TALKING TO DOGSTALKING TO DOGSFundamentally, dog training is about communication. From the human perspective the handler is communicating to the dog what behaviors arecorrect, desired, or preferred in what circumstances. From the canine perspective the handler must communicate what behaviors will give thedog the most satisfaction to his natural instincts and emotions. Without thatinner satisfaction a dog will not work well. A successful handler must also understand the communication that the dogsends to the handler. The dog can signal that he is unsure, confused,nervous, happy, excited, and so on. The emotional state of the dog is animportant consideration in directing the training, as a dog that is stressedor distracted will not learn efficiently. According to Learning Theory there are a four important messages that thehandler can send the dog: Reward or release marker Correct behavior. You have earned a reward. For example, "Free" followed by a reward. Bridge Correct behavior. Continue and you will earn a reward. For example, "Good". No reward markerIncorrect behavior. Try something else. For example, "Uh-uh" or "Tryagain". Punishment markerIncorrect behavior. You have earned punishment. For example, "No". Using consistent signals or words for these messages enables the dog tounderstand them more quickly. If the handler sometimes says "good" as areward marker and sometimes as a bridge, it is difficult for the dog to knowwhen he has earned a reward. Rewards can be treats, play, praise, or anything that the dog findsrewarding. Failure to reward after the reward marker diminishes the valueof the reward marker and makes training more difficult. These four messages do not have to be communicated with words, andnonverbal signals are often used. In particular, mechanical clickers arefrequently used for the reward marker. Hand signals and body languagealso play an important part in learning for dogs. Dogs usually do not generalize commands easily; that is, a dog who haslearned a command in a particular location and situation may notimmediately recognize the command to other situations. A dog who knowshow to "down" in the living room may suffer genuine confusion if asked to"down" at the park or in the car. The command will need to be re taught ineach new situation.This is sometimes called "cross-contextualization,"meaning the dog has to apply what's been learned to many differentcontexts. DOG TRAINING HOMEDOG TRAINING HOME |