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Originally Posted by Jkpal  [F Sans MS]Jilly-girl!!! I think you should have your own show on Animal Planet--really-truly! Your explanations are clear and concise and you always include the reasoning behind them. You're also very intelligent, compassionate and understanding. Plus, how nice to have a little, sweet, adorable, well-trained yorkie(s) has your co-host! I would love to watch and learn from an articulate gal who is on a pretty set with a lovely yorkie. I'm so sick of these ignorant, down-in-the-mud guys who are either hunting logs, or big foot, or some pesky varmint. But mainly, I think you'd really bring something wonderful and worth-watching to the animal behavior/training table![/FONT] |
Oh, wow, the check is in the mail if that's me you're talking about! Truly kind of you to say all of those flattering words. What a lovely lot of things to say. I'm so pleased I'm getting a swell head. I'm no professional trainer at all. I've just read or listened to about 70 dog books and had a lot of experience with dogs here during foster and rehabilitation from various problems.
Dog training is just inspiration, repetition and reward. You inspire your dog to want to learn by engaging him with your enthusiasm and energy, show him what you want in a fun way, give gentle negative feedback when he gets it wrong, such as "uh oh", "ahh", frowns, groans while rewarding the behavior you want with a show of real pleasure.
Punishment - even the gentlest - is never necessary for a good trainer/dog handler because eventually some dogs can develop a tiny area of distrust of those who use hitting/swatting/squirting repetitively during training. They may not show it in daily life but come that time of panic when the house is on fire or after a car wreck and the dog needs to come running to you but that slightest of doubts is there in his brain during that time of maximum stress - "
Mommie/Daddy hits out at me when I get things wrong" and hesitates just that bit too long. You never want to plant any seeds of doubt in a dog's brain that you might ever hit them for getting something wrong. Dogs aren't dummies - they understand hitting/shocking them can escalate.
Using only positive reinforcement without punishment prevents a shy, nervous, uncertain or nervous dog from later developing weird behaviors, sudden hesitations or fears, such as backing away, sudden hesitation, hand-shyness or other unpleasant things that can happen when you hit at them with a hand, object or squirt them in the eyes. So, keep it happy, fun and rewarding.