Canine Training Flashcards
Interesting Research: “Domestication” of foxes
- 40 to 50 years
- tameness
Interesting Research: Associated changes
- color
- ears
- tails
- skull measurements
- development behaviors
Anthropomorphism
Is Denver really guilty?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVQNc0zonzw
Requirements for Successful Training
- patience
- knowledge of what to correct
- timing
Starting with a pup
1.
2.
- Socialization: accustom dog to variety (adults, babies, animals, other dogs, environment), (car rides)
- Establish your dominance (social position) (don’t allow dog to assume “pack leader” position”
Pack Leader’s Bill of Rights
- To eat first, gorge themselves, and own leftovers
- To stand, sit or lie down wherever they like
- To have access to “prime” spots
- To control entry to or from any room
- To proceed through narrow openings first
- To initiate the hunt and dictate where to hunt
- To demand attention from subordinate pack members
- To ignore or actively discourage unwanted attention
- To restrict movements of subordinates
- To win all games
How to become “pack leader”
- Eat before you feed the dog
- Restrict access to your bedroom and furniture
- Proceed first through doorways
- Take your dog’s “kills”
- Call your dog to you to give attention
- Ignore pawing, nudging, whining for attention
- Initiate games and make sure you win – end up
with the toy - Reward the dog for completing an exercise well
Starting with a Pup
3.
4.
- Use proper toys for play
- don’t use shoes or socks (pups chew, cutting teeth)
- retrieving/; try to instill good choice - Crate train
- facilitates housebreaking
- prevents destructive behavior
- accustom to being in crate while you are gone
Starting with Pup
5.
6.
- Housebreaking (later)
- Make natural tendencies constructive
What are good rewards for dogs?
food and praise
Why be careful with punishment?
- timing is difficult
- can instill fear
- may have different response than expected
Examples of Unintentional Training
- Poor timing of praise or punishment
- Calling a dog and then punishing
- Yelling to stop barking
- Allowing begging at the table
- Playing inappropriate games (tug-of-war, keep away, wrestling)
Appropriate methods of “punishment”
Getting attention
For times when you must get attention:
– Voice of disapproval
– One quick snap on a collar
– Rattling a can filled with pennies
– “Time-out” in a bare room (?)
Can you teach old dogs new tricks?
Yes
Factors that Influence Learning
- Breed characteristics
- “reason” for breed’
- may have to combat these - General temperament
- often good for most dogs
- innate desire to please - Age
- Pups: short attention span, lack coordination/depth perception
- “old dogs and new tricks” - health: sick dogs behave differently
- Environment
- remove distractions (2 dogs tgt)
- remove stresses - Handler/Trainer
- Dominant attitude
- Consistency: insist on obedience, command only if you can enforce it and must always mean the same thing
Influence Learning Factors: command only if what?
- if you can enforce it
- must always mean the same thing
Specific Training Methods: Housebreaking (elimination training)
– dogs are usually sanitary
– highly recommend a crate
– restrict to one room to start
– place newspapers 180 o from feeding and sleeping area
– adjust time of day you feed and water (Pups will usually need to eliminate after a meal or a nap)
– after about 2 wk., open room 2
Specific Training Methods: Dogs are usually ____
sanitary
Specific Training Methods (Housebreaking): highly recommend a ____
crate
Specific Training Methods (Housebreaking): restrict to ____ to start
one room
Specific Training Methods (Housebreaking): place newspapers ____________________
180˚from feeding and sleeping area
Specific Training Methods (Housebreaking): adjust time of day you ___ and ___
- feed and water
- pups will usually need to eliminate after a meal of a nap
Specific Training Methods (Housebreaking): after about ___ weeks, open room 2
2 weeks
Specific Training Methods (Housebreaking): may need to build up fast or slow for intestinal training?
slowly
Specific Training Methods (Housebreaking): how effective is punishments
general don’t work
Specific Training Methods (Housebreaking): do what greatly?
praise
Specific Training Methods (Training to go outside): how often to go out?
often
Specific Training Methods (Training to go outside): show dog ____
the are you want it to use
Specific Training Methods (Training to go outside): something you should do greatly
praise!
Specific Training Methods (Barking): ___ dogs barely bark
wild
Specific Training Methods (Barking): may be ___ or ___ response
natural or learned
Specific Training Methods (Barking): may be desirable as ____
alarm
Specific Training Methods (How to Stop Barking): Ideally what?
don’t have it start
Specific Training Methods (How to Stop Barking): remove what?
rewards
Specific Training Methods (How to Stop Barking): don’t what
yell or throw things
Specific Training Methods (How to Stop Barking): reward ____
non-barking
- leave, then return
- praise and treat if no barking
- stretch out time away
- may have to tie or muzzle if you need to skip a session
Specific Training Methods (How to Stop Barking): ___ shock collars
sound-activated
Advantages of Sound-activated shock collars
Disadvantages of Sound-activated shock collars
Alternatives to shock
sound, citronella, whistle, vibration
4 destructive behaviors (when left alone)
- vigorous exercise daily (relieve excess energy)
– Use crate when away
– Drug regimen?
Clicker training: better timing of reward cuz it marks the exact moment the dog ___
does something right
Clicker training methods
– Click whenever you see desired action
– Can give praise, treats
– Click should be desired reward for the pup
Natural behavior patterns: antagonistic
- fighting and predation, herding, play-fighting
- defense and escape reaction
Natural behavior patterns: Sexual Behavior
- mutual investigation of anal and genital area
- courtship behavior sometimes seen
- mating behavior
Natural behavior patterns: eliminative behavior
- urination and defecation in places used by other males and females
Natural behavior patterns: maternal
- giving of care and attention
- primarily toward young (feeding, protecting, grooming, etc…)
Natural behavior patterns: Allelomimetic
- doing what other animals in group do
- makes hunting and safety more efficient
Postures: relaxed/normal
- tail down, ears up, head high, corners of mouth relaxed
Postures: Alert
- tail straight, ears forward, mouth closed, up on toes
Postures: Stressed/afraid
- tail between legs, ears back, pupils dilated, rapid panting with corners of mouth back, body lowered, sweaty footpads
Postures: Playing
- front end down, ears up
Postures: Active submission
- tail down, body lowered, ears back, forehead
smooth, corners of mouth back, groveling movements, often lick
Postures: passive submission
- roll onto back, tail tucked, eyes averted
Postures: offensive posture
- tail up and stiff, hackles up, ears forward, nose wrinkled, mouth corners forward, stand forward
Postures: Defensive threat posture
- tail tucked, hackles up, ears back, body low and crouched, pulse dilated, wrinkled nose, mouth corners back (growling/ barking)
Approaching an unknown dog
- DON’T!!!
- if you must, approach from angle
- stand straight up and extend a hand (usually palm side down)
- can stroke it on side, or under mouth
- touching dog on shoulders or top of head is dominant signal
