Advice To Using Positive Reinforcement And Rewards To Train Your Dog.

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Today's Topic:
Advice To Using Positive Reinforcement And Rewards To Train Your Dog...

Training dogs using positive reinforcement and reward training has long been recognized as both highly effective for the owner and a positive experience for the dog.  Positive reinforcement training is so important that it is the only method used to train dangerous animals like lions and tigers for work in circuses and in the movie and television industry.

 
                                       
Proponents of positive reinforcement swear by the effectiveness of their techniques, and it is true that the vast majority of dogs respond well to these training methods.

 

One reason that positive reinforcement training is so effective is that is uses rewards to teach the dog what is expected of it.  When the dog performs the desired behavior, he is provided with a reward, most often in the form of a food treat, but it could be a scratch behind the ears, a rub under the chin or a pat on the head as well.  The important thing is that the dog is rewarded consistently for doing the right thing.



Reward training has become increasingly popular in recent years, but chances are some sort of reward training between humans and dogs has been going on for hundreds if not thousands of years.



When understanding what makes reward training so effective, some knowledge of the history of humans and dogs is very helpful.  The earliest dogs were probably wolf pups that were tamed and used by early humans for protection from predators, as alarm systems and later for guarding and herding livestock.



It is possible that the wolf pups that made the best companions were the most easily trained, or it is possible that these early dogs were orphaned or abandoned wolf pups.  Whatever their origin, there is little doubt today that the vast variety of dogs we see today have their origin in the humble wolf.

 

Wolf packs, like packs of wild dogs, operate on a strict pack hierarchy. Since wolf and dog packs hunt as a group, this type of hierarchy, and the cooperation it brings, is essential to the survival of the species.  Every dog in the pack knows his or her place in the pack, and except in the event of death or injury, the hierarchy, once established, rarely changes.

 
                                                                
Every dog, therefore, is hard wired by nature to look to the pack leader for guidance.  The basis of all good dog training, including reward based training, is for the handler to set him or herself up as the pack leader.  The pack leader is more than just the dominant dog, or the one who tells all the subordinates what to do.  More importantly, the pack leader provides leadership and protection, and his or her leadership is vital to the success and survival of the pack.



It is important for the dog to see itself as part of a pack, to recognize the human as the leader of that pack, and to respect his or her authority.  Some dogs are much easier to dominate than others.  If you watch a group of puppies playing for a little while, you will quickly recognize the dominant and submissive personalities.



A dog with a more submissive personality will generally be easier to train using positive reinforcement, since he or she will not want to challenge the handler for leadership.  Even dominant dogs, however, respond very well to positive reinforcement.  There are, in fact, few dogs that do not respond well to positive reinforcement, also known as reward training.

 

Positive reinforcement is also the best way to retrain a dog that has behavior problems, especially one that has been abused in the past. Getting the respect and trust of an abused dog can be very difficult, and positive reinforcement is better than any other training method at creating this important bond.


                                              
No matter what type of dog you are working with, chances are it can be helped with positive reinforcement training methods. Based training methods on respect and trust, rather than on intimidation and fear, is the best way to get the most from any dog.

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Advice On Adopting A Pitbull.

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Today's Topic:

Advice On Adopting A Pitbull

I ran across this article i had in my files.It is a very interesting article.I think you should really read it,especially if you are thinking of getting a pitbull..

Dear Adam:

I purchased your book about 5 months ago, and I was hoping that might would "entitle" me to some advice. First, let me say that I'm very satisfied with my purchase. Not only does it give advice on specific techniques, but, more importantly, it explains the foundation of all training--timing, motivation, consistency--allowing the dog owner to better understand the training process. Also, it does a very good job of explaining that dogs are pack animals--and will test the alpha's leadership at various times (in my case, all the time)--and how that factors into training. Finally, I like your common sense approach, e.g., "stay" is a double command, if the dog's not supposed to break a sit or down without the release command, why do we need to tell it to stay.

My question is not about dog training, however, but about breeds of dogs. Specifically, APBTs [American Pit Bull Terriers] and AmStaffs [American Staffordshire Terriers]. The AKC does not recognize the APBT as a breed, however, many dog fanciers recognize the two as separate breeds even though they share a common origin and look very similar. Or, if not separate breeds, two "strains" of the same breed, the AmStaff being bred for "show" and the APBT being bred for "performance" - meaning the gameness of the original dogs has largely been bred out of AmStaffs, but still remains in APBTs. I'd like to hear your take on this subject since you own and have owned APBTs or mixes thereof.

The reason I ask is that I'm considering getting an AmStaff or a Staff Bull Terrier. My wife and I currently own a Dalmatian, however, so I'm a bit concerned about the two getting along, especially when I'm not around. Should I stay away from these breeds? I've had one breeder tell me they should be fine if the Staff is introduced as a puppy, while another told me never to leave them together alone. What would be your recommendation (I realize all dogs are individuals and may possess different traits than others of the same breed)?

Thanks,
Ryan Fehlig

Dear Ryan:

Thanks for the kind words. You've asked an excellent question!

I love the bull breeds, personally. And while everything you've stated is pretty much "right on the money," ... I would suggest that if you decide to adopt one of these breeds you make sure that:

1. The dog you're adopting is the opposite sex of the dog you already own.

2. If the new dog is a male, then neuter him before he hits sexual maturity. (Before 1 year of age.)

3. If the other dog is a male, then definitely neuter him. (Although this will not be a "cure-all" it may help somewhat.)

It's true... many of the dogs in this breed seem to have a genetic basis for dog aggression. I don't think that they come out of the womb being dog aggressive, but rather that they have temperament characteristics that tend to make them more dog aggressive. (i.e., dominance and a strong defensive nature).

As for the difference between the APBT and the AmStaff, the difference is largely one of registration. (AKC vs. UKC). And yes, the AKC version has been bred with more of an emphasis on conformation (like all AKC breeds).

If I were to adopt another bull breed, it would likely be the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (the smallest of the "pit bull" breeds). I like the idea of having a big dog in a small package. But to be honest, I'm really tired of the media stigma that this breed has received. And in real life terms, this means having a dog that you can never really take off leash at a park - not because the dog is dangerous or untrained - but rather because people are so darn afraid of what the media has led them to believe about this breed, that they snatch up their children and run screaming from the park.

On the upside, this stigma can work in your favor, too. Most criminals know that a "pit bull" is the type of dog that you don't want living in the house that you're about to rob.

On a personal note, there was a character who let his Rottweiler run off leash at the park I used to train at. This dog had a bad attitude and was a very dominant-aggressive dog. The owner was under the impression that his dog was trained. He'd give multiple commands, such as, 'Ranger come, come, come, come,'... but all Ranger would do is engage my clients' dogs and try to initiate a dog fight.

Well, after I adopted Forbes (an APBT-mix that looks like one big muscle and is about as wide as a Mack truck) and started keeping him in a down-stay while I worked with my clients' dogs... Ranger's owner suddenly started keeping their dog on a much shorter leash. If he didn't attach his dog to a leash as soon as he saw me enter the park, then he'd definitely run to grab his dog THE VERY INSTANT that he saw that Ranger wasn't going to immediately turn and come when called.

I guess that's what you call motivation, eh?

Yes... it's probably a macho thing. But IF there is a stigma, then you might as well use it to your advantage to encourage reckless dog owners with untrained dogs to keep their mutts on-leash.

That's all for now, folks!
Adam

Well,That's it for Now.Take Care.

Until Next Time...

A Dog Is For Life Not Just For Christmas...

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We Hope everyone is having a good weekend!
 Today we will talk about being serious about your lovable furry kids.

I ran across this article I had in my files and thought this would be some handy tips and information.So let's get started!

Today's Topic:

A Dog Is For Life Not Just For Christmas


My family run an animal sanctuary in Birmingham, England. Even though we love what we do, we feel that some people need to realise that a pet should be a long term commitment. They should not be seen as just a bit of fun which they can then get rid of when they get bored.

Many people arrive at the animal sanctuary with their pets, which are mainly dogs, with many excuses as to why they are no longer able to look after or care for them. I am sure many of their reasons are valid but am also aware that many others are just an excuse to offload them.

The excuses they give are varied:

I have recently divorced from my husband and can no longer afford to keep this dog as a pet

The dog has started to bite my children

The dog is too difficult to handle and is destroying my furniture

We have recently moved into a flat. One of their rules is that no animals can live in these flats

The dog barks to much and it is upsetting the neighbours

Our other animals do not like the dog

The dog is affecting my health

I am too ill to look after my dog

It is not our role to question these reasons but what we then need to do is to find another suitable home for the dogs. This is easier said than done as we need to ensure that the new owners will be able to care for them, for hopefully the duration of their life.

We also keep many of the dogs as our own pets, especially the ones which nobody else seems to want. One such dog is called Cassie. She is full of life and has been ill treated it seems when she was a puppy. Half of her left ear is missing and she is seemingly quite afraid of men.

Cassie is need of a huge amount of care and attention. She can be too lively at times which is possibly why three people who attempted to re-home her, have bought her back. She is not aggressive in any way but does tend to jump up at people.

What we did with Cassie and what we will continue to do, is to give her lots of love but also a little bit of training of what is good and what is not acceptable. It takes a long time, but she is now able to understand that the jumping is not wanted and that she needs to chill out at times.

Cassie is turning into a wonderful dog to have around the house and now feels for the first time as part of a family.

With a little more patience most other dogs can turn out this way. This is why we want more people to take more responsibility and to give their animals more of a chance to settle into their homes, and to get used to a new set of rules.

Having animals as pets can be very rewarding, nearly as rewarding as having a child. A dog however will rarely answer you back.

If you are having problems with your animals you can always phone up animal sanctuaries for advice and to hear about possible solutions. The people who work there are animal lovers and will help you as much as they can.

If you are unable to continue looking after the pet, the sanctuary should be able to take them off you.

 Well that's it for today,Until Next Time

Take Care...

(Dad):Nitro tell everyone Bye for Now!

(Nitro):Ok,Dad-Bye Everybody!!!