Michael Baugh CDBC CPDT-KSA

Using food in training is not the same as bribing your dog.

First of all, a bribe is primarily a human transaction. It’s a promise of a future renumeration for something the bribed will do now or very soon. Bribes are nefarious dirty deeds. You bribe politicians, not dogs. Dogs don’t think that far ahead and politicians … well, I’ll leave that alone.

Semantics aside, I get it. Some folks seem to be very concerned that their dog is “doing it for the food.” Of course all of us work for money and I’m not above doing a bit of work for sushi or an iced latte. That seems to be okay. Work for free? Anyone? Anyone? I doubt it. But, a lot of us get downright  insulted if our dog won’t work for free. We want her to do it “just because it’s me.” Why? I don’t know. That question might be better left to an expert in human behavior.

In dog training our main concern is when the treat shows up.

• Before the behavior. We show the food ahead of the thing we are asking our dog to do. Think: calling our dog to us as we crinkle the treat bag. Or, cueing our dog to sit with food in our hand. Okay. If we are speaking in the vernacular we could call that a bribe. We are showing the food out front. Generally this is not the way to go. Though there is a notable exception I’ll explain below.
• After the behavior. The dog does the thing, whatever the thing is, and we follow up by giving her a bit of food. The food lets the dog know the behavior pays. Do more of it. That’s called reinforcement. Sit – treat – more sitting. It’s how nature works.

The notable exception. Our dogs rarely know what we want at first. One reliable way to teach a new behavior is to lure the dog into the action or position. This does involve showing her the food ahead of the behavior. Good trainers (and you’re a good trainer) plan to get the food lure out of the mix as soon as possible and focus only on reinforcing the behavior after it occurs.

All that said, is our dog just doing it for the food? Probably. Some behavior goes away very quickly if we drop the food altogether, especially if there are competing motivators.

Is our dog always just doing it for the food? No, not always. The world is full of reinforcers, some stronger than others. It’s up to us as trainers to stay creative and see what our dog will work for. What motivates her? Food? Play? Access to other dogs? Keep exploring the possibilities. Keep the conversation with your dog going. It’s how we build trusting relationships. It’s how we end up with dogs who are eager to learn new things with us just because it’s us.

 

Michael Baugh is a dog trainer in Houston, TX. He specializes in aggressive dog training.

 

Michael Baugh CDBC CPDT-KSA

Language is important. The words we choose help us express ourselves clearly. They also help us better understand our own mindset and intentions. This is certainly true in dog training when we compare the words cue and command.

A command is compulsory and insists. A cue is an opportunity and invites. Commands often come with the threat of do-it-or-else. A cue is an open door to earn reinforcement. Let’s take a closer look.

In dog training, commands are quickly becoming outdated. They were words, usually issued in a harsh or “commanding” tone. The dog’s failure to choose the right behavior often resulted in a physical punishment. If a dog continued to stand when commanded to sit, he would get an upward jerk on the leash until he sat. A dog who dawdled when commanded to come would suffer a shock until he ran toward the trainer (alternatively he’d get a jerk to the neck from a long leash). Dogs had to do what they were commanded or they would suffer the consequence.

Modern dog trainers use positive reinforcement and cues. A cue is a word, phrase, or visual signal that indicates reinforcement is available if the dog chooses the behavior associated with that cue. We can teach a dog that when we say “come,” if he walks or runs to us, he gets a bit of the food we are carrying in our treat pouch. In fact, we can teach him that he only gets the food if we’ve said that word. He can wander over on his own, but the behavior is only reinforced when we cue it. Trainers call this stimulus control.

Maybe some human examples will make the difference between a command and a cue more clear.

The green light at an intersection is a cue. It signals that the reinforcement of forward movement is available. The light does not command us to go. There is no looming punishment if we don’t. Though one could argue that the honk from the guy behind us is more of a punishing command.

Here’s another one. The bell of an elevator arriving is a cue that the reinforcement of boarding and reaching our destination is available. The bell does not command us to get on. There’s no compulsion. Nothing pushes us in. The floor outside the elevator doesn’t electrify if we don’t step through the door.

The message indicator on your phone is a cue, that red number next to the icon. If we press the right spot, reinforcement is available. We do this all day long. But, this one is a bit different because sometimes the behavior is reinforcing (a nice message from a friend, a love interest, or an opportunity from our boss or client). Sometimes the message can be punishing, though (a complaint form an angry spouse for instance). The cue in this case works only if pressing the icon is reinforcing enough times to keep the behavior going. Otherwise, we become one of those people with a hundred unread messages.

Commands come from authority. They are usually stress inducing. Police lights in the rear view mirror are a command to pull over. Military officers and government officials issue commands.

Cues come from collaborators. They are often reassuring. A nod from a friend keeps a conversation going. Actors take cues on a stage from fellow players.

The question here isn’t whether one is more effective than the other, a cue or a command. They can both work. The real question is for those of us on the receiving end. Do you want to be cued or commanded? Door number one or door number two? That’s a cue. Or, get through that (explitive) door right now! That’s a command. Which do your prefer? Which do you think your dog might want?

 

Michael Baugh teaches dog training in Houston Texas. He specializes in aggressive dog training and fear-related behavior problems.

 

 

Michael Baugh CDBC CPDT-KSA

Mindfulness is something of a buzz word these days, even in dog training. At its core, mindfulness is awareness in the present moment. In deep meditation it is awareness of awareness itself. For us, though, let’s think of mindfulness as awareness of our dog right here and right now. Pause for a moment and try this.

Take a breath. Our focus is on our dog. However, it’s smart to start by relaxing and settling our minds. Taking a few breaths and noticing those first can help. They don’t have to be deep breaths, though the can be. Just breathe normally.

Observe without judgment. Then, watch your dog. You can sit, but you don’t have to. Your dog can do anything. Notice what it is your dog is doing. That’s all. Avoid the natural inclination to attach any story to the behavior. No commentary. No judgement. My dog is looking at me. My dog is lying down. My dog is sniffing this or that. My dog is chewing this or that. This is so simple that it might seem silly. I get it. The funny thing is we hardly ever do this – really notice what are dogs are actually doing.

Notice your own thoughts. This is where real mindfulness comes in. What are you thinking (and feeling) about what you are observing? Don’t judge. There are no right thoughts or wrong thoughts.

Let them go. Our thoughts and feelings about our dogs (about anything) tend to just show up. Sometimes it may seem like they slip into our minds out of nowhere. We get hooked by them and before you know it we are daydreaming (or obsessing).  But, just as quickly as thoughts and feelings arise, they can also fade away. Try this. While you are watching your dog, notice the thoughts that come to mind. Hmm, I don’t like when he does that. He’s kind of making me anxious. or Oh, that’s cute. It doesn’t matter what it is. Simply notice the thought, just like you were watching your dog – relaxed and without judgement. Then, let it go.

Stay here. We tend to get caught up in the stories we create about our dogs. We presume what they must be thinking or feeling when, really, all we can know for sure is what they are doing. The stories distract us from what is really happening right here right now. We get swept into ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. All this distracts us from what is actually occurring in front of us now. Let the stories go. Stay here.

Now teach. Here’s the dog training part. The stories we tell ourselves and our own obsessive thoughts and feelings actually get in the way of helping our dogs. We can’t help them with their behavior if we are still fumbling with our own internal rambling. Observing our dogs gives us good information about what we want to work on. Quieting our own minds, even a little bit, sets us up to actually do the work.

All this might sound hard. It’s not. It might also seem senseless and unnecessary. I don’t think so. This method has helped me help thousands of families over the years. It’s the reason some people say I’m  so calm (I’m not always calm – haha). Most importantly, it’s effective and simple – two things I think we all are looking for when it comes to dog training.

 

Michael Baugh teaches dog training in Houston Texas. He specializes in aggressive dog training.