Why do we use food in training?

When you are teaching your dog a new skill like looseleash walking, you need to pay them (reinforce) for doing the correct behavior. Behaviors that are reinforced are more likely to reoccur i.e. be learned and installed as habits. Your dog doesn’t know that you want them to walk on a slack leash near you. So how can you help them learn? Mark (with a clicker or a “yes”!) every time they are walking on a loose leash. Then feed them. The marker says “That thing you just did. I loved it! Do it again.”. The food reinforces it. When they do the thing, they get the food. Eventually you will reinforce less frequently but to teach the skill requires consistently high rates of reinforcment. Food is a primary need and getting it is highly reinforcing. Beginning Loose Leash walking with treats. Video.

Recalls- Your dog’s life saver

I love teaching recalls AKA “come when you are called”. This is the single most important skill your dog can have. You need to know that your dog will return to you even in challenging situations. It takes time and consistency to build this behavior but it is pretty straightforward. Check out this video of my dog, Ranger in the woods.

Why did my dog growl or snap?

Often people say “my dog snapped with no warning” but most times your dog has been trying to tell you they are uncomfortable. We just don’t know they are talking to us. Check out these fun videos and see if you can put on new dog body language glasses. Learn to ask your dog for consent before touching.

Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control dog bite prevention tips 

Dog Body Language: Understand What Dogs Are Saying 

Food doesn’t have to come in a bowl

Dogs are natural foragers. They like to work to get their food. A snuffle box is a great way to feed them dinner (separately if anyone has strong feelings about dinner). Crumple up paper, put it in a box and toss in some kibble. They can tear up the box for extra credit. Double Dog Snuffling Video

Information about prong and e-collars

When I adopted my dog, Ranger, in 2014 he was 10 months old and bouncy fun in a black and white package. The rescue I got him from told me to put a prong collar on him to walk him on leash if he pulled. Of course, he pulled! He had no idea how to walk with me on leash so I got a prong collar. It didn’t help and I could see it was very painful and scary to him when I approached with it. We switched to a harness and I learned how to train loose leash walking. Since I was clueless, it took me a while. I didn’t understand how reinforcement drives behavior and helps a dog learn. Now I can take a new shelter dog and get started on loose leash walking in 15 minutes. When you know better you do better!

Punishment is an option for training. Swift harsh punishment of a behavior will probably stop it. But it doesn’t teach the dog, or the person, what you want them to do. Aversive tools like prong collars or electronic training collars are punishing to the dog. Imagine that every time you walked out the front door you received a mild shock. How rude! It may teach you not to go out the door. Or you might learn that the person you saw outside the door was associated with the shock so you become afraid of them. Or sometimes there is a shock and sometimes there isn’t. That can make you fearful of everything associated with the door, the person,outside…..You get the idea. Punishing doesn’t give information and it doesn’t teach. I prefer to teach a dog the skills they need before they resort to behaviors you feel you need to punish. I want dogs and people to have a positive experience when learning how to live together. Here is a link from the SPCA about Prong collars.