FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

In most cases, it is lack of motivation. People like to demand dogs to obey, but they don’t give a dog a reason to do so. Try to look at it from the other side (a dog’s point of view); “why would I go to my handler (where he/she will probably put me on the leash, etc.) if I can have fun here.” You have to convince your dog that YOU are the center of the Universe, the ultimate source of fun. Make sure you establish the relationship, where WHENEVER your dog comes to you, you make it worth it (give him food, play with him, etc.) and don’t EVER yell at him when he comes to you, even though you may be mad at him! Don’t forget, that your dog is in a situation because you create the environment around him.

Balanced Training refers to utilizing all four quadrants of operant conditioning. The quadrants include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment.
B.F. Skinner is considered the father of operant conditioning. His theory of learning states that a living being is first exposed to a stimulus, which elicits a response, and the response is then reinforced. It is a fancy way to say that actions followed by reinforcement will be strengthened and more likely to occur again in the future.
Positive Reinforcement refers to giving the dog something they desire in exchange for doing a behavior we want them to do. Positive reinforcement increases the likelihood of behaviors reoccurring. If I am teaching a dog to place, I will give the dog food each time he gets on the place bed. Reinforcement is not always something being given to the dog, negative reinforcement refers to the removal of something. For example, if your dog pulls on the lead while walking, you stop walking until the dog returns back next to you. The pressure of the collar on their neck is removed by returning to you, the absence of the pressure is negative reinforcement. Your car does this to you by ding-ding until you fasten your seatbelt, thus making you more likely to buckle up. Negative punishment refers to denying access to what the dog desires; if I ask for a sit and the dog does not sit, then I will not give the treat nor throw him the ball.
Positive punishment, otherwise known as correction, is when an aversive, an unpleasant sensation, is applied to the dog in order to stop an unwanted behavior. If your dog regularly jumps on guests in the home, using the leash to correct the dog jumping will begin to eliminate the occurrence of that behavior; but in order for correction to work the dog must understand what he did wrong and what is a better, positively reinforcing choice. We mix and mingle all of these concepts to communicate and create a clear understanding for the dog on what is expected of him. All training is tailored specifically to the individual dog and the training goal.

Hand-feeding! We highly recommend feeding your dog, not by bowl but by hand, especially when you are trying to bond with your new furry family member or reestablish your relationship with your dog. By hand feeding your dog, you are creating an environment where you are his source of life, fun, support, love, and of course food!

An easy way to hand feed your dog is to first fill up his bowl with kibble with a typical amount he eats every day. Put the bowl on the counter (where he cannot get to it), and throughout the day, take handfuls to feed him. Or keep the kibble in your pocket and feed him throughout the day, giving him little rewards for good behavior, or just because! They will not want to leave your side!