Housetrained (or Not)

• Your Responsibilities (My Disclaimer)

• My Commitment to Non-Force Training (3 pp)

• Looking for Help
• Owners Beware -- What to Look for, and What to AVOID! (8 pp)
• Getting Help with Non-Profound Problems
• Getting My Help with Profound Problems (4 pp)
• My Rates
• My Contract
• Feed Me!! Nutrition for Dogs Poor nutrition can cause skin ailments, digestive problems, poor bone and muscle development, dull, coarse, sparse coat, and in some cases, can even contribute to aggression problems!
(6 pp)
• Why Not Use Aversives or Correction in Training? I believe that dogs require leadership. But, I provide that leadership through teaching the dog to cooperate, rather than teaching the dog that (s)he HAS to submit. (7 pp) 
  • Why Am I So Against the Use of Force Methods?  It’s always better to take the shortest, cleanest route, whenever possible… and the shortest, cleanest route in training is in the use of positive reinforcement.
  • Non-Compliance  Lots of people simply look at a dog's noncompliance as "dominance". That's why correction training has taken such a foothold in this country... humans MUST dominate all other species. 
  • Shock Collars These collars deserve a heading of their own, simply due to the damage they cause.
  • Using Correction Positively?  It's common to hear punishing methods referred to as "positive reinforcement methods", simply because you're taught to say "good boy!" after issuing the correction, when the unwanted behavior stops.
  • Superstitious Behaviors  a behavior that has nothing to do with the intended lesson.
• It's a Matter of Trust  Much of the work that I do is centered in working with aggressive dogs... dogs who, for one reason or another, feel threatened.  Where many trainers will attribute the dog's explosive behavior to dominance, I attribute it to the perception of threat. (10 pp)
  • Gauging Stress  When working toward building the safety history, it's important that you have a solid understanding of the situations which cause your dog stress... so, first, you'll need to understand how to *gauge* your dog's stress level.
  • Building the Safety History  We ALL have to do things that we don't WANT to do... my *personal* feeling, in trying to incorporate clicker training philosophy into all aspects of my dogs' lives, is that we can make them as stress-free as POSSIBLE, without fore-going the necessities altogether.
• Clicker Training Basics This article gives the average pet-owner an understanding of the principles of clicker training, so that they can get started quickly. (16 pp)
  • The Benefits of Clicker Training Clicker training has several benefits that we often don’t think about, actively.
  • Why This Method is Preferred  This methodology teaches the dog to problem-solve... that no behavior is wrong -- there's only behavior that's rewarded, and behavior that isn't.
  • Problems with "Crossing Over"  One of the hardest aspects of teaching with this method with a "traditionally-trained", or cross-over dog, is the teaching of the concept of offering behaviors.
  • How Does the Method Work?  When starting out, clicking the clicker is not going to mean anything to your dog... you have to give it meaning, first.
  • "Getting" the Behavior  There are benefits and problems associated with each of these methods.
  • What Motivates Your Dog?  Every dog is individual, just as every human is.
  • Refusing the Reinforcer  You clicked the behavior, and the dog refuses the reinforcer.  Does it count?
  • Clicking in Groups  Once the dog understands what the clicker means, it's quite acceptable to click in groups.
  • Why Use a Marker?  You're using a sound that is unmistakable at long distances, extremely short in duration, and very precise. It is the reward marker.
  • Getting Rid of Unwanted Behavior  You have to understand how learning occurs, in order to be effective with *any* training method.
  • Chaining & Linking  The goal of training is to get as much "bang for your buck" as possible... both from your point of view, and the dog's point of view.
  • Increasing Duration of Behavior  The clicker not only MARKS the behavior, but it ALSO **ends** the behavior... so, how do you end up with a 5-minute down-stay, if you click as soon as he downs?
  • Phasing Out the Reward  Like any other method, the clicker and rewards are TOOLS, used for teaching.
  • Reward Delivery  Learn to use a variable system of delivery, to keep him from anticipating the treat.
  • A Word About Generalizing  Dogs incorporate their environment into their learning, and that makes it difficult for them to learn efficiently.
  • When to Add the Cue  There are alot of answers to this question.
  • Stimulus Control  Stimulus control is control over the dog's response in a given circumstance.
  • More Than 1 Behavior at a Time  It's all dependent upon your imagination, your ability to keep up with your dog, and your dog's understanding
  • "Lump-sum Payments"?  Jack-pots are used to provide contrast, and this is different from the use of "lump-sum" payments.
  • Non-Food-Motivated Dogs  It's alot easier with food... because food is readily available, and because you can keep the rate of reinforcement high enough to keep the dog's interest.
  • Keeping a Journal  Using a journal allows you to see, at a glance, to more easily facilitate training.
• Teaching Your Dog NOT to Do Something In keeping with using non-force methodology, there are several ways that this can be accomplished. (2 pp)
• Teaching Redirection teaching the animal to perform a different behavior, as a means of obtaining reinforcement: a replacement behavior. (4 pp)
• Crate Training Used properly, and taught properly, many dogs come to love their crate.  A crate can keep your dog (and your belongings) safe, give your dog a place to retreat to when he's tired or feeling overwhelmed. (3 pp)
• Confining Your Dog
  • Underground Fencing Underground fencing is typically marketed as a safe, cheap alternative to physical barrier fencing.  My personal feeling is that it's safer NOT to fence the yard at all, than to use underground fencing.
  • Teaching the Dog to Stay in His Yard WITHOUT a Boundary  You can't teach a dog (or any other organism) NOT to seek out reinforcement.
  • Building Doggie Doors (for under $20!)  Includes instructions and drawing!
  • Proper Kenneling My dogs aren't allowed access to the yard, when they're not supervised... but this can be a pretty inconvenient concept, if the whole purpose of fencing your yard is to allow the dog to go to the bathroom while you're away from home.
• Stationary boards Stationary boards are used to confine your dog to an area, so that you can work with him easily. (2 pp)
• Housetrained (or Not) Many rescue people and shelters list their dogs as "house trained"... find out what that means, exactly, and how it can doom your relationship to failure! (6 pp)

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