09/07/2020
CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION SKETCH #2
“The Food Stealer”
A dog owner has discovered his dog’s great dislike of being squirted with water expelled from a water bottle. He insightfully uses this tool as a means of delivering corrections. On this particular day, the dog owner is home alone with his dog. He has just completed making a sandwich when he realizes it is starting to rain and the windows of his vehicle are down. He places the sandwich on a table and rushes out to attend the vehicle. He reenters the dining area a few minutes later and finds the sandwich missing, paw prints on the tabletop, and the dog curled up and dozing in a corner of the room. The dog owner immediately snatches one of the many water bottles placed strategically throughout the home, advances to the dog’s position, grabs the dog’s collar, and only then does he verbally and physically (by way of the water bottle) correct his dog. . The application of corrective activity in this instance however, is not corrective; it is punitive, it is retribution. In this example, the dog is not given an opportunity to associate the corrective activity with the specific negative behavior or event that preceded it, unless of course, dozing in a corner in this house would normally trigger a correction. It is highly unlikely the dog would think backwards past that event to determine the root cause for the correction. It can be said that corrections have punitive capabilities but punishments do not possess corrective properties. Punishments do not instruct.
Training a dog effectively requires the combined use of praise and corrective techniques. It is essential for a handler to develop a fluidity of their usage so that he or she can smoothly transition between them, employ them in combination if necessary, as well as use them with various degrees of intensity. In practically all instances corrections should be immediately followed by praise (the correction if applied properly would cause an alteration or adaptation of the dog’s behavior, at least briefly, which would warrant praise), and the action of praising or rewarding should overshadow corrective activity in both the length of time it is administered and intensity. There are two excellent reasons why it is advisable to keep this in mind; first, it is immensely important to motivate using predominately-positive oriented techniques. Though it is quite possible negative corrective techniques may initially outnumber positive techniques, the high level of positive energy a handler should exude during a praise and reward scenario should have a dog feeling as if the opposite were true. Second, this philosophy minimizes the chance that a dog will become apprehensive of the handler and/or training sessions.
Situations may arise which require heavy doses of corrective activity. Corrections should be made as often as necessary. When implementing them it is wise not to do so half-heartedly. A correction is not effective unless it either alters or eliminates negative behavior.
The previous sentence begins to define the difference between a significant correction and an insignificant one. Significant corrections are delivered with authority and assertiveness, and if delivered at the proper moment will cause an immediate alteration or cessation of a negative behavior. The negative behavior may only be altered slightly or may only be paused for the briefest of instants, but if it is, a correction that lays at the root of an alteration or stoppage it can be said the correction was of a significant nature. Insignificant corrections on the other hand, are often delivered with reluctance and non-assertiveness, almost as if the handler was sorry he or she were about to cause the dog some level of discomfort. Application of insignificant corrective action is non-productive and should be avoided. Handlers or trainers should also take care to avoid over-correcting and should resist the urge to apply quick, careless, and/or excessively harsh corrections. Corrections should immediately and consistently be followed by praise and positive reinforcement.
Dogs are very intelligent creatures. Paired with a handler for even a short period of time a dog will soon recognize certain characteristics and traits of the handler that will aid it in negotiating the relationship that exists between the two. If a handler finds it difficult to correct their dog and if/when they are able to do so the correction is applied in a soft, almost apologetic manner, or if a handler strictly utilizes praise and reward, denying the use of any corrective measures, said handler is creating a massive problem; a dog that either will not work or perform or is unreliable at best when or if it does choose to work. This type of situation develops primarily because the dog has nothing to gain by working. It is receiving gratification with minimal or no expense or effort. On the other hand, a handler or trainer who is hot-tempered, corrects excessively, and fails to adequately praise, creates an almost mirror-like image of the same dilemma; a dog that is reluctant and unreliable. This dog is not getting enough positive feedback to make working with or for the handler a worthwhile endeavor. The irritation and aggravation the dog experiences far outweigh any gratification it receives. This type of relationship is frustrating for both handler and dog. It may rapidly deteriorate to a point where the dog begins to avoid or actually hide from the handler. Obviously, this situation should be avoided.
The timing of an application is of vital importance. Whether the applied technique is verbal, physical, or a combination of both, whether it is positive or negative, praise and/or corrective techniques must be delivered at precisely the right moment to attain peak effectiveness. The goal of course is to have a dog associate a correction with negative or errant behavior and associate praise and reward with the altered state of its original behavior (although a dog will not recognize the alteration in these terms). It is also important to understand that proper timing of applied technique is critical in determining the number of repetitions that must be completed prior to a dog understanding what is expected of it. Techniques that are applied accurately with respect to timing can be expected therefore to achieve positive results at a more rapid pace as opposed to ill-timed procedures. A dog may gain skill and proficiency but require fewer corrective repetitions to do so.
How much of either praise or correction is enough? How much of either is too much? Generally speaking, the more praise offered the better position a dog is placed in to be successful. This is true regardless of whether a dog is performing below, at, or above, an expected level. Praise enhances training sessions, makes both dog and handler feel good, and more importantly, strengthens the bond between dog and handler. Always praise liberally when a dog has earned it. Proper administration of praise will significantly reduce both the number of necessary corrections as well as the intensity of those corrections. Praise, when earned, can never really be overdone. It can be and often is however, ill-timed.
Corrections on the other hand, must be applied judiciously and with great care. Corrections can easily be overdone, in both frequency and intensity. They should be dispensed with discretion and as a prerequisite a handler or trainer should possess, even on a rudimentary level, some ability to “read” their particular dog, meaning they have a basic understanding of the dog’s temperament and some level of skill in deciphering its body language. Misapplications of corrective measures are capable of inflicting various degrees of mental and physical damage. It cannot be stressed often enough that they be implemented with great care. If a handler is certain a correction is required however, it must be delivered whole-heartedly, with conviction, sincerity, and confidence. By withholding a necessary correction, a dog is being done a disservice, and as was indicated previously, often a handler’s lack of commitment in this area heralds escalating problematic behavior(s). Ultimately, however, it is the handler’s decision that must determine the degree of separation between not enough, enough, and too much, of praise or correction.
Incorporation of praise and correction conventions is vital to the success of training programs. Application of praise and correction principles help shape the dog/handler relationship. The unique relationship of praise and correction with their mirror images and near exact opposites represent the foundation of all dog-training ideologies.
