The fastest, easiest, most effective approach is to recreate the undesired situation in a controlled setting, and correctly use sound distractions with praise to erase the misbehavior. Dogs can learn or unlearn almost anything in four properly conducted repetitions.
Taken to it's extreme, these four repetitions should be performed in four different places, or with different people, dogs, or whatever the "props" involved may be. Understanding how dogs think, learn, and process information is a stretch of the imagination for most of us. It is obvious that they know more about psychology than we do.
They think, have a sense of humor, communicate, tease, lie, steal, etc. just like any one else. But, they don't think human. Dogs are limited to thinking like dogs. It's your responsibility to think things out from their perspective and try to use good judgement.
You have to be consistent so as not to confuse. Using conditioned reflex, you will be able to effectively change any behaviour you choose.
A set of cans on a string is great tool in helping to change the behavior. What we do is allow the bad behavior, make a sound with the string to stop it, and then praise him. This conditioning is the key to success.
Each time you create a sound to stop or break a behavior, you must praise him for as long as he refrains from continuing such behavior (at least until he no longer thinks about that instance, usually ten or fifteen seconds), and be prepared to create your sound distraction and praise as soon as the behavior begins again. This is the sticking point with so many trainers. "Why should I praise this critter if he's not even doing what I want?" Remember, dogs do not think in human terms. Most behavior problems are simply a failure to clearly communicate.
Of course, you may continue correcting your dog forever, as most trainers do. We do not understand why a trained dog needs correction. Seems that if he were trained, that would be the end of it. That would imply that if a trained dog makes a mistake, that this mistake is probably not an accident, but rather, a challenge to your authority.
Because the process is so enjoyable many people use it forever. Part of that comes from the satisfaction of successfully training our dog. Bear in mind, these are corrections and not the teaching of new behaviors.
Taken to it's extreme, these four repetitions should be performed in four different places, or with different people, dogs, or whatever the "props" involved may be. Understanding how dogs think, learn, and process information is a stretch of the imagination for most of us. It is obvious that they know more about psychology than we do.
They think, have a sense of humor, communicate, tease, lie, steal, etc. just like any one else. But, they don't think human. Dogs are limited to thinking like dogs. It's your responsibility to think things out from their perspective and try to use good judgement.
You have to be consistent so as not to confuse. Using conditioned reflex, you will be able to effectively change any behaviour you choose.
A set of cans on a string is great tool in helping to change the behavior. What we do is allow the bad behavior, make a sound with the string to stop it, and then praise him. This conditioning is the key to success.
Each time you create a sound to stop or break a behavior, you must praise him for as long as he refrains from continuing such behavior (at least until he no longer thinks about that instance, usually ten or fifteen seconds), and be prepared to create your sound distraction and praise as soon as the behavior begins again. This is the sticking point with so many trainers. "Why should I praise this critter if he's not even doing what I want?" Remember, dogs do not think in human terms. Most behavior problems are simply a failure to clearly communicate.
Of course, you may continue correcting your dog forever, as most trainers do. We do not understand why a trained dog needs correction. Seems that if he were trained, that would be the end of it. That would imply that if a trained dog makes a mistake, that this mistake is probably not an accident, but rather, a challenge to your authority.
Because the process is so enjoyable many people use it forever. Part of that comes from the satisfaction of successfully training our dog. Bear in mind, these are corrections and not the teaching of new behaviors.
About the Author:
Our complete book on labrador training is a valuable extension to training your dog obedience in all situations. Training puppies needs some extra simple steps to help you bring him up and simply have great fun with him.
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