TRUISMS ABOUT DOGS & DOG TRAINING

1. Every dog is hardwired - training is the softwiring!

Dog behavior is shaped by a combination of factors. Breed and individual characteristics are "hardwiring". These are the characteristics with which dogs are born. Breed characteristics indicate what "jobs" our dogs have genetically been bred to do. For example, border collies have been bred for many generations to herd sheep, so it should come as no surprise when they herd up family members as if they are a flock.

Training is your dog's "softwiring". It is important to recognize his hardwiring while you work on his softwiring because hardwiring gives us parameters and patterns with which to work. This helps us set training expectations appropriately, and recognize behavior challenges and opportunities.
 

2. Boredom is the mother of destruction.

Many problem behaviors - particularly destruction - reflect boredom and bottled up energy. Dogs need outlets for their energy - lots and lots of outlets! They are not household ornaments or lawn decorations - they are living, breathing, digging, chasing, chewing, drinking, problem-solving machines. And the problem many dogs seek to solve is this: What can I do now?!

Dogs need stuff to do - lots of stuff to do. They need chew toys, chase toys, stuffed toys, tug toys, rolling toys, throwing toys, buried toys, bouncy toys. Dogs need toys like peanut butter needs jelly, like Romeo needs Juliette, and like Mutt needs Jeff.

The king of dog toys is the KONG toy. It is indestructible, can be stuffed with great stuff, and bounces in funny directions. Get your dog a Kong - and 20 other interesting toys-today!
 

4. A dog's motto: What's in it for me, NOW.

Dogs, like all creatures, do things that provide payoffs. Payoffs are of four types: food, toys, access, and attention. Dogs like to get payoffs and do those things that give good payoffs repeatedly. Think of a few examples: the payoff for jumping up on us is attention. The payoff for sitting before the food bowl isfood. The payoff for barking at the UPS truck isthe UPS truck goes away (your dog doesn't realize it wasn't his barking that made it go away). The pay-off for snuggling up next to you is..petting and love. The payoff for looking at you with those pleading eyes is ..you take him for a walk. When you think of why your dog does things, think payoffs.

5. You get what you reinforce, not what you want.

Since dogs do things because of payoffs it follows that our dog are getting payoffs from behaviors we consider undesirable AND desirable. A paradox of interacting with our dogs is that we often reinforce (give payoffs) to the very behaviors we don't want. Consider the following examples. Your dog barks at the back door until you let him in (which you do because you just can't stand the barking anymore). His barking just got reinforced. You don't want your dog to jump on you, really you don't, and he should know that because every time he jumps on you shout at him. Since he jumps for attention even "negative" attention can be a reinforcer. A key to dog training, and to sanely living with your dog, is always be aware of just what you are reinforcing. Be sure you are reinforcing the behaviors you want.
 

6. Every time you are with your dog, one of you is training the other.

Training occurs 24 hours a day - not just during "training time", or when you have lots of energy, or treats in your pocket. Not just on walks, or in the kitchen, or in the yard. Training goes on constantly because when we interact with our dogs we are each responding to the others' behavior by offering and taking payoffs.

The payoff to me for letting in the dog who barks at the back door is .. quiet (my dog has trained me to open the back door when he barks). The payoff to my dog . he gets to come inside (I've trained my dog to bark when he wants to come inside).

The "24 Hour Training Rule" is especially true of puppies who are experimenting with the world around them, trying out this, trying out that. Ask yourself, between your dog and you, who is the trainer and who is the trainee? By paying close attention to payoffs, and the ways they reinforce behavior, you'll be able to be your dog's best teacher, trainer, and friend.