"Good boy!"
When I cop my dog Jaden doing something well, I say: “Good boy!”. And I do it quite deliberately. Because: Much too frequently,
we do not give our attention to what our dog is already able to do and that it does it wonderfully. It’s quite the contrary!
There is one absolutely stupid thing our dog is not able to do and we complain about and mull over it and then we wander from
dog obedience school to one after another. But why?! If you really want to become the best in class with and for your dog, thus,
give it a go to be out of your class by getting through five lessons - namely in the subjects: training, fun and feeling comfortable
with your dog! Do you want this? So, ready, steady, go!
Five lessons to become the best in class!
Lesson 1: caught!
Have you got a particular word to praise your dog and which your dog really reacts on? ...
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Lesson 1: caught!
Have you got a particular word to praise your dog and which your dog really reacts on?
This word is the basis for the first lesson, as from today on, you will keep an eye on your dog for at least 1 day quite deliberately.
Write it down in your diary and ask your partner, your family and everyone living together with your dog to join in. During this day, praise everything your dog does right.
Before starting, keep paper and a pen available at a place at home you pass often (e.g. window sill in the kitchen, little table in the hall) and stock up with treats for your dog. Then, fill up your jeans pockets with them and now you are already all set.
There is one more important thing: think about the problems which may arise with your dog. For example: jumping up on guests, barking at the postman, snarling as soon as its "favourite enemy" comes into view, barking in the car, pulling on the lead, widdling inside the house, chewing up shoes, ... It could be of help to do researches in the Internet or to ask around in dog owner forums. Some of the difficult situations with a dog may have a familiar ring for you; other things prompt you to think: "My dog never does anything like that!" or: “My dog is already able to do this!” That is good.
Watch out for your dog remembering these things. Is your dog lying calmly at its place instead of begging for food while you are eating? Praise and reward it! Does your dog lie down calmly next to you while you are having a chat during a walk? Praise it! Does you dog shake off the rain in front of your door instead of in the corridor? Praise it! Does it sit down when you tell it to do so? Praise it! Write down one or two keywords about what your dog's competences are. This can also be everything your dog did correctly in the dog obedience school or during the training; everything from "Down!" to weaving through your legs. You will see: The list will be long!
What you will learn: Your dog is able to do some things, does so many things correctly, is a great life partner - you will generate new pride and new enthusiasm. Concentrating on the abilities instead of the problems provides new motivation to approach the remaining challenges. Have a try!
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Lesson 2: signal!
Whether you and your dog will become a great team, depends on the following knowledge: if I, the human, change my attitude, I change my dog - absolutely at ease ...
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Lesson 2: signal!
Whether you and your dog will become a great team, depends on the following knowledge: if I, the human, change my attitude, I change my dog - absolutely at ease.
Therefore, your today’s task is as follows:
Exchange the word “command” against the word “signal”!
In other words: from now on, we do not direct our dog by means of commanding instructions, but by requesting signal words or signal gestures, which we have already worked out during the previous trainings. For instance: We say the signal word: “Sit!” and make a signal gesture with a wagging finger.
This little exchange of words mainly is an exchange of thoughts, which helps us to find another way of treating our dog and talking to it. Think of traffic lights: the green light is not the command to move off blindly and obediently but a signal to react on consciously and promptly. Your approach to training and your “dialogue” with your dog will be like this in the future.
Why I was induced to exchange words? The education principle of positive reinforcement, which is based on the friendly and clear communication with a dog. Read more in the next chapter!
This lesson was almost too easy? It is often the simplest things that make us happy and the direct ways that lead to success. Therefore, there is the “mental dog school”. When you think first and use knowledge actively, you may really commence dog training with tranquillity and success.
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Lesson 3: positive!
Behavioural science found out that a dog needs to be praised within two seconds. Only in doing so, the dog is able to link the praise to its action. If you are too late, there may occur misunderstandings ...
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Lesson 3: positive!
Behavioural science found out that a dog needs to be praised within two seconds. Only in doing so, the dog is able to link the praise to its action. If you are too late, there may occur misunderstandings.
Let’s have a look at practical experiences: We want to teach the dog to sit down and praise it at the very moment its bottom touches the ground. The dog links the sitting down to the praise - only by many repetitions, of course. Thus, it is perfect.
Misunderstandings may occur when we wait a too long time with the praising. In this case, perhaps, the dog has meanwhile turned its head, raised its bottom or touched us with its paw in an asking way. Thus, the dog is not able to link the praise to its sitting down. This way, it learnt: nothing. Therefore, by the way, clicker training is really a hit, as you can click at the precise moment and indicate your dog: exactly, this was great!
So, we are already in the thick of lesson 3 dealing about “positive reinforcement”. The absolutely essential book for this purpose is Karen Pryor’s “Positiv bestärken, sanft erziehen – bitte englischen Titel einfügen!”. The basic principle: We, the humans, assign the desired behaviour (e.g. the sitting down of our dog by saying: "Sit!") to the comfortable aftermath: an immediate treat. Using this positive aftermath, we encourage the dog in showing the desired behaviour again. Thereby, it learns additionally, to link its behaviour (e.g. the sitting down) to the signal word "Sit!". The result: the human says: “Sit!” - and the dog sits down joyfully, as it knows that something nice will happen. By the way, the treats are reduced and only the “Sit!” is rewarded every now and then.
Maybe you have already noticed that the word “punishment” is not used here. Exactly! B Bad behaviour is simply ignored. We pay attention to good behaviour. Those, who work with their dog like this, will notice how joyfully and highly-motivated the dog joins in and concentrates on its master. You will not miss punishment!
This sound complicated? So, here is your today’s task: Ask your dog obedience school for “positive reinforcement”, have a look in current guidebooks on dog training, pose questions in your dog forum on experiential reports or google the topic. And when you have got a lot on your mind, just have a try together with your dog.
Decide to do something you have always wanted to practise with your dog and try to use positive reinforcement. You will be delighted - and your dog as well!
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Lesson 4: so what?
You practised every day, it worked out every day, but today - nothing. You are annoyed. You wonder what the matter with your dog is today. I can tell you: "Nothing." And above all: "Don't take it personally. It hasn't worked out, so what?!" ...
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Lesson 4: so what?
You practised every day, it worked out every day, but today - nothing. You are annoyed. You wonder what the matter with your dog is today. I can tell you: "Nothing." And above all: "Don't take it personally. It hasn't worked out, so what?!" .
No dog is like the dogs in course books, no animal is always perfect and we humans at the end of the lead not at all! There are good days and bad days. This is absolutely normal. Keep relaxed!
But - pay attention, here is the lesson - do not finish your training with a flop. Perhaps you were too ambitious today; the surroundings of other circumstances took your dog’s mind off things. It is not said for a reason: a dog has only learnt something, when it can do it always and everywhere. The technical term is generalisation. Anyway, finish your training with something really simple for which you can reward your dog. Thus, you will have a good ending and no frustration will arise.
By the way: The homework tip suits this lesson very well: training diary!
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Lesson 5: dialogue!
Talking or whispering to dogs - a dream. But dogs do not need gibberish in order to enter into a dialogue with us and we do not need a course “Fluent in dog language within three days" at the adult education centre ...
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Lesson 5: dialogue!
Talking or whispering to dogs - a dream. But dogs do not need gibberish in order to enter into a dialogue with us and we do not need a course “Fluent in dog language within three days" at the adult education centre.
We need a lesson in being clear - and here it is.
Education is always interaction, dialogue and, above all, no one-way street. From now on, you enter into a dialogue with your dog using more gestures, body language, praise and amplifiers instead of many words (see lesson 3). Because: Certainly, you cannot really talk to your dog. Once you understand how dogs process information and assign certain reactions to their behaviour, you approximate an informative chat.
Being clear is the basis for the communication between dogs and with dogs. Just do it like this: give your dog clear signals, consistently insist on it observing the rules also in a foreign environment, when visiting someone or on holiday. Being clear already commences when you choose the visual and audible signals. It does not matter which signal word you choose, the main point is that it is short and differs from the other ones with regard to the sound. To this end, you can choose a visible signal, a little gesture with your hand (e.g. the wagging finger for “Sit!”). Thus, it will be much easier for your dog to understand you. Because: it will be absolutely clear for you dog, what you want it to do - and only when your dog is able to understand you correctly, it is able to do what you wish it to do.
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