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Training |
-Susan Garrett
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Aussies & BCs pick up on cause and effect very quickly. Training is a matter of the dog discovering that x either predicts z, x=z, or you stay away from x, because z might happen. Dogs will repeat what they find rewarding, and avoid what they don’t. The difference between a dog receiving reinforcement from their environment and you, is what we call training. You become the holder of the goodies, or make fun stuff happen that motivates them to continue playing the training game with us, to gain the reward. |
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How Dogs Learn
Aussies & BCs learn quickly to repeat an action that has previously gained them reinforcement, whether from you or their environment. This is the foundation for positive training, reinforce what you like and ignore the rest (so don’t leave the Thanksgiving turkey on the counter, if you were a dog, could you resist?). Using a clicker or other "marker" like "YES", paired with a reward, teaches the dog to use their brain.
Dogs learn by multiple repetitions of a behavior (or in some cases a single experience, like stealing a turkey), we as people can either choose to reward it or not. For information on positive training methods or trainers in your area, contact the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) or go to www.DOGWISE.com and read anything by Karen Pryor, Jean Donaldson, Ian Dunbar or John Rogerson if you are new to training.
Managing Negative Behaviors
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Some behaviors need to be made less rewarding for the dog, like chewing. If you have a young dog, it would be silly to give them free access to your home before they are able to handle that responsibility. |
I try to get puppies hooked on chewing bones by piling a variety of items & toys in a basket. When they are bored, I bring them to the basket and help them "pick" a bone, etc. As I’m writing this, it is to the tune of three dogs gnawing on knuckle bones, it becomes white noise after awhile.
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On the other hand, I manage their access to environmental rewards by crate training in my absence. If I wasn’t managing the situation and came home to a destroyed rug, etc. it would be my fault. |
Any person that believes a dog "knows" they’ve done something wrong or "looks guilty" is misinformed. The dog is reacting to your body language and tone of voice that in their past experiences means the proverbial s**t is about to hit the fan, or them. Delayed punishment doesn’t correct a behavior, it only teaches a dog not to trust you.
In Summary...
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There is so much I could say about training, it would clog up the whole website. Teaching is something I love to do, probably why I love working with Aussies & Border Collies so much... they are great students. They are sensitive, creative thinkers, who need the benefit of training that does no harm to them physically or mentally. |
We begin training our puppies almost from birth. For information on how we raise our puppies, please see Raising K-9.
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