbála Turcsán1, and Ádám Miklósi
Eötvös University, Department of Ethology, H-1117, Pazmany P. s. 1/c, Budapest, Hungary
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between four personality traits (calmness, trainability, dog sociability and boldness) of dogs (Canis familiaris) and dog and owner demographics on a large sample size with 14,004 individuals. German speaking dog owners could characterize their dog by filling out a form on the Internet. There were five demographic variables for dogs and nine for owners. Two statistical methods were used for investigating the associations between personality and demographic traits: the more traditional general linear methods and regression trees that are ideal for analyzing non-linear relationships in the structure of the data.
The results showed that calmness is influenced primarily by the dog's age, the neutered status, the number of different types of professional training courses (e.g. obedience, agility) the dog had experienced and the age of acquisition. The least calm dogs were less than 2.5 years old, neutered and acquired after the first 12 weeks of age, while the calmest dogs were older than 6.9 years. Trainability was affected primarily by the training experiences, the dog's age, and the purpose of keeping the dog. The least trainable dogs had not received professional training at all and were older than 3 years. The most trainable dogs were those who participated in three or more types of professional training. Sociability toward conspecifics was mainly determined by the age, sex, training experience and time spent together. The least sociable dogs were older than 4.8 years and the owners spent less than 3 h with the dog daily. The most sociable dogs were less than 1.5 years old. Males were less sociable toward their conspecifics than females. Boldness was affected by the sex and age of the dog and the age of acquisition. The least bold were females acquired after the age of 1 year or bred by the owner. The boldest dogs were males, acquired before the age of 12 weeks, and were younger than 2 years old. Other variables, including the owner's gender, age, education, previous experience with dogs, the number of people and dogs in the household, and purpose of keeping the dogs had minor, but detectable effects.
The results suggest that on-line questionnaires are a very effective means for collecting data about dog behavior, especially if owners are motivated by instant feedback. However, note that the characteristics of dogs in the present study were reported by the owners, and the associations with the traits do not necessarily represent a causal relationship.
Thoughts inspired by recent study-- "Dyadic relationships and operational performance of male and female owners and their male dogs "
The first thing that strikes me about this study is the unfortunately small sample size. Still, this is a concept that I've thought about before: comparing dog-owner relationships based on dog and owner personalities.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Dog Training and Dan Ariely's "Predictably Irrational" Insight
Two recent posts on http://www.predictablyirrational.com/ deal with concepts related to dog training. Whether you are a dog trainer or learning dog training from an expert, these two articles point out "irrational" human brain tendencies -- tricks our brain plays on us -- that we should be aware of.
We're more swayed by confidence than accuracy June 25, 2009
Read the article for details on how this was determined.
The take-away for me?
This "irrational" phenomenon in human brains explains how unscrupulous dog trainers (ones with little or no analytical understanding of their work) can convince folks to part with their cash.
Often, these unscrupulous individuals have more financial and reputation "success" than those honest dog trainers (ones who realize the limitations and variable nature of the field) who express the verifiably uncertain nature of dog training advice!
Knowing this, however, leaves me with a quandary. If I act more confident, or avoid acknowledging the variable nature of dog training results, am I simply manipulating people? I think yes, and that feels icky. However, if I act less confident, I am risking clients & their dogs, who may end up taking advice from someone unqualified.
The Value of Advice July 10, 2009
Again, read the article for a scary revelation about how we think: when presented with the opinion of an "expert", human brains literally STOP thinking about a decision.
Perhaps this phenomenon, this preference of the human brain, explains why critical thinking skills are disappearing. In today's world, expert opinions are more accessible than ever. We are forced to make more decisions that don't matter, like which of 8 different peanut butter jars to choose in the grocery store, and less decisions that do, like how to teach our children (or dogs) social skills, or how to manage our finances and avoid debt.
The take-away relative to dog training is that, as an expert, forcing my clients to choose or invent their approaches, rather than stating a clear answer actually encourages their brain participation, and prevents their (human) brain from shifting into auto-pilot, because good (humane AND effective) dog training hinges on good decision-making, not use of prescribed techniques.
We're more swayed by confidence than accuracy June 25, 2009
Read the article for details on how this was determined.
The take-away for me?
This "irrational" phenomenon in human brains explains how unscrupulous dog trainers (ones with little or no analytical understanding of their work) can convince folks to part with their cash.
Often, these unscrupulous individuals have more financial and reputation "success" than those honest dog trainers (ones who realize the limitations and variable nature of the field) who express the verifiably uncertain nature of dog training advice!
Knowing this, however, leaves me with a quandary. If I act more confident, or avoid acknowledging the variable nature of dog training results, am I simply manipulating people? I think yes, and that feels icky. However, if I act less confident, I am risking clients & their dogs, who may end up taking advice from someone unqualified.
The Value of Advice July 10, 2009
Again, read the article for a scary revelation about how we think: when presented with the opinion of an "expert", human brains literally STOP thinking about a decision.
Perhaps this phenomenon, this preference of the human brain, explains why critical thinking skills are disappearing. In today's world, expert opinions are more accessible than ever. We are forced to make more decisions that don't matter, like which of 8 different peanut butter jars to choose in the grocery store, and less decisions that do, like how to teach our children (or dogs) social skills, or how to manage our finances and avoid debt.
The take-away relative to dog training is that, as an expert, forcing my clients to choose or invent their approaches, rather than stating a clear answer actually encourages their brain participation, and prevents their (human) brain from shifting into auto-pilot, because good (humane AND effective) dog training hinges on good decision-making, not use of prescribed techniques.
Help Your Dog Always Have the Right Answer
What a handler will accept as "right answers" are called "TARGET BEHAVIORS". A "target behavior" is your training goal. Since all dogs are constantly displaying behaviors, this term distinguishes the one(s) you are specifically looking for from the ones the dog is giving anyway (which we could call NON-target behaviors). Target behaviors are the ones you will deliberately and actively reward. During any training interaction, using any training method, non-target behaviors are ones that are either ignored, interrupted, or punished.
In competition obedience, the target behavior for each command is a single precise answer. For example, the response to a DOWN command needs to be rapid, after the first verbal-only or hand-signal only command, and without the dog laying on its side. Some handlers insist on a "fold-back down", in which the dog lowers the entire body at once, rather than front and rear separately.
However, in PET dog training, especially for general manners or socialization, there are often multiple acceptable right answers. If your dog misunderstands or doesn't correctly perform a command during a training session, these responses can STILL BE REWARDED!
Because these are all excellent behaviors that we want to see from our pets as often as possible, I recommend rewarding the behaviors below as heavily as you can, whenever you see them -- not just during official training sessions.
In competition obedience, the target behavior for each command is a single precise answer. For example, the response to a DOWN command needs to be rapid, after the first verbal-only or hand-signal only command, and without the dog laying on its side. Some handlers insist on a "fold-back down", in which the dog lowers the entire body at once, rather than front and rear separately.
However, in PET dog training, especially for general manners or socialization, there are often multiple acceptable right answers. If your dog misunderstands or doesn't correctly perform a command during a training session, these responses can STILL BE REWARDED!
Because these are all excellent behaviors that we want to see from our pets as often as possible, I recommend rewarding the behaviors below as heavily as you can, whenever you see them -- not just during official training sessions.
- eye contact
- approaching you
- being calm
- being quiet
- yawning (relaxing)
- pausing before exploring
- tolerating human touch
- ignoring or distancing from aggressive types
- yielding ("submitting") right of way to other dogs or humans
- waiting patiently
- being curious
- keeping feet on the floor
- any good social decision
- You'll think of more good things your dog ALREADY does! Let your dog know how good those things really are.
Training Dogs Vs Training Dolphins or any other species
What makes training dogs different from training dolphins or other animals?
What makes training dogs different from training humans?
We're all trainable because we all like food, right?
I suspect that what makes dogs different from humans is less substantial than the difference between dogs and dolphins. Why? Dogs and humans have a special cross-species relationship because they understand each other, or have the ability to easily learn to do so.
What facilitates this learning? Shared practice of communication via body language, shared motivators, shared social structure. (Well, human MEN naturally form and accept social hierarchies. WOMEN do not form, accept, or even recognize social hierarchies.) Dogs & humans enjoy some level of cooperative interaction and some level of independent decision-making. We are both novelty-seeking, but unsettled by novelty overload. We share similar emotional ranges, even if only humans think & feel about their emotions. We have amazing problem-solving capabilities when presented with a completely new challenge or opportunity. We both accept a market economy-- where value is affected by the reactions of others. Even our "unwanted" behaviors are oddly similar -- destruction, depression, rage, violence, rudeness, quivering, anti-social.
It's possible that, being human, we can only notice behaviors that have meaning to humans. I'm skeptical of deliberate pheromone communication, but that may be only because I have no ability to deliberately release pheromones.
Of course, I haven't worked with dolphins. Maybe this post is just a big excuse for me to find a way to train dolphins. =)
What makes training dogs different from training humans?
We're all trainable because we all like food, right?
I suspect that what makes dogs different from humans is less substantial than the difference between dogs and dolphins. Why? Dogs and humans have a special cross-species relationship because they understand each other, or have the ability to easily learn to do so.
What facilitates this learning? Shared practice of communication via body language, shared motivators, shared social structure. (Well, human MEN naturally form and accept social hierarchies. WOMEN do not form, accept, or even recognize social hierarchies.) Dogs & humans enjoy some level of cooperative interaction and some level of independent decision-making. We are both novelty-seeking, but unsettled by novelty overload. We share similar emotional ranges, even if only humans think & feel about their emotions. We have amazing problem-solving capabilities when presented with a completely new challenge or opportunity. We both accept a market economy-- where value is affected by the reactions of others. Even our "unwanted" behaviors are oddly similar -- destruction, depression, rage, violence, rudeness, quivering, anti-social.
It's possible that, being human, we can only notice behaviors that have meaning to humans. I'm skeptical of deliberate pheromone communication, but that may be only because I have no ability to deliberately release pheromones.
Of course, I haven't worked with dolphins. Maybe this post is just a big excuse for me to find a way to train dolphins. =)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
That's Treats, Right? -- Defining "Rewards"
Rewards are what drive any repeated behavior, whether it is "good" or "bad". Any behavior a dog repeats is because it works for him. He is getting something out of it that he likes, wants, or needs. Rewards are technically referred to as "reinforcers".
Treats, yes, are rewards, but there is so much more that you can deliberately use to reward your dog's good behavior AND that may be accidentally rewarding your dog's bad behavior. Not all rewards are equal in value. In different scenarios, the dog wants different things -- he will be working toward specific outcomes that vary by circumstance. Different dogs also assign different relative values to potential rewards.
There are two kinds of rewards. Rewards can be getting something good you like. The act of giving/receiving a reward is called "positive reinforcement". The thing which you give is called the "positive reinforcer". The other kind of reward is called a "negative reinforcer". This is the reward from avoiding something you don't like. The word "positive" refers to dog's perspective of giving/getting something, something approaching or going to the dog that he didn't have before.
The word "negative" refers to the idea of something stopping or going away or being taken from the dog, something bad that he doesn't like which stops. But in both cases, the dog likes, wants, or needs the result.
Positive reinforcer: GETTING anything edible, possession of toy,
Negative reinforcer: REMOVING a thorn from a paw, STOPPING an annoying dog from bothering you, ENDING time-out, RELEASE from a command
Using rewards successfully depends on understanding that despite your intention to reward, your dog's perspective and interpretation may vary. What your dog considers a reward can vary according to your individual dog's preferences. Also, your dog has a (likely unique) priority list of what I call his "values". (Someday I hope to research how values correlate to canine personality type.) Identifying rewards is as simple as asking "What does my dog like? What does he want?"
Your dog will have his own "list" of what reward is most salient (Best. Thing. Ever.) to least salient (Eh, better than nothing). "Salient" means "stimulating, delicious, or desirable". Over the course of a day, various rewards can change position in that list. A dog who has just eaten may be significantly less motivated by food rewards than he would have been before the meal. (However, there are those dogs who just LURVE eating, regardless. Distention of the belly, diarrhea, or other "undesirable" (only according to us foolish humans) results are inconsequential!)
Sometimes what a dog wants is not necessarily something particularly delicious. Sometimes it is more survivalist in nature. Fearful dogs are primarily motivated by flight. They want to get away from the scary thing. Because they believe the thing is scary. And they don't want to be scared. Emotional rewards like respect from other dogs, stress relief, and the "calming" repetitive nature of obsessive behaviors are also very real rewards. Problem behaviors are complicated because they can be motivated by both intellectual AND emotional rewards.
Rewards can be deliberately given by owners to dogs, but they can also come from the environment.
Rewards owner can provide:
On the other hand, some dogs want to avoid other dogs. Getting to avoid the other dog is rewarding. Any step you take with your dog AWAY from the other dog is a reward. (This is known as a "distance reward.") So, if your dog barks like a fool, and then runs away, his escape pattern is rewarded by not having to encounter another dog. "I don't know what that dog is going to do, and I've always been safe by doing this, so..."
So greeting, avoiding greeting, going forward, going back, not being eaten, being dug by chicks... these are all desirable things, depending on who you are.
Often, problems result when people don't realize that all rewards are not created equal. A dog who values the chance to greet another dog MORE than he values your cookies or your praise and petting will go for the other dog, given the choice. Not ALL dogs, however, share this viewpoint. Some dogs do NOT value the chance to greet more than your praise or petting or food or play. I would describe these dogs as "easy", since training with praise, petting, food, and play is MUCH easier than manipulating social rewards, which rely on your ability to precisely & accurately read your and the other dog's body language. I would also call such dogs less dog-social, and more canine-social.
Another problem I often see is that , in a social scenario (or "context"), every action in the entire behavior of the approach, greeting, and ensuing interaction can be a reward. For some dogs, the excitement of reaction from another dog is rewarding.
What are some rewards driving your dog's behavior, good or bad?
Treats, yes, are rewards, but there is so much more that you can deliberately use to reward your dog's good behavior AND that may be accidentally rewarding your dog's bad behavior. Not all rewards are equal in value. In different scenarios, the dog wants different things -- he will be working toward specific outcomes that vary by circumstance. Different dogs also assign different relative values to potential rewards.
There are two kinds of rewards. Rewards can be getting something good you like. The act of giving/receiving a reward is called "positive reinforcement". The thing which you give is called the "positive reinforcer". The other kind of reward is called a "negative reinforcer". This is the reward from avoiding something you don't like. The word "positive" refers to dog's perspective of giving/getting something, something approaching or going to the dog that he didn't have before.
The word "negative" refers to the idea of something stopping or going away or being taken from the dog, something bad that he doesn't like which stops. But in both cases, the dog likes, wants, or needs the result.
Positive reinforcer: GETTING anything edible, possession of toy,
Negative reinforcer: REMOVING a thorn from a paw, STOPPING an annoying dog from bothering you, ENDING time-out, RELEASE from a command
Using rewards successfully depends on understanding that despite your intention to reward, your dog's perspective and interpretation may vary. What your dog considers a reward can vary according to your individual dog's preferences. Also, your dog has a (likely unique) priority list of what I call his "values". (Someday I hope to research how values correlate to canine personality type.) Identifying rewards is as simple as asking "What does my dog like? What does he want?"
Your dog will have his own "list" of what reward is most salient (Best. Thing. Ever.) to least salient (Eh, better than nothing). "Salient" means "stimulating, delicious, or desirable". Over the course of a day, various rewards can change position in that list. A dog who has just eaten may be significantly less motivated by food rewards than he would have been before the meal. (However, there are those dogs who just LURVE eating, regardless. Distention of the belly, diarrhea, or other "undesirable" (only according to us foolish humans) results are inconsequential!)
Sometimes what a dog wants is not necessarily something particularly delicious. Sometimes it is more survivalist in nature. Fearful dogs are primarily motivated by flight. They want to get away from the scary thing. Because they believe the thing is scary. And they don't want to be scared. Emotional rewards like respect from other dogs, stress relief, and the "calming" repetitive nature of obsessive behaviors are also very real rewards. Problem behaviors are complicated because they can be motivated by both intellectual AND emotional rewards.
Rewards can be deliberately given by owners to dogs, but they can also come from the environment.
Rewards owner can provide:
- food
- access to anything the dog likes: play, walks, backyard, indoors, meeting new people, sniffing dog's butts
- freedom = dog makes own decisions
- attention
- touch & massage
- praise
- conflict-free interaction
- intellectual stimulation
- ongoing exposure to novelty (stuff that's new and different, out of the ordinary, & feeds curiosity)
- nasal stimulation
- "FUN": opportunities for appropriate barking, digging, tugging, chewing, shredding, biting & holding (bulldogs), keeping order (shepherds & collies), RUNNING (huskies), figuring out what a human wants (Dobes, Malis, "trained" dogs)
- SO MANY MORE!
- safety
- shelter
- physical comfort
- visual access to good view
- seeing, hearing, scenting, and running after prey
- freedom (in the case of the non-secured fence) to explore
- self-rewarding activities "FUN": digging, tugging, chewing, shredding, biting & holding (bulldogs), keeping order (shepherds & collies), RUNNING (huskies), -- YES, some dogs will do it if you don't provide it!
- sex (or at least attention from the opposite sex)
- respect from other critters
- keeping living area tidy (rewards both pottying outside AND coprophagia (poo-eating))
- SO MANY MORE
On the other hand, some dogs want to avoid other dogs. Getting to avoid the other dog is rewarding. Any step you take with your dog AWAY from the other dog is a reward. (This is known as a "distance reward.") So, if your dog barks like a fool, and then runs away, his escape pattern is rewarded by not having to encounter another dog. "I don't know what that dog is going to do, and I've always been safe by doing this, so..."
So greeting, avoiding greeting, going forward, going back, not being eaten, being dug by chicks... these are all desirable things, depending on who you are.
Often, problems result when people don't realize that all rewards are not created equal. A dog who values the chance to greet another dog MORE than he values your cookies or your praise and petting will go for the other dog, given the choice. Not ALL dogs, however, share this viewpoint. Some dogs do NOT value the chance to greet more than your praise or petting or food or play. I would describe these dogs as "easy", since training with praise, petting, food, and play is MUCH easier than manipulating social rewards, which rely on your ability to precisely & accurately read your and the other dog's body language. I would also call such dogs less dog-social, and more canine-social.
Another problem I often see is that , in a social scenario (or "context"), every action in the entire behavior of the approach, greeting, and ensuing interaction can be a reward. For some dogs, the excitement of reaction from another dog is rewarding.
What are some rewards driving your dog's behavior, good or bad?
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