On my website I use terms such as ‘… positive, force free, ethical and science-based methods…’
And my blogs cover… ‘Emotions, Body language, Enrichment, Guidance and support’
What exactly does all that mean? You may ask...
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Positive methods.
Training and/or support that is adding something positive.
I use food, praise or play, whatever the dog responds to best in any given scenario. Overtime, you can phase these out and just use randomly or intermittingly.
This is to reinforce, or a reward wanted behaviour, which makes them more likely to repeat that again.
For example – if you want your dog to return to you on a walk, you reward them every time they return to you and they are much more likely to come when you call.
New behaviour can be taught in many different ways, covered in , further down article, under force free methods.
Does this mean you never punish a dog for doing the wrong thing?
I do use a form of punishment - by removing something that is of value to a dog, to decrease the likelihood of a repeat of unwanted behaviour. This is known as negative punishment – negative meaning something is taken away.
For example - Jumping up, a lot of dogs jump up for attention, once it’s been established that its not a need for help and support, we ignore the dog by taking away the attention.
When the dog is on the floor, we can then add positive reinforcement by giving the dog attention. The dog will soon learn that if it keeps its paws on the floor it will get what it wants – attention.
I also use food, praise or play for distraction and/or association, to can change how a dog feels about something, from negative to positive.
How does that help to improve behaviour?
Using a technique known as counter conditioning.
For example – if a dog barks and lunges at other dogs, people or vehicles, it is usually because of the negative emotion of fear. If you pair the presence of other dogs with something positive, like food, this can alter the dog emotional response, and therefore reflective behaviour.*
* This is a process that requires careful management and support by putting into place a desensitisation plan.
Desensitisation is a gradual, controlled exposure within a dog’s tolerance levels.
UR - unconditioned response - a natural or automatic response,
US - unconditioned stimuli - stimulus that causes an automatic response without prior learning.
CS - conditioned stimuli- a stimulus that previously caused a negative has now been conditioned to a positive.
CR - conditioned response - a new learned response or behavior.
Force free methods.
Training and/or support without using physical force, intimidation or inflicting pain.
Not putting dogs in situations beyond their abilities or understanding.
How do you know a dog's abilities or understanding?
Every dog is an individual, some have a higher intelligence or understanding, this can have some basis on breed type and/or their history.
Using different techniques and adjusting to outcomes, you can adapt to how well the dog understands and what process works best for them.
For example:
Luring: Using food or a toy to guide the dog.
Capturing: Identifying and rewarding behaviors that occur naturally.
Marking: Identify the exact moment of wanted behaviour and using verbal praise or a clicker.
Shaping: Reinforcing variations in behavior that are closer to the wanted behavior.
Cueing: Adding a signal to a particular behaviour requirement, which can be verbal, physical or both.
Ethical methods.
Training and/or support that prioritises the welfare of the dog and their owners.
Creating an understanding relationship between the dog and its owner.
Why is welfare so important?
Welfare is providing good physical and mental health, if your dog is fit, well and happy they are more motivated and willing to accept training and less likely to display behavioural problems.
If an owner understands why a dog is behaving a certain way, it can help to build a stronger bond of love and trust, and they are then often able to deal with a behaviour in a calmer, more positive manner.
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Science based methods.
Training and/or support that comes from study and research on animal behaviour and how an animal learns.
Practical experience, although very important, also requires a good understanding of dogs from an up to date educated position.
How is science-based information relevant?
Scientific study and research aims are to improve understanding of a dog’s nature, behaviour and the ability or requirements to learn.
Over the last twenty or so years, the understanding of animal behaviour, has significantly improved and increased, partly due to advances in technology allowing for better understanding of brain function.
This has all allowed for greater understanding for effective development to improve outcomes within the field of dog behaviour management.
Blog subjects.
‘Emotions’ - reasons underlying the behaviour
‘Body language’ – ‘clues’ to why is the dog is behaving in a certain way.
‘Guidance and support subjects’ - what and how we change behaviour.
‘Enrichment.’ – improving a dog’s life and help prevent or improve unwanted behaviour.
These are in line with my belief of taking a holistic approach when working with dogs and that health, emotion and social factors are linked to behaviour.
All of the above is in alignment with the guidelines of the Animal Welfare Act (2006):
‘Under the Act, owners and keepers have a duty of care to their animals and must make sure they meet their needs:
· for a suitable environment and place to live
· for a suitable diet
· to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
· to be housed with, or apart from, other animals (if applicable)
· to be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease
The Act prohibits animal cruelty which includes:
· causing unnecessary suffering to an animal…’
Footnotes.
Behaviour can, of course, be changed through other methods, such as physical corrections and various types of equipment - pushing an animal into a position, alpha rolls, shaker cans, spray bottles, citronella collars, leash corrections, choke chains, prong collars, or shock collars.
This usually works because the dog has just shut down, its looks like they are being obedient, but they have not necessarily learnt a new behaviour, they have just given up, through stress or fear.
This is often referred to as 'learned helplessness', which is a psychological state that occurs when an animal has been repeatedly hurt either mentally or physically and has no way to escape or win.
This can damage the relationship with your dog and even lead to other behavioural concerns.
If a dog has been displaying unwanted behaviour for some time, is fearful/anxious, or received inappropriate training in the past, any positive progress can be a long and slow process.
These brief explanations cover my ethos when working with dogs and owners, but you don’t have to just take my word for it with the benefits and effectiveness of these methods:
‘BVA and BSAVA support and recommend positive training methods as the most effective training intervention for companion animals in terms of health, welfare and behavioural outcomes.’ British Veterinarian Association & British Small Animal Veterinary Association.
‘…owners that train using rewards report fewer behaviour problems in their dogs
• reward-based training can help build confidence and encourage dogs to think for themselves’
‘Blue Cross recommends positive reward-based training methods. We do not use or advise aversive equipment or methods – dogs learn best when they are not stressed, worried, uncomfortable or scared.’
‘Battersea advises using only positive, reward-based techniques as they focus on strengthening the bond between dog and owner.’ https://www.battersea.org.uk/.../how-find-qualified-dog...
‘Look for reward-based training methods with food, play or toys. Don't join the class if training techniques rely on fear, pain, choke chains, shouting or hitting.’ https://www.rspca.org.uk/advic.../pets/dogs/training/trainer
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