Tips for Treats: The Dog Training Pawdcast

We all should know our A.B.C.'s but when we are talking about Dog Training we are talking about The Antecedent, The Behavior, and The Consequence. By applying this basic formula to any given behavior we see our dogs exhibiting, we can narrow down the exact causes and the primary reinforcers behind them. In doing so, we can give ourselves the best opportunity to reshape that behavior and see it increase or decrease depending on what our goals are at the time. NEW Video format is now available for those platforms that support it.

Reactivity in dogs is likely frustrating for both the dog and you the handler. We talk about what factors could contribute to a dog becoming reactive, the types of behaviors they may exhibit, and how we might filter through that information to get to the root cause of those behaviors.

A continuation of "Anxiety Pt.2" where we talk about actually addressing some common sources of anxiety for dogs with some brief example scenarios and exercises we might do. 

In a continuation of a prior episode regarding anxiety in dogs, we look at what it might be like to help a dog incrementally overcome their anxiety depending on the source of the trigger and the situation that they are in, first looking at how we might desensitize our dogs to strangers, family members, or friends that are coming into the house and divert their effort from unwanted behaviors to calmer alternatives.

Management in the context of dog training. We're talking about managing the dog's ability to engage in behaviors that you don't like, managing their access or their freedom, essentially managing their ability to manage choices that you would rather them not make so that you can guide their behavior into a better direction and form better habits over time through other straightforward training methods. The reality is that we've chosen to take an animal that is capable and naturally inclined to do a lot of destructive and other unwanted behaviors and if we don't take the time to show them that those aren't as valuable, or show them that there are areas, toys, and activities that they can do or that we will offer a dedicated time to give them that outlet, then they will take any opportunity available.

We dive into what is a fairly common issue, or rather a fairly common root of many issues. By first recognizing that anxiety plays a role in a variety of situations, we can do a better job of treating the cause of our issues rather than the many symptoms manifesting as a result. We also go over some quick questions to ask yourself about what it is you and your dog are doing when they seem anxious how we might go about changing that. 

We breakdown a brief history of the alpha theory and how it bore out of antiquated research from L. David Mech about wolves both in the wild and captivity. In talking about how Mech himself has spent decades trying to have his own book removed from the shelves, we discover how we have had it all wrong and that, especially in terms of how it informs the behavior of domesticated dogs, wolves operate primarily in familial packs while the "alpha pair' are simply the mother & father of the pack, or "breeding pair." By taking this new understanding and applying it to a common dog training scenario we demonstrate that there is actively a better way.  

As the second half of our Learning Theory breakdown, this week we look into Classical Conditioning, the four pieces that comprise it, the ways we might use it proactively for training purposes, and how your dog may already be applying it in every day life. 

On the first episode of the series, we dive into some learning theory. More specifically, operant conditioning, the four quadrants that comprise it, and some general thoughts about the concept.