spiritdogs
Posted : 7/5/2006 6:48:37 AM
I do not hit my dog, i firmly tap him on the snout only when he does somthing seriously wrong and i always make sure i use the bad boy tone with my voice he knows. when you said use positive reiforcement what did you mean?
If you are using "bad boy tone" and "tapping", you are still using punishment, and your dog may not even know why you are upset.
Stop thinking in terms of discipline, and start thinking in terms of reward. For example, ignore him when he whines, and toss him a treat when he's quiet for a few minutes. Gradually, the length of time he's quiet will increase, and the amount of time he whines will decrease (and, just before it does, there may be an extinction burst - meaning that the whining will become very intense, because it always worked before and he can't understand why it now does not).
Positive reinforcement, in the simplest terms, means giving the dog something
he wants for doing something that
you want. Like a paycheck for a job well done. Reinforcment, or rewards, can take the form of food, praise, toys, chasing a squirrel, anything the dog likes...
You might want to start by looking at these sites:
[link
http://www.clickertrainusa.com]www.clickertrainusa.com[/link]
[link
http://www.clickersolutions.com]www.clickersolutions.com[/link]
Also, a great book for beginners - The Power of Positive Training