Clicker Training
Consultations
Dog Walking
Contact

mobile: +447772029106

email: info@fun4fido.co.uk

Social Media
fun4fido facebook page
Share Or Add Bookmark

Bookmark and Share  

 

 

Sunday
07Feb2010

Why Use Food In Training?

DateSunday, February 7, 2010 at 16:31

Occasionally I encounter clients who are uneasy with the idea of using food for training their dog.  They somehow see it as cheating, or a bribe. Instead, they ask why it is not sufficient to use only praise and petting as rewards, and corrections when the dog gets it wrong?

Modern trainers no longer use punishment based training because it is out-of-date, unkind to the dog, and much less effective than reward based training. Traditional training is about making a dog do what you want, modern training is about motivating a dog to want to do what you want.

Click to read more ...

AuthorAngela | CommentPost a Comment | |
tagged , , , | in
Monday
25Jan2010

Dog Aggression: Causes & Treatment

DateMonday, January 25, 2010 at 22:22

Dog Aggression: Why nice dogs do bad things

By Karin Bridge - Get S.M.A.R.T. Dogs

 

(Note: this article deals with the most common type of dog aggression of lunging and barking on lead at other dogs without a history of actually causing injury)

Most pet owners long for a friendly dog that plays happily with each and every dog it meets. The reality however is that many dogs act aggressively in the presence of other dogs.  

Aggression is a complex and emotive issue. When a dog aggresses you immediately have two problems: the canine problem where one dog may be intimidated or injured and a public relations problem where the owner of the victim is justifiably angry.  The first thing you need to do is to assess just how severe your dog’s aggression problem is.

Click to read more ...

AuthorAngela | Comment1 Comment | |
tagged , | in , ,
Thursday
14Jan2010

Behaviour Chains: Guidelines For Success

DateThursday, January 14, 2010 at 17:25

The new behaviour you want to build may be a series or chain of behaviours.  A behaviour chain is a series of related behaviours, each of which provides the cue for the next and the last that produces a reinforcer.

Almost everything we do can be considered part of a behaviour chain.  For example, when you are reciting the alphabet, you start with “A”, then “B”, then “C” and so on until the task is completed at “Z”.

Each step serves as a cue for the next step; a chain is really a series of signals and behaviours.  The completion of one behaviour in a chain produces the signal for the next action.  Saying “G” is the signal to say “H” next.

Click to read more ...

AuthorAngela | CommentPost a Comment | |
tagged , , | in , , ,
Monday
04Jan2010

Dog trying to dominate your world?

DateMonday, January 4, 2010 at 23:00

By Rosie Barclay BSc (Hons) MPhil CCAB

Have you ever been told that your dog’s behavioural problem behaviour is due to it trying to “dominate “you? Have you read or seen on television that your dog is behaving badly because it wants to take over as “Alpha “male?  Or told that your dog is defying you to become “leader of the pack”? If the answer is yes then you have to ask yourself are you being given the correct advice. The answer to this is quite simply no you are not. Your dog is not trying to dominate your world; it never has or ever will do. There is no such job description within a group of domestic dogs as “the Dominant Dog, the Alpha Male or Leader of the Pack”. Surprised?

As a certified clinical animal behaviourist (CCAB) and a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) working in Jersey I am hearing more and more from well meaning dog owners that they are worried that their dog is trying to take over this “leader” role and showing problem behaviour as a result. They hear this from celebrated dog trainers on popular television programmes and by reading their respective best selling books so it’s no surprise that the myth of the Alpha male has now circulated widely around the USA and in the UK and is now prominent in Jersey.

Click to read more ...

AuthorAngela | CommentPost a Comment | |
tagged , , , | in , , , | Reference1 Reference
Sunday
03Jan2010

Tips For Changing Unwanted Behaviours

DateSunday, January 3, 2010 at 23:53

  • Prevent rehearsal:  Each time the dog does the unwanted behaviour, the “pathway” in the brain to that behaviour gets used and something like “muscle memory” is established.  These things make the behaviour a more likely option the dog will turn to when presented with similar situations in the future.  Not all behaviours can be prevented completely, but recognising what triggers the unwanted behaviour will help you prevent that situation from occurring.
  • Train a subsitute behaviour:  If the dog is not doing the undesirable behaviour, he is doing something else.  If he’s being quiet, he’s not barking.  If his feet are all on the floor, he’s not jumping.  When a behaviour gets a reward (either from you, the environment or the dog himself) it will be repeated.  You need to be sure that it’s the desirable alternative that gets the reward and attention from you.  Think about what you want the dog TO DO rather than what you want to stop.  Try to get the dog to do the desired behaviour in place of the unwanted one.  Be sure to reward heavily for the desired behaviour, especialy if the dog chooses that behaviour on his own.

Click to read more ...

AuthorAngela | Comment1 Comment | |
tagged , , , | in , ,
Sunday
27Dec2009

Shaping: Guidelines For Success

DateSunday, December 27, 2009 at 10:22

In dog training if a behaviour never occurs, or does not occur on a frequent basis, we say that it is not in the dog’s repertoire of behaviours.  Shaping is a way of adding behaviours to a dog’s repertoire.  Shaping is used when the target behaviour does not yet exist; for example weaving poles,  or when the target behaviour occurs infrequently; for example lying down with front paws crossed. In shaping, what is reinforced is some approximation of the target behavior.

Approximation means any behaviour that resembles the desired behaviour or takes the dog closer to the desired behaviour. Successive approximations are steps toward the target behavior, the behaviour you want to shape.

Click to read more ...

AuthorAngela | Comment4 Comments | |
tagged , , , , | in , ,
Wednesday
16Dec2009

Welfare In Dog Training

DateWednesday, December 16, 2009 at 0:03

PRESS RELEASE

 

Problems with aversive dog training techniques

UK animal welfare, behaviour, training and veterinary organisations1 are warning of the possible dangers of using techniques for training dogs that can cause pain and fear, such as some of those seen used by Cesar Millan, who has announced a UK tour next year.

The organisations have joined forces to voice their serious concerns about techniques which pose welfare problems for dogs and significant risk to owners who may copy them. These concerns are shared, and the statement supported, by similar organisations around the world2 and in continental Europe3.

Click to read more ...

AuthorAngela | CommentPost a Comment | |
tagged , , , , | in , , , , ,
Page 1 2 3 4 5 ... 6 Next 7 Entries »