Positive Reinforcement Archives

Positive Reinforcement Training & Fear of Clickers
Positive Reinforcement Training & Fear of Clickers

Blog of the Month

Positive Reinforcement Training & Fear of Clickers

Positive Reinforcement Training & Fear of Clickers When you first begin positive reinforcement training using a clicker, you may find that your dog is startled by the sound. This is normal - this isn't a sound they hear often, and certainly not so close to them. This will pass quickly once they begin to associate the sound with the reward they immediately receive. If Your Dog Doesn't Respond Well to a Clicker There could be a few reasons why your dog does not readily respond to clicker training. First and foremost - ALWAYS pair the click with a high value treat or something rewarding to your dog (such as a toy). Change the Sound If your dog is sound sensitive, there are a variety of clickers to choose from! look for a clicker that's more "quiet." If this is still too loud, you can try clicking while the clicker is in your pocket to muffle the noise. Use a Verbal Cue Instead of a Clicker Use a verbal cue such as "good" or "yes" (instead of the click) with a reward of a high value treat or your dog’s favorite toy. Do you want more information on how to desensitize [...]

By Shannon Riley (Coyner)|2022-08-13T13:10:33-07:00August 12th, 2022|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

Bringing a New Dog Into the Home
Bringing a New Dog Into the Home

Blog of the Month

Bringing a New Dog Into the Home

How Do I Bring a New Dog Into a Home With Other Dogs Personality matters most and dogs of different sizes can get along! Start Introducing a New Dog Slowly If both dogs are comfortable with other dogs, and exhibit relaxed body language* try the following: (*Not sure what relaxed canine body language is? Check out Truly Force Free Animal Training's Understanding Canine Body Language webinar!) Make sure to have a high value treat on hand! Keep all dogs on leash while introducing to each other in an open space such as a backyard. You may need more than one handler when introducing multiple dogs. Try parallel walks with 2 handlers and 2 dogs. Let the dog sniff the new area/ environment as this calms the dog. Let the dog guide you and gradually get closer. Forcing this can cause even more problems so it is important to take it slow! Remember, slow and steady wins the race! If one or both dogs are reactive towards each other, we recommend contacting a professional dog trainer or behavior consultant before trying this on your own. For more information on the different theories of dog training and how to train your [...]

By Shannon Riley (Coyner)|2022-08-12T11:08:07-07:00July 19th, 2022|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

Recommendations for Training a New Pet
Recommendations for Training a New Pet

Blog of the Month

Recommendations for Training a New Pet

5 Recommendations For Training a New Pet 5 Recommendations For Training Your New Dog Starting off your relationship correctly can make all the difference in the satisfaction both of you have going forward. It shouldn't be rushed or forced as it sets the tone for all future interactions.Patience is Key:You are building a new relationship and you both need time to build trustConsistency:Being consistent will help your puppy or dog understand your expectations faster.Supervision:Paying attention is important to help prevent your dog or puppy from making mistakes.Be Kind:Training takes time and mistakes will happen, but it will go much smoother when you have empathy and compassion. Find Something That Motivates Your Dog:All dogs like rewards but not all dogs like the same treats, toys or games - recognize your dog’s preferences.Product RecommendationsThese products, such as some of these food dispensing toys, can help make the training process easier, and more fun for your dog!RedBarnFreedom No-Pull HarnessKongKong WobblerKibble Nibble BallBuster Food CubeFor more information on the different theories of dog training and how to train your dog without pain or fear using positive reinforcement/ reward based methods, check out The Evolution of Dog Training, by Shannon Riley-Coyner on Amazon. "This post may contain [...]

By Shannon Riley (Coyner)|2022-06-13T20:42:33-07:00June 13th, 2022|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

Filling Your Pet’s Emotional Bank Account
Filling Your Pet’s Emotional Bank Account

Blog of the Month

Filling Your Pet’s Emotional Bank Account

Filling your pet's emotional bank account (what is it and how to use it) The Gottman Institute states the following: The Emotional Bank Account in Human Terms Essentially, when you turn toward your partner’s bids for connection, you are making a deposit in your Emotional Bank Account (EBA). And when you turn away from your partner, you make a withdrawal. Just like a real bank account, a zero balance is trouble, and a negative balance is the real danger zone. An Emotional Bank Account grows when partners make more deposits than withdrawals. In a six-year follow-up study of newlywed couples, couples who remained married turned toward their partner’s bids for emotional connection 86% of the time in the lab, while those who divorced averaged 33%. The difference between happy and unhappy couples is how they manage their Emotional Bank Account. When the Emotional Bank Account is in the red, partners tend to question each other’s intentions and feel disconnected, or even lonely. But when the Emotional Bank Account is in the green, partners tend to give each other the benefit of the doubt during conflict. They keep their relationship in the positive perspective. Your Pet's Emotional Bank Account The same [...]

By Shannon Riley (Coyner)|2022-06-13T20:42:48-07:00May 18th, 2022|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

Traditional vs Positive Reinforcement Dog Training
Traditional vs Positive Reinforcement Dog Training

Blog of the Month

Traditional vs Positive Reinforcement Dog Training

Can you trust the advice your trainer's giving you? Sadly, I often hear of trainers giving advice that appears made up, with no real theoretical or scientific basis. In most places, becoming a dog trainer requires no formal training or education. Therefore, uneducated trainers dispense a lot of misinformation. This is sad and inexcusable, because in the last twenty years, our scientific understanding of how dogs think, learn and feel has greatly expanded. We no longer have to guess at what training methods are most effective. Based on the scientific data, we can examine both how traditional training works and how positive reinforcement training works, as well as how these trainings impact dogs. In particular, we now have enough information to understand how the use of pain and force negatively impacts a dog's ability to learn as compared to positive reinforcement-based techniques. To understand these differences, we must first understand how these two training methods work. Traditional Training Traditional Training is the basic philosophy of traditional trainers which is to correct any unwanted behavior using a leash correction or “pop” and then praise the appropriate behavior. For example, a traditional trainer may ask a dog to sit. If the [...]

By Shannon Riley (Coyner)|2022-04-18T13:14:41-07:00March 17th, 2022|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

Why Everyone In The Family Should Be Involved In Training
Why Everyone In The Family Should Be Involved In Training

Video of the Month

Why Everyone In The Family Should Be Involved In Training

By Shannon Riley (Coyner)|2022-10-24T12:29:39-07:00December 1st, 2021|Video of the Month|0 Comments

Teaching the Humans
Teaching the Humans

Blog of the Month

Teaching the Humans

Teaching the Humans Like humans, dogs respond best to praise, encouragement, and rewards. When I am working with my clients, at some point they eventually realize that I am not actually teaching their dogs, I am teaching them how to teach their dogs. I admit that working with a dog who is experiencing fear, anxiety, one who is barking, growling, or lunging, may be more challenging, but teaching your dog the basics is not as complicated. In addition, once you understand the basics of how to teach your dog, helping them in fearful situations will be easier. I work with dogs who just need to learn manners, dogs that bite, and everything in between. No Bad Dogs, Only Bad Behavior With all of the dogs and people I have worked with, I have never met a bad dog, and I have never met a bad person. I have met many dogs that exhibit bad or inappropriate behavior, and I have met many people who don’t know what to do in those situations. I often compare it to a parent who has a child that had severe ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s, or another brain disease. The parents are not [...]

By Shannon Riley (Coyner)|2022-01-11T16:30:25-08:00November 10th, 2021|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

Why Everyone In The Family Should Be Involved In Training
Why Everyone In The Family Should Be Involved In Training

Video of the Month

Why Everyone In The Family Should Be Involved In Training

By Shannon Riley (Coyner)|2021-11-08T20:11:51-08:00November 1st, 2021|Video of the Month|0 Comments

Why Is My Dog Eating Rocks
Why Is My Dog Eating Rocks

Blog of the Month

Why Is My Dog Eating Rocks

Why Do Dogs Eat Rocks? Dogs can eat rocks for many reasons - habit, boredom, play, curiosity, anxiety... Sometimes it starts out as curiosity then turns into a habit. The habit often gets worse when the people give the dog a lot of attention when they have the rock in their mouth. What Re the Risks of a Dog Eating Rocks? No matter what their reason is, it can be dangerous. They can break their teeth, choke and/ or create an obstruction in their digestive tract. Dogs can require surgery to remove rocks from their stomach or to remove teeth that break from chewing on the rock. How Do I Stop My Dog From Eating Rocks? There are many ways to STOP dogs from eating rocks: Prevent access to the rocks - remove them or block access in your yard or keep them on leash when they are around rocks. Teach your dog "leave it" and "drop it." Be sure to use high value treats when you reward them for doing “leave it” or “drop it.” Provide other safe toys for them to chew on like stuffed Kongs, no hide chews, bully sticks, food dispensing toys/ kibble nibble ball, Kong [...]

By Shannon Riley (Coyner)|2021-10-18T21:54:35-07:00October 18th, 2021|Blog of the Month|0 Comments