Schutzhund Dog Training

Positive Reinforcement. Positive Punishment.

2011-08-08T19:33:00.000-05:00

I wanted to take a few moments to talk about some of the basics of Operant conditioning, the system that I utilize to teach and train dogs. When I began to use operant conditioning, I immediately noticed a significant difference in how quickly my dogs and clients dogs learned but also how much more readily the dogs complied with the commands once given. This system, in my opinion, is the best way to teach and train dogs bar none.

Today I am going to cover positive reinforcement and positive punishment. First off, I think it would help to know exactly what positive means. Positive, in this situation, means to simply give something. It does not mean good or bad, just to introduce something into the system. Reinforcement means to utilize something that gets the behavior to continue to happen. This is a way to teach a behavior and also have the behavior to continue to happen once it is learned. Punishment is utilized when you want behaviors to stop. So you use this when you see behaviors that you no longer want to happen.

What is positive reinforcement? Positive reinforcement is when you give something to the subject to have it continue to do a behavior. For example, I tell my dog Fritz to sit, he does, so I then give him a tub of ice cream. The positive aspect is me giving him the ice cream. The reinforcement comes from the enjoyment he feels from eating the ice cream. As you continue to use this method to teach the dog, you will see that the dog begins to do the behavior more readily as it discovers what it has to do in order to receive what it wants. When you use positive reinforcement, it helps reduce stress and frustration.

What is positive punishment? Positive punishment is when you give something to the subject to have it stop performing a behavior. For example, Fritz runs out the front door so I in turn give him a correction from a training collar. The positive aspect is me delivering pressure from the collar. The punishment comes from how he does not enjoy, but rather dislikes, the pressure from the collar. As you use the positive punishment this will in turn make the dog avoid the situation, thus stopping the behavior from continuing. Using positive punishment creates stress and ultimately avoidance.

If you would like to learn more about this, please contact us to schedule your free two hour evaluation. Be sure to check us out on Facebook. I also send out dogs training tips on Twitter.

I'm so frustrated

2011-07-26T10:23:00.000-05:00

As I train more and more dogs, I have really begin to appreciate more how they learn and how they handle stress. I have noticed that dogs that have had a pretty rough past typically get stressed out very easily and that is when they usually try to bite me. Then you have dogs that are totally uneducated but they have had a fairly positive lifestyle. These dogs typically look forward to the challenges I present to them and try to work it out. When they do work the problem out, everyone can see how happy the dog is that it did it and how much faster the dog responds the next time it sees the same challenge. One of the many tools I like to use on dogs is their ability to handle being frustrated. Now with the dogs with some sort bad past, I have to be very careful, because otherwise I may have a few extra holes in me or a few less fingers. The dogs that can handle the frustration, will learn so quickly that seeing them work through the problems many times gives everyone involved a huge sense of satisfaction.

One of the aspects of being able to reach higher levels of frustration with a dog is using something that the dog values very highly. That is why I recommend finding out what your dog really enjoys so that he will try his best to solve the problems you present to him. I don't think it is enough to just go buy some dog treats and think that your dog will like them. Take your time and present your dog with various kinds of rewards and let him tell you what he likes. Once your dog knows he can access these rewards you will begin to see how motivated the dog becomes.

Another aspect to consider is how you over time increase the dogs ability to handle frustration. One of the games I play with my six year old dog has taught me so much about this. When my dog was just a puppy she really didn't care for food that much. She would routinely leave the food in the bowl only to eat it many hours latter. Today, when she gets the bowl of food, I am lucky that she doesn't try to eat the metal bowl. I got to this point being doing a few things. One i only feed her once a day. I also, early on, placed a time limit on how long the food would be available to eat. Next I taught her to sit and wait until I told her to she could eat. Now days, I almost always wait until drool is running down onto the floor for me to release her to eat. Her ability to be frustrated now makes her have such a high level of desire that when i teach her difficult behaviors she stays connected with me instead of simply giving up.

I do have to say that in the moment the dog and even I probably don't enjoy the frustration, but i think that when the dog actually receives what is was working for that in that moment the sense of accomplishment makes it all worth while.

If you would like to see some of these techniques in action be sure to contact us at Longoriahaus Dog Training. I also routinely send out dog training tips on Twitter. Be sure to follow us their.

I feel you.

2011-07-19T09:47:00.000-05:00

I am constantly amazed by all the different ways that dogs can learn. For the most part I am always teaching people that dogs use their nose, eyes and ears to perceive their environments. One other area that really does interest me is how they can feel different textures and elevations. Just like you and I can feel textures and changes in elevation the dog can sense the same thing too and it can be used to teach the dog several useful behaviors.

One of the areas you can use a texture to teach your dog what you want is when you need it to go in it's crate. Most people typically force their dogs into a crate and then close the door. What I recommend is repeating the process of rewarding the dog for going into the crate and not closing the door. The way I go about teaching my dogs this skill is by using a high value reward like a piece of cheese or some hot dog and then luring them into the crate. The moment the dog puts its first paw onto the bottom of the crate you want to use your conditioned reinforcer and then let the dog come and receive it's reward from you. Keep repeating the process for each time the dog touches the bottom of the crate and reward the dog without closing the door. As you practice this skill more and more your dog will begin to rush into the crate each time you ask. Eventually you will be able to close the door on the crate without all the fuss to get your dog in there.

If you have questions about what your dog could possibly learn, contact us at Longoriahaus Dog Trainingand you can also follow us on Twitter.

Make a Mistake. I dare you.

2011-07-07T14:53:00.000-05:00

Why do we not like it when our dogs make mistakes? Why do we try to prevent them from being in error? I find myself asking people this question all the time. I see people doing all types of things to prevent their dog from committing an error. Many times they get frustrated just trying to control the dog with force or blocking the dog with pressure. The one place I almost always see this behavior is at entrance and exits to the home. So many dogs just run out the door and then are being chased down the street to get them to come back.

So how should you deal with the front door? How do you get the dog to stop rushing out the door each and every time you try to open it? The answer for me is to teach the dog that going out the front door is not good. I actually let and want the dog to go out the door. Most people would consider this to be a mistake, and if the dog knew that you didn't want him going out the front door then it would be a mistake. So I prepare the myself for teaching the dog by having a leash, some treats and a little bit of patience. First thing I am going to do is make sure that the leash is on nice and snug at the top of the dogs neck. Then have a few of the dogs favorite treats to reward him. Finally, I want to give myself some time in my training session to let the dog use his head to figure out the problem.

Once you have the leash, a few treats and some patience you can get started. Be sure you are holding the leash in your hand as you approach the the door. Do your best to have slack in the line. Then open the door. Your dog will probably be ready to go out the door at this point. Let him. The moment that the dogs paw touches anything on the other side of the door frame, like a floor mat, tell him "no" and then turn him around and bring him back inside. This will most likely happen a few times before the dog decides to hesitate a little bit. As the dog continues to go out the front door continue to tell him "no" the moment he touches the floor mat and then turn him around. Once you see the dog hesitate for a moment at the door you want to give the dog a reward as you move away from the door on the inside of your home.

I have seen many dogs get this behavior down fairly quickly if you spend the time for a couple of weeks teaching them this. I would recommend doing this once every other day for a couple of weeks.

If you would like to get more training tips or have me help you with your dog visit us at www.Longoriahausdogtraining.com

Learning about your new puppy - What makes him move.

2011-06-20T13:41:00.000-05:00

What an exciting time this is. You have your new furry buddy. He still has that puppy breath and you are starting your new life together. This has to be one of the happiest moments you've had. So should you start training your dog now or just let him be a puppy? Well for me the answer is yes to both. Teaching your puppy how he is going to learn is very important at this stage. I also believe allowing him to be a puppy is very important.

One of the first things I want to determine is how much my puppy likes different kinds of food. So I will generally take 4 to 5 different foods and test them on the dog. First I make sure the dog has not recently consumed anything. After that I will get the food and treats ready. Once I have done this and will go get my puppy. I will take a bit of two different treats and place it in either hand and close my hands around them. Then I will bring each one to the dog and let him smell it individually. After I have done that for each, I will place each hand side by side and open them at the same time. Make sure you note the one you dog chooses and repeat the test at least 2 more times. Go through all of the different treats until you have all the foods ranked from highest value to lowest. This information is vital to understanding what your puppy likes and starting to motivate him to be with you.

Pay me or Make me.

2011-06-16T10:09:00.000-05:00

I am always thinking about new ways to better train my dog. How can I explain a concept better to him? Obviously I cant speak English to him since he really does not grasp it the way we do. So I am left with understanding how he perceives things. So I have his nose, eyes, ears and his ability to feel things. Most of the time, I use his nose and eyes to show him what it is that I am trying to define to him. Other times I have to use his sense of touch to get him to do what I want. So this brings me to my point, will I use his nose and eyes or will I use his ability to feel?

So early on in training with my dogs I often used their ability to feel to get them to do things. Plainly said, I used force. I will admit that my dog often got the concept pretty quickly. I did come to the realization over time as I trained more dogs that some of them would quickly decide that they didn't care for the training and would rather do something else than work for me. In essence my dog looked at training as if it was chore with no real sense of accomplishment. My dog was not a partner in obedience but a slave.

Now what about using the dogs nose and eyes to get the job done? I will say that this requires a bit more thought on my part but is it worth it. When I define things to my dogs using this ability it seems that they just come alive. Some of the new behaviors that the dog starts to show early on are increased confidence, super important if you ever want to do something difficult with you dog, and the dog begins to come to me more readily. Over time I see that the dog actually begins to look forward to the time we will be working as opposed to dreading it. No longer will I have my dog be a slave in obedience but a partner in conquering whatever may come my way.

How will you choose to teach your dog? Will you get him to do it or will you motivate him to use his brain and be partner in obedience?

Great dog food

2011-06-08T23:05:00.000-05:00

I have run the gambit of dog foods with Jasmine since I got her six years ago. I first started with foods loaded with grains and corn and a ton of food colorings. Then buying food that had a picture of a German Shepherd Dog on their bag. Finally discovering something that has really been great for her.

I will admit that this food is the right food for her but may not be exactly what works for your dog. So the food that best suites Jasmine is Wellness Core. There are several things I enjoy about the food. The first several ingredients are actually meat. Note some by product, real meat. Then the fat is not some mysterious "animal fat" but actually fish and chicken fat. When I think about fat for the dogs, I try to remember that my dogs are like athletes and need a great source of fat to keep them working hard. Then they have probiotics and antioxidants. I want my dogs digestive system to work well and want its immune system fighting stress.

If you are looking for a great dog food, try searching for something with actual meat at the top of the list, a good source of fat and carbs, and finally some probiotics and antioxidants.

New dog training videos, obedience training DVD and housebreaking podcast.

2010-07-15T12:19:00.000-05:00

Well hello to everyone. It seems that it has been a while since my last post.

I wanted to take the chance to tell you what I have been working on. The first thing is my website Longoriahaus Dog Training. I have added a few new videos to the site. There is one on the front page giving a short description of the site. There is also another video on the Dog training page that shows some of the obedience skills that you and your dog will learn in my obedience classes. I have also added a short video clip from my first ever training DVD. It talks about the goals of the video. If you are interested you can purchase the video, "Getting Started", here and I will send a copy to you in the mail.

I have also added a new podcast. The very first recording is on house breaking or potty training your dog. I have used this particular method and it has worked very well for me and my clients.

I am also working on the topic for my next podcast and I think I am going to go with how I get dogs started in my obedience training program. Let me know if you would like me to cover any particular topic in the future and I will work on that as well.

Happy Birthday Jasmine

2010-03-10T22:01:00.000-06:00

Well this past Tuesday was Jasmine's fifth birthday. I can not begin to tell you what a great adventure owning her has been, but I will try my best.

When I first started looking for Jasmine I knew virtually nothing about schutzhund and also the health problems that the breed can possibly have. I looked for a breeder but did not really know what to look for. So, like most first time buyers, I hit the newspaper and started reading the classifieds. I saw several dog listings on there and one that happened to be close to my price range. So I debated about calling at first. Till a few days later I finally worked it up in my mind to call. So, I ran down to the breeders home and saw several German Shepherd dogs running in the yard but no puppies. Eventually the breeder made it home and I was introduced to the puppies. Now I knew that I wanted a female. When they young puppies came running out I can not explain what a great feeling that was. They were all filled with so much life! They jumped and tugged at each other as they worked their way to me. Finally I am covered in dog fur and enjoying the wonderful smell of puppy breath. In the process one little girl stood out to me. I wish I could remember exactly what caught my attention about her, but it was an impression that was the start of something more special than what I could have imagined. She was then carried off to be cleaned up and I waited in the breeders home with my family. All of us were so excited of the new life that was about to begin. The new puppy came out nice and clean and ready to begin her new life. I finalized all the paperwork and now it was off to the pet store.

We made it to the pet store and I picked up her first toy, her first bag of dog food and a crate that would rest next to my bed. At this point the debate had begun. We all searched for a name but no one could pick one that we all liked. Finally, about five miles from home, Leo, my brother, Says it... Jasmine. Yup this was what this little dogs name would be. To this day when I say that name it still brings a smile to my face.

Fast forward several years through many happy moments and some very trying times, she is still here with me. She is always happy to see me. I admire how she deals with each situation. She is so gentle with children but at a moments notice, she is ready to defend me without regard for the consequences. I have to tell you folks, this is what a German Shepherd Dog is all about.

So to my very wonderful dog: Thank you for being you. May God continue to teach me about love each time I see you.

The Right Equipment for the Right Job

2010-01-29T11:12:00.001-06:00

Well, being a trial helper has really been a very interesting endeavor for me. There is so much more than just having the dog bite the sleeve. I have found myself reading books, watching videos of other helpers, watching video clips of myself, reading comments from handlers about different styles and so forth and so on. There really are many things that you have to learn in order to be a truly good helper. I am not there yet but I have my moments. One of the things that I have learned is you really need to have the right equipment for the situation and specifically the right dog.

I have learned that in the progression of the dog form early bite work to a complete dog there are several tools that will come into play that will help the handler and the helper move the dog up in skill. The very first thing I introduce to the dog is the leather bite rag. This is basically a very tough chamois. After that you run the progression of going through bite pillows to hard and soft bite tugs, and finally different bite sleeves.

Now bite sleeves are very different indeed. There are many manufactures and also different styles. Some of these sleeves are very friendly to the helper and protect in a way that when you wake up the next morning your shoulder does not feel like it is about to fall off. Then there are some that present a great biting surface to the dog. I have yet to find a bite sleeve that offers both. I will say that the #1 choice in sleeve should ALWAYS be the sleeve that presents the best biting surface to the dog and allows the helper to position it correctly. Comfort should be a distant second.

One piece of equipment I can highly recommend is a neoprene gauntlet. This is worn underneath the actual bite sleeve and does add some comfort and allows me to work dogs a bit longer. It helps prevent some bruising I would initially get when I worked dogs without it.

I feel that it is very important to know exactly what tool you need to use in each situation when working dogs in protection sport. Knowing this allows the dog to continue to grow and helps prevent mistakes that can take time to fix

Teaching a dog to have confidence and do it right!

2010-01-11T17:17:00.000-06:00

So you want your dog to listen but you need that "attitude" of confidence and almost an air of excitement? Well how do people teach that? Well I have found what works for my dogs. A few years ago I was training a rather difficult exercise that I could just not figure out how to teach it with motivation. So, unfortunately for me and my dog, I used an old method that would get the dog to produce the desired behavior because it had no other choice but to do it. Now at this point in my training every time I come to this particular exercise my dog shows hesitation and no confidence at all. So now I have to fix it but I have all that conflict stored up from when I initially taught the exercise. The better thing to have done back then would of been to have more patience and used my brain a little more to figure out how to get my dog to respond. Using force will save you time if you have to teach something, BUT you will sacrifice some of your relationship with your dog and will probably lose that confidence that you would have had if the dog learn in a positive nature.

Now this does not mean corrections don't have their place in a training program but if you are teaching something I suggest to find a way to make it fun for your dog and you. This might take a bit longer but you and your dog will be happier for having done it. One of the tools I use is a list of the top four training treats my dog likes to eat. The way I go about figuring this out is to pull out some of those treats I think my dog likes. After I do this I cut the treats into tiny pieces about the size of a nickel. I will then show them to my dog, with one kind of treat in one hand and another kind in the other. After that I will separate the the treats and let the dog pick which one it wants first. I will repeat this a couple more times to be sure of the results. You can do this with as many items as you want, but I recommend doing 3 to 5 different items.

Remember when you are training your dog to have patience, think out what you are wanting to accomplish, and most importantly have FUN!

When do I start correcting my Dog?

2009-12-27T20:16:00.000-06:00

Many people realize the importance of being able to correct a dog in certain situations. But what are those situations? Is it when you are asking the dog to sit and it doesn't sit, or maybe when the dog bolts for the door every time you open it? The true question we should be asking is "Does my dog really understand what I am asking him to do?" The answer to this question will lead you to truly know if there should be a correction.

So once I know that my dog truly understands the command then I can give corrections using a variety of tools. These tools can include my voice, a training collar, or my hands. Now I really want you to know that like all tools, you must know how to use them correctly. If you do not know how to use any one of these tools, please talk to an experienced trainer and ask how they utilize them. So, let us say that I am working with my dog, and the dog ignored what I asked it to do, then I would use an appropriate correction in that situation. You must understand your dog to know what correction to use in each situation. A correction that is too hard can very quickly change the way the dog views your relationship. It is always important to maintain a dog that is excited about working rather than one feels it must do what you want because of possible reprisal. Now on the other hand a correction that is too soft will have no affect on the dog. While it does not hurt the relationship like a hard correction it can send the message to the dog that it can do what it wants when it wants over time.

There are other situations where a correction is needed even though the dog may not have a full comprehension of what you are asking of it. These situations can include gross bad behavior like biting your hands, mounting any person, or even urinating on someone. These are clear signs of dog dominance and should be treated quickly. A dog that believes it is the pack leader and is aggressive in nature can quickly become a headache and could even land you in court if it continues.

So the true answer to the question is you can use a correction once you know that your dog really does understand what you are asking it to do or it is such bad behavior that it must be addressed immediately. Remember to always have patience when training your dog. Think about how to motivate him before you bring him out and then make the training session into a party!

Training with treats or toys. What really is better?

2009-12-14T18:58:00.000-06:00

I often get asked the question "Do you use dog treats or toys to train your dogs?" Well the simple answer is YES I DO! I feel that many people may not understand what is driving the dog to do what you are asking. Dogs truly live in the moment and they will respond to whatever is the easiest thing for them to do. They can respond to our laughter, a great smell coming from kitchen, someone raising a newspaper over them, and even an invader in your home. How they respond is a matter of "is this the best thing for me." The whole purpose of dog training is to teach them how to respond to these situations So you are asking "Well that is nice and all but how do I train my dog to sit," or some other behavior? Well I believe that food is the easiest motivator at first. You can use the fact that the dog can smell food better than any toy, to guide it to where you want it to be. Now in my experience, most foods do not create a dog that is going crazy jumping all over the place, but there are exceptions. With that said, placing a treat in front of the dogs nose and say lifting it up slightly will help to begin to teach a young puppy to sit. You could even teach the dog to spin in different directions by guiding it with the food around in a circle. Now to be fair to the dogs, please give your dog the reward each time he has done something correctly especially when you are teaching him.

So what place do toys have in training? Well, once again depending on your dog, a toy can be used to build speed in your dog. This is done by playing a came with the dog that involves a toy. You will notice that the dog will do whatever it can to get the ball from you or to have you throw it. You could even have a tug toy that each time the dog does what is correct it gets to play tug with you.

There are several methods for utilizing these motivators to get the results you want from your dog. Get creative with the different games you play with your dog. I have often realized in the training of my own dogs that the only thing in the way of them learning how to do something is...ME.

Tracking with Jasmine

2009-12-11T22:49:00.000-06:00

Tracking sure is fun. I took Jasmine tracking this morning. Jasmine is my 4 year old German Shepherd. We have recently started a new tracking training program. It has been pretty intense for the first couple of weeks. I had to lay nine tracks a day for six days the first two weeks. I am glad that I am done with that.

I have really enjoyed our time out on the tracking fields. It is just me and her. She has really responded well to this training system. I basically let her figure out where the track is. Of course I have to play the role of guiding her when there are challenges and my favorite part laying the tracks. Actually, laying the tracks is the hardest thing to do. I think I walked a total of eight miles laying some tracks the other day. I also need to get a new tracking leash. The one I currently own is nylon and it burns my hands. Ouch!

Well let me know about your tracking adventures!

Al