Photographers already know this one. If you want to take a picture of wildlife doing something interesting, you鈥檙e going to have to wait around and snap the shutter at just the right moment. Capturing your pup鈥檚 behavior works the same way: Be ready when your pup does something good, mark the behavior with your bridge, and reward generously. Then wait to see if your pup offers the behavior again and re-reward.
The Ultimate 国产吃瓜黑料 Companion
All you need to know about going wild with man’s best friend.Mike Stewart of Wildrose Kennels uses this one to teach young pups to go to the bathroom on command, but it can be used for any behavior. Best of all, this exercise gives the pup a mind to offer different behaviors to see what brings a reward. A pup that offers behaviors is much easier to train than one that needs to be lured or forced.
Here鈥檚 how I started my dog Cooper on sit:
1. I know that if I stand over his puppy pen long enough, he鈥檒l stop standing on his hind legs howling and eventually drop his butt to the ground鈥攎aybe for just a second to lick himself before starting to howl again.
2. At that instant of butt-hit-the-ground, I mark the behavior, praise him, give him a tiny nibble of liver, then offer a couple of pets.
3. To mark behaviors at this early aquisition stage, I like the clicker because, unlike my voice, it鈥檚 sharp, quick, and never changes tone. Once the behavior is learned, I immediately switch to a verbal bridge鈥斺済ood鈥濃攚hich I can project into the field.
4. The second time I stood over Cooper鈥檚 pen and waited, the sit came a little sooner and with a bit more deliberation. I repeated the mark/praise/treat/pet/routine. There are actually a few things going on here: 1. I鈥檓 marking the behavior and teaching him that when his butt hits the ground, he鈥檒l get a reward. For a smart dog, that realization that butt-hit-ground is like a treat lever is mana from heaven. 2. I鈥檓 conditioning the bridge鈥揻irst the clicker*鈥搕hen my voice as a significant sound that means the reward is coming. Eventually that sound alone will become a reward. 3. Cooper is learning through association that verbal praise accompanies good things like petting and liver snacks. If we鈥檙e going to end up with a dog that works, runs, and plays with us off lead and without an e-collar, this is where it all begins. 4. You鈥檙e teaching him that crying and yelping doesn鈥檛 buy him anything, but that sitting calmly does.
5. Once he鈥檚 consistently sitting when you stand over him, you can add the sit cue. Since you already know he鈥檚 going to sit.
6. Now, when we add the slip lede at eight weeks or so, we鈥檝e already got a dog that knows what he鈥檚 supposed to do. And if he ignores you, you鈥檙e adding pressure from the lede becomes a reminder. You may discover you don鈥檛 even need to add pressure.
TEACHING YOUR PUP TO PEE ON COMMAND
1. This one is breathtakingly easy. Every time you take your pup out of his crate after a nap and bring him outside, you know he鈥檚 going to pee almost immediately. So just add your cue as soon as you put him down.
2. Use this on walks and especially when you鈥檙e traveling.
*Mike and his Wildrose trainers don鈥檛 use clickers, but go straight to the verbal bridge. They鈥檙e also full-time pros with great timing and consistency. Whether you use a clicker on the way to a verbal bridge or just start with your voice isn鈥檛 as important as your being consistent and building the bridge as a long-term habit.
This article originally appeared on 国产吃瓜黑料 K9, the former dog blog of 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine, on April 28, 2009.