Often when folks hear the words, “positive reinforcement” they think of folks carrying around a plastic bag of cut up hotdogs (Ok…I DO do this). As Pat  Miller said, “I prefer to have a cookie in my pocket than a chain around the neck of my dog.”

Positive reinforcement can be anything that your animal will work for. This means that reinforcing or rewarding the dog can be in the form of praise, play, food, toys, or anything else that your dog considers worth working for.

It has been demonstrated that the most effective way to train a dog is to reward good behavior. Furthermore, it has been shown that rewarding good behavior will increase the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.

“Positive training helps to establish and maintain a connection that increases trust and therefore creates a stronger bond between dog and owner because if your dog feels good about you, he will be a happier, more confident and better-behaved dog.”-Victoria Stilwell

Remember that positive training relies on consistency and repetition, so be patient and you will see results.

If you need help getting started… contact PAW Positive Animal Welfare today!

Don’t like your dog jumping up? Resist punishing him/her, because this attention is precisely what your dog wants. The best thing to do is give your dog attention BEFORE he/she jumps. When they jump up, completely ignore them until they have 4 feet on the floor. At the EXACT moment that that occurs, have a party! Praise and show them that they don’t need to jump up to receive love. Be patient the first few times. Consistency and the speed of your attention as reward will show you the fruits of your labor. It works!

Thanks fellow PR KPA CTP Marla and Proyecto Maya (check out Proyecto Maya on FaceBook)!

No te gusta que tu perro te salude brincando? Resiste regañarlo, pues precisamente lo que busca es atención. Mejor intenta darle atención ANTES de que brinque. En el momento que brinca, ignóralo por completo hasta que sus 4 patas toquen el piso. En el INSTANTE que ocurra, hazle una fiesta! Agáchate tú para que él no tenga que brincar para recibir cariñitos. Se paciente las primeras veces. La consistencia y rápidez al recompensar con tu atención te darán frutos notables.

The custom PAW box of clickers has arrived! If you are participating in a class or if you hire me as a private trainer you will receive a clicker (and instructions on how to properly use it).

Clicker training leads to better human-animal relationships. Clickers offer a language for communicating more precisely and clearly. Clickers are a marker which means that a positive reward is to follow. Clickers mean good things are happening.

Let’s get clicking already!