Training Methods

[!Kristen!]

Each dog has their own personality, and no 2 dogs are alike. So theres no wonder that there are so many different kinds of techniques and styles of training. What im interested to know is what works best with you and your dogs?

Our 3 dogs have 3 completely different personalitys. Therefore each dog works best with different methods. Yes this can be ABSOLOUTLY confusing for me as their trainer. But it seems to be no problem for them, infact i think it may even be easier for them as they each respond to different techniques and don’t get confused when they are all together. I know all of you training buffs are thinking, what the?? Is this girl crazy. Hehehehehe. But that’s what works best for me

With Chanel I use a form of clicker training. Its been modified specificly for a less confident dog. Its fantastic because she loves it, and it works so well. Chanel is the type of dog that will only respond to a calm and quite voice. The slightest negative tone will put her completely off. Each week I sit down and organize a training setion. I write down exactly what behaviours we are going to work on and make sure that in my head I know EXACTLY what im going to do. That way I don’t confuse her and things can run smoothly. Every month I test her, we go through the behaviours that were set during the course of the month. I record the results and I then start to figure out what needs to be done. Whether shes ready for a new behaviour, or if there are still things to be worked on.

Toby is using a simple training method. But absoloutly NO food rewards. A mistake I made with chanelw as beginning training her with food rewards and not a combination. I was just lucky that chanel was the type of dog that aims to please, and it was easy enough to wean her off food rewards. However Toby has a completely different character. He doesn’t exactly aim to please, he just aims to do what he likes lol. That’s why I have to use a specific ‘training’ voice with him. The others only need to be told once, but with toby you need to be firm and completely clear with what you want from him, otherwise he will just go crazy and get out of control. And that’s defiantly not what I want

[gusgem]

The training that I have used on my past three dogs are....Meg the GSD hated food treats loved pats and verbal praises was an excellent worker... Got everything really quickly! Gus, I made the mistake of using food, or rather over using food...he being a labrador is already obsessed so its so hard to do anything without food in your hand. Maple...another lab I started clicker training with using a combination of food and toys, have come to a bump-in-the-road at the moment with retrieving her dumbell...she just doesn't get it!! Meg was my best worker that I have had....can't wait to get another GSD!!! lol

[Guest Tess32]

Dunno yet

Ebony is apparently very submissive and Reilly is quite confident so I suspect I will have to alter my methods.

Reilly is also a clicker baby from the time I got him, whereas Ebony is 4 with no obedience training.

Eb sounds a lot like Chanel so I might need your help..hehe.

Nat

[Kavik]

Both of my dogs are very different. Zoe gets overly excited really easily (this is where her dog aggression problems are the worst), while Diesel is more laid back and easy going (except in new places, when he is excited! But he is still young, and calms down eventually.)

I use food for both dogs, but with Diesel I also use balls and tug toys (I can only get Zoe's attention with food). I use either a check chain or martingale collar, depends on how I feel, how the dog is working and the weather.

Zoe is trickier to handle because not only does she get more excited, but she is also more sensitive, so it can be tricky to figure out how firm to be if she misbehaves. I have found being calm with her training works the best.

Because Diesel is more laid back, I have to be more upbeat and excited in his training. As he is slower, I have found breaking exercises into small components works well for him, Zoe is a fast worker and this can be hard with her.

I have started clicker training Diesel, he is catching on fast, Zoe who is not clicker trained is slow catching on (although I did a similar training method with her scent detection work).

[Guest LittlePixie]

I clicker train Tilly using food rewards. Everything is taught using food, but she eventually responds to hand signals alone.

Brody... don't know yet!! Will start off the same way I did with Tilly and see how we go.

[Mystiqview]

Jemma: Pat and more pat. Those that know her call her "the slave"

Skye: Food and more food.. even then sometimes she does what she wants to. She is very independant that way.

Milo: Clicker and food. Very Very soft dog to train.

Have not used the conventional training for ages. When first started training 15 years ago.. check chain was all there was... One, two three yank. If the dog did not do as told... you made it with the chain.

I still use a check chain as a training tool only. I have never used it to "check" or "choke" my current (and recent past) dogs for as they are taught from a young age without a collar (or at most flat collar no lead)with food. For us, when the chain is on, it is only a signal to the dog that the work I expect from you now is to be "excellent".

One of the seminars I went to..(Ian Dunbar) they said the best way to teach a young pup was without a lead and food training. HE said that we always or at least in 95 % of the time inadvertingly pull on the lead every time we say "heel". So his training is done with food and no lead. His belief is that if you can get the dog to heel offlead first.. it will heel onlead no problems. Did my early heel exercises up the hallway, so I had dogs full attention.

[Tralee]

Hi Social Butterfly.

What I'm interested to know is what works best with you and your dogs?

That's a heavy question with an equally complex answer.

But it is one worthy of investigation and a determined effort of discovery.

I was able to 'coerce' Sooki to 'perform' the tasks set for her at puppy-school using food rewards and she picked them up very quickly.

However, I found food rewards a very abstract way of developing a relationship with my dog and after the novelty of seeing her slavishly comply, I discontinued the practice.

It is my feeling that Sooki gives the greatest rate of response from repitition.

My focus for her training is to develop basic 'dog' manners in her.

I try to keep every situation as real as possible by placing her 'in situ' as much as possible.

For example, when I take her down to the esplanade to pose and prominade we always follow the same routine.

She is not allowed in the shops; is encouraged to meet and greet the local people and their dogs; and must not wander when we dine alfresco.

I also try to make her other training, like show training, as close to the real setting as possible.

Repitition is working beautifully for Sooki and I.

She had a win today at Durack so we must be doing something right.

(She was the only entry but they can refuse to award if the dog is not up to standard).

It is hard to say whether a dog responds to the food reward or the repitition of the command.

All that can be said is that the likelihood of the response being repeated is increased with a food reward.

I like the idea that when I am using repitition my dog is acting as expected in real time in real situations.

I hope that makes sense.

Edited April 24, 2005 by pewithers

[boxagirl]

With Bondi I use A clicker. She gets bored pretty easily so I have to use lots of motivation, and keep training short, intersesting and rewarding. she seems to work very well if she knows there will be a toy at the end.

Bondi is pretty submissive, so when shes in a new environment I use LOTS of rewards and ALOT of verbal praise.

I can never tighten the lead, because that makes her nervous when around other dogs and results in her lunging. So a check chain would be a BIG no-no. 100% positive motivational training for my girl

Barkly my sisters dog, get negative punishment and positive reinforcement from my sister. He is a dog aggressive dog, and possibly people aggresive depending on the situation. I don't think that the method she uses is the correct training method for Barkly. I think she should try to prevent him from noticing the other dogs by getting him to do things (eye contact, sits etc.) instead of just letting him "go off" and then punish him for it. He really loves food and LOVES to please! He has alot of potential with the right training.

[!Kristen!]

Very interesting reading all of your methods Its clear the positive reinforcement is pretty much a universal thing. Works well with most, and possibly all dogs IMO

[Sayreovi]

With Nova i use a clicker and cant use any punishment at all (not that i would anyway) as he will tune straight off and wont listen. I am however working with a GL but can take it off after a few minutes and he wont go too far ahead for the rest.

With Darcy gee he is really sensitive if you so much as raise your voice he will go like no way im not doing it, so he is on clicker and heaps of pats and praise, he is coming along really nicely im proud of him as i tried those training techniques from the attention when heeling thread and he now walks along beside me looking right in my face hehe looks great but it aint working on Nova

[dogdayz]

Food rewards for Skye but she will not work for the clicker. She respomds best to traditional check chain method to keep her working, else collie boredome sets in.

Beck is clicker trained - it seems to concentrate his mind where traditional methods failed to get his attention - mind you it probably helped that he has maldigestion so earning food is a matter of survival to him.

Each dog is different, my next dog i hope to start with the clicker, but i suspect i will use a mix that suits the individual at the time.

[MonElite]

I am yet to find a dog that learns without any repetition............, repetition is absolutly required in training any dog, first the learing stage, than in proofing and lastly in reminders from time to time.

I used food originally, but since my dog isnt very food motivated I tend to use my voice and pets as a reward for good behaviour these days.

However with the next dog I will get I will be using the pray drive as a drive to teach behaviurs.

[Derharv GSD'S]

All my dogs are trained with positive reinforcement trainning by the way of praise and a release command, The tone of my voice lets my dog know exactly whats going on. I have never used any other method. Its really interesting to hear of others methods

[Lablover]

I think the methods we use has a direct correlation to our standards.

I have yet to see a successful dog at retriever trials, who has been trained using purely positive methods. The requirements are too high.

[Sayreovi]

^I agree, i do growl at them when they arent doing the right thing and they quickly correct themselves, Darcy much quicker then Nova. I doubt anyone can train a dog using 100% positive reinforcement and if they did i reckon they would be lying

[Guest Tess32]

I think only a tiny tiny tiny population of trainers actually claim to use only positive reinforcement.

I only know of two I think.

Nat

[Lablover]

Tess32,

What obedience standards did these two dogs reach, how did they perform out of the obedience 'setting" and what breeds are they?

Just wondering????

[Guest Tess32]

No idea - only read about it very briefly on a list I am on. The person claimed to be purely, 100 positive.

From memory, one of the breeds was a Portugese Water Dog (I think so anyway, I remember the breed being the same breed of another trainer whose list I am on).

I don't really see how it works and how they worked it, but I believe both had dogs that had reached UD.

Don't quote me though, I didn't pay THAT much attention

Nat

[FeralSam]

Well I can't claim any fame as I'm trying to stay ahead of my dog in the learning dept. I reckon' the positve training has made her 'cocky sure' of herself, maybe I was too soft, maybe my voice wasn't firm enough.

I do know one time she would not sit at heel when I asked (and she knows this command), instead she jumped up and head-butted me in the nose and I started seeing stars! A swift slap on the butt and one hell of a holler was my reaction. Now she knows when she's crossed the line and is far more responsive.

Does anyone remember seeing their dog reprimanding her puppies?

BTW Lablover, your dogs are OK, number one, A+

Having said that, I'm on hands and knees (or is that all paws?) begging you help me with my overstrong, over bouncy puppy. Please, please....

[Guest cloverfdch]

I clicker train, Elvis works works wonderfully when we clicker train and picks new commands and tricks up after about 3 repititions.

Clover on the other hand needs hyping up and alot of playing between exercises, i also use the clicker with her.