Last week I started off my series on “How to Get Behavior” with shaping. Now I’m going to explain a bit about luring and how to use a lure to teach behavior.
The term luring refers to the use of a desired reward to coax the dog into achieving the desired behavior. The “desired reward” is nearly always a [Read more…]
It’s no secret that dog agility is my passion. 2016 is going to be my 12th consecutive year of competing in this great sport. For several years, I’ve taught beginner dog agility classes in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. I decided to put together a video showing what I teach in this introductory class to give prospective students an idea of what [Read more…]
Cricket has been taught to lie on her mat using shaping.
When it comes to positive reinforcement based clicker training, there are four major ways of getting behavior: shaping, luring, targeting, and capturing. There are other ways, including physical modeling, but they [Read more…]
Adopting a new dog is a very exciting time for you and your new friend. The biggest mistake that new dog owners make is giving the dog too much freedom, too soon. By setting some ground rules as soon as you bring your dog home, you can prevent bad behaviors from starting in the first place.
The cue “sit” was only added when we were willing to bet $10 that this puppy would put her bum on the ground immediately after we said it.
What is a cue? A cue is a name or label for a particular behavior. It is the “green light” for the [Read more…]
Good puppy socialization requires a bit of creativity. Read on some suggestions for getting your new addition “out and about” in the real world.
Always be on the lookout for [Read more…]
In one of my previous blog posts about self-control versus imposed control for dogs, I explained that I do not teach “leave it” to my dogs. Instead, I train my dogs to wait for permission to take food, objects, or anything else they want.
Here is [Read more…]
Behold! One of the most versatile dog training tools known to man. (Photo Credit: Victoria Chilinski)
What’s your favorite training tool? Dog trainers are always looking for the latest and greatest items to add to their bag of tricks. My answer can be found at any supermarket or convenience store: [Read more…]
What is loose leash walking? Loose leash walking is an informal leash walking behavior. It’s not “heeling”, which is a precision walking behavior required for obedience competitions, but it can be a precursor to that. While loose leash walking it is acceptable if your dog sniffs, lags behind you, or forges ahead of you a little bit, as long as the leash [Read more…]
You can use any object as your dog’s mat! Dog beds are a popular choice, but towels and small blankets work well, too. (Photo Credit: Howard Young)
What is “Get on the Mat”? The dog learns to relax on a ‘mat’ – a specific towel, blanket, or [Read more…]
[Photo Credit: Andrew Hyde]
“No!” “Leave it!” “Off!” These are three cues that are more familiar to some dogs than “sit”, “come”, and “good dog.” Surprisingly, they often work against dog owners and serve to reinforce the very behaviors the owners are trying to punish.
A scenario: [Read more…]
Puppy nipping is one of the most frustrating behaviors that new owners report. It hurts! But you’ll see a big reduction in puppy nipping in a short period just by getting some human cooperation.
If this is a familiar sight, it’s time for a new training plan! (Photo Credit: Renata Lima, [Read more…]