Positive reinforcment is a popular phrase in dog training these days. All it means is that a desired behavior is increased by giving your dog a reward. For instance, if he sits when you ask him to, and you give him a treat or praise for doing so, then it will increase the likelihood that he will sit next time.
But what should you do if your dog is over-excited, pushy and obnoxious?!? It might seem like there are no desired behaviors to reward, and plenty of undesired behaviors to scold! If this sounds like your situation, then you are a perfect candidate for the "No Free Lunch" program or NFL. In order for your dog to get attention, food, freedom or anything else that he wants, he must "pay" for it by first being calm and polite.
JUMPING
So for instance, let's say your dog jumps up on you all the time. It might be tempting to yell at your dog or knee him in the chest - this technique may work temporarily but it usually doesn't solve the problem long-term. Scolding a dog is also unpleasant and can damage your relationship with your dog. What you can do instead is turn away from your dog and/or walk away as soon as he's about to jump. A dog usually jumps on somebody to get attention, but if she is not successful in getting what she's after, then she will most likely stop doing that behavior. As soon as your dog stops jumping and calms down, you can turn around and give your dog attention again. While your dog is learning not to jump, it's a good idea to stay calm and keep your greetings nice and simple (quick pat under the chin, quick eye contact) so you don't get him too excited.
DOOR DASHING
We've all experienced having a dog rush past you as you open a door or push you aside as you open a gate. If a dog is big and strong, he could easily injure someone in his path. This is another great opportunity to train your dog to be patient. When your dog tries to push past you to get through the doorway, simply close the door or gate without letting her through. Wait for her to back off and calm down. (You may have to body block her if she's extra-pushy!) Slowly open the door again, but close the door if she gets over-excited again. Soon your dog will learn to wait calmly by the door because she'll realize that's the only way she'll get to the other side!
FEEDING
Different dogs get excited about different things. Some dogs are so food-motivated that they start salivating and their eyes glaze over when you start preparing their food. For dogs that love to eat, feeding time is a good chance to work on their impulse control. See my blog entry Incorporating Training Into Feeding Time for a step-by-step guide and video. You can also choose to eliminate formal feedings, and instead use all of your dog's daily food allowance on training. You can use high-value food such as cooked chicken if that motivates your dog.
GREETING OTHER DOGS
It's not uncommon for dogs to get excited when they see another dog. Of course, it's important to let your dog socialize with other dogs on a regular basis so that he doesn't feel deprived. But if your dog gets over-excited when he sees other dogs, regardless of the amount of socializing he does, then it's time for training! Let's say your dog circles other dogs or excessively mounts them; you can give your dog a time-out to let him know that over-excitement towards other dogs will result in his losing his play time. If your dogs gets excited while you're on a leashed walk and starts pulling, whining and barking at an approaching dog, you can turn him around, have him focus on you, and then re-approach the other dog when your dog has calmed down. Again, you may have to repeat the steps multiple times.
With this type of impulse control training, it's very important to not give in until your dog is truly calm (i.e. not just in a sit position, but actually mentally calm). If you give in and let your dog go crazy, then you give your dog the message that if he tries hard enough, he can get what he wants without calming down first.
EVERYTHING!
The opportunities to extinguish over-excitement and reinforce calm behavior are endless, including:
* Letting your dog off-leash after being leashed
* Before throwing a ball or stick for your dog to fetch
* Welcoming guests into your house
* Getting out of a car
* Putting on a collar and leash before a walk, and walking out the door
The NFL program takes a lot of patience on the dog owner's part, because it requires that you wait until your dog gives you the behavior you want. It's tempting to use aversives instead (such as yelling or leash-jerking), but I firmly believe that your dog will be happier and learn faster if you use NFL instead.
With any training, be careful not to ask your dog to do too much too soon. Start small and gradually go bigger.
Happy Training!
0 comments:
Post a Comment