GOOD MORNING EVERYONE
Here is a copy and paste of the info found in one of Leerburg e-book Starting p.28 Theory of correction in dog training
First let me remind you that I have Ziva for 3 months, I therefore evaluated her temperment, and over again realized by trying with lower corrections on leash that she did not mind. To me this was also obviously a high level of distraction as well. We walked by these dogs more then 2 months before I gave a higher lever correction. Why? because I came accross this article only 3 weeks ago. I read it over and over and listen to the podcast to make sure I understood well the procedure before applying it with Ziva.....It took 3 occasions . Now she may look at them ears up but turn her head quickly and looks at me ears down waiting that we pass them to get her treat and hear my voice that sais that I am pleased. This was done with a martingale collar btw. Also I did not distroy her spirit as she loves to come for walks still. She walks with enthusiam. I noticed that she stays closer to my leg now as she walks and when she sits when I stop as before there would be a larger distance between us.....maybe also it is that now she is no longer in the learning phase of the heeling exercice and actually understand where she should be...
Happy reading
Escalating Corrections
The concept of escalating corrections can be done
with a leash and training collar or a remote trainer.
To understand the concept of escalating corrections
we must first understand how to determine what
level of correction to use on a dog. Dogs have
different personalities and temperaments-- no two
are alike. This is the reason that each dog needs to be
trained as an individual.
To determine what level of correction to use on a
specific dog we can look at levels of corrections as
being between level 1 and level 10. With a level 1
correction being a simple voice correction and a level
10 correction being the hardest correction one can
give.
An example of a level 10 correction would be a leash
correction hard enough to jerk the dog off its feet.
Just to make it clear, a level 10 corrections is seldom
used, just like high level stem in remote trainers is
seldom used.
To determine what level of correction to use on a
dog we must first examine his temperament. Is the
dog a hard dog or a soft dog?
A hard dog recovers very quickly from a correction.
Hard dogs require mid level corrections. When a hard
dog is given a low level correction it either ignores
the correction and continues on, or it looks at the
handler as if to say – “is that the best you can give?”
A soft dog on the other hand, does not recover very
quickly from a correction. When a soft dog is given a
hard correction it goes into avoidance by lying down,
refusing to work or it may even try to flee. Soft dogs,
therefore, need much lower levels of corrections.
There are a number of ways to gauge hardness and
softness in a dog. Here are just a few:
1 - If a dog has food drive, will it take a food
reward after a correction. If not then the
correction was probably too high.
2 - If a dog has prey (play) drive will it play
after a correction. If not then the correction
was probably too high.
3 - Will the dog continue to work and follow
commands after a correction? If not then
the correction was probably too high.
First time handlers can have a difficult time in
determining what level of correction to use on their
dog. They have to experiment and remember what
kind of reaction different levels of corrections have
on their dogs. This all begins by determining the
level of correction to use in a normal distraction free
training environment (like your kitchen or back yard).
New handlers will quickly learn that the level of
correction used in the kitchen means very little to a
dog when it is taken to the park or when taken for
a walk and faced with neighbor dogs barking from
behind a fence.
The fact is, just as there are different levels of
correction, there are also different levels of
distraction.
The way to look at this is each level of correction is
an individual training tool. In other words a level
3 correction can be used for certain infractions
and a level 6 correction is a different tool used for
a different infraction. That may seem obvious but
many new trainers think a correction is a correction is
a correction. No wonder their dogs act like they don’t
like their owner.
Determining what level of correction to use is a
normal on-going part of dog training. Good handlers
determine different levels of distraction for his or her
dog. These levels can be rated just like a correction
– level 1 to level 10. This is not to say that a level 10
distraction required a level 10 correction – that’s not
the case.
Levels of Distraction (examples)
1 - A level 1 distraction being work in the
kitchen.
2 - A level 2 distraction is working in the
backyard.
3 - A level 3 distraction is working in the
backyard when the neighbor is cutting his
grass.
4 - A Level 4 distraction is working in the
backyard when your wife tosses a ball
across the yard.
5 - A level 10 distraction is going to the park
where 3 or 4 dogs are running off leash
around you and your dog.
Most obedience instructors tell their students
“if a dog refuses a command that it knows and
understands that dog needs to be corrected” and “if
after the correction the dog again refuses to comply
the initial correction was not hard enough.”
Where most instructors fail is they don’t explain
how to escalate the level of corrections after the
initial correction has failed. In most cases this is
because instructors themselves don’t have a clear
understanding of how this should be done.
First let us examine the theory behind what we are
doing. When a pack leader gives a lower ranking
member of the pack an order the lower ranking
member complies because it accepts its position
in the pack and it is not ready to challenge the
authority of the leader.
When a dog refuses a known command from his
owner this is a clear indication that there is confusion
in the relationship between the handler and his or
her dog. This is often a sign that the dog does not
respect his handler.
The way I approach escalating corrections is to be
very clear in my training.
When a dog first refuses a command I simply give
a voice correction (NO!) along with a delayed leash
or collar correction that is appropriate for the dog’s
temperament.
If the dog still does not comply, I repeat the
command and give the dog an opportunity to
again comply. If it continues to ignore the second
command the level of the second correction is much,
much higher. In other words, if the first correction
was a level 4 the second correction is going to be a
level 8 or 9 correction.
I make it very clear that the dog MUST comply.
I don’t escalate from level 4 to level 5 and then level
6 to level 7 until I get to a level that the dog submits
and complies. I jump right from level 4 to level 8 with
the second correction.
The way I look at this is I know in my mind that the
dog understands the command (it’s a huge mistake
to do this if the dog does not fully understand the
meaning of the command). I am fair with the dog
in giving him a normal first correction the first time.
When he refuses that command a second time he is
disrespecting me. In essence he is challenging my
rank in the pack. So I must make it very, very clear
that this will not be tolerated.
There is an old saying that goes like this “one good
correction is worth 1,000 nagging corrections”.
Dog owners that under correct their dogs are
nagging their dogs and doing nothing to build their
relationship. etc
Re: educting a kuvasz puppy
Top
Previous Topic
Index
Next Topic
.jpg)
