In both group classes and private lessons, you will learn easy and effective training techniques to teach your dog what you want them to do. Just as importantly, you will learn simple management techniques to prevent bad behaviors from occurring. In this way, you will create a dog who understands and happily complies with your rules. 

  

Positive Reinforcement Training

    Positive reinforcement training focuses on teaching your dog what you want them to do, instead of focusing on how to punish behaviors you don't like.  Besides teaching your dog in an easy and fun way, using positive reinforcement makes for a strong and trusting relationship.
    It is easy to reward good behavior when you set your dog up for success.  Discipline is setting clear rules and following through with them consistently.  Plan ahead and use management to prevent bad habits from forming. Be smart with your reinforcement and your dog will learn that all the best and most fun things in life come from you with your permission.  When they learn that lesson, you will have a dog you can take anywhere and do anything with. 

What about corrections?

    Traditional training methods use corrections to punish the dog when they have done something wrong.  Humans are very punitive by nature, so it is easy for us to fall into a routine of punishing bad behaviors.  However, punishment is something to be used wisely and sparingly in training to be most effective and avoid potential fall-out.  Therefore corrections are not utilized as a regular part of my training plan. When your rewards are truly reinforcing (your dog wants them and is willing to work for them) then giving the reward or witholding the reward is all the information your dog needs to learn.  In training--click/reward means they got it right, no click means keep trying.  In life--praise and a "real life reward" (like clipping on their leash or opening the door) means they did something right, and preventing or interrupting bad behavior shows them that is not allowed. 

The 4 Quadrants of Operant Conditioning:

Positive Reinforcement: Adding something pleasant to increase behavior

Negative Reinforcement: Taking away something aversive to increase behavior

Positive Punishment: Adding something aversive to decrease behavior

Negative Punishment: Taking away something pleasant to decrease behavior

Simple illustration of the quadrants in action

Clicker Training

    Clicker training is the primary method I use to teach a new behavior.  It utilizes a distinct sound that "marks" the desired behavior so your dog knows why they are getting a reward.  It speeds up learning remarkably over using positive reinforcement with no marker.  When starting out, the clicker and a reward (commonly treats) are used to "shape" a behavior.  
    Shaping is taking a complex behavior, breaking it down into small simple steps, and rewarding your dog for each step he gets right along the way. So your dog is getting rewarded for putting in the effort of trying to figure out what you want. 
    Once they learn the behavior we put it on cue, and then we start to fade the clicker and vary the rewards.  Your finished product will be a dog who happily complies when given a cue, without any food or toys or a clicker around.  You will learn different ways to reinforce your dog to avoid the problem where they only listen at home, or only with treats in your hand, etc.  If the clicker isn't your thing, no problem. A verbal "yes" can easily replace the clicker as your marker and achieve the same results.

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Keep in Mind While Training:

1.    Dogs don't speak english: We love to use words but can confuse our dogs easily by talking in sentences or using synonyms for words they know.  "Sit" and "sit down" might mean the same thing to you, but they mean two different things to a dog.

2.    Dogs are not humans: By sharing their lives with us, they live in an alien world.  Some things that come very naturally to them are considered bad behaviors by us.

3.    Dogs are opportunists: They will do what works, every time.  If they repeatedly do something "bad", they are getting reinforced for it somehow.

Therefore Remember to:

1.    Keep it simple: Use the cue word you have taught your dog.  Be consistent in the word itself and in your tone when you say it. 

 2.    Keep it positive: It is our responsibility to show our dogs how to live in a human world and what behaviors we find acceptable.  Think about how to teach your dog what you want him to do, instead of focusing on how to punish behaviors you don't like.

3.    Keep it smart: Use management to prevent the dog from practicing the wrong behavior or being reinforced for making the wrong choice in a situation. 

Fox with his favorite reward of all time!

Parker doing my favorite trick, 'Spread 'em'.