| H.O.T.
Dog Club Training Articles |
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| Dogs are Kids Too! ~ Stays -- Part 1 |
| by George Anna Bobo |
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| I was browsing through an
old issue of Working Woman Magazine when an article on the
"do’s and don’ts" of child rearing caught my eye. An expert on child
psychology described several scenarios of the "right" and "wrong" way
to use praise and rewards in shaping desirable child behavior. For example, most parents
make a very big ‘to do’ when a child hits the winning run in a baseball game or
makes an "A" on his report card. Celebrations follow. The family goes out after
the game to their favorite restaurant or the child is rewarded with money or special
privileges for the good grade. In reality, the win is the culmination of many team baseball practices after school or hours of doing homework and studying. So, are we placing too much emphasis on the win rather than on working toward the win? Is the late application of the reward incorrectly emphasizing the wrong behavior? When it’s all said and done is it the baseball game win or the ability to work and play with the team the most desired end result? Is the "A" on the report card or the learned study skills and discipline to achieve the "A" what we really want our children to accomplish? The experts say that it is good and necessary to reward wins, but we should also reward the "attempts" to get there. Tell the child you like to watch him practice with the team and compliment him when he finishes his homework on time. The idea is to praise his effort toward the win. So you’re probably asking what does child behavior theory have to do with dog training? Well, dogs are kids too and we can apply the same concepts to our dog training. For example, occasionally tell your dog what a good dog he is during the stay. Say "good stay" with a smile on your face and in a soothing, almost musical tone. After the dog successfully stays for a short period of time, go back to him intermittently and reward him with a treat for the good stay behavior. Approach him quickly, offer the treat with one hand right in front of his nose so he won’t be forced to move to get the food, and quietly tell him "good stay" as he eats the treat. He must stay for and during the treat session. If he gets up, don’t give him the treat but position him back into the stay, tell him to "stay", stand up straight and go back to the area you originally came from. After a few seconds of a successful stay, approach him again, but say "stay" as you offer the reward to help him remember what he has to do. If successful, quietly tell him "good stay" and repeat the stay command and return. Don’t do a reward for every stay. Intermittent reinforcement is a much more powerful tool. And if he fails twice, go back to basics and shorten the stay period and distance. I’ve always said that I wished I was a dog trainer before I had kids, but here is one case where the "do’s and don’ts" of child rearing makes sense with our dogs. |
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