photo: tonylanciabeta
When we adopted our litter mate puppies, I was insistent on hiring a professional trainer who specialized in positive dog training, because we had two puppies and I wanted to start their life off right. We worked with Shannon Finch of Arlington, Washington. Shannon trained us how to train our dogs using clicker / rewards based dog training and I’m so happy that we used a trainer instead of reading a book, because the nuances with positive dog training were something that we needed to see, not read. When I recently connected with Ines and heard her story, I was excited to share her experience with you.
I’ve found that I can learn from everyone – so I still watch several dog training shows and take from them what I think will work with our dogs; when I’m uncertain, I ask for feedback from our trainer.
Crossing Over to Positive Dog Training Methods
I have been working with dogs since I was twelve years old and training dogs and their people professionally for over three years. Around the time I began working with dogs a certain dog whisperer became famous and I fell under his spell. He had a way of connecting with his audience through the TV screen and what he said resonated with me at the time. When he came to my city, I signed up immediately to go see him. I went to his seminar and even met him in person. He was an inspiration to me because he could “fix” dogs that other trainers couldn’t and since I was already deeply involved in rescue this hit home for me. I used his methods “successfully” on every dog I met.
So why did I change to positive dog training?
Last summer I adopted a dog named Loker. My typical methods did not work on him. He was reactive on leash to other dogs and some strangers, but when I would correct him (either with a slip lead or prong collar) he would intensify his reaction. This was the first dog I had ever come across that would display the opposite behavior that I wanted when I corrected him. Since I had worked with over a hundred dogs, this came as a surprise to me. I am very open minded so I knew I had to try other methods with this guy because I was not getting anywhere with corrections. This is when my process of “crossing over” began. A crossover trainer is one who used to use correction or dominance based training, but has chosen to switch to use positive training methods. I reached out to a local positive reinforcement trainer in my area and she suggested I could come with her to some training sessions and observe how she works through behavior issues. I am still brand new to this kind of training but I am certainly enjoying every bit of it! When I was using corrections I often found myself frustrated, angry, and tired. It was no fun at all. This new way of training has taken so much weight off my shoulders and I am actually enjoying working with my dog. It is relieving to focus on the good behavior rather than correcting the bad behavior all the time. Loker is doing better every day; he now looks to me for direction. We are now enrolled in a group class that works on basic obedience with distractions – such as other dogs. And while I know I would be at my wits end if I was still using corrections, I can now get his attention around other dogs. He isn’t even the worst dog in the class!!
Why I am sharing my story about positive dog training.
I am sharing my story now so that fellow trainers who are interested in crossing over, but aren’t quite there yet can see how I did it or why I did it. I am also hoping to reach out to pet owners who may be confused as to which kind of dog trainer they should choose. Looking back to that certain dog whisperer who had mislead me all those years, I now realize what he does and what the difference is between that and positive training methods. The biggest difference I can describe is that his methods are (for the most part) not permanent, when you remove the person who is “training”, you remove any behavior modification that was being applied. Positive training methods work with the brain to develop good “habits” (to put it in the most simplest of terms) and the dog truly learns a new behavior (he isn’t just hiding it so that he doesn’t get choked). Once a dog learns these new, good habits thoroughly, they are applied to many circumstances and distractions. With positive methods, you actually change the way a dog sees the world rather than just temporarily stopping their reaction to it. Positive methods may take longer to “fix” behavior, but in the long run everyone is much happier. So with a little more effort from the handler in the beginning, it all pays off in the end. It’s not about short cuts; it’s about solid, long-term results – and having a happy dog! Isn’t it amazing that a dog would WANT to do something for you? You just have to learn how to teach them!
If you are interested in following me through my journey, visit my blog at http://www.thecrossovertrainer.com and submit your email to get free notifications of new blog posts!
Are you using positive dog training methods? If so, please share why and your experience; if not, please share your experience too.
May 29, 2012 at 6:19 pm
Great post! Glad to hear you’ve switched over to the “bright side”. We just need a few more hundred thousand like you and we’ll be well on our way:)
May 30, 2012 at 7:46 am
I loved this story, because it shows that there are people out there who are a fan of a method, but keep an open mind and are willing to learn something new. I couldn’t imagine our dogs behaving out of fear. Someone asked me how I keep our dogs in line. One is easy, she’s really mellow. Her brother is a little more adventurous and the trick with him is to keep him engaged, exercised, and to be confident. I don’t have to do a roll over with our dogs. When they misbehave, they go to time out. Being separated from the family for 10 seconds is enough to correct bad behavior.
Maybe we’re lucky.
Kimberly
Twitter: thefurmom
December 13, 2012 at 8:16 am
Its all about balance……
I too am a sort of “crossover”….I have been changing and evolving my training methods since I started over 15 years ago. I was ROUGH when I started, VERY rough. However, being a nerd and forever seeking new information, I realized there was so much more to learn….
There is usually something we can take from anybody we meet or study. If one wants to learn about positive training, then skip the dog trainers, and go right to the source. The work of Keller and Marian Breland is where to go for the quality theory and application of this type of training.
However, owning a dog is more than just teaching and shaping new behaviors. To live in a world without the word “no” is 100% unrealistic. Mother dog’s don’t have clickers or treats, they use “no” an awful lot, and I would hate to think of any humans who consider themselves better trainers than a member of the animal’s own species. For many dog owners out there, a world without consequences for their dog means potentially dangerous situations for both dog and human. It’s just the reality of the situation. Is this the case for all? NO…but for many, it is…
I LOVE operant conditioning, (no, im not going to use the trendy P word, because its only part of a bigger theory), however I seek to use it in balance with a larger picture of dog behavior and psychology.
Im about what is best for dog, then what is best for human. Not what is best for human’s emotional needs or hangups or any of the sort.
It’s also about balance….as is much of life
KD
Twitter: KDMATHEWS1
December 13, 2012 at 4:48 pm
I say now to our dogs all the time. A solid no, confident, sure, but not shouting along with direct eye contact, and a pause to make sure it gets through works wonders with our dogs. I also do this when I see the precursor to a fight. I just need to remind them who’s boss, but I can do that without violence, without shouting. I thank Cesar Milan for this; I read one of his books and I what I took from it is that dogs respond to confidence. It makes them feel secure.
The only time I grab my dogs is when they’re fighting. I grab the aggressor by the scruff to pull them back. They rarely fight, but it does happen. What I love is that they always make up after – lots of licking each other.
Kimberly
Twitter: thefurmom
December 13, 2012 at 6:25 pm
It’s amazing how much control can come from catching a situation early on. Negative and excitable energy is like a snowball at the top of the mountain….catch it early, it takes little effort…wait too long, and its a much different task altogether…
violence and shouting are a waste of time and energy…our lives are too precious to put effort into negativity….
Give yourself some credit, them making up is because they have a strong balanced leader watching over them.
(dofollow)
KD Mathews recently published..Why the "STAY" Command Is Dumb And A Waste Of Breath……
Twitter: KDMATHEWS1
January 18, 2013 at 1:47 pm
Hi there! It’s been a few months since I wrote this article and hadn’t noticed the new comment so sorry for the delay. While I understand your point of view, it is my opinion that you should not HAVE to say no. One of my favorite ways of interrupting “bad” behavior (it’s only bad to the human) is to use a positive interrupter. A positive interrupter is a sound you make that automatically redirects the dog. I use the kissy noise and then offer another distraction for my dog to remove them from the “bad” behavior.
(dofollow)
There is no behavior that you can’t create an incompatible behavior for. For example, if your dog is jumping, you can ask them to sit or if they are digging, you can call them to you. There is really no reason to say “no” because in the dog’s mind, that doesn’t really mean much other than they know you are mad at them. If you see a “bad” behavior occurring, it is up to you to train the proper behavior and then manage the situation so that it doesn’t occur again. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!
Ines recently published..Dog Play Styles
Twitter: AllPositiveDT
January 19, 2013 at 4:02 pm
You are so right, Ines
Our dogs also respond better when we choose “sit” or “down” or “off” – anything other than “no.” What does “no” mean, what are we trying to tell them to do. As a human, I jump to “no” easily and then when I see the “huh” look, I correct myself and share what I need them to do and they do it.
Thanks for stopping by again.
Kimberly
Twitter: thefurmom
January 19, 2013 at 4:29 pm
I see where you’re coming from, which leads me back to a point I have made in other contexts……you say that all “no” means to them is that we are mad……exactly my point when I say one of the biggest challenges people have in communicating with their dogs is their inability to manage their emotion.
The word ‘no’ will ONLY mean that we are mad, if we are mad when we use the word! My point being, if the emotion is removed, and the timing is appropriate, we can effectively communicate to the animal that this is a behavior that is undesirable.
So the next question would be then why should the dog even know that the behavior is undesirable? Afterall, if we simply redirect the animal each time we show the animal other acceptable replacement behaviors.
Because that is incomplete communication. Plus it is reactionary in application thereby not addressing several other behavioral issues, which are addressed by the 4 quadrants of Skinner’s theory, made into empirical results as researched and applied by the Breland’s in subsequent study and research.
Providing replacement behaviors (shall we simply refer to as R) on each occurrence of an unwanted behavior (refer to as U) is incomplete because the offering of R is not a concrete message of your desire for the dog to NOT continue U. It simply is a statement such as “i want you to do R”. That’s it. To the human mind, one might make the inference that you want R because U is unwanted, but that’s not an inference we want to expect the dog to make.
Either way, you are leaving the dog free to make the choice. When it comes to something like knowing your dog will not go into the road without being escorted or having permission, I do not want my dog making such a decision. I need to know that my dog clearly knows that it is not to do this, a message that is not clearly expressed merely by offering some type of R.
Again, if it is ok for a member of the animal’s own species to say no, I find it rather interesting to suggest that it is an ineffective part of the animal’s communication. The beauty of animals is that they do not do things that do not have purpose or do not work.
I will say that the majority of people I encounter do not effectively or even correctly use the word “no” however that is not to say it has no place.
It is the usage of the word “no” that reinforces and communicates the message that U is not to be done. This way the dog will be more likely to not engage in U when you are not there to provide R.
Just some more thoughts in a little more detail to further elaborate on the topic.
Twitter: KDMATHEWS1
January 19, 2013 at 4:36 pm
Thanks for keeping the conversation going, KD!
One thing we do is say there name with a stern tone. They understand immediately that we’re displeased. Then we say “sit” to give them the opportunity to reset. For example, when we have guests, Blue goes nuts with the barking (he’s our watch dog). A firm “Blueeeee” and then “sit” gets them to settle down and then he’s back to being our sweet baby.
Kimberly
Twitter: thefurmom