Quote:
Originally Posted by fostermom  BUT the other night he kept jumping on me. When I ignored the behavior he seemed to escalate it, barking and grabbing at my pants legs and sleeves....after the third time in about half an hour that he did that, I caved and YELLED! |
This is self rewarding behaviour, and obviously the dog did not understand you did not want him to do it, till you made that clear. Yelling may not have been the best choice, but in this case is seemed to get the message accross, loud and clear. I would not make it a habit though.
I don't believe in any one single method. LIke your trainer, I do believe in "incentive" and training the dog in drive and creating "movitated" training behaviours. It is not the only way to train, especially with strong willed rottweilers. Give them an inch, they'll take a mile. My second trainer when my boy was a pup, trains and teaches other trainers using "purely positive" methods. I was given some advice, that she would not have normally given out to even her own student trainers to be. But she is a good dog behaviourist, and she knows dogs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fostermom the problem is that you are so entwined in the old "make them behave or else" methodology that it is inhibiting your ability to grasp the concept of giving dogs a choice and rewarding the correct choices. Dogs do what is rewarding for them...PERIOD |
Do it or else is compulsion. Thats not really what we're talking about here. Well, I dunno about anyone else. But when you let the dog thinks he has a choice, your not always going to get the response you are "hoping" for. Example. Dog has basic OB, comes when called but its not lightning speed or anything. Responds in your house, when out in the yard. Okay, so your at your friends, the dogs are playing out back...you call your dog....Hmmm....a dog with a "choice" is not going to come, he will "choose" to keep playing, cuz well, thats more fun. A dog that doesn't think, just does it because he was trained with motivation and drive, is going to stop whateve rhe is doing and high tail it to you. Why? Because he didn't think he had the choice, he does it because he was programmed to do it. Do it now, do it fast. Period. No compulsion, just using drives and motivation.
There arent just 2 ways to train , 1)purely positive 2) compulsion - which is what your trainer is implying. If you don't train my way, you are using compulsion. I think I speak on behalf of many members here that we use various bits and peices of many different methods tailored specifically to our dog. One method of training doesn't work for every dog and breed. Period.