How to train an effective dog (Part 1)

[Smokin04]

Well, it was posed to me by forum members that I should help the community by tapping my knowledge of training Military Working Dogs, Specialized Search Dogs, Law Enforcement Patrol Dogs, etc and writing about some methods to help you get your four legged child to be an effective member of your team. I suppose I could start with a bit of resume so you know I'm not some fraud trying to pretend I know what I'm talking about. I start here. I enlisted in the USAF in Dec 1998. I became a USAF security forces (MP equivalent) in 1999. In 2002 I was selected for Department of Defense K9 school. I went and graduated same year. After graduation, I spent 5 years on 3 dogs before transferring to a combat unit. Once there, I went to various schools and spent 2 years in Iraq supporting combat operations (4 years total in the Combat Unit). I came home to become a trainer and eventual kennel master. I spent 6 months in an SSD (Specialized Search Dog) school, and gave another year to training field ready off leash search dogs. I do not have a PhD in dog training...but I do have OVER a decade in effective combat and law enforcement dog training techniques used by the DoD and Law Enforcement Agencies. I absolutely can teach you the "real shit" and will answer ANY credibility questions you can come up with. I've been to combat...and used my dogs in combat. I can tell you that I am absolutely confident that I would NOT sell my peers here a line of BS. With that being said...

I thought this would be a very tough task indeed as there are hundreds of methods that one can use to make Fido into a machine. You MUST remember this as I write these articles. I am trying to take a systematic approach to this. We’ll start with the basics and work into a more advanced type of training regimen in later installments. So let’s begin with:

How do you communicate effectively with your dog?

Simple. Dogs have 4 primary needs that must be satisfied to keep the alive, trained, and happy. They are: Air (Oxygen), Food, Water, and Socialization…in that order. Air is obvious…without it, they die same as humans. Take away a dogs ability to breathe, and instantly they panic and fear death. A solid correction on a choke collar should almost trigger a fight or flight response. It’s an instinctual reaction to a lack of oxygen. Think of how you would behave if someone was choking you out…suddenly, you forget that you were hungry 10 seconds ago. But Smokin, why is food higher than water (on this list) to a dog? Well to an undomesticated dog, water is more abundant in nature than food. They can find it in puddles, gutters, lakes, ponds, etc. with minimal; or less effort than finding food. Food in the wild is a MUCH harder resource to come by for a dog. They have to track it, stalk it, catch it, kill it, and eat it. This behavior usually takes a pack to accomplish effectively. So naturally, the effort expended to catch and kill prey is much more than that of finding water. Coincidentally, this is why socialization is on this list. Without it, they could never form a pack, and hunting becomes infinitely harder. This helps us understand a dog’s motivation to learn. We often use treats, cookies (Milkbones, or similar treats) to reward our kids when they perform a task successfully. This is a second order effect of successful training behavior. The owner (you) is taught the limited basics from friends, experimenting with previous pets, family, internet, etc. Don’t worry, not many errors that are made here, can’t be undone. So lets get started.

All dog training revolves around reward schedules. There is a certain level of knowledge had by the teacher (you) that is needed for this to be effective. This is also dependent on what type of training you are using. There is compulsiion training, and inducive training. Compulsion training is what the military and law enforcement agencies predominantly use, as the consequences for the dogs mean MUCH more than when using inducive techniques (Disclaimer: this is subjective to the dog being trained. Some dogs favor compulsion vs. inducive and vice versa). There is: Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement, Negative Punishment, and Positive Punishment. By using a collar correction (choke/pinch collar) we are affecting their primary instincts of survivial rather than using inducive techniques. Compulsion in general takes far less time than inducively training your dog. This is also dependent on how good of a trainer you are. I personally prefer inducive techniques as I feel it makes the dog happier, and more eager to learn/please. Compulsion can break the spirit of weaker willed dogs, thus you must choose which is most effective for your dog.

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT: The application of praise or reward for doing a correct behavior

NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT: The with-holding a collar correction for performing a task incorrectly

NEGATIVE PUNSHIMENT: The with-holding of praise or reward for performing a task incorrectly

POSITIVE PUNISHMENT: The application of a collar correction for performing a task incorrectly

Smokin, What is Praise?

Simply put, praise is when you get stupid happy for your dog. You show them that you’re super happy for them by jumping the octave of your voice as high as it will go before you lose it. For example…WOOOOO-HOOOO WHATA GOOD BOY!!!! Expressed like you’re a cheer-leader in high school. WOOOOOOOOOO!!!! LOOK AT THAT DOG!!!!! The most amazing, happy, sensation of vocal expression you can give your dog. Go as high as you can get…don’t be shy. Don’t feel awkward. Your dog deserves this level of enthusiasm…they’re trying as hard as they can for it. Praise can also be a combination of verbal and physical praise. Crying with joy as mentioned, paired with vigorous petting on the head/torso is effective in letting the dog know that they are succeeding in the desired task. Rewards are also given as praise. Dog treats, petting, a chew toy, high octave of voice are all examples of effective praise. I can’t emphasize how IMPORTANT effective praise is! Think of yourself as working hard at your job and never getting a pay check. Wouldn’t that piss you off? Dogs are no different. If you don’t praise them effectively, they will lose focus and not want to learn from you.

PRAISE IS CRUCIAL! (If you can't praise effectively, you might as well stop here as you will not be successful in your endeavor)

What is a collar correction?

Most people don’t have the heart for compulsion. The thought of correcting their beautiful puppy on a choke chain makes them cringe. Fear not. Collar corrections solidify your place as the pack “alpha”. This has to happen. Without an effective collar correction, the dog will not understand that you are above them in the pack order, and resistance will occur constantly. This is a must when training attack dogs. If they don't fear you by way of correction, they damn sure won't fear the prey/victim (or have issues viewing you as the prey). This behavior will add time to your training, and make it more difficult. You (yes, YOU!) MUST be able to “pop the dog a good one.” Did you ever spank a child that was out of line? Did you ever yell at your child when they brought home an F on their report card? If you did, then you possess the required skill to correct your dog effectively. A choke chain, pinch collar, or E-collar is needed to get the point across to your dog. (Please CONTACT ME before you use an E-COLLAR!!!!!! These can be EXTREMELY DETRIMENTAL in the wrong hands). With this being said…timing of said corrections is of UTMOST IMPORTANCE!

Whoa, wait a minute Smokin…why is timing important?

Timing is one of the (if not the MOST IMPORTANT PART of) parts of training. It lets you know when you’re succeeding or failing in your endeavor. The problem with timing, is that it’s a skillset learned with practice, trial and error. The reason timing is so important is because when the dog does or does not complete the desired task, the correction MUST BE INSTANT for the dog to correlate the correction or reward to THEIR action. The dog MUST know, by judicious (and effective, meaning correctly timed) use of your corrections and rewards, if they are succeeding or failing at the task that you are teaching them.

Have I peaked your interest? Should I keep going?

[Inor]

Keep going please!

[Arklatex]

Effen AWESOME post smokin. Thank you and I will look forward to the next installment.

[Smokin04]

Okay guys...I'll keep it going, heading to bed for now though.

[Pauls]

Sleep well Smokin, there are others standing guard tonight.

[Deebo]

Awesome, and Diamond will thank you in the long run

[Slippy]

Excellent Smokin!

Mrs Slippy and I have a question. Many of you know that we recently got our newest dog, Beasley an Australian Cattle Dog who is now about 8 months old. We also have a 13 year old Border Collie, Millie. Millie HATES Beasley. I'm talking absolute hate. We also have a 6 year old Yorkshire Terrier, Tucker, who is a non-issue. Everyone gets along with Tucker, except Cam19 but that's another story.

Millie was one of the best trained, most obedient animals ever. Now she's old and her hips are bad so she lays around most days and constantly lets out a string of high pitched barks about 5 minutes apart. Millie also has developed cataracts and is showing signs of hearing loss. When she was young, exercise would cure her of any ill behavior but now she is only good for about 10 minutes of walking or playing ball a day. I fear that she is not long for this world.

She just lays in her bed in the laundry room and growls at Beasley if Beasley comes near the laundry room, then starts on the string of high pitched barks. She was not like this until we bought Beasley.

We've tried her old correction collar and it works for a while. We don't want to keep the correction collar on her all day but will if we cannot reverse this. My feeling is that she is protecting her food, the laundry room is where we feed the dogs usually. We've moved her bed into other rooms, where she used to lay around but she always goes back to the laundry room. I also think her hearing loss is part of this but we don't know what to do about the irritating barking. Very sad to see the old girl be like this especially since she was an absolute joy to train in her early days.

Any suggestions?

[Coppertop]

Smokin Please keep going

[1moretoy]

Yes...please do continue. Very informative reading. I can say as a dog owner you are spot on. And yes the excited tone of your voice can make even a bad occurrence seem rewarded (not a good idea). I found out the hard way after finding a corner of the wife's expensive floor rug chewed. I said, in a happy non threatening tone "your momma is gonna beat your butt for this" the next day the opposite corner was chewed. I learned my lesson.

[Smokin04]

Next installment...

So, what’s a “Reward”?

A reward can be anything that the dog likes, and similarly dislike. Confused yet? I’ll break it down for you. All dogs have what called a “Hierarchy of Intensity”(HOI from here on out). HOI can best be described like a 3 or 4 level pyramid with all the things a dog values (or dislikes) inside of it. You must find out what is at the top of your dog’s HOI to train efficiently. For example, if you bought some fancy designer dog treats for Fido to train with, great! But what if Fido doesn’t really like them? Or maybe he likes them, but not as much as he loves his tennis ball. The nasty treats will be naturally lower on his HOI than his tennis ball. So you the owner decide to attempt training using the treats instead of the ball. Do you think he really gives a crap if he messes up a task? If all his mistakes mean is not having to eat one of those nasty treats, then that works out good for Fido. But if you use his tennis ball…the one thing that he loves more than life itself, you’ll for sure have Fido’s attention. There is also HOI for the compulsion side of the house. If you are amazing at collar corrections, they can easily top the dogs HOI because he damn sure doesn’t like getting popped on the collar. The unpleasantness of them jumps right to the top of that pyramid. So for the positive reward, you can use the tennis ball as the most effective positive reinforcement, and the pop on the choke chain would be the most effective positive punishment. The negatives would be the with-holding of either…as mentioned earlier.

So Smokin, How does a dog really learn then? What’s happening in Fido’s mind when I tell him to sit?

I’m glad you asked. When you present Fido with your stimulus, let’s say a “Sit” command for example. Fido can choose to either sit, or to not sit (response). But each action has a consequence. If he sits as requested, he gets a treat or praise from mommy/daddy. If he doesn’t sit, he doesn’t get the treat, or worse he gets popped on the collar (consequence). See, it really is that simple.

So what is all that response, stimulus stuff?

There is a stimulus, a response, and a consequence. A stimulus can be the command from the handler or a change in environment. A response is simply the response that the dog displays based on the stimulus presented. The consequence is the result of the sequence. Dr. Ivan Pavlov’s experiment on operant conditioning displayed this beautifully. Pavlov would ring a bell (stimulus) and then offer a dog a treat (consequence). (DISCLAIMER: There was much more to his experiments than what I mentioned, but for simplicity sake, I will paraphrase.) The response from the dog was salivation when offered the treat. Eventually, the dog would salivate at just the sound of the bell ringing. This was an example of a conditioned “response” from the dog based on the “stimulus” presented. This idea is the basis for training. So how did Pavlov ensure the dog would salivate EVERYTIME the bell rang? By use of a reward schedule! He would ring the bell before EVERY treat was given. This is called a Fixed Ratio reward schedule. He later changed it to combinations of Variable Ratio and Variable Interval schedules by giving a treat every other bell ring, or after certain periods of time had passed. The dog would still salivate every time he heard the bell. He had solidified a “conditioned response.” Since we’re talking about reward schedules and how Pavlov used them, I suppose I should discuss the 4 types. They are:

FIXED INTERVAL: A fixed schedule where the first response is rewarded only after a specified amount of time has elapsed. An example would be if the dog “stays” for 30 seconds then is given his ball or reward.

VARIABLE INTERVAL: A variable schedule in which the dog receives his reward after a varying amount of time has passed. An example would be if a dog “stays” for 5 seconds, then is rewarded; then the next attempt the dog must wait 50 seconds before receiving the ball or reward.

FIXED RATIO: A stable schedule which states the dog will get the reward every time, every other time, every 5th time, etc. they successfully accomplish a task. This is used in the initial and intermediate phases of training a new task or behavior. You use this to reinforce the desired behavior until the dog performs consistently.

VARIABLE RATIO: A variable schedule in which the dog will receive the reward at random times. This is the most desirable and considered the maintenance phase of training. Do not use this schedule until the dog is consistently performing the response you’ve conditioned.

All that’s great, but what does that mean to me?

It means that YOU must decide which schedule to use and continue to adjust it as needed. You can always go back to a Fixed Ratio/Interval schedule to reinforce a desired behavior. But, transferring too soon to a Variable Ratio/Interval may inhibit your training as a successful response does not automatically mean the dog understands fully. So again, be careful about transitioning too soon.

Now, a bit more on timing. The idea is to apply a physical correction (compulsion) or give a reward (inducive, food or treat) EXACTLY AT THE MOMENT the dog is performing (or not performing, compulsion) the desired task. The larger the amount of time from correct/incorrect performance and application of punishment or reward, the larger area of confusion for the dog. Think of it this way: If you give your dog the command to “Sit”, and the dog sits as instructed…you want to “reward” the dog the MOMENT their butt touched the floor. This will REINFORCE the command of sit, and the desired behavior displayed by the dog. He will understand because he was rewarded when his butt touched the ground. If you are off with your timing, the dog might not pair the reward with his butt touching the floor...it could mean something totally different to the dog. To the contrary, if the dog does NOT sit, you can either withhold the reward (inducive) or apply a collar correction (compulsion). You can also use “Escape training” here, but I will discuss that later.

Okay, I’m starting to understand now. But how do I decide which techniques or reward schedules to use on my dog?

For me, this is an easy choice. I ALWAYS BEGIN with inducive training methods and fixed reward schedules. I feel that all dogs (unless extremely elderly) start training in a positive (almost puppy-like) state of mind. By using inducive methods, it keeps the dog motivated without negatively affecting its drive. But there is also a place for compulsion, mainly in attack dogs. If your dog will EVER be trained in attack work, I consider compulsion training a mandatory step in the training ladder. The reason being is that there are numerous reasons for calling a dog off an attack. They could be risking their safety, hurting the victim (decoy), or numerous other reasons (think accidental attack of a loved one in a dark room or encountering a venomous snake). They must understand that the consequences of not releasing or obeying when instructed are serious, and that they need to mind the handler always. You are being forceful with the dog because they have the potential to seriously injure or even kill whatever they’re biting. Therefore they must understand that your instructions are not something they can “blow off” without risking serious injury to themselves. I also favor compulsion if my dogs will be used off-leash at any time. The collar corrections come into play when the dog is frolicking…and sees a squirrel that just ran in front of them. Without that memory of getting his “butt whooped by daddy”, the prey drive urge will be too much to overcome. In other words, the squirrel was a temporary addition to their HOI; that instinctually means more to them than the tennis ball. Thus, your dog’s previous training goes right out the window in his moment of temporary bliss.

Now I have some homework for you. Research the “drive” or “drives” in dogs. This will assist you in deciding if your dog has what it takes to be a trained bad-ass. I am going to forego discussing drive, as it will add a tremendous amount of information that is well documented and readily available for your viewing pleasure online. Manipulations of these drives are what’s used to train attack dogs from the beginning. Now, check back soon and I will discuss some basic obedience techniques that are the foundation of all training. It will likely take a few days to put that together, so in the mean-time, I can answer questions or clarify any points of confusion you have thus far.

[Smokin04]

Excellent Smokin!

Mrs Slippy and I have a question. Many of you know that we recently got our newest dog, Beasley an Australian Cattle Dog who is now about 8 months old. We also have a 13 year old Border Collie, Millie. Millie HATES Beasley. I'm talking absolute hate. We also have a 6 year old Yorkshire Terrier, Tucker, who is a non-issue. Everyone gets along with Tucker, except Cam19 but that's another story.

Millie was one of the best trained, most obedient animals ever. Now she's old and her hips are bad so she lays around most days and constantly lets out a string of high pitched barks about 5 minutes apart. Millie also has developed cataracts and is showing signs of hearing loss. When she was young, exercise would cure her of any ill behavior but now she is only good for about 10 minutes of walking or playing ball a day. I fear that she is not long for this world.

She just lays in her bed in the laundry room and growls at Beasley if Beasley comes near the laundry room, then starts on the string of high pitched barks. She was not like this until we bought Beasley.

We've tried her old correction collar and it works for a while. We don't want to keep the correction collar on her all day but will if we cannot reverse this. My feeling is that she is protecting her food, the laundry room is where we feed the dogs usually. We've moved her bed into other rooms, where she used to lay around but she always goes back to the laundry room. I also think her hearing loss is part of this but we don't know what to do about the irritating barking. Very sad to see the old girl be like this especially since she was an absolute joy to train in her early days.

Any suggestions?

Well I understand Millie's POV. She's old and hurting, and now a young pup is full of energy and around her constantly. To an elderly dog, this is like your wife opening up a day care center for 5-7 year olds when she's 92. That can lead people to become crotchety. I honestly do not expect Millie to change her behavior because she has always been the alpha in her pack. Her barking is likely a reminder that she is not to be challenged by the younger puppy, and that she's still around...but I would honestly have to see their interaction to identify the exact issue. I can only guess unfortunately.

Are you leaving food down? If so, that could be a problem. She will feel that she needs to protect her food by "standing guard" over it. If you only leave the food down for 20-30 minutes (long enough for them to eat) than Millie might lose the need to "guard" the food, and rejoin the family.

[Slippy]

Well I understand Millie's POV. She's old and hurting, and now a young pup is full of energy and around her constantly. To an elderly dog, this is like your wife opening up a day care center for 5-7 year olds when she's 92. That can lead people to become crotchety. I honestly do not expect Millie to change her behavior because she has always been the alpha in her pack. Her barking is likely a reminder that she is not to be challenged by the younger puppy, and that she's still around...but I would honestly have to see their interaction to identify the exact issue. I can only guess unfortunately.

Are you leaving food down? If so, that could be a problem. She will feel that she needs to protect her food by "standing guard" over it. If you only leave the food down for 20-30 minutes (long enough for them to eat) than Millie might lose the need to "guard" the food, and rejoin the family.

Smokin,
I appreciate your response and we felt the same but weren't sure. We never leave food down, they eat and then the bowls and food go back in storage. But since the new puppy, we have a table in the laundry room that holds training treats etc. The laundry room (or curled up next to the toilet) has also been her "safe spot" and I suspect that since she is hurting she goes to her safe spot that is the crux of the problem.
Thanks and I really like your thread. (Between me and you, Mrs Slippy could stand to read some of this! We call her the Dog De-Trainer!

[Just Sayin']

RWalls,

I think that this kind of thread is one that should deserve an instant ranks boost, or at least a promotion for the OP. From reading the replies, I don't think you would find any dissenters, even AI might agree with me here! LOL

How 'bout it? Might encourage some others to share some highly valuable information here.

Attaboy Smokin'

[Smokin04]

Thanks Just Sayin'...I haven't even got into the good shit yet...

[1moretoy]

RWalls,

I think that this kind of thread is one that should deserve an instant ranks boost, or at least a promotion for the OP. From reading the replies, I don't think you would find any dissenters, even AI might agree with me here! LOL

How 'bout it? Might encourage some others to share some highly valuable information here.


Attaboy Smokin'

Everyone go to the "rate this thread" button at the top of the page and cast your vote for the thread.

Smokin04 now has a medal now too!

[Just Sayin']

Thanks Just Sayin'...I haven't even got into the good shit yet...

You're welcome Smokin... Now you've got a reputation to uphold!

[Smokin04]

Continued here:
http://theoutdoortradingpost.com/showthread.php?1007-How-to-train-an-effective-dog-(SERIES-Part-2)

[Slippy]

Continued here:
http://theoutdoortradingpost.com/showthread.php?1007-How-to-train-an-effective-dog-(SERIES-Part-2)

Update on Millie;
Smokin';
Your post reminded me of using her favorite thing EVER and that is her ball. So when she started her irritating series of barks today, I gave her one of her "love it more than life itself" tennis balls and Wah Lah. Instant happiness and no more barks!

It was funny, when she was younger and active we had to make up a "Cease" command to let her know that it was time to stop playing ball (which was her "job"). Border Collies are a bit obsessive anyway so after playing ball, we would give her "cease" command and she would give us back the ball and relax. Otherwise she would bug the shit out of us to play and the "cease" command worked. We also found out that if we just stopped playing with her and allowed her to keep her ball, she would obsess over the ball and end up chewing it into tiny pieces then scatter them around the house.

So we just took her ball away after giving the "cease " command.

Now since she's older and can't play very long and doesn't have the desire to chew things up, she seems content just having her ball by her side! Maybe this will work!

Thanks again!655

[Smokin04]

Let's hope Slippy...beautiful dog!

[Smokin04]

Hopefully you all did your homework on “drive”. As we progress, I will reference various drives that we are influencing or affecting. I will assume that you did the homework and understand what I’m discussing.

Before we get to teaching our dogs stuff,

We must first start with proper gear selection.

There are several pieces to choose from, all with different functions. How do you select the right gear? You must first decide what kind of training you’re going to be conducting. Inducive techniques will focus on usage of basic collars, leashes, harnesses, toys and treats. Remember HOI earlier? Pick/purchase the toys or treats that Fido loves. Always have more than one in case it gets lost, broken, chewed up, consumed, etc. A good way to tell which treats your dog prefers is to buy 3 or 4 different kinds (in small quantity, no need to spend a fortune) and let the dog sample each one. Then close your fist around 2 treats a time and take note of which fist the dog favors. Of the 2, they prefer that one. Disregard the other. Repeat this process with the remaining treats until a clear victor emerges. You can use this technique with toys too. Now you know Fido’s favorite thing. (PERSONAL INPUT: If you must use food, never underestimate small pieces of regular old hot dogs as treats. Most dogs go bonkers over hot dogs and we use them to teach sniffing behavior.)

Compulsion and aggression training requires a different set of gear. Choke chains, pinch collars, E-collars, harnesses, muzzles, bite muzzles, bite sleeves, hidden sleeves, bite jackets, bite suits, scratch pants, whips, back ties, bungee back ties, long leads, etc. Notice this list is far more in depth than the inducive one. If you ever plan on training your dogs for personal protection or attack work of any kind, you MUST HAVE this gear! If you don’t, you will likely not be able to effectively train your dog. (If you can without this gear, please call me because we can open a business LOL!) I would consider the BARE MINIMUM for attack work gear would be: 6’ leash, 30’ leash, choke chain, leather collar, soft bite sleeve, scratch pants, and a whip or agitation stick. You might be able to get the job done without scratch pants, but damn you’re going to be in for some long and painful days. As we get into the protection stuff later, you will hear me reference these tools. Please keep them in the back of your mind as we will get to them eventually.

One piece of gear I really despise is the pinch collar. So many people buy them because they make their dog look mean. This is such a terrible thought process. Pinch collars should be used ONLY when a dog’s titration level is beyond the level that choke chains are effective.

Whoa, whoa, what’s a titration level Smokin?

Put simply, it’s a dog’s tolerance for pain. When you administer a choke collar correction, and the dog doesn’t even flinch, they have a higher titration level. If you barely pop the dog on the collar and they practically roll over and die, pee on themselves or cry out in agony, then your dog has a lower titration level. Make sense? In a decade of handling/training with hundreds of mean, nasty 100+ pound shepherds and mals (affectionately called “ass-eaters”), I’ve only seen 2 dogs that ACTUALLY required a pinch collar. And that’s usually because the handler couldn’t dish out an effective choke collar correction. A choke chain works like its name implies. Apply pressure, it temporarily interrupts blood flow to the brain (hard continuous pressure) and also restricts the airway in the throat and “chokes” the dog. A pinch (also called a “prong”) collar is worn like a choke chain, except it doesn’t “choke” the dog. It uses the prongs to pull sections of skin together and “pinch” the skin/scruff of the neck. Have you ever pinched your skin in a door, or when using a tool or something? It’s painful to say the least. If hard pressure is applied, these prongs can actually dig into the muscles in the neck and “pinch” them. This can be very dangerous as you can cause damage to muscle tissue if abused. See why I despise them? Most handlers don’t have the required leash skill to “pop a dog on a pinch.” They cause the dog immense pain, thus, I don’t like them…but I know they do have their place. Please contact me if you suspect your dog will need a pinch collar.

Cool Smokin, so I bought my gear. Now tell me how to use this stuff will ya?

Sure thing. Basic collars, leashes, and harnesses are pretty self-explanatory. If you can’t figure those out, please stop reading and release your dog into the wild, they’ll be better off. Moving on. One piece of gear constantly put on wrong is a choke chain. This is bad for Fido because you can really mess him up when you do this wrong. The CORRECT way to install a choke chain is to put the dog on your left side (a.k.a “Heel” position). The choke chain should for a “P” as you’re looking at it. If it’s forming a “Q” it’s on backwards and will not release properly when correcting. (See pictures below) You can also use a "cheater ring" to keep the choke chain in the correct placement on the dog's head. These are awesome for big headed dogs with little necks (like pit bulls). Their use ensures effective corrections everytime as they do not allow the choke chain to fall down, or "sag".

"P" correct
670

"Q" incorrect
671

Correct worn
672

Incorrectly worn
673

Seen here with a "Cheater Ring"
674


(SIDE NOTE: Big thanks to my model Dade. Dade is my 9 year old belgian malanois. You may have noticed, I do not have a basic/leather collar on my dogs. This is because they are very advanced dogs. They are in the maintenance phase of training only only require verbal instructions to comply. So, for me, it's un-needed gear.)

How many of you just looked at your dog and noticed you had it on wrong? Poor dog, shame on you mommy/daddy. It’s okay…you didn’t know. That’s why you’re reading this. The choke chain should go ABOVE the leather collar (or basic collar). The higher the choke chain (closer to the ears) the more effective the correction and less force is needed by the handler to apply a solid correction. The two rings are called the “active” ring, and the “dead” ring. The active ring is the one that will activate the choke chain when pressure is applied. The dead ring is called the dead ring because when pressure is applied, it does not choke the dog. The active ring should be used when training, but when your session is done ensure that you put your leash back on the dead ring. No sense in continuing to choke Fido is you’re not telling him to do anything. I know what you’re thinking, what’s the basic collar on there for then? We don’t use it when training right? Wrong! The basic (leather) collar is there for more of a psychological effect and comes into play when doing aggression training. It gives the handler another form of control when trying to get the dog to release the decoy. More on that later. When you’re walking with your dog, the leash should be connected to the basic collar AND the active ring on the choke. Then when it’s time to train, you click the leash onto ONLY the active ring. This effectively puts the dog into “work” mode. It’s like an “On” switch. When training is over, by clicking the leash back up to the collar and the choke, it tells the dog, “You can relax now.” It is also a fail-safe, because if your basic collar breaks for some reason, the choke becomes “active” and gets Fido’s attention. Make sense?

But what if I use a harness?

Harnesses are great, and they have their place. But to put your dog in a harness just because they pull on walks is not the right answer. Harnesses are used for patrolling (long walks) when the dog is “on point” and actively searching, or when you’re doing drive building, bite building, or commitment issue type training. The harness is effective when Fido really wants that decoy, and your holding him back (kind of like when a track runner uses a parachute to increase drag) to intensify his drive, without applying pressure to the neck. Using a collar for drive building can be counter-productive in training because even though you’re not actively choking the dog, the pressure they are exerting to forward motion will manifest in the dogs neck. Try this, push in on your throat with the palm of your hand and try to move your head forward while breathing heavy. Notice the feeling of labored breathing and discomfort? Multiply that feeling by 10 for Fido because he’s running and trying to reach a point. Now, apply that same picture to a back pack. Put on a back pack, and have someone hold it from behind. Now you run…You can drag the person holding it, and while yes it’s more difficult to move than if no one was holding it, it doesn’t cause you pain or decrease your motivation to continue running. Well not to the dog anyway. I consider a harness an advanced piece of gear used by serious handlers and trainers. It can build drive to incredible levels when used correctly, and conversely have detrimental effects when used incorrectly. You can NEVER physically correct a dog when attached to a harness. Thus, the collar/choke chain combo and YOUR VOICE are still the only way to physically/verbally correct your dog effectively.

Feel free to ask questions. I’ll write more this weekend…

[Smokin04]

Next installment still in draft...will cover basic obedience techinques and commands. Sit, down, heel, stay, escape training, voice inflection.

[Innkeeper]

Next installment still in draft...will cover basic obedience techinques and commands. Sit, down, heel, stay, escape training, voice inflection.

Hey great Thread so far Smokin, will this next segment cover my biggest issue? I have as posted on the other forum a 2 year old Chocolate Lab, I use her for upland birds and she does great at that learned from the older Yellow's our family has. My biggest issue with rain is her jumping, she gets all excited and worked up when I take her anywhere, or she sees a new face, and tries jumping up on them for attention, she is like a 5 yr old with ADHD. My mother she still tries grabbing the cuff of her shirt or coats with her teeth, as a puppy she did it to me but a "no" and a light cuff has broke her of this...so far with everyone but my mom, who I think is afraid of hurting her and does not give her the light cuff. My biggest issue is trying to curb the jumping, do you think the choke chain will do this? or what would be the best method?

682

[Smokin04]

Hey great Thread so far Smokin, will this next segment cover my biggest issue? I have as posted on the other forum a 2 year old Chocolate Lab, I use her for upland birds and she does great at that learned from the older Yellow's our family has. My biggest issue with rain is her jumping, she gets all excited and worked up when I take her anywhere, or she sees a new face, and tries jumping up on them for attention, she is like a 5 yr old with ADHD. My mother she still tries grabbing the cuff of her shirt or coats with her teeth, as a puppy she did it to me but a "no" and a light cuff has broke her of this...so far with everyone but my mom, who I think is afraid of hurting her and does not give her the light cuff. My biggest issue is trying to curb the jumping, do you think the choke chain will do this? or what would be the best method?

A choke chain will fix this yes.

Simple answer (inducive method), ignore the dog when it's jumping (negative punishment, withholding of positive attention while acting improperly). Then praise the dog (give positive attention) when it's not jumping. Holding your knee out in front of you will often work too. Eventually, the dog will put 2 and 2 together and figure this out. Unfortunately, it may take longer than your patience for the dog to figure it out. So in this scenario I would use the compulsion method below.

A choke (compulsive method) is a much more simple and quick fix. Put the choke chain on. Leave the leash connected to it when you know the dog will jump. Yes the dog will be dragging around a leash for a few minutes, no big deal. Put the dog in a situation that will make them jump, basically setting the dog up for failure. When the dog begins to jump, step on the leash close enough to where the dog gets corrected before they can jump all the way up. (In other words, its no good to step on the END of the leash in this scenario...you want to step where the leash just begins to touch ground.) The idea is to step where the leash will have enough slack to correct the dog when jumping ONLY. No reason to be pulling the dog towards the ground by stepping too high (closer to the collar) on the leash. The reason this is so effective is because the dog is correcting themself just by jumping. The mere act of jumping gives them a collar correction. They will learn VERY quickly that jumping without being told = pain.

But Smokin, won't my dog always fear jumping?

I like that you're thinking like that. That's called a "negative transfer of learning". But in this situation, no the dog wont for two reasons. 1) You have control of the leash when you step on it. Meaning, the dog corrects himself when the behavior is UNWANTED. 2) When the behavior is WANTED, you can command the dog to "HUP" (or what ever command you use to tell Rain to jump) and simply leave your foot OFF THE LEASH. The dog learns it's okay to jump ONLY when told.

Give it a try and let me know.

[Innkeeper]

Thanks for the info I will put into effect today and see how it goes, other then the jumping she is a good dog does not wander off when off her leash and even comes right back when called if she see's something of interest, like a cat. I just want her more reliable around strangers, especially kids, I hate leaving her home when I go to the kids baseball or soccer games.

[Smokin04]

Okay then, to business. Here are some Basic Obedience techniques.

Teaching their name.

This is VERY easy. When the dog is around you, call their name. When they look at you or come to you, reward them with a treat or toy and lots of praise. Reinforce this behavior until you’re comfortable that they in fact recognize their name.

The Sit.

Sitting is the most important initial command a dog should learn. The reason for this is because it is the basis for most following commands, positions, and actions. By the dog learning sit first, you will be rewarded with a “positive transfer of learning.” What does that mean to you? It means that when your dog learns to sit consistently, you can move onto “Stay”, “Heel”, “Down”, etc. more easily. You can do this technique in NUMEROUS different ways. To avoid writing a novel, I will walk you through one Inducive method, and one compulsion method.

Sit: (Inducive technique)

Having a treat or toy in your right hand, stand (or kneel, not when using compulsion though) directly in front of the dog at end of leash. End of leash is 4-5 feet directly in front of the dog with the leash attached to the active ring of the choke chain, but not taught and not touching the ground. Make sure the treat or toy is observable (but not necessarily visible, meaning they can smell it and deduce it’s in your hand) to the dog. Get the dogs attention. Usually saying their name will work (but don’t overdo it…we’re teaching the sit, not their name). Once you have the dogs attention, smoothly raise your arm in an upward, arcing motion (keeping your arm rigid) to a point just above the dog’s head and give the command of “Sit”. The natural movement of the dog’s head looking up will want to aid the dog in the “sit” position. Some dogs will pick this up very quickly. It is okay to repeat this arm motion until the dog completes the task. You will know if your motion is correct by the dog having to look UP at the back of your hand/fist. If the dog needs a bit of help, you can place your left palm on the base of the dogs tail and apply GENTLE pressure while re-stating the command of “Sit”. The MOMENT the dog’s butt hits the floor, IMMEDIATELY reward the dog with the treat and EXPLOSIVE, EXCITED PRAISE!! Repeat this procedure until Fido is sitting pretty every time.

Sit: (Compulsion method)

Usually the “Sit” is learned using the above method, but sometimes you get a real knuckle head for a dog that needs a bit more aggressive lesson. With that being said, begin by positioning yourself facing the dog at the end of leash. Review the inducive method above. How you command the dog is no different for either method. The same upward arcing of the hand paired with the verbal command of “Sit.” The difference is, now if the dog chooses not to sit, you verbally correct the dog with a stern “NO” while quickly and sternly applying UPWARD pressure on the choke chain applying a collar correction. The “NO” and the collar correction MUST BE at the same time. Remember my previous words about timing? This is where those skills come into play. If the “NO” and the choke do not happen at the same time, the dog will not pair the word “NO” with a mistake. As soon as you can, reinforce the command of “Sit”. There should be no delay in this issue of the command. It should be as fast as this: NO/Collar correction, Sit. As fast as you can read that is as fast as it should happen. If 2-3 attempts at this fail, you should resort to “Escape” train the dog into the correct position.

So how do I escape the dog?

Escape training

Escape training is when you manipulate the choke chain long enough to maneuver the dog into the correct position. Meaning, apply the choke to the dog, forcefully manipulate the dog into the correct position and then release the choke. The methodology behind this technique is that the dog is experiencing pain in every position OTHER than the correct one. This method is pretty hard on the dog and should be used sparingly. However, the “Sit” and the “Heel” are often the commands where escape methods are most effective. I’m not sure if what I’m explaining makes sense, PM me if you need more clarification.

Down: (Inducive method)

Once the “sit” is established and the dog is comfortable performing the task repeatedly, we can move on to the down. From the sit position (dog) and the end of leash position (you), put a treat in your right hand. You want to thumb the treat in the palm of your hand, but leave your fingers extended. With your arm fully locked out (extended), move your arm in a downward swinging motion (like you’re swimming) towards the ground between the dogs front paws and speak the command of “Down.” The dog should follow the scent of the treat with their nose towards the ground where you’re pointing. Once the dog “downs” like you want them to, immediately reward them with the treat AND explosive praise! Try this a few times. If it doesn’t work, you may try turning your hand over so the dog can see the treat. Coax the dog towards the treat by reiterating the “down” command, and use your hand as a barrier between the dog and the treat. Once the dog performs the task, release the treat from your hand and praise excitedly.

Down: (Compulsion method)

From the sit position (dog) and the end of leash position (you), put the leash in your right hand. With your arm fully locked out (extended), move your arm in a downward swinging motion (like you’re swimming) towards the ground between the dogs front paws and speak the command of “Down.” If the dog does not perform, then step closer to the dog, give a swift choke on the chain in a DOWNWARD motion with a harsh verbal “NO!” Again, timing is critical. Reinforce the command of “Down” immediately after the “No”, in the same sentence. If you are still failing to succeed at this, give the dog a command he/she knows like “Sit” and reward the dog and finish the session for now. You ALWAYS want to end every session on a positive note. NEVER, EVER, EVER, end the session on a negative note or with a correction. It will cause numerous psychological/emotional training issues with the dog. The dog might even begin to fear you. Not good.

This upward and downward chain manipulation, why is that important?

I’m glad you asked. The principle behind this is called “Opposition Reflection.” When someone pushes or pulls you in a direction, the body will have a tendency to go with the force to ease the strain of the force being exerted on the body. If you strain or fight the direction of the push, it increases the force of the push. It’s no different with a choke chain. When you pull on a chain in a direction, the dog needs to follow in the correct direction to alleviate the force of the choke. If they choose not to follow, then they get corrected harsher, solely because of their choice. Make sense?

I'll cover Stay, Heel, and voice inflexion shortly.

[Slippy]

Excellent Smokin'! Thanks again.

One thing I have tried to teach all of my dogs is Sit means Sit AND STAY. Down means Down AND STAY until released. I don't know if that is a good thing or not but it is how I've trained. Thoughts?

[Arklatex]

Thanks smokin! This is working well for me. I am training my pups using your inductive techniques and it is working great so far. I have yet to use the compulsive stuff. So far i have taught come, sit, lay down and shake. Keep it coming.

[Smokin04]

Excellent Smokin'! Thanks again.

One thing I have tried to teach all of my dogs is Sit means Sit AND STAY. Down means Down AND STAY until released. I don't know if that is a good thing or not but it is how I've trained. Thoughts?

Slippy,

The stay should be a seperate command IMO. Especially for attack dogs. If they're just doing obedience, then it can be user preference. But...I prefer each command to be seperate. The reason being is each individual command should be a rewardable action. The stay by itself could be used when walking, patrolling, searching, etc. Down and stay, sit and stay, maybe too much when initially training a dog as well. These are all just preference, but like I said...I prefer stay to be its own command.

[Arklatex]

Bump for an update.

[Smokin04]

Yeah Ark...I've been super busy at work these past weeks. I will update with the next installment shortly.

[Smokin04]

Also curious...is there anything that people want to learn how to train their dog to do? I can bring up basic training techniques and commands, but specialty stuff is what really gets challenging. Any thoughts from the crowd? I am almost avoiding teaching attack work to the community as I can just see that going wrong and someone getting bit or injured. I'm not sure I'd be okay with that.

[1moretoy]

My two little rug rats are perfect except when it comes to greetings. Even when it's just me or the wife. The mostly sleeping personality turns into super hyper dogs. It's so bad that when guest come over we have to put their bark collars on until they can get settled down.

[Arklatex]

Bump

[Gambit]

Bump

I'm glad you bumped this ark or I will never seen this thread.

can this be made into a sticky by chance?

[Coppertop]

I keep coming back to this thread and re-reading it. I hope Smokin works on 1moretoy's question. I guess this is a bump in a way.

[hawgrider]

I'm glad you bumped this ark or I will never seen this thread.

can this be made into a sticky by chance?

Your wish has been granted. Stuck.