Pet Training and Classical Conditioning

The science of associating something with an activity is known as classical conditioning. The best example is the experiment conducted by Pavlov, a Russian scientist. Whenever he served food to his dog, he used to ring a bell. In the beginning, the dog used to salivate by looking at the food. Later he began associating the bell with the food and at a point in time, he used to salivate at the sound of the bell. This doesn’t mean that the actual noise of the ringing bell made him salivate. The dog associated the ringing of the bell with the food and that food or even the thought of it made him salivate.

Classical conditioning cannot actually make a dog sit or jump at a command, but it does change the way the pet feels about a particular situation. Classical conditioning gives explanation about the behaviour relating to a particular place, object or event. It explains how the emotional response is developed. The responses can be developed in an animal either intentionally or by chance. Also the trainer must remember that the change in the behaviour is irreversible most of the time.

In the above picture, this champion knows it must stand in that position whenever it is being judged or shown. It is conditioned to take that stance whenever its owner puts a hand on its tail and on the side of its head. It will remain unflinching in that stance until its owner releases it from that pose.

When Dad was a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as a recruit, he had to learn to ride a horse. Because the horses used by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride must perform in locations where sudden loud noises occur, they have to be conditioned to ignore these loud sounds and continue their equestrian routine. To condition the horses, they are taken into an indoor riding school where the riding master continually discharges a firearm containing blanks while the horses are performing. He also plays a tape containing loud strange noises. With a lot of repetitive exposure to this type of situation, the horses get so that they very seldom spook at sudden loud sounds. In this way there is less likelihood of the rider being thrown or the horse injuring itself or a spectator. However, as Dad learned, during this conditioning process, it can become really wild with horses bucking their riders off all over the place. It looked like an uncontrolled bucking bronco show at a wild west rodeo.

One of the most common behaviours dealt with in conditioned emotional response is fear. The fear can be instinctive, learned or caused by an unknown factor. For example, if a cat gets scared upon seeing a dog, this is instinctive fear. If the cat backs off upon seeing a raised hand, this is learned fear. This can happen in the case of an abused cat. If there is fear because of lack of exposure to a particular situation that has never happened before, this is known as fear of the unknown.

Conditioned emotional responses which are not liked or wanted, can be reduced with the help of classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is broken into two types of treatment, namely desensitization and counter-conditioning. Desensitization is reducing the sensitivity of the animal toward a particular unavoidable situation, as described above in the horse training situation. The bad situation is created again and again until the animal becomes insensitive or doesn’t respond to it any more. For example, if an animal is given crate training, it is locked inside the crate again and again, until it gets used to staying locked inside the cage.

In counter-conditioning the animal is exposed to a lower degree of extremity. The intensity is less and as well a positive thing is presented to the animal. By doing this the pet begins to like the nasty situation. The pet is made to respond in a way which contradicts the current or previous reaction. For example, a pet doesn’t like to be locked up in the crate all the time. But this undesirable situation can be made to look pleasant if the pet is fed with a treat from time to time as long as it stays calmly inside the cage.

Negative counter conditioning is another technique, but it is used very rarely. For example, if a cat likes to bite the hand of the owner frequently, the owner can rub something distasteful on the hand. When the animal bites the hand, it will taste the distasteful substance. If this is done repeatedly, the cat will then associate the bad taste with the hand and will not bite again.

Classical conditioning is used to alter the way an animal reacts to a particular situation. With classical conditioning the animal can be made to like an unpleasant situation or dislike a pleasant situation.

Because there has been some negative connotations associated with the term Classical Conditioning, many trainers now refer to it as behavioural training which sounds more pleasant. In addition as more is learned about animals, better methods of training are being developed. Reward based training has almost completely replaced punishment based training, which is a very good and humane change.

Until next time,

Teia

Teaching Your Cat Proper Manners

Establishing the relationship between you and your cat can either fall into place smoothly or take patience and time.

This article is not about how to train your kitten to roll over, jump through a hoop or sit. It's about setting boundaries for him. You do not want him jumping on the table during mealtime or swinging on the curtains. Nor do you want him using your speakers or that beautiful sofa you have as a scratching post. It's about getting him to use the litter box, instead of your closet, your best cozy comforter or Grandma Lil's beautiful hand made bedspread covering your bed!

Your job as an owner is to make the cat understand what you will and won't accept. With setting boundaries, you are showing him that you rank #1 when it comes to hierarchy.

So how are you going to do that? It is common sense really. Make all experiences rewarding for your cat when he does something you want him to do. When he is doing something he should not do, tell him no and stop him from doing the offending habit. Do not strike your cat or you will make him afraid of you. If your cat is afraid of you, it will be very difficult to establish a loving relationship with him. Even when you catch him in the act of doing something wrong, he will not associate the punishment with his actions. Reward based training works far better than punishment-based training.

Here are some basic troubleshooting tips:

LITTER BOX TRAINING

When the majority of people see a wet spot on the floor, carpet or wherever it may be, their initial reaction is to go and get their cat, take him to the litter box and hold him down. Some people even rub the cat's nose in it! This is not acceptable and most likely will have a bad impact on the cat's psyche. If punished like this, he will associate the punishment with his litter box and avoid using it altogether. He also could get angry or anxious and lash out in some erratic behaviour.

The best way to deal with litter box training is containing him in an area of the house or apartment that does not have carpet on the floor. Set up his litter box a little away from his bed and food. Frequently place him into the litter box and stir the litter a bit with his front paws. Do this gently so you do not hurt him or frighten him. Continue doing this until he gets the idea that this is where he needs to do his business! It is best to put him in his litter box about 10 - 20 minutes after he eats. Again, you may want to stir the litter to give him something to mimic. Although this usually comes naturally to most cats, there are the occasional few that need a bit of help.

If he simply jumps out of the box, that's OK. It's just a reminder to let him know it's there. When you see him using the litter box, praise him by petting him a lot, talking to him and giving him a little piece of his favourite treat. After a number of times of getting this kind of treatment when he uses the litter box he should get the idea. However, if he has an accident on your carpet, don't yell at him, just ignore him. Clean it up thoroughly to remove any remnants of urine or feces odour so that he won’t be attracted to do it there again. With patience and use of the reward system it won't take him long to master the concept of using his litter box. Cats are fastidious creatures and the learn to use the litter box fairly quickly. One note of caution though, cats, like most people, do not like smelly litter boxes, so make sure that you clean the litter box daily or the cat could stop using it.

SCRATCHING FURNITURE

For cats, scratching is a natural thing to do and necessary too. It not only feels good on their claws, but it helps to keep their claws filed down and marks the territory with their scent. You should always provide your cat with an outlet for scratching. Most pet stores sell scratching posts and many have a place to put a bit of catnip to make the post even more appealing.

Sometimes your cat will favour an object such as your couch, speakers or a favourite rug. Usually, it's just one or two objects that he will pick to get his claws into. It's up to you then to make this an unacceptable scratching object and less appealing to him.

All cats are different. Some do not like the feel of two-sided sticky tape and a citrus or menthol scent repels others. You could also try covering his selected scratching spot with some sort of netting or loosely knitted fabric. Although this may not be the most attractive decor in your house, remember that it's only temporary. Cats do not like to get their nails snagged on anything and this could deter him.

If you are trying to get your cat to use that scratching post you bought him, make it attractive for him. Place it in a location where he feels comfortable. Then either rub it down with some catnip, or buy a catnip spray to make it more appealing.

AGGRESSION

It may be cute when you and your new kitten are playing and at eight weeks old he's biting and scratching your hand and tearing up anything he can get his little claws on. As time goes by though and your cute little kitten turns into a 10-pound cat, things could seem a whole lot different! So, it is important to deter any bad behaviour as early as possible.

When it comes to cat aggression, there is most definitely a difference between normal behaviour and behaviour that you want to curb. For example, it is perfectly normal and acceptable that a cat will bite and scratch out of self-defence, when attacked or forced to do something he fears.

However, when you're walking through the comfort of your own home and all of a sudden your cat leaps out from behind a door and scratches or bites your ankles hard, this is not acceptable. This kind of attack can have a number of reasons. The cat could be playing out his predatory hunting instincts, or he could be frustrated and angry because of something as simple as having no food in his dish. He may simply be feeling bored or left out and this is his way to ask for your attention. Never allow your cat to play with you in an aggressive way!

While pouncing and biting softly are normal actions when a cat is playing, vicious attacks are not. They are the kind of attack that could send somebody to an emergency room. In some cases, vicious outbursts can be seen in cats that weren't socialized properly when they were kittens. Your cat could also have a painful condition you may be unaware of, or an undetected neurological problem, so if your cat suddenly starts to exhibit an unexplained outburst of aggression, it is important that you have him examined by a veterinarian to make sure there's actually nothing physically or mentally wrong with him.

In the majority of healthy cats, biting is an action that is developed by miscommunication, or a learned habit. With a little persistence and patience though, this habit can easily be broken over time.

Cats are intelligent animals and can learn fast. Remember, they learn by praise and reward. Stick to this method of dealing with your cat and the two of you will have many years of happiness together.

Until next time,

Teia

Why You Should Train Your Golden Retriever to Stay

Most of the problems you will have with your Golden Retriever will be caused by a combination of his intelligence, energy and desire to please. It is important to train your Golden to stay because his excess energy can cause him to run off in an instant if he gets loose. It's not that he wants to escape, it's just that his desire to romp overcomes his desire to stay with you.

One of the first steps in training your Golden is to establish you as the "alpha dog" or "pack leader.” Because the Golden Retriever is a fairly large dog, having him properly trained is especially important as many people are afraid of large dogs and will shy away from an uncontrollable over exuberant dog. It doesn't matter that Goldens are not aggressive dogs. Good training will make your dog more welcome wherever you go.

Pay attention to your dog and make eye contact often. When your dog does something right, look him in the eye, give him verbal praise and offer a treat, in that order. For example, when your dog sits (whether by command or not), make eye contact, say "good sit" and give him a treat.

Goldens are very sensitive dogs. They do not do well with scolding or punishment. It's better to identify the good behavior and reward that, rather than use negativity.

Your dog can learn to stay from any position, lying down, sitting or standing. Eventually you will want to train him to stay from all of these positions.

With your dog on a leash, stand to his right, place your hand in front of his face, palm toward him and say "stay.” Step away from your dog with your right foot first as stepping with the left foot encourages the dog to move too. Take two steps, turn and face him.

Give him the hand signal again, hand right in front of his face with the fingers pointing up and repeat "stay.” Return to his side and say "ok." Then say "good stay" and give him a treat.

Over time, increase the length of time you hold up your hand and increase the distance you walk away from him. Eventually, walk the full length of the leash away, hold up your hand and repeat "stay.”

Always return to his side. Reward him if he continues to do as he is told.

Starting with “little baby steps” that you can reward with a "good stay" and a treat are much more valuable at first than trying unsuccessfully for a longer time or distance.

Are you worried about spoiling your dog with too many rewards? Are you concerned that he won't obey without them? As long as you never show the treat to your dog before he exhibits the desired behavior, you don't need to worry. A rule of thumb with Goldens, since they are so sensitive and so eager to please, is pick your battles and bribe shamelessly.

You can overdo training, so keep each session fairly short. If you can, repeat training sessions several times a day. Use reward-based training or, if you prefer, clicker-based training, rather than discipline training for your Golden. As previously mentioned Golden Retrievers do not respond well to discipline based training.

It is very important that your Golden Retriever learn the sit and stay commands thoroughly. A Golden Retriever is a fairly large dog and it is much better if they sit rather than jump up and try to lick the face of a child. Young children are easily knocked over by happy Goldens!

When you feel that your dog has learned to stay well, vary the circumstances. Make sure he can stay from a sitting, laying, or standing position. Practice inside and outside, around other dogs and other people. Try to distract him with a rolling ball or have someone else call him. You aren't being mean and you are not trying to trick him. You are simply helping him to understand better what you mean by "stay” and he will be deliriously happy when he knows he's got it right.

Here's a bonus tip specific to Golden Retrievers, but you be the judge if it's appropriate for your dog, retriever or not. Retrievers like carrying things in their mouths; many of them have favorite toys they don't like to be without. If your dog is having trouble concentrating during a training session, you can try letting him hold his favorite stuffed toy in his mouth. If he thinks it's playtime, it won't work, but often it calms him and gives him a focus. A friend, Rick, lets his Golden, “Emma,” carry one of his gloves. This keeps his smell close and makes her more responsive to his commands.

With these few tips and techniques under your belt, your training sessions with your sunny-tempered Golden can be quite fun and pleasurable for both of you.

Until next time,

Teia

Training Your Dog to Sit

Mom and dad were talking to a neigbour the other day and she asked them how to train her new puppy to sit. Dad told me about it and I thought that it would be a good article to do for the blog since training your dog to "sit" is probably the first thing you will train your puppy to do. In fact it was the first thing I learned and mom and dad started teaching me as soon as I got settled in my new home. You might think that training a dog to sit isn't that important because they do it all on their own quite frequently. However, learning to sit on command is very important. Read on and you will find out why it is important and how to train your dog to do it.

1. This first step in this training program is easy. You just start by saying "sit" every time the puppy sits itself. He learns to associate the word sit with the action. This is a tip you can use in all training.

2. Take out a treat, his favorite treat if you know what it is and keep it in your hand. Anything that is tasty and won’t make a mess in your pocket usually works well but remember to cut it in small pieces so the puppy can swallow it fast. Mom and dad found that “Chicken Tenders,” dehydrated chicken breast, cut into little pieces was a great puppy treat for all occasions. It's healthy for me and I really enjoy it.

3. Sit down on the floor so you get to nearly the same level as your puppy. You are less threatening when you sit. More important is that you are closer to him so you can reward him more quickly. More about that in a moment.

4. Slowly move the treat over your puppy's head. The intention is to get the puppy to smell the treat (he will) and follow it with his nose. He has two options. Either back up while standing or sit down. It's easier to sit down.

5. Immediately as he sits you say "sit" and give him the piece of treat. This is the key factor to all training. The reward has to be given to him in exactly the same moment as the dog does the right thing.

6. Praise the dog. Show your happiness with your voice as well as your body language.

7. Repeat these steps 3-5 times and then take a break. You want this training to be fun for your puppy and if you keep doing it over and over for a long period of time, the puppy will get tired, lose interest and rebel against the training. However, you can repeat the steps several times during the day, as long as you only do it 3 to 5 times and then take a lengthy break.

8. Once your puppy does this repeatedly, you can try to see if the dog reacts only to the word "sit" without your hand and the treat. If he sits down you obviously should praise him and give him a treat. Once he does this repeatedly, see if he will continue doing it with only the praise, but without the treat. If he doesn't, don't show disappointment. Just go back a step or two in the training and start over. You should never show your disappointment to your dog when you are training. Once your puppy will sit on command, stand up and try it again. Once he responds to the sit command with you standing you can go onto the next step.

Now you can try to make him sit down beside you. This is actually a preparation for the heel training. There you want him to sit as soon as you stop walking.

The next level is to strengthen the word so you get the dog to sit in every situation no matter what's going on around him. This is an ongoing process and you should never stop training. Use every new situation to train him. Make him sit with new people, new dogs and new surroundings.

It's quite easy to train your dog to sit. If you consider not training your dog, my advice is think again. When you start training with your new puppy you get much more than the sitting part. The puppy loves to do things with you. He learns to listen to his name. He gets used to training and doing things with you and on your initiative. This strengthens your position as the leader and the puppy feels secure. When the puppy falls asleep in the evening his last thoughts should be: "This is a really great pack!"

Until next time,

Teia

An Overview of Dog Training

Dog training is the process of teaching a dog to exhibit certain desired behavior in specific circumstances. Training your dog should be an absolute top priority. Fundamentally, dog training and dog behavior are about communication. The goal of dog training is to build a bond between pet and family and to ensure that all enjoy the process. Dog training should ALWAYS be fun for your dog, so if you or your dog begin to get tired, take a break and come back to it later.

Obedience, herding, agility, tracking, retrieving, hunting, guard, and schutzhund are common areas of dog training. Training social skills is a continuous process. Training starts shortly after your pup comes home, beginning with teaching her to come when called. You also want to begin “potty” or “paper” training your dog so that she learns early where she should go to the bathroom. Waiting until the puppy is older and has already learned undesirable habits makes the training much more challenging. The old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” isn’t completely accurate, but it is much more difficult training an older dog than it is a puppy.

All dog training must be founded upon educating the dog, that is, teaching the dog what he can and cannot do. Bribery can also be a great dog training method. In dog training, the term "bribery" means that the dog is aware of the presence of the reward before he is asked to complete the command. Don’t be disheartened if it seems you are not getting anywhere with your dog training, because it generally takes people longer to learn how to train their dogs than it does for their dogs to be trained. The hardest part of training is communicating with the dog in a humane way that he understands. Until a few years ago, dog training used to consist of punishing the dog whenever it did something wrong. Fortunately that inhumane way of dog training is mostly a thing of the past. Today’s method involves rewards for good behavior. Clicker training has also emerged as a valuable method of training. Check with local obedience training facilities to find out what methods they use. Pet shops also have numerous books on training your dog. Peruse several the next time you are at the pet store and find one that makes sense to you and appears to fit into your lifestyle.

The emotional state of the dog is an important consideration in directing the training, as a dog that is stressed or distracted will not learn efficiently. Failure to reward the dog after he has done what you asked, diminishes the value of the reward method and makes training more difficult. Most training revolves around giving the dog a reward for his good behavior, in the hope of influencing the behavior the dog will exhibit in the future.

Most modern trainers say that they use "positive training methods,” which is a different meaning of the word "positive" from that in operant conditioning. Positive training methods generally mean preferring the use of reward-based training to increase good behavior over that of physical punishment to decrease bad behavior. The goal is to produce a dog that will perform even on occasions that the handler has no reward to offer, since the dog's training has taught him that the handler may have a reward even if the dog cannot see it.

Some trainers, fortunately a diminishing minority, suggest the use of electronic dog training collars as useful tools, especially in the training of a dog who has a barking problem. Mom and dad have researched these collars and found that they do not work very well, as the dog quickly learns the built in sequence that activates them. The dog then varies its barking so that the collar does not shock him and as a result, the barking doesn’t end. The dog also tends to become paranoid, because it does not associate the shock with the barking, as barking is a normal habit for a dog. It has the same effect as spanking a dog when you get home and find a mess on the carpet. The dog has no idea why it is getting spanked, because it can’t associate the spanking with the mess it made earlier. All that is accomplished by these methods of training is to make the dog fearful.

Although dog training can be hard at times, it’s important that you remember to keep things positive for you and your dog at all times. If you experience problems with your training, do not hesitate to seek professional help from a certified dog trainer. After all, half the training involved with training a dog is training the owner how to communicate what is required in a manner that the dog understands. If the dog understands what is wanted, training becomes much easier for both of you. Dogs are creatures of habit. If you are consistent with your training and your expectations, the dog will soon learn what he can and cannot do.

Until next time,

Teia