'Expectation Training'*
Dogs are simple. Generally, if a dog does something, it’s either because he thinks it’s right or because the trouble it causes him doesn’t compete with satisfaction he gets from doing it! Through trial and error, a dog can figure out what’s OK, what isn’t and what is worth doing anyway. A case in point - if your dog runs out the front door and you chase him, you can almost bet he will do it again even if you punish him when you finally catch up to him. Being chased is SO MUCH FUN!
Trial and error learning takes time and is a hit and miss proposition. While I’ve met dogs who behave well that have never had a formal lesson, they tend to be the exception, not the rule. Many owners simply do not know how to help their dogs behave properly.
If you go ballistic when your puppy gnaws on the rungs of your grandmother’s antique chair, he may not do it again. Notice the ‘may’. What your pup learns in this situation depends on several critical factors. For example, did you catch him in the act? If so, there is a much better likelihood that he will associate your negative reaction with chewing on the chair and think twice before chewing on it again. If you discover the destruction after the fact and punish him, about the only guarantee you have is that your pup will know you are mad. He may or may not associate the experience with chewing on the chair depending upon how you went about correcting him.
A puppy’s first teacher is his mother. If he strays too far, she will pick him up and return him to where he needs to be. If he gets too rough, she pins him with her paw or growls softly. She is a great teacher because her corrections are timely and relate directly to the behavior she seeks to control.
This is the premise behind ‘Expectation Training’*– using formal training exercises to teach your dog what you expect using corrections that are timely, relate directly to the behavior to be corrected or encouraged and that result in a response from the dog that allows you to praise him.
*© Copyright 2009
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