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Acknowledgements
While I have learned from many dog trainers over the years, a few stand out. Thanks to Glen Johnson, who early in the 80s taught me about inducive training. And also to Bill Dotson, who introduced us to Schutzhund and Search & Rescue.
Thanks Tracey Louper for letting me help teach classes, and being my friend and sounding board for new dog training ideas.
Special thanks to friend and mentor Michael Ellis. Michael is a gifted dog trainer and teacher, and almost everything I use and teach these days comes from Michael.
And thanks to Ivan Balabanov, who started our club, Big Sky Schutzhund Club, on the way to becoming thinking dog trainers.
Category Archives: learning theory
Kitchen Training: Close Fronts
A perfect front is close, straight, fast and consistently correct. The dog has full understanding of his job. He knows how to be straight because he understands what his focal point is and how to line himself up with it. He understands how close is close. He sits quickly and gives intense, focused eye contact. [...]
Clicker Power
I’m a lazy trainer, I admit it. So part of the reason I use a marker word rather than a clicker is that I always have my voice with me. I have to look for a clicker and who knows where I might have left it. Even after reading Clicker Bridging Stimulus Efficacy by Lindsay [...]
Class Notes: Beginning Agility
Shaping teaches a complex behaviour by progressively and selectively rewarding any action that takes the dog closer to the desired final action.
Also posted in Beginning agility, Class notes, Dog agility, Dog training Tagged agility training, clicker training agility, contact training, hoops, shaping, tunnels 1 Comment
Book sale at J&J
Excel-erated Learning by Pamela J. Reid Ph.D. and How Dogs Learn by Mary R. Burch, Ph.D. & John S. Bailey, Ph.D. are on sale for $10.99 at J&J Dog Supplies http://www.jjdog.com/ . Look under Discontinued Items. These books belong in the library of anyone interested in learning more about dog training and how dogs learn.
Pitfalls of Luring
A common complaint about using food in training is “My dog only comes when he sees the treat!” This is generally because the dog was taught by luring. The lure has become the prompt for the dog to perform the behaviour. The dog is dependent on the lure, and if the lure is not present, [...]
Also posted in Dog training Tagged ABCs of dog training, Obedience training, operant conditioning Leave a comment
Class Notes: Beginning Agility Class
Timing is everything in dog training. Using a reward marker allows the dog to clearly understand what the desired action is, and what he's getting rewarded for.
Class notes: Moving attention, retrieves
It doesn’t matter how accessible the toy is, the only way the dog will get it is to give attention and gain the release word YES. This is an important component of self control. "You have to do something to get something."
Also posted in Class notes, Dog training, Retrieve, heeling Tagged Dog training, Dog training friends, Dogs, Obedience training, Schutzhund Leave a comment
Shaping
Shaping: teaching a new behaviour by rewarding successively closer approximations of the target behaviour.
Also posted in Class notes, Dog training Tagged clicker training, Dog training, operant conditioning, positive reinforcement dogs, shaping behavior dogs Leave a comment
Reward strategies
Variable reinforcement: Making the reward really matter When the dog is first learning a new skill, we reward every correct response. This is called continuous reinforcement, and is effective in the beginning stages of learning. However, we need to move quickly away from continuous reinforcement as it is not effective in the long turn. Imagine [...]
Choosing a marker word