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Good article on mistakes in behavior modification

2K views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  wolfy dog 
#1 ·
#5 ·
The bit about getting the dog out of situations wherein they are destined to fail is something everyone needs to read three or four times. That action has been my policy for years, it just seemed logical and I sorta control where my dogs go. It would solve a lot of the dog-park problems instantly.
 
#6 · (Edited)
more than good --- GREAT

"Behavioral Fallout. Dogs that are reactive to dogs, people or other stimulus commonly found on walks can actually get worse with continued exposure. Would it reduce your stress levels to be chased by a bear? Of course not. Your survival instincts will kick in, sending your body into stress overdrive to keep you alive. Cortisol and adrenaline are elevated with each walk and exposure to the triggering stimuli (person, animal or object). Not only do elevated stress levels lead to behavior problems, but they undermine the immune response, leaving the dog more susceptible to illness."

important for all those who just got the pup a figurative "day ago" and want to make sure it experiences x number of environments and meets x number of strangers , and then if there is an undesirable reaction gets thrown back into the situations with food bribes . All at a time when there are so many physiological stresses going on --

for all those need to be , want to be ALPHA's -- read Dog Whisperer, Dog Psychology and Cesar Millan

this for those that want to wear their dogs out and find they require more and more exercise --- when the dog is in fact over stimulated, over tired and needs calm . Have often said that dogs need rest and quiet especially when young . Crazy makes for more crazy 4 Paws University Sacramento Dog Obedience Training

I have always felt that when you train something new , something difficult put the dog away to rest , to allow what they just did to sink in quote "After you do these activities, make sure there’s a significant rest period for your dog, maybe just chewing on a bone. Building in that down time will naturally limit how many new things you can do every day, which is also a good way to give your dog time to process"

what a great site .

should be a sticky.
 
#7 ·
Fantastic! I wish I read this months ago, I really do. We all make mistakes and sometimes it really is just a case of KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Great article and very well written
 
#8 · (Edited)
I had much to add but it took too much time so add this


says Turid of the herding dogs "
. Most of the time is waiting and doing nothing, most of the work is calm and concentrated.”

that makes a comment on the on and off switch with stand by - not full throttle all the time.
we create "Like the marathon runner who is addicted to the endorphin rush or the drug addict trying to get his fix, a dog who is a “fun addict” will seek out that rush."
great as a tool for molding behaviour , like some provider with the next fix --
this can open to a huge topic onto how dogs are bred -- because the ball play "fun addict" is high priority in the selection process for some working dog evaluators --- but there are other forces at work as well --- and in my wide reading and investigating other breeds , modern and ancient dogs performed tasks exceptionally well without "play" a modern concept being part of it --- livestock guarding , protection , hunting scent hounds , and herding dogs . No shepherd of yea olde "olden times" chose their working prospect by testing for play. You want a shepherd's dog , test him on the sheep.

what a great site .

should be a sticky.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for these articles. It is so true. If you have taught your pup, or any animal or person with a brain something and wait for a day or so to repeat, it has been processed by the brain and the success is better than practicing continuously.
It is also true that you don't have to overdo socialization. Just exposing and making the pup comfortable in various situations will do. I don't agree with Ian Dunbar's "meeting 100 new people" before a certain age for a pup. Never made that dead line and my pups have been fine with strangers.
 
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