Timing consistency and motivation

 

Timing consistency and motivation
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Understanding the three basics that will help you train your dog

In order to help your dog understand the behaviors that you want him to perform and those  you want him to stay away from, you need to follow these three important guidelines. Straying from them will make training an exhausting task both for you and for your dog.

• Timing – A dog’s understanding of the connection between cause and effect occurs in less than 1.3 seconds. We need to mark the behavior as it happens by saying “good boy” to mark wanted behavior, or by saying “no” to mark unwanted behavior. If you are not marking the behavior within 1.3 seconds you are making it difficult for your dog to know what behavior is rewarded (thus worth repeating) or corrected (meaning he needs to stay away from).

• Consistency – In order for a dog to learn a behavior you will have to be very consistent not only with rewarding him, but also in the way you are giving the commands. For example, if you use your hand every time you tell your dog to sit your dog will never learn how to sit on a verbal command. Consistency is even more important when we want our dog to stay away from a certain behavior. If the dog is not allowed on furniture he can never be allowed on furniture. If you are giving mixed messages to your dog he will not be able to figure you out.

• Motivation – When training a dog you want to ask yourself what will be his drive to perform a certain task. If he likes food you can reward him with treats. If he likes toys you can throw a ball for him every time he complies with a command. The major drive behind your dog’s behavior will be his need to please you and make you happy. This means that he needs you to mark the behaviors that got him rewarded or corrected so he will know what to repeat and what to stay away from.  Motivation has another side as well, and that is correcting your dog.  When using correction in training we would like to use the minimal amount of correction that is going to change the dog’s behavior. The use of corrections must be done moderately. If you are using more than one correction for every 10 rewards you need to check your timing, your consistency and/or how good are the rewards you are giving, as something is not clear enough to your dog. 

No Free Lunch

No Free Lunch

This might be the most important change you will be making in your dog’s life. Applied correctly it can go a long way in changing your dog’s behavior and transforming your dog into a trained dog.

The idea is simple – your dog needs to “work” for every little thing he gets. Dogs were bred to work. They have a very high drive to work and please their owners. If that drive is not being put into work, your dog will grow confused and will find all kind of rewarding things to do. Most of them you will not like at all.

Make a list of the things your dog likes:

• Food
• Toys
• Attention
• Going on walks
• Playing with other dogs
• Going for car rides
• Etc…

Each dog’s list will be a different one but they need to contain all the things the dog will be willing to work for.

Now, every time you give your dog one of the items on the list just ask him to do something like sitting or laying down. Instead of training your dog at times that are designated for that (or in addition to), you will be training your dog all the time.

Two examples.

1. When feeding your dog hold the bowl up high and ask your dog to sit. Once he sits lower the bowl and let him eat.
2. When taking your dog for a walk, ask him to sit before you put the leash on him.

In a few days you will notice your dog “offering” these rewarding behaviors. It is very important that you pay attention to it and let him know it was a good thing to do. Just say “good boy” and pet him and your dog will be content.

Potty Training - How to teach your dog to go to the bathroom outside

The first (and too many times also the last) training objective that most of us have with a new dog is to teach him to go to the bathroom outside.

Like any other training goal this can be achieved with the right timing, consistency and by using the right motivation.

Consistency will be your most important tool in this process. If a dog never has a chance to “go” in the house and will always get rewarded for going outside, he will have no problem acquiring this behavior.

The first step in house breaking is to get a crate that is just slightly bigger than your dog. Leave the dog in the crate whenever you cannot watch him. Make sure to take the dog for walks every couple of hours when you're home so he will have a lot of opportunities to go to the bathroom outside and you will have a lot of opportunities to reward him for this behavior.

The second step will be to mark and reward the times that your dog went to the bathroom outside. Timing is crucial when training a dog. When taking your dog out for the bathroom, make sure to take him every time to the same spot. When your dog pees or poops outside it will be a great time to tell him that he is doing great and to give him a reward. Marking the behavior is very important. Do not assume that your dog “knows” what is expected from him to do.

Also, make sure that every time that your dog “goes” outside, you mark it as a good behavior, even if it is just during your morning walks or when you play with him in the front yard. Your dog will learn, by repetition, that this is what you want him to do.

If your dog did not use his chance during this walk, go back inside after 5 minutes and put him in his crate. Give him half an hour and then you can repeat the sequence.

The dog can be free around the house only when:

A.   You are positive that he is "empty".

B.    He is supervised and has a leash on.

When you see your dog going to the bathroom in the house say NO and keep on saying it until you get to the dog, then grab his leash and take him outside. You need to be really loud and assertive, so much so that you will surprise the dog and he will stop his business. If needed, you can make a noise that will startle your dog.

At night:

1.     Do leave water for your dog in his crate. Dogs who don't have constant access to water might drink more than they need when they get the chance.

2.     If your dog is really young (8 to 12 weeks) make sure to wake him at least once in the middle of the night, take him out and wait for him to go.

Cleaning:

Dogs have very sensitive noses. The scent will linger in the spot they went on even if we can't smell it. There are many products at the pet-stores that are designed to break up these scents. Make sure to get one of these and use it when cleaning up after your dog. Make sure your dog does not see you cleaning his mess. Put him away while doing that. Dogs are very interested in anything that we do. Watching his owner cleaning after him may induce a dog to show more interest in it than we would like him to.

Teaching the dog to go to the bathroom on command:

Teaching your dog to go to the bathroom on command is easier than you might think. It will help you a great deal in the process of house training him, and will save you a lot of time in the future. Simply say a command repeatedly when your dog starts “going” and reward him when he is done. Be consistent with the command as with the reward and praise, and soon enough your dog that goes to the bathroom on command.