Karen Pryor’s Reaching the Animal Mind

I found her discussion of primary, secondary, and tertiary reinforcements easy to understand and extremely useful in explaining to my clients why their dogs love clicker training so much!

Most exciting was her recognition of how to use cues to resolve fear/anxiety based issues. She does this by giving the dog an opportunity to show off his favorite “trick”. This makes him happy and so he joyfully responds to the cue even in the presence of something else that was causing anxiety. I used this same method for encouraging my fearful dog to become relaxed around strangers. I would take him to a busy time at the dog park where there were lots of other dogs (he LOVES dogs)  being around other dogs relaxed him so he was easily able to forget his fear of the people. Then I taught him a fun cue, Peek-a-Boo. Peek-a-Boo is where he goes through my straddled legs like a little horse (he is a big dog!) and get a treat when he sits between my legs. He loves this cue and always demonstrates it with gusto! Now he has a way to interact with people. If they are standing with legs apart he joyfully ducks through and greets them on the other side!

Basically if you like clicker training, or just want to know what all the fuss is about you should read this book! As Pryor says, clicker training (TAGTeaching) is a new (actually about 30 year old now)  technology used to help animals learn. It is just as useful on dogs as it is on coaching 8 year old to do ballet!

I guess I suspected that people still did this occasionally based on something they heard in the 80’s but I hadn’t realized there were still such adamant dog rollers in the world.

One comment even said that her advice of using positive reinforcement to train (like clicker training) was a good way to create an aggressive dog that would have to be put down! Holy Cow, what have these people been reading?!

Using positive reinforcement is a completely harmless and extremely effective (and fun) way to train not only dogs, but pretty much anything with a nervous system and half a brain. In fact these methods are in use all over the world training exotic (and sometimes dangerous) animals in zoos in order to more safely administer shots and medication.  So how could someone be so confused or misinformed about how positive reinforcement works?

My guess is that they are confusing the word “positive” with the word “permissive”. Being a permissive trainer is  like being a permissive parent or boss. It means that you pretty much let your “animal” do whatever they want, get whatever they want, whenever they want. When a child has had a permissive parent we tend to call that child “a spoiled brat”. The same thing can happen to a dog with a permissive trainer. And I could certainly see where being permissive might create a dog with a very low frustration threshold and encourage aggressive behaviors leading to that dog’s destruction.

However the term “positive” does not at all mean permissive. Positive is an attitude and it is also a scientific word used to refer to a situation when you are adding something to the situation. so when we use positive reinforcement we are adding something to the situation (food, praise, feedback, life rewards) in order to reinforce a behavior we deem appropriate.

It really has nothing to do with whether a dog is “getting away with something”. In fact every trainer I know that uses strictly positive methods has very well mannered dogs who are constantly trying to figure out what their trainer wants them to be doing. You couldn’t ask for a better result!

The first thing I always talk about with a new client, is the power of association. The primary form of learning for all living things is learning by association. This is especially important for dogs because they can’t rely on higher cognition to figure out that they don’t really have to be afraid of wheelie bins just because a car backfired the first time he saw one.

When communicating with dogs, we can use this power of association to help them understand that there are plenty of things out in the world that can bring them good things. This is why working with treats is so important. Treats are a useful way to create positive associations with unfamiliar or even scary new objects. Look! a traffic cone, Treat! Look a group of kids, Treat! Look! a loud train, Treat!

You get the idea.

Teaching your dog (especially your big dog) to walk on leash can be one of the hardest things you will ever do.

Walking is hard, because it is a lengthy behavior. “Sit” or “Down” is easy, your dog either does it, or doesn’t do it.

Walking can be a relaxing and energising experience, or it can be a drawn out conflict, leaving you frustrated and your dog stressed. The good news is that there are a lot of ways to teach walking and there is bound to be the right solution for you.

Head Harnesses or Dog Halters are a great way to start. There are a number of different brands but the most well known are the Halti (pictured above) or the Gentle Leader (Pictured Below). My preference is the Gentle Leader, I like how adjustable it is, and I have a much easier time with the style clip they use, (I always struggle opening and closing the Halti brand)!

Either one you choose, they both work in the same way. Your leash clips to the ring under the dog’s chin, and the halter snaps up snugly behind your dog’s ears. If your dog tries to pull ahead, there is nothing for her to push against. With any collar, choke chain, (ugh) prong collar, or harness, your dog can push her chest or neck against the equipment, giving her a lot of leverage to pull you around. Even worse, the squeezing and straining around your dog’s neck can cause tracheal damage, blood vessel damage, and has even been reported to be the cause of damage to the blood vessels behind a dog’s eyes which can cause blindness. This is not good for those dogs on chokers even just for training!

The Head Halter works exactly like a horse’s halter, it leads from the chin, doesn’t choke, or compress anything. Can you imagine trying to lead a horse around with a choker chain… yeah right. It is important to note that the nose loop on the halter is not  a muzzle. It won’t keep your dog from barking, eating, drinking or even biting if he is so inclined.

If you decide to buy one of these head harnesses, I recommend getting it properly fitted by a professional trainer. I also tend to introduce the dog to the equipment before ever putting it on. To do this, start with having your dog target the halter with his nose, each time he touches it, he should get a treat. Then open the nose loop and feed treats through the loop. This way your dog gets the feeling of the loop around his nose while positive things are happening! Eventually work your way up to clipping it behind the ears and going for a VERY short walk.

Some dogs really don’t like the sensation of the head halter at first so you may have to persevere, but the practice is worth the relaxing walks you will get when he is comfortable wearing the halter.  If you decide to do the “trial by fire” method of introducing him to the halter, be prepared for a tantrum. The new sensation of the nose loop can be quite surprising and upsetting if introduced quickly (although sometimes this is necessary if your dog is dangerously pulling you into traffic). It is important to NOT take off the halter until he has calmed down or he will learn to throw a fit whenever you put it on! I have used both methods and I much prefer introduction over many days before actually going for a walk with it.

These associations not only provide educational support to their members,  they usually provide a certification process. These certification programs vary but can involve an exam or series of essays and case studies you must submit for peer approval. Many of these various associations will accept certifications from other well know associations so you don’t have to recertify if you want to be a certified member of more than one.

There are also a huge number of books on the various canine subjects that are well worth reading. I do book reviews of many of the books I am reading on my blog and so if you are interested in finding out more about these, that is a good place to start.

Then you will find the differences in what people call themselves based on how they train.

-Behaviourists are usually based on a Skinner philosophy that hold very strictly to the idea that behaviors must be observable and  “discounts any independent activities of the mind”. In reality many trainers who use the term “behaviourist/behaviourism” do not realise that is has no association with canine psychology, so they usually have a little of that thrown into their training paradigm.

-Most obedience instructors use learning theory and I have found that although they can train a dog to do almost anything, they will have a hard time explaining “how” they got the dog to do it! They usually site a training method like “dominance theory”, or “positive reinforcement” to explain what they are doing. But if you ask them to explain the principals of their training you will get a huge variety of responses, some quite reasonable and some so far out in imagination land that they are laughable, (I once heard a obedience instructor tell his class in all seriousness that you shouldn’t bow to your dog or he will think he is “King”). In what universe do dogs, live in and understand monarchies?

An Ethologist is someone who observes behavior and tries to understand why the behavior is happening, usually based on how an animal behaves in its natural environment.  As a consultant who considers herself a canine ethologist, I would observe the dog and listen to my clients observations of their dog’s behavior, then formulate their training plan based on these observations. A training plan would include reasons for these behaviors based on their instincts, environment,  previous experiences, and on the dog’s observable temperament. Observable temperament is what a dog is likely to do in any given situation.   Then I would find some possible alternate behaviors, using the laws of learning, and change the dog’s motivation in that situation. This involves teaching new behavior patterns and alternate acceptable behaviors in the form of basic or advanced obedience cues put on automatic.

The cues themselves are unimportant, except for the fact that they build confidence in the subject (the dog), that their trainer (the owner) is reliable, calm and confident. They teach the dog how to learn to learn, enjoy learning, and teach the dog’s caregiver how to change the dogs motivation in a situation where teaching an alternate behavior is simply not enough.

Although these training styles differ, I am sure you have noticed that they are also all linked. You hardly ever meet a behaviourist with no understanding of dog psychology or how to teach an obedience cue. You will be hard pressed to find a obedience instructor who doesn’t teach a little behaviourism, and an ethologist must have a good working understanding of the psychology of their chosen species, as well as a clear understanding of the laws of learning in order to explain/solve any behavior problem.

You will still find the occasional “trainer” with little or no experience in any of these fields, so buyer beware. Do a little research yourself, ask a lot of questions and if you are unhappy with, or don’t understand the answers then look somewhere else!

LIKES:      Meals , Treats, Sticks/Balls (chasing), Running (off lead or on), other dogs, games, Clicker Training, sniffing, grass, Kong/Chew Toys, evening massage, cuddles on the couch.

DISLIKES:     Getting patted on the head,  Strangers (especially in the house but anywhere we aren’t “expecting them”, Kids who stare at eye level, Strangers who stare or reach over head, being “handled” by the vet.

There are actually quite a few things on both lists! And some may be surprising. Many people don’t realize how little, dogs like being petted around the top of their head. Many can get used to the experience, but few really see it as enjoyable. And you should never great a dog you don’t know that way. The point here is don’t use a head pat or ear ruffle as praise/reinforcement.

Some on the list are probably exclusive to my dog, or dogs with similar “stranger danger” issues. For instance he will play slap paws with anyone, but if that same person stared at him on the street I sure he would react with defensive barking .

This list is important because it shows me what things I can use as reinforcement. Treats aren’t the only way to reinforce (although frequently the easiest and fastest). A reinforcement can be ANYTHING the dog likes. This list also shows me what we still need to work on. Because of his past, Ripley will probably never be the social butterfly my other dog is with strangers, but there are a lot of things we can do to get strangers off the “dislike” list and at least move it over to the “ambivalent” list. Some of them eventually may even be moved to the “Like” list!

When I am doing a first session with clients I usually start with introducing them to a clicker. A clicker is a small hand held noisemaker, much like you would find at kid’s parties. But for the purpose of training, it is used as a marker for behavior. A clicker is ideal for this purpose because it is a quick noise that is almost instantaneous and completely repeatable. That means you can easily teach the dog by learned association, that if they hear a click, they will get a treat.

Once the dog understands that a click will always get them a treat, you then teach them that they can demonstrate behaviors and make you click. In this way they become active in their own training and actually enjoy the learning process itself!

Because of this, clickers are used all over the world to teach a variety of different animals new or complicated behaviors.  When I worked with Big Cats we used clickers as a means of communicating to our feline friends that we liked what they were doing. This is especially important because with many large predators you can’t force them to do what you want, you have to make them want to do what you want! Frequently you are working behind a cage wall so even if you wanted to you couldn’t use physical cues to model the behavior you needed.

The same is true for dogs, if you can get them to want to do something, whether that is staying off the couch, going to the toilet on cue, or just shaking hands. You can show them how much fun it is to do the things you like! And lets be honest, if you don’t like something, you don’t do it, and if you do like something you do it even if someone doesn’t give you a cupcake afterwards.