Reducing reactivity to the door buzzer

 Here's a very brief demo of my working with Finn to reduce his reactivity to the door buzzer.  This door buzzer is extremely obnoxious. I can't stand the sound of it either.  But he goes crazy when he hears it so we have worked on it and he has made terrific progress.  These practice sessions have resulted in his giving one small bark now when the buzzer rings unexpectedly, and then we both go to the door to investigate (actually, I press the button that opens the lower building door so the visitor can enter the building and enter the elevator.  Finn knows that someone coming up the elevator is the NEXT thing that happens, so we wait in the doorway politely for the person to arrive.  Training is required for that step, too).

Here's the video

The Four Stages of Learning

It is useful to think of learning as a sequence of 4 stages:

1. Acquisition (acquiring the behavior- what do you want me to do? Learning what to do and how to do it)
2. Fluency (the behavior is automatically performing the behavior in the context it was taught in)
3. Generalization (the dog can do the behavior in a variety of contexts and environments)
4. Maintenance (the behavior stays in the dog's repertoire through occasional tune-ups and refreshers, so the reward history of the behavior stays high enough over time to maintain it as something the dog wants to do).

After training the behavior, once you're past that stage, you'd test the fluency of a behavior by tracking the number of times the dog successfully performs the behavior in the environments in which it has been trained and practiced.  

Dogs don't generalize very well-- we tend to assume too much and think that just because a dog can perform a behavior well and consistently in the environments where he's been trained that he can also do it reliably and consistently in new environments.  This is an error on our part.  You'd be surprised what might seem REALLY different to your dog in a new environment with new distractions and smells that could easily throw him off his game.  Practicing in MANY different environments makes (over time) a dog that is more resilient to these changes and who will be able to generalize better.  I see many people teach their dog something at home, and go out into the world overconfident that the dog will perform in a new situation.  Don't be that person.  It's not fair to the dog.  Consider each new environment to be risky in terms of whether your dog can perform the behaviors you want-- remember, your dog is doing the best he can given the training you've given him and the environment you've now put him in.     

Even though your dog may know what to do and how to do it, you as the trainer must continually ensure that the behavior is maintained at an acceptable level of performance. This maintains the dog's motivation to continue to do the behavior correctly. How much reviewing and practicing is needed will depend on the dog.  My dogs have always loved doing what I call "training tune-ups" where we go through the many behaviors they know how to do.  You can see a look of smug confidence on their faces- they enjoy being good at this.  And they get rewarded.  I deposit enough rewards into their "behavior bank account" to keep them enthusiastic about wanting to work with me. 

#training 

WHAT BEHAVIOR MARKER SHOULD I USE?

 A behavior marker is a unique sound or word or visual (a flash of light, for example) that is used consistently to pair with a reward in order to tell the dog the precise moment it did something you liked-- and that a reward is coming now as a thank you for doing it. In other words, it is a tool that lets us communicate to our dog exactly WHY he's getting a reward. We know that behaviors that get rewarded will increase-- so let's make it crystal clear to our dog why he got the reward. This way of training is a great kindness to the learner (dog) because it reduces confusion.

Having a behavior marker let's us "shape" behavior that is tweaked and changed by us to achieve the final goal. The marker lets the dog know the exact part of the behavior that is about to be rewarded or reinforced.  Through its use, the dog is then “shaped” as we reward baby steps of progress toward our final goal. This allows us to "shape" even difficult behaviors. 

To understand the importance of marking, I borrow one of Karen Pryor’s excellent examples:  In teaching a dolphin to jump out of the water into the air, what good would it do to give him a fish after the jump?  He could think he is being reinforced for making a big splash, or for landing slightly harder on his right side.  But when the trainer blows a whistle while the dolphin is at the height of his jump, the dolphin quickly learns that jumping will earn whistles and fish!  With that established, later withholding a whistle for that same jump will result in momentary frustration for the dolphin, who will make an extra effort and give higher jumps, for which he will then be reinforced.  The dolphin can learn to jump on command without an event marker, but with less information to work from, the process will take much longer and will be more stressful for him.  Animals that are clicker trained quickly become "clicker savvy" and come to understand that when you withhold the click you're looking for something else, and they exaggerate the behavior or start offering something else.  So it is nuanced, and we need to be skilled with how we use this giving-or-withholding of the marker (and subsequent reward).  More on that another time.

You need to choose what you'll use as your behavior marker. The term "clicker training" came about when the science of operant finally made its way to the world of dog training in the late 80's (yes folks, I was training dogs even before that, back in the old days). Karen Pryor (one of my heroes) published a book called "Don't Shoot the Dog" that explained how operant conditioning works, and it revolutionized the dog training world. I was an early adopter, I'm proud to say.

A clicker is a little rectangular device you can use to make a distinctive "click" sound. Many of them come with a little hole in the end that you can loop a rubber band through, and you can wear it like a bracelet to keep it handy.  

Can you click distinctly with your tongue like a “giddy up horse” sound? I can imitate the sound of the clicker very well with my tongue, meaning I never have to worry about having a clicker in my hand.  Try it, see if you can do it. 

The timing of the click is very important, as you’ll soon see, so having a “clicker” always available in your mouth is great. If you cannot make this sound well, you can also choose another signal- but don’t choose a word like “yes” or “good” unless you’re committed to NOT using that word in regular conversation.  Why? Because the behavior marker (aka click) must be a unique sound that is only used when a reward is about to be delivered for the behavior that just occurred.  

Lastly, many dogs find the click of the actual physical clicker device to be too sharp of a sound for their sensitive ears if you click it near their head.  If you can find a bottle top from a Snapple or similar drink, it has a little nub in the center that you can easily press to make a more gentle click sound.  Or, you can put a bit of tape inside the edge of your physical clicker to mute the sound a bit.  I use my tongue-click, and only if I am working at a longer distance from my dog I will use a physical clicker for its louder volume.

So you need to choose a behavior marker.  I will use the word "click" in this blog when I refer to the behavior marker, but please know you can choose something else like "yahhhh"  or "si"  or "zip" or whatever word you want.

When you click, always follow within a few seconds with a reward.  Even if you made a mistake and clicked by accident-- you want to preserve the sacred relationship/association between that sound and a reward coming.

Remember that your marker is not a CUE-- it is not requesting a specific behavior, it is announcing the impending arrival of a nice reward. 

DOG ENRICHMENT ON A RAINY WINDY DAY

 It's howling outside today, with rain pouring down.  What can you do with your dog inside on a stormy day to provide mental enrichment when it's not fun to go outside in the rain?  Here are some ideas:

1. Train!  Continue to work on your current list of behaviors (you're doing this each day anyway, right?)
2. Teach your dog to lie quietly under an open-legged chair.  We use the "under" cue for this, which we don't add until the dog is quite successful at this behavior.  Here's a video that gets you started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZkdnYsi83w 
3. Find It game (searching for a specific scent).  Dogs love this.  Here's an article about teaching it: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/nose-work-is-great-exercise-for-dogs/   To learn more about this, google "dog nose work". 
4. Teach target training as a foundation for lots of other fun games and behaviors.  https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/train-your-dog-to-target/ 

And while you're at it, buy a subscription to Whole Dog Journal.  It has an archive of wonderful articles about everything dog related-- and it does not accept advertising, so it's objective and it's a very valuable resource for all dog owners.  It's just $20 US, for a 1-yr digital subscription.  
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/landing/subscribe-now-v2/?t=topnav

WHAT LEASHES SHOULD I USE?

 

I recommend using lightweight leashes, preferably of 2’, 4’, and 6’ lengths.  If you want to just work with a 6 foot leash, get good at handling your leash so you can “make it shorter” by bunching it up and letting it out as needed.  Big, bulky leashes are uncomfortable to bunch up in one hand, and you'll have awkward technique if you use them.  I really like the multi-use leashes (sometimes called European leashes) that I talk about here, in this other video. 

You will also need a lightweight long-line for distance work.  This is not a retractable leash. A retractable leash is not recommended for training for a lot of reasons (I wouldn't bother owning one at all). The clicking sound it emits when the brake is used competes with a clicker from the trainer.  They’re large and cumbersome, and they are confusing for the trainer to handle AND be attentive to timing of reinforcement. They often accidentally create a situation where your dog veers into the path of other people, creating a line which has the potential to trip and tangle up other people. They also create a constant tension on the leash, which interferes in the training for "loose leash walking" that doesn't want tension happening on the leash.  You can buy long-lines made of cotton webbing (which is easy on the hands) with a simple leash clip at the end.  You can also pretty easily make one yourself of 1/2 inch cotton webbing, by tying a strong knot to the clip (or sewing it on securely if you have that ability).  It is not actually necessary to have a handle on the end of the line (sometimes you might have your dog drag the line so you can retain control, for example at the beach, and the handle will just get caught on things).  

Please do not attach "accessories" to the leash (like those plastic things that hold the poop bags).  It creates a visual distraction for the dog, and also risks hitting him in the head as you maneuver the leash in various situations.  Your treat bag (sometimes called a bait bag) should contain a pocket specifically for a few folded up poop bags.  You don't need the entire roll with you each time you go out. 

One last note.... dogs love to chew on leather.  Keep that in mind when considering buying a leather leash!  

WHAT COLLAR SHOULD I USE?

 A well-fitting collar of a non-choking type.  The fabric type with the plastic snap-clip closure is easy on the dog’s neck and won’t slip over his head if he pulls back against it. Double check that he cannot back out of it!  It has happened to me.

If you have a "hound" type, with a long slim neck and a rather narrow skull (imagine a Greyhound) they make special "hound collars" that are wider, and that are built to constrict a little bit but only a little bit, to allow you to get it over the dog's head but keep it on the neck with just a little bit of tension.  These are a style called a "Martingale" collar,  meaning it fits on a dog's neck but tightens only a little- only enough to prevent the dog from slipping out.  

"Choke chains" and "slip leads" can choke down very tightly on a dog's neck, causing discomfort and damage to the esophagus.  We don't use those and we do not use prong/pinch collars.  If you feel like you need a prong collar to keep your dog from pulling your dog should be on a harness with a leash-clip in the chest location (not on the dog's back).  Prong collars are meant to stop pulling by causing discomfort when the dog pulls and releasing the discomfort when the dog stops pulling.  This is called "negative reinforcement" (meaning the removal of the pain is reinforcing) and we don't use that because we don't have to-- we can get the same end result with positive reinforcement applied correctly.  Negative reinforcement is designed to cause unnecessary discomfort to the animal.  Think about that. Honestly, I expect more from us trainers. 

I am also a big fan of the head halter type tools -- the Halti, the Gentle Leader, etc.  These require  some conditioning sessions to make the tool a happy thing in the dog's eyes.  Remember that these have the leash attach under the chin, and should never used when the dog is dragging a leash or long line (we don't ever want a sharp sudden pull on that connection spot, which could cause a hard turn or twist on the dog's neck).  When I was raising service dogs every puppy was taught on these head halters, because disabled people often need "power steering" with a service dog and they're great for controlling the dog's direction without needing a lot of physical strength.  

I recommend having a collar on your dog even if you use a harness or a Gentle Leader head halter, because you want something with your emergency number on it in case your dog gets loose (for example, if you are home, the harness is off, and the dog escapes... if you don't have a collar on with an emergency-number tag people can't reach you easily if they find your dog). 

USING REWARDS TO REINFORCE BEHAVIOR AND GENERATE ENTHUSIASM FOR TRAINING

 

All animals have a “price” for which they will perform—there is always something the dog will work to get.  It is called a primary reinforcer.  In your kitchen, he might do a 10-minute down-stay in exchange for a carrot piece, while in the park it might be near impossible to get his attentions with anything less than liver.  Determine which foods your dog likes best, and use them as treats during early training sessions at home.

 In seminars and group classes I often see dogs refuse plain kibble or lower quality dog cookies.  They might continue to offer the behavior, but by refusing to open their mouth for the treat they are indicating they believe their performance was worth something better.  You can practically see them rolling their eyes at you.  Sometimes they'll not take the reward because the environment is too distracting and it feels really hard to do the behavior right now.  Remember, at any moment our dogs are doing the best they can, given the training we’ve given them, and the environment they are currently in. If the better treat is never given, they quit playing, and the behavior stops being offered. They've lost their enthusiasm for training.

It is good practice to start shaping sessions with a variety of treats.  They should have assorted tastes, textures, aromas, and sizes (and you should know where each fits within the dog's perceived hierarchy of treat desirability).  You can feed a “jackpot” by strewing the pieces across the floor with theatrical flair, or you can slowly dole them out to the dog, prolonging the delight.  Reserve big (more valuable) treats for big efforts, and do a lot of tossing of food or toys when you reward (adding in that little element of chasing the reward is fun for the dog).  These varied techniques for awarding reinforcement serve to increase the dog’s interest in the trainer and to prevent him from becoming fixated on one hand, one spot location, or one treat type.

As learning progresses, treats of lesser value may be used at home while that special treat is reserved for working away from home, in the presence of distractions, or for a new behavior or harder level of an existing behavior.  As training away from home progresses, you can afford to use treats of a lower value during these sessions- because the dog has worked in this environment before, it's not as hard now and you can reserve the higher-value treats for the next level of difficulty.  Can you see why it's important to have a training plan that's explicitly and systematically raising (one at a time) the levels of distance, duration, and distraction?  If you don't know where you are on that progression of difficulty for each one, you can't do as good a job of using the various rewards as effective tools in your training program.  

 If your dog has a favorite toy, toss it after a successful training session or when he has surpassed previous levels of performance. Reserve the best toys and food for the hardest work and remember that throughout the clicker training process, you have the power to end the game if your dog is not making an effort.  Scrutinize why your dog isn’t making an effort- is the environment too much? Ending the game will be perceived as a punishment to dogs who love to train.  Instead of just ending, try to lower the difficulty and do one last instance where you are absolutely setting your dog up for success—end on a positive note.