PlayTyme Papillons
PlayTyme Papillons  

Training: For the sake of the Dog

 

What you should know:by Cherish VanderVoord

 

  There are many different approaches to training a behavior.  Success depends on the dog, the energy level, degree to which the behavior has been engrained, the danger involved, the dog’s age, ability and level of intelligence.   So many things factor in to training.  Just as you cannot raise every child the same, meet their emotional, educational and physical needs, you cannot raise every dog exactly the same.  However, the good news is there are many basic principles that apply to the training of animals.

            Training keeps your dog safe, stimulated, and challenged along with making him a functional member of the family rather than a liability.  Communication is the key to all relationships including your rapport with your dog.  Just as you would have a very hard time learning to drive a car with a Japanese instructor, your dog has a very hard time understanding your English.  Our goal is to break training down into clear, comprehensible steps that will help both of you succeed quickly. 

 

  1. Positive Training – is the principle of rewarding desired behavior and careful management to avoid unwanted habits.  Positive training avoids correction physically and verbally whenever possible.
  2. Clicker Training – involves marking desired behaviors with a clicker followed by a reward.  Because the use of clickers is one more thing for the handler to juggle, we usually use the word “yes” or “good” to mark a behavior.  The word you use is your choice, but the installation of the word is very necessary.  There needs to be a correlation between the word (click) and the event (treat). 
  3. Lure/reward training – uses food or perhaps a favorite toy to lure the dog into a position or a location.  Lures help the dog to demonstrate the behavior so the handler can mark it.  Then the behavior is rewarded.
  4. Shaping – involves breaking a behavior down into small components or approximations rewarding each step and getting closer and closer to the actual behavior.  Shaping is very useful for complex behaviors that are multifaceted.
  5. Capturing – uses the principle of marking a behavior when it occurs naturally and using the spontaneous event to reward that given behavior.  Capturing can be used with shaping. 
  6. Correction based training – (negative training) this traditional method is still very widely used by many trainers who claim to be positive.  This method usually uses a harsh collar such a choker and the handler swiftly corrects undesired behavior with a fast tight jerk and a verbal reprimand. 
  7. NILIF (nothing in life is free) – There is no free lunch.  Dogs must perform a desired behavior before they eat, play with toys, chase a squirrel etc.  Works well to help manage an unruly dog and restore order to a household when a dog is uncooperative.
  8. Alpha dominance training – this method relies on keeping the dog submissive to the handler.  Uses neck scruff shakes, pinning the dog down dominating the dog.  This method has no validity and continues to lose support among professionals and scientists.  Your dog will never see you as another dog, even if you do mount him.  This method destroys the relationship because human translations of dog behavior frighten dogs.  There is nothing harder to train than a frightened dog.

 

Rewards and Punishments

 

        In the same way that you work hard all week for a paycheck, you dog needs some kind of reward for his effort and hard work.  Some dogs value a tennis ball or a favorite toy, some dogs work hard for the reward of running free (based on the Premack Principle) while others have such a high food drive that food is a great motivator.  Some dogs live for physical touch while others need verbal approval.  Whatever it is, your dog deserves a paycheck to help motivate desire.  When the dog has desire then learning can occur.  In class we will cover 1:1 ratio’s, lengthening behaviors, duration, and shaping behaviors to get exactly what we want.  Initially we will accept less from the dog to prevent shutdown and overload.  We need to build positively on success.  Later we can get it straighter, quicker, and define it clearly for the dog.  Initially we will settle for some attempt or form of the behavior.

 

  1. Reinforcement or reward – a consequence that follows a behavior and increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated.  Positive reinforcement adds something pleasant to the behavior increasing the likelihood that a behavior will continue.  Negative reinforcement is the removal of something undesirable when the desired behavior is demonstrated.  Both function as rewards.
  2. Punishment – a negative consequence that follows a behavior decreasing the likelihood that the behavior will occur.  Punishment only works if it is used within 1-2 seconds of the undesirable behavior.  Punishment never works 15 minutes later and the dog only associates you with a negative experience.  This only serves to break down the dogs desire to work for you and destroys trust between the handler and the dog.
  3. Punishment or reward based training – are only defined by their results.  Your reward may seem like punishment ( having to eat and undesirable treat) to the dog and a collar correction to some dogs is viewed as interaction and play.  Your dog’s behavior is the barometer that measures whether the reward or punishment is working as intended.

 

 

The methods you choose with either strengthen the relationship or weaken and destroy it.  So many uneducated owners call their dog for 20 minutes and when the dog finally arrives at the door, they hit it for not coming.  This doesn’t make any sense to the dog and the dog has learned to avoid coming to the door until absolutely necessary.  The next time, there is no punishment and the dog is very confused.  Training needs to be crystal clear.   Remember, you are communicating in a foreign language.  Learn to communicate in a way that the dog clearly understands and comprehends.

 

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Papillon Breeder of:

 

Multiple Best in Specialty show winning

 

Top 5 Papillon in Breed

Top 5 Papillon in All breed


AKC Champions

AKC Grand Champions

AKC Agility titles

AKC Obedience

AKC rally titles

AKC Trick dogs,

AKC Barn Hunt,

AKC FastCAT 

Akc tracking

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AKC dock diving and more.

 

Multiple working

Service Dogs and

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The Butterfly dog that does it all

Papillon Breeder in Michigan


Phone: +1 6162171616

E-mail: Cherish@PlayTyme.us

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