Controlling the environment can really help your dog. Why wait till he is all guns blazing till we try correct him? Wouldn't it be better if we controlled the environment and the dog never got to that stage?
It's all about maintaining thresholds and controlling the environment.
Say you are out for a walk with your dog, and in the distance: a cat, you have seen it, and now bracing for the reaction. What about instead you got your dogs attention before he saw it? Or changed your direction? Before he is all guns blazing and out of control. This is called working within the behavioural adjustment training zone.
All behaviours have thesholds for active or reactive responses. Take, for example in humans: a dripping tap, some people would HAVE to fix it that day, others a day, week or month later. Thesholds occur at different levels for different people. So to control the environment in this situation you would identify the "problem" (dripping tap) and have it fixed before it caused any distress (perferreably that day, before anyone noticed) therefore we have advoided unnecessary stress. The same thing applies to dogs - if we identify "problems" then control the environment before arosal level rises. Then stress is reduced or advoided.
Be proactive in your training and remember that every interaction with your dog is training.
If you have any questions please email me at [email protected]
It's all about maintaining thresholds and controlling the environment.
Say you are out for a walk with your dog, and in the distance: a cat, you have seen it, and now bracing for the reaction. What about instead you got your dogs attention before he saw it? Or changed your direction? Before he is all guns blazing and out of control. This is called working within the behavioural adjustment training zone.
All behaviours have thesholds for active or reactive responses. Take, for example in humans: a dripping tap, some people would HAVE to fix it that day, others a day, week or month later. Thesholds occur at different levels for different people. So to control the environment in this situation you would identify the "problem" (dripping tap) and have it fixed before it caused any distress (perferreably that day, before anyone noticed) therefore we have advoided unnecessary stress. The same thing applies to dogs - if we identify "problems" then control the environment before arosal level rises. Then stress is reduced or advoided.
Be proactive in your training and remember that every interaction with your dog is training.
If you have any questions please email me at [email protected]