Session 113: Avoid Mistakes When Teaching a Dog to Stop Barking
In today’s episode I’ll cover some training goals to teach a dog to stop doing something. Barking is one of the key areas of focus, as well as a discussion on “counter conditioning”.
Teaching Your Dog to STOP Doing Something
Some may ask if they should do the “lab oriented” counter conditioning or another technique. My approach involves assessing where your dog is on a spectrum, and I’ll explain the range. It can also be useful to determine for other areas of training.
Some may be driven by a defensive approach, a territorial approach, etc., and I’ll talk about some of the areas to be careful about when trying to decide whether to put training methods in place. I’ll also talk about the shy, scared side of the spectrum that has other challenges and training methods that should be applied.
What is Counter Conditioning and How Do I Approach It?
I will talk about using behavioral adjustment training or counter conditioning when it comes to these techniques as well. Imagine that scenario that causes the dog to bark and you provide some food to distract or adjust the behavior. You’ll see them enjoy it in the moment.
But what was the treat’s connection to the behavior from the dog’s perspective? Did you train them for next time, or did you distract them in the moment? Treat training isn’t a bad thing but it is important to understand the differences and apply the right methods with this approach.
About the Author: Sean
I’ve been training people and dogs in Seattle for the last decade and a half. My main focus when working with clients every week in one-on-one, private lessons is to help people learn to get their dogs to a functional level so that they can actually enjoy spending time every day with their dog instead of stressing about their dog’s behavior issues.
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About Sean
I’ve been training people and dogs in Seattle for the last decade and a half. My main focus when working with clients every week in one-on-one, private lessons is to help people learn to get their dogs to a functional level so that they can actually enjoy spending time every day with their dog instead of stressing about their dog’s behavior issues.
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