Karen Pryor Clicker Training For Dogs

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bouncy. If they start to get stiff or if blood is being drawn, of course, it's time to end it.
Realize that your dog is a dog
Remember that everything dogs do that we dislike - biting, barking, jumping up, eliminating
inside, chewing, etc. - is totally normal dog behavior! If we want our dogs to stop doing
these things, then it is completely our responsibility to train him not to. No fair expecting
him to "know better" or to learn to stop doing something so natural and fun just because he
was caught & punished a few times. Often dogs can simply learn that they can't do those
things in the presence of a human. Instead, make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise and
has appropriate things to chew (real meaty bones from the butcher, Kongs or bones stuffed
with treats are great!) If a problem behavior continues, then realize that the fault lies in
your training and management (or lack thereof). So take the time to think about the
behavior and think about what you can do the change things. Don't expect your dog to act
like Lassie, because "Lassie" really never existed. She was just a well trained Collie, with a
smart trainer who was always just out of camera range.
Reinforce what you like
Be sure to clearly communicate to your dog what behaviors you DO like! Someone walked by
the window and he didn't bark at them? "What a good boy!" A reinforcement can be a treat,
praise, an ear rub, a ball thrown... whatever your dog loves. If being "naughty" is the only
way your dog gets you to pay attention to him, then expect him to be naughty a lot.
Ignore what you don't like (or make it stop "working" for the dog)
Unless the behavior is dangerous or really destructive, ignore behaviors you don't like. And
realize that any attention from you is reinforcing! Yelling, hitting, shoving - all are forms of
attention, which your dog naturally craves. A far more effective teaching method is to ignore
the undesirable behavior. If it's something that the dog has been doing for a long time,
earning your attention every time, then you can pretty much expect it to get worse before it
stops. Whatever he was doing worked before, so he may try harder & harder to get it to
work again. Stand your ground! Eventually he'll give up, having learned it doesn't work
anymore. The behavior will be extinguished. (Be careful - if you ignore something for a
while, then give in, you'll have taught him that he needs to be really annoying to get your
attention!) And in many situations, you can think about what you would rather your dog be
doing. Instead of begging at the table, how able reinforcing a down stay during your meal?
Of course, some behaviors are reinforced without your attention. "Counter surfing," barking
at the neighbors, getting in the trash, chasing cars, etc... So do your best to manage the
environment so that those behaviors either become impossible for the dog (put the trash in
a closet, don't let him run loose to chase cars), or stop working for the dog (if trips to the
counter yield no food, he'll stop bothering to do so).
Train desirable behaviors
Which is what the rest of this web site is about! If you haven't already, please go to the
lessons & start learning how. Great trainers have great dogs!
Tug o' War Rules
For years we have been told not to play tug 'o war with our dogs. We were told it would
make them aggressive & we'd end up getting bitten. Yet, many of us played it anyway with
no problems. How come? Well, because most of us played by the rules, even if unknowingly.
And if you play by the rules, tug games are not only acceptable but should be encouraged as
a great way to play with your dog!
Tug games provide great exercise (for both of you) and can be played inside in a small area.
Quick games of tug are great rewards for obedience training, too! However, there are some
very important rules which MUST be followed. If you don't, you may very well up with a dog
that becomes unacceptably aggressive.
Be cautioned, as well, that I still don't recommend tug games for dogs that are already
showing aggression toward their owners! But for the average pet who isn't having
dominance issues at home, tug games are great.
The Rules
1. Choose a single toy to use for your tug games. Use only it until all of the rules are clearly
understood by all involved. Store this toy somewhere out of the dog's reach - just bring it
out on those special occasions when you want to play tug!
2. Begin each game with a command such as "Wanna tug?".
3. Teach your dog to release the toy on command. You can teach this command ("Drop" or
"Give") by offering a treat or another special toy in exchange for the tug toy. Do again &
again until he learns the command. Be patient! After he releases, praise him & give him the
treat or toy, but then quickly initiate another game of tug. Your dog is much more likely to
give up the toy easily if he knows there is a good chance he will get it right back! Until this is
taught, you might be able to get the tug toy by pressing the dog's lips against his teeth -
when it gets uncomortable he will let go! Of course, do NOT try this if you are worried about
getting bitten - only you can judge the situation with your own dog.
4. Failing to give the toy causes a recess in the game. Running away or guarding the toy
ends the game once the owner has regained possession of the toy. Don't chase your dog to
get the toy! That is way too much fun for him. Ignore him for a while, then direct his
attention to another activity & remove the tug toy when he leaves it.
5. Take frequent breaks for some basic obedience commands (sit, down, or tricks of some
sort). As a reward for the obedience, the tug game continues.
6. Any time the dog grabs the toy without permission ("Wanna tug?"), there is a recess of
the game or end of it if the dog becomes really rowdy.
7. Dogs really have very exacting control over their teeth. The dog must NEVER even
"accidentally" touch the owner's hand with its teeth while playing. If this should happen, end
the game immediately & ignore the dog for a few minutes. You CAN expect the dog to growl
quite ferociously while tugging - that's part of the game & perfectly okay as long as those
teeth don't touch you!
8. Children of any age who cannot enforce these rules MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY
TUG WITH THE DOG!! Dogs and children should always be closely supervised. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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