Training Your Dog Through Punishment Should Be a Thing Of The Past

Punishment as a form of training is still widely used by dog owners who know no better when training a dog. What your dog sees as a punishment can take many forms: verbal (shouting or an angry tone), physical (kicking, hitting or other forced actions such as rubbing his nose in the carpet) or even the posture of his master. No dog wants to be punished, nor will he do anything 'on purpose' and be aware of the (physical) consequences beforehand.

If you come home to find your dog has upset the garbage can and spread the contents all over the house, he is unlikely to realize when he is being yelled at that it is because of the mess he made some hours ago. What he will do is associate the return of his master with physical or verbal punishment, making him anxious about you returning home. You may even begin to notice your dog showing fear towards you if your training methods have included physical punishment.

If you see your dog crawling or slinking around looking "guilty" about the time you have noticed something he did earlier, you might think he knows he has done something wrong. This is not the case. Dogs have no sense of right and wrong. When shouted at, he is not acting "guilty", but is in fact just showing submissive posture in response to your harsh tone of voice or angry demeanor.

There are forms of behavior modification that may be acceptable even though they are based upon negative reinforcement that you could use in correcting unwanted behavior in a dog. If this is a method you wish to use, it is best that the 'perceived punishment' does not come from you, but instead comes from the environment your dog is in. For instance, noise can be an effective form of correction. When the dog is caught doing something that is undesirable, a sudden loud noise can disrupt what he is doing. It is important that the sound does not appear to come from you, but is something that 'mystically occurs' whenever he is misbehaving - it can come from an air horn or a tin full of beans that is shaken to make a noise. In time, your dog will associate the unwanted noise with the behavior you want to correct and avoid doing it again, even when you are not around.

If any of the above sounds familiar to you, or punishment to correct your dog's behavior is not the way you want to train your dog, why not consider positive reinforcement as a training method? Positive reinforcement is the exact opposite of punishment as a dog training technique, and providing you are consistent, it can be much more effective, rewarding and enjoyable for both you and your dog.

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6 Reasons Why You Should Use Positive Reinforcement to Train Fido

Reinforcement is something that will create or continue a habit.

It consists of anything which benefits the animal.

There are two kinds of reinforcements.

o Positive
o Negative

Positive reinforces are divided into 2 categories.

o Primary - These are very powerful since they consist of things that are needed for survival. Such as food or water.
o Secondary - These are things like saying "good boy!"

If we call our dog, and give him a treat when he comes and say "good boy", this reinforces him doubly. After some time the "good boy" becomes very strong and could become a primary reinforcer.

Food is the primary reinforcer, and petting or patting is secondary. Most likely a dog will always choose food over petting. But when used together they become stronger.

Here are 6 advantages of positive reinforcement.

1. Your dog chooses to respond to your signals because it enjoys the food given.
2. Your dog develops an excellent relationship with you because it is never forced to respond against its will.
3. Your dog develops a bold outgoing attitude because it never learns to fear you or its environment.
4. Your dog is very eager to learn because you never have to punish it.
5. Many lessons can be learnt when the puppy is very young and in a short time.
6. The behavior learnt by this method will last for life provided it is reinforced occasionally.

There are only 2 disadvantages to using the positive reinforcement.

1. It is not instant learning, it does take time. Most dogs will learn with 4 to 6 repetitions, some may take up to a dozen.
2. Your dog must have a normal healthy appetite and therefore can me motivated by food. It is best to do this reinforcement before feeding time rather than after.

Just as a side note: It is very hard to train a dog that is frightened. Fear will override all other responses. If a dog has been exposed to harsh treatment, it will take some time for them to respond to positive reinforcement.

Look for my next article on "Punishment and Negative Reinforcement"

To a happy healthy dog.

Betty Bulldog

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Humping! What Should I Do ?

Ahhh, those surging, raging hormones! The need to procreate and pass on those wonderful genes! What your puppy or dog is doing is perfectly natural and it feels darn good! However, most often, it is done when and where, it is considered inappropriate behavior. It is YOUR responsibility as the Alpha member of your pack, to teach your puppy or dog, that particular behavior will not be tolerated at that time.

Be aware, it is not only male dogs that hump... females get that same urge, and may also demonstrate their desire and dominance by humping.

PUPPY
When this type of behavior appears in your puppy, it could be a sign of soon to be dominant, assertive and possibly aggressive behavior. Some puppies show this behavior as early as 12-16 weeks old. You can see it when they interact with other puppies or dogs. Assert YOUR leadership, by being firm when correcting and restraining them from continuing that behavior.

IMMEDIATELY praise the appropriate behavior, so your puppy can make the association. Positive reinforcement, punishment-free PUPPY KINDERGARTEN is a terrific way to bond with your puppy, establish your Alpha position, socialize them, work on doggie manners, and teach them the essential commands they will use for the rest of their life. Besides that, it's fun!

ADULT DOG
When your dog positions their leg on someone or something, they must be corrected IMMEDIATELY! Watch for the signs...and whenever possible, prevent them from even thinking about it! The distraction must be done firmly and quickly. Your commands must be consistent, so you dog can make the association. Usually, that's enough to get their mind off of it...at least for awhile.

Should your dog hump legs, pillows, blankets, shoes, their bed, stuffed toys, children, other dogs, or even the cat...you need to get them into a submissive position. This is done by grabbing them by the scruff of the neck, and firmly telling them "NO! - ENOUGH!" Then command them to "SIT" or 'DOWN". When they are calm, reward them with lots praise, so they can make the association, which behavior is appropriate.

If inappropriate behavior continues, keep them on a short leash with a flat collar. When they start to hump, correct them by firmly snapping the leash, and firmly telling them "NO! - ENOUGH!" Then command them to "SIT" or 'DOWN". When they are calm, reward them with lots of praise, so they can make the association, which behavior is appropriate.

KEEP IN MIND
· Make sure you puppy or dog gets plenty of exercise, both general and breed specific. Tired puppies and dogs are GOOD DOGS!

· Get your dog neutered as soon as possible! Talk to your veterinarian. Ask them to recommend the most appropriate time. Testicular cancer is the second leading cause of death for intact male dogs. Pyometra is one of the leading causes of death for intact female dogs. Sometimes, there is little or no warning.

· Work your dog daily with lots of exercise, obedience commands and positive reinforcement. Keep your dog busy!

· Manage the problem by removing certain items that initiate humping behavior, such as the pillows or stuffed toys they are attracted to humping.

· PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE, appropriate behavior, so your puppy or dog learns to associate what is acceptable behavior.

BOTTOM LINE: Remember, what your puppy or dog is doing is perfectly natural, and it feels good. What they need to learn is, even though they are dogs, they just can't do it anytime, anywhere. Be patient, fair, firm and consistent...they will get the message. Also talk to your veterinarian. Ask them to recommend when you should get your pet spayed or neutered. Tell them you would like to get it done, as soon as possible...it could save their life!

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