Improving the Bond Between Owners and Dogs
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That's Enough of "Bad Dog"
Posted on August 1, 2012 at 11:13 AM |
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A
client recently asked me about reprimanding his dog for undesired behavior.
This is a common question and the answer is usually surprising to people who
have tried traditional methods involving some type of aversive punishment. Q: Should
I ever say "Bad Dog"? At night
Ruby has started to huff 3-5 times when she hears a strange sound and then lets
out a howl - should I get a shaker can and rattle when she does this? A: Great
questions! I don't like "Bad Dog" for a few reasons.
Drives
are survival based behaviors that dogs instinctively perform. The six main
drives in dogs are: barking, chewing, digging, dissecting, hunting, and
scavenging. Ruby's
reaction to strange sounds is a great example. In the wild a dog who alerts
other members of the pack to potential danger is more likely to survive. She is
engaging in a normal drive behavior which, to you, is undesirable. To her it
makes perfect sense. I don't recommend the use of a shaker at all; good for
scaring your dog, bad for bonding, ineffective for "curing" barking. Because
Ruby has herding breed lineage (Border Collie), barking/alerting is a strong
drive and almost impossible to quash entirely; you can't "cure" a
drive. The good news is that Ruby is giving you fair warning before she starts
to howl by huffing a few times. Here's what to do: When
you hear the first or second huff calmly but firmly say "That's Enough."
If she stops barking/alerting offer her LOTS and LOTS of positive praise -
"GOOD JOB! THANK YOU! GOOD GIRL!" etc. The positive praise is 100%
essential and what makes this method work. My Flat Coat Retriever is an alert
barker and I can assure you first hand that after trying everything else
(including shaker cans), this is what finally worked. If she
does not stop barking then calmly but firmly say "Time Out" and put her in another room
for 10-15 seconds (always keep “Time Outs” short or they won’t be effective).
Repeat as needed. If you are still having trouble then try having some treats
on hand; say "That's Enough" and throw some treats on the ground. As
soon as she stops to get the treats lay on the positive praise. You aren't
rewarding her for barking, you are interrupting her and rewarding her for
stopping. With my dogs I use
"That's enough" as an all-around general warning for undesired
behaviors always followed with either positive praise or a "Time Out"
as needed. It sounds too good to be true but it really works. I ALWAYS lay on
the positive praise and rarely have to give "Time Outs". HAVE FUN TRAINING! - August Henrich, CCS |
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