Most people know that clicker training your dog can be a fun and rewarding experience. However, some dog parents give up on clicker training too soon because they don't understand the basic fundamentals behind operant conditioning (the science behind how clicker training works).
In order to clicker train your dog effectively you need to avoid these common mistakes:
1. Not Using the Correct Treats
Commercial dog treats or pieces of kibble are ineffective training tools. If you knew your paycheck was going to be worth $25 at the end of the week, how motivated would you be to go to work? What about $1000? These treats rank pretty low on the totem pole in terms of "excitability".
"Real" human food is worth much more to your dog than boring pieces of treats and kibble. Just don't get too crazy. We're talking pea-size portions of food like cooked chicken, cheese, Cheerios, etc.
Plus--most commercial dog treats take way too long for your dog to chew. By the time he finishes eating the treat, he's already forgotten how he earned it!
2. Training a Dog on a Full Stomach
After you finish eating a spaghetti dinner do you order out for pizza? Hopefully not! This one should be pretty self-explanatory. If you expect your dog to work for food he'll be a lot more excited about the idea if he's hungry.
3. Using the Clicker to Fix a Problem
The clicker is used for teaching a new behavior, not for stopping a behavior the dog has already learned how to do. Does your dog jump up on people? Then you need to teach him this trick: Sitting When People Come to the Door is More Rewarding Than Jumping.
4. Using the Clicker as a Remote Control
The clicker should never be used as a remote control to get your dog's attention or to get him to come to you. Yes, that works pretty well at first but eventually the clicker will lose it's great power as a source of information for your dog.
Instead, the clicker should always be used a camera, capturing the exact moment in time when you see your dog doing something right.
Unfortunately, these common mistakes are just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, 9 out of 10 "professional" dog trainers do not understand the science correctly! It's no wonder so many dog parents have become frustrated with clicker training!
As a licensed veterinary technician, I recommend Clicker Training: The 4 Secrets of Becoming a Super Trainer, as the #1 resource for learning how to clicker train your dog with the least amount of setbacks. If you think about it, clicker training your dog is a lot like a race car. Great speed potential but you must know how to drive it!
I've found that most other websites and books just hand you the keys, put the pedal to the metal, and assume you won't end up driving you and your dog into a wall. The authors of Clicker Training Secrets are much smarter than that! They give you the keys, but also supply a road-map and don't shift gears until both you and your dog are ready.
If you're ready for the winning track visit http://www.clickertrainingsecrets.com today
Showing posts with label How to Potty Train Your Dog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label How to Potty Train Your Dog. Show all posts
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Monday, 5 April 2010
How to Potty Train Your Dog
As a professional dog trainer, I talk to lots of folks about their dogs every day. One of the most common questions I hear is: How can I stop my dog from pottying indoors?!? This question is usually followed by an anguished description of smelly carpets, ruined furniture, and desperately complex strategies to stop the unwanted behavior.
Like most other difficult problems in life, there is no no one-size-fits-all solution. But, there are a few simple ideas you should try before permanently declaring your dog "Potty Challenged".
Based on my experience, most dogs respond quickly to one or more of the following approaches:
Teach your dog to tell you when he needs to go potty
Install a pet door
Crate train your dog
SUGGESTION #1: Teach your dog to tell you when he needs to go potty
Believe it or not, most dogs don't want to potty in the house. Instinctively, dogs want to relieve themselves away from the area in which they live and eat. Dogs that spend too much of their early life confined in an unclean area - where appropriate space for bladder relief isn't consistently available - may learn to tolerate pottying indoors. Unless you've rescued your dog from such grim circumstances, he would probably prefer to potty outside.
You may be wondering, "What's my dog's problem, then? If he'd prefer to potty outdoors, why the heck doesn't he just ask me to open the door???"
Well, he may not know how.
Some dogs are naturally very effective at communicating when they want to go outside. They'll pace back and forth or bark at the door without any training at all. These dogs are few and far between. Most owners must teach their dogs how to ask to go outside. A very effective way to teach your dog this skill is what I call the "Bell Method". It's pretty simple:
Tie a small bell to a long piece of string. Tie the other end of the string to the handle of the door you use to let your dog outside.
Take your dog's paw in your hand and swipe the bell so it rings.
The moment the bell rings, praise your dog (say "Good dog!" in a peppy voice) and open the door to let him outside.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 EVERY TIME you let your dog outside.
If you consistently use the Bell Method, within a week or so your dog will use the bell to let you know he wants to go outside. When you hear your dog ring the bell on his own, respond immediately by praising him and letting him outside. Seriously, get your dog out the door as fast as you possibly can; the immediate positive reinforcement will make your dog more likely to repeat this good behavior.
SUGGESTION #2: Install a pet door so your dog can let himself outside to potty
If you've already tried unsuccessfully to teach your dog to signal when he needs to go outside - or if you don't have the time to teach your dog a new skill - a pet door is probably your best solution. With a pet door, your dog can go in and out whenever he wants, even when you're not home. If you're worried about critters other than your dog using your pet door, choose an infrared or RFID-keyed pet door that opens and closes only for your pet.
Because installing a pet door is a detailed project that requires special tools, most folks rely on a professional rather than trying to install the door themselves. Local pet professionals in most metropolitan areas offer affordable pet door installation services. If you are unable to find a local professional who specializes in pet door installation, a handyman is probably your next best option.
Pet professionals usually install many, many pet doors each year and are experts at ensuring the door is correctly installed. "Correctly installed" means that:
* The pet door fits snugly in the wall or door in which it is installed.
* The pet door is installed at an appropriate height for all pets who use it.
* The pet door looks good (is perfectly level, etc).
Most professional pet door installers will also work with your pet to make sure he is comfortable using his new door.
SUGGESTION #3: Appropriately use a crate to prevent your dog from pottying indoors
Appropriate use of a wire or plastic crate can be a very effective way to stop your dog from pottying indoors. "Appropriate use" means using the crate for relatively short periods of time when you cannot directly supervise your dog. When your dog is out of the crate, you must watch him very closely so that you can immediately correct him when he begins to potty indoors.
When you catch your dog in the act of pottying indoors, immediately give a loud verbal correction ("No!") and take him outside to potty. In order for your verbal correction to be effective, you must catch him while he is eliminating. Correcting your dog even 3 seconds after he's made the mess will not teach him anything - his attention span is only about 2 seconds long. So, pay attention! And if you find the mess even 3 seconds after your dog is done, scold yourself. But don't scold your dog!
Remember that screaming, hitting, or rubbing your dog's nose in his potty will not solve an inappropriate pottying problem and may actually make the problem worse. Instead, just give your dog a sharp verbal correction when you catch him soiling indoors (one loud "No!" will suffice), and immediately take him outside. Don't forget to give him treats and praise when he eliminates outdoors.
Learn more in this free article about crate training
ADDITIONAL TIPS
When your dog soils in the house, make sure to clean the mess with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover. If you use a non-enzymatic cleaner, the odor of your pet's urine will linger, tempting him to soil there again and again. If part of your flooring is significantly damaged by urine, you should consider replacing it or blocking it with a large piece of furniture to help break your dog's habit of relieving himself in that area.
Christie Lenneville is a professional dog trainer in the Austin, Texas area. Christie's qualifications include a Bachelors Degree in Psychology (Texas State University, 1999), Advanced Certification in Canine Behavior (Triple Crown Academy, 2003), and years of experience helping dogs and their owners peacefully co-exist. Christie offers free dog training advice at http://www.FixDogProblems.com
Like most other difficult problems in life, there is no no one-size-fits-all solution. But, there are a few simple ideas you should try before permanently declaring your dog "Potty Challenged".
Based on my experience, most dogs respond quickly to one or more of the following approaches:
Teach your dog to tell you when he needs to go potty
Install a pet door
Crate train your dog
SUGGESTION #1: Teach your dog to tell you when he needs to go potty
Believe it or not, most dogs don't want to potty in the house. Instinctively, dogs want to relieve themselves away from the area in which they live and eat. Dogs that spend too much of their early life confined in an unclean area - where appropriate space for bladder relief isn't consistently available - may learn to tolerate pottying indoors. Unless you've rescued your dog from such grim circumstances, he would probably prefer to potty outside.
You may be wondering, "What's my dog's problem, then? If he'd prefer to potty outdoors, why the heck doesn't he just ask me to open the door???"
Well, he may not know how.
Some dogs are naturally very effective at communicating when they want to go outside. They'll pace back and forth or bark at the door without any training at all. These dogs are few and far between. Most owners must teach their dogs how to ask to go outside. A very effective way to teach your dog this skill is what I call the "Bell Method". It's pretty simple:
Tie a small bell to a long piece of string. Tie the other end of the string to the handle of the door you use to let your dog outside.
Take your dog's paw in your hand and swipe the bell so it rings.
The moment the bell rings, praise your dog (say "Good dog!" in a peppy voice) and open the door to let him outside.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 EVERY TIME you let your dog outside.
If you consistently use the Bell Method, within a week or so your dog will use the bell to let you know he wants to go outside. When you hear your dog ring the bell on his own, respond immediately by praising him and letting him outside. Seriously, get your dog out the door as fast as you possibly can; the immediate positive reinforcement will make your dog more likely to repeat this good behavior.
SUGGESTION #2: Install a pet door so your dog can let himself outside to potty
If you've already tried unsuccessfully to teach your dog to signal when he needs to go outside - or if you don't have the time to teach your dog a new skill - a pet door is probably your best solution. With a pet door, your dog can go in and out whenever he wants, even when you're not home. If you're worried about critters other than your dog using your pet door, choose an infrared or RFID-keyed pet door that opens and closes only for your pet.
Because installing a pet door is a detailed project that requires special tools, most folks rely on a professional rather than trying to install the door themselves. Local pet professionals in most metropolitan areas offer affordable pet door installation services. If you are unable to find a local professional who specializes in pet door installation, a handyman is probably your next best option.
Pet professionals usually install many, many pet doors each year and are experts at ensuring the door is correctly installed. "Correctly installed" means that:
* The pet door fits snugly in the wall or door in which it is installed.
* The pet door is installed at an appropriate height for all pets who use it.
* The pet door looks good (is perfectly level, etc).
Most professional pet door installers will also work with your pet to make sure he is comfortable using his new door.
SUGGESTION #3: Appropriately use a crate to prevent your dog from pottying indoors
Appropriate use of a wire or plastic crate can be a very effective way to stop your dog from pottying indoors. "Appropriate use" means using the crate for relatively short periods of time when you cannot directly supervise your dog. When your dog is out of the crate, you must watch him very closely so that you can immediately correct him when he begins to potty indoors.
When you catch your dog in the act of pottying indoors, immediately give a loud verbal correction ("No!") and take him outside to potty. In order for your verbal correction to be effective, you must catch him while he is eliminating. Correcting your dog even 3 seconds after he's made the mess will not teach him anything - his attention span is only about 2 seconds long. So, pay attention! And if you find the mess even 3 seconds after your dog is done, scold yourself. But don't scold your dog!
Remember that screaming, hitting, or rubbing your dog's nose in his potty will not solve an inappropriate pottying problem and may actually make the problem worse. Instead, just give your dog a sharp verbal correction when you catch him soiling indoors (one loud "No!" will suffice), and immediately take him outside. Don't forget to give him treats and praise when he eliminates outdoors.
Learn more in this free article about crate training
ADDITIONAL TIPS
When your dog soils in the house, make sure to clean the mess with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover. If you use a non-enzymatic cleaner, the odor of your pet's urine will linger, tempting him to soil there again and again. If part of your flooring is significantly damaged by urine, you should consider replacing it or blocking it with a large piece of furniture to help break your dog's habit of relieving himself in that area.
Christie Lenneville is a professional dog trainer in the Austin, Texas area. Christie's qualifications include a Bachelors Degree in Psychology (Texas State University, 1999), Advanced Certification in Canine Behavior (Triple Crown Academy, 2003), and years of experience helping dogs and their owners peacefully co-exist. Christie offers free dog training advice at http://www.FixDogProblems.com
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