BASIC DOG BEHAVIOR & TRAINING
Many dog owners, knowingly or unknowingly, use the psychological
principles of operant conditioning to train their dogs. Operant conditioning is an analytical response
to a given situation. If a dog owner reinforces behavior, it will persist.
Giving a dog a treat
for sitting, lying down or staying is reinforcing positive behavior. The dog knows that if he obeys his
owner's command, he'll receive a treat. His behavior is analytical: predictable, planned and deliberate.
"If I sit, I'll get a treat."
However as the following anecdote illustrates, many dog owners don't
realize that they're reinforcing negative behavior :
A smart, adorable Lab puppy named Taite loved
to go on walks with his mom and dad. One day, Taite stood by the door, waiting to go out, and accidentally
peed. When his owners noticed, they immediately took him outside, to show him where he should urinate.
The owners thought they were house training their puppy, but little Taite got a different message:
"If I pee by the door, I'll get to go outside!" It didn't take long for Taite to pee by the door every
time he wanted to go outside.
Taite's story is a perfect example of his owners inadvertently reinforcing
negative behavior. By taking him outside when he peed at the door, they were sending their puppy the
message that his behavior was appropriate.
Any behavior, reinforced in any way, is bound to continue.
The key is to be aware: reinforce positive behaviors and eliminate the negative ones.
Basic Training
Dog training experts agree that several basic points should be kept in mind when introducing Rover to
the ways of your household. These tips will help both you and your new dog avoid misunderstandings:
" Keep training sessions short (no more than 15 minutes). As soon as the dog appears to lose interest,
stop.
" Start training as soon as your new dog arrives home. Don't let him get settled into bad habits.
" Invest in a decent training book. You'll refer to it often.
" Correct poor behavior and praise
good behavior immediately. Small treats are effective in reinforcing your training message.
" Be
prepared with the proper equipment and treats.
Dog Training and Children
Older children can be
quite enthusiastic about helping with dog training as it places them in a position of authority and they
feel quite grown up. If you wish to involve your children in the training of a new pet, be sure to supervise
carefully. Watch for consistency and for mixed messages.
A dog may feel confused if too many people
participate in his training. One adult should be in charge of initial training, while other family members
enforce the rules you've established for your dog. If children are unable to follow the rules you set
down, you should put off letting them walk the dog on their own until your dog is fully trained and obedient.
Small children should never walk a dog by themselves. Training takes patience and younger children
shouldn't be expected to train a pet. Praise them for helping by walking on your right while your dog
heels on the left. Don't allow them to feed the dog random treats during training as they may inadvertently
reward negative behaviors such as nipping or snatching treats out of their hands.
Dogs live a
life revolving around their stomachs and mouths. They love to eat and they love chewing, biting or licking.
It's no surprise that many dogs develop problem behaviors associated with the mouth, namely chewing and
biting. Allowing a dog to continue chewing and biting beyond her puppy years is inviting disaster. Someone
could get hurt.
Dog Chewing
Like babies, many dogs explore the world by tasting or chewing
all that they find. The best way to deal with this problem is to be diligent and remove from their reach
anything harmful or things they may consider an exciting proposition. This should include wiring, cleaning
supplies and small objects.
Secure your cupboard doors with childproof fasteners so you don't
come home to find Grandma's antique china dish in little pieces across the dining room floor.
Another
good deterrent is to buy a few soft and specially designed dog toys whose sole purpose is for your dog
to chew to his heart's content. If you're at home and see your dog contemplating his next feast, be quick
to offer one of the toys as an alternative.
Separation Anxiety in Dogs
No dog likes to be left
alone, and unless your dog is left alone on a regular basis and is used to a set pattern of departure
and arrival, he may develop separation anxiety.
Your dog may find an outlet for separation anxiety
in many different forms:
" chewing
" barking
" urinating
" defecating
" vomiting
" escape behavior (such as chewing through walls, scratching through doors, bursting out of cages
or digging under fences).
To prevent this type of behavior, make sure that your dog has lots of his
favorite toys scattered around the house so that no matter where he looks for you, he'll always find
a distraction. If you usually listen to music or have the television on while you're at home, leave the
TV or radio on to provide familiar background sounds.
For extreme cases, discuss some of the newer
pharmacological interventions with your veterinarian. These drugs can truly be life saving for some dogs.
Puppy Mouthing or Biting
Like chewing, biting is a natural behavior for dogs, especially young
puppies. However, unlike chewing, biting should be deterred as soon as possible.
If a puppy bites
you, yelp pitifully to show that he hurt you. Then give him one of his toys. With an older dog, use a
raised voice (be firm, but not scary) and say something along the lines of, "No biting!"
If this
behavior persists, stop playing with him and walk away. With an older dog, call a time-out and put him
in a separate room until he's calmed down. Continue these exercises until your dog realizes that this
behavior is not acceptable. Although a puppy's bite may seem harmless, the results of a biting dog can
be severe.
Teaching Your Dog Training Commands
Teaching your dog to obey you isn't as difficult
as many people think. A combination of verbal commands, hand signals, and rewards is usually the most
effective way to communicate with your dog. Once you've opened the doors to communication, you'll find
that training Rex or Lady is much easier.
Before you try teaching your dog a command, look over
the following guidelines for your own behavior:
" Be consistent. Don't tell your dog to "sit" and
follow through only occasionally. It's not okay for your dog to listen to you only some of the time.
A well-behaved dog obeys commands consistently.
" Speak in a confident tone. Don't ask, "Heel?" You're
in charge. Tell him what to do.
" Initially, feel free to reward with food and praise. Dole out treats
less frequently after your dog knows the command.
" Use the leash as an aid to help you maintain
your position as leader.
" Avoid confusion by saying one thing ("No!"), but communicating the opposite
meaning (patting your dog's head).
" End all training sessions on a good note. Finish with a command
your dog knows, and praise him liberally when he obeys.
Once you understand the general guidelines
for training, you can start to teach simple commands.
The "Watch Me" Command
Getting and maintaining
your dog's attention is the first step in successful training. To get your dog's attention, say his name,
point to your eyes, say "Watch me," and hold his gaze for ten seconds. You can do this on or off leash.
Then release him, saying "Good dog!" Repeat this in several places.
If he walks away, follow him,
bring him back to where you were, and try again. Once your dog has learned the "watch me" command, he's
ready to learn hand signals. Dogs can learn to sit, stay and come as long as the hand signals are clearly
distinguishable.
The "Sit" Command
While maintaining eye contact, gently place your dog into
the "sit" position, repeat the command and reward him. You can also take a food treat and place it just
above his nose, so he has to sit to reach it.
The "Stay" Command
This is a more difficult
command. The key to success is to start slowly. Initially, praise your dog if he stays for 5 seconds.
Then gradually increase the time. After he can sit still for a few seconds, begin moving away. If he
breaks his stay, you may have moved too far or waited too long. Just place him in the sit position again,
and decrease the distance and the time until he knows to stay until you call his name.
The "
Heel" Command
Begin this training indoors. With your dog on a leash, have him sit to your left side.
Hold the leash as if you were going to pull, and, using your dog's name, say "Rex, heel!" That tells
your dog to move. If he decides to run ahead of you, when he reaches the end of the leash, execute a
quick U-turn. He will be surprised and forced to move with you. When he catches up to you, praise him.
Repeat this several times.
Now it's time to teach Rex to walk next to you. Seat him to your left,
say "Rex, heel!" and start to move. If (and when) he moves ahead of your left thigh, pull the leash in
a corrective jerk motion (not too hard!), and U-turn again. Repeat this exercise over the days that follow,
and your dog should learn the command quickly.
Give your dog constant feedback during training.
A firm "No!" expresses your displeasure when he's not behaving. Reward appropriate behavior with treats
and praise, and your dog will know exactly what to do to please you-a dog's ultimate goal!
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