Key Training Points:

• Be fair by being consistent. Let your dog know what to expect from you. 
• Be fair in your expectations. Dogs require a balance between indulging in their natural instincts and engaging in activities that challenge both their mental and physical capabilities. This equilibrium is essential for cultivating a disciplined and well-mannered state of mind. Sometimes you need to double down on challenging them, other times you need to let it go.
• Have fun with your dog! Play is such an important part of a healthy relationship. Running, jumping, tugging and tumbling will do wonders for your relationship.
•  Establishing clear boundaries is a fundamental aspect of fostering a healthy and mutually beneficial relationship between you and your dog. For example, even in a state of intense play, your dog should be careful enough with his teeth to bite only the toy and not your hands.
• Advocate for your dog. Don't set them up for failure. Don't hesitate to interrupt other people or dogs from interacting with your dog if your dog is feeling overwhelmed, whether it be excitement or insecurity.
• Vary your intensity in all things you do.  If your dog is in a higher state of intensity, you must match it. In contrast, if your dog is in a low state, you must lower your energy as well.
• Stay in the moment. Just because your dog did well or screwed up a moment ago, doesn't mean you need to let him get away with something or hold a grudge. Let it go. Stay in the moment of now.
• Be firm in your rules so the dog can rely on you. If you are always bending the rules, the dog tends to trust you less in times of need. Especially in regard to the world outside of the dog/handler relationship.
• Grooming, handling, massage and shared down time develop trust, and strengthen the bond.
• Regular physical exercise is vital for your dog's overall well-being, helping to maintain a healthy weight, prevent obesity-related issues, and promote cardiovascular health.  
• Exercising the mind helps prevent boredom, reduces behavioral problems, and fosters a strong bond between you and your furry companion. 

  Balanced dog training involves using all four quadrants of operant conditioning to create a versatile and effective approach. Positive reinforcement encourages good behavior, while corrections discourage undesirable actions. This balanced strategy helps trainers communicate clearly, address various behaviors, adapt to individual dogs, and enhance overall reliability. By combining these approaches ethically, trainers can foster a positive and disciplined relationship tailored to each dog's unique needs and learning style. 

The Four Quadrants of Operant Conditioning

1. Positive Reinforcement: Adding something pleasant to increase the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.
2. Negative Reinforcement: Removing something unpleasant to increase the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.
3. Positive Punishment: Adding something unpleasant to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.
4. Negative Punishment: Taking away something pleasant to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.

Examples of Each:

Positive Reinforcement:

• Giving a treat when a dog sits on command.

Negative Reinforcement:

• Stopping an annoying feeling when a dog stops jumping on you.

Positive Punishment:

• Spraying lemon juice on a leash to discourage chewing on the leash.

Negative Punishment:

• Withdrawing a toy when a dog shows inappropriate behavior during play.

 In the context of blindfolded children playing the hot and cold game, markers play a crucial role in guiding their movements. As the blindfolded child moves closer to the hidden object, a positive marker like "warmer" can be employed to indicate they are approaching the target, or "hot" when they've reached the target. Conversely, a negative marker such as "cold" is used when they move away or "freezing" when they've reached out of bounds. These auditory cues serve as feedback, allowing the child to adjust their direction based on the markers received, creating an engaging and accessible experience even without visual information.  We essentially use the same thing when training dogs.

"Goood": Bridge marker means I like what you're doing, keep doing it! Rewards can be given at times but must be given in a way that the dog can maintain the behavior.

"Yes": Terminal marker means that is perfect, you can now stop doing that and come and get your reward! Must be followed with a reward.

"Nope": You're going in the wrong direction, no reward will be found there. Can be followed by guidance.

"NO": That was wrong, don't ever do that again. Is followed by a correction.

There are so many more marks available to be utilized but these are the core markers used in all of our training. 

Sound: the sound of the mark should be reliably consistent without fluctuations in tone from frustrations. The Goood mark however is a bit of a rule breaker. This mark should be long and low to maintain happy feelings without over stimulating the dog. OR with high fluctuations if trying to increase energy in the dog. 

"Clickers" mark the moment the dog is correct. They are not a recall tool ;) 

Motivation is a HUGE factor in dog training. This is what gets our dogs to perform a behavior that could otherwise be meaningless to them. It's what makes them perform with more joy, speed and intensity. It's what causes them to take action and be persistent in that action. The more drive your dog has, the more you can utilize motivation. 

 The term motivation describes why an animal does something. It is the driving force behind your dog's actions. Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. For instance, motivation is what helps your dog continue to beg at the table, chase a cat, offer beautiful heeling, retrieve items for the handler. 

Basically the reward is your motivating factor. What motivates your dog? Food? Chasing? Praise and petting? Running? Biting? Tugging? Playing? The more motivators your dog has the more dynamic you can get in your training. 

Building drive thru play is not only great for your relationship with your dog but it dramatically increases your ability to utilize motivation to get your dog to perform with more dedication and enthusiasm. Play helps keep your dog's body in shape, it satisfies your dog's need to chase, catch and role play. Play is also fantastic to make sure your dog understands there are still rules in higher drives states (more exciting moments). 

My rules during play are: Let go when asked, don't bite the human, and no cheap shots. That means don't slam into me or steal the toy when I've asked for something else, for example "down."

Playing with a toy is best in predator vs prey actions. Chasing, catching, tugging. Remember not to put the toy in your dog's face. Make it move left, right and away. Make it move like a bunny, and in the words of Michael Ellis, "There's no suicide bunnies."

Fetch is fun too, but you need to be fun to bring the toy back to. Maybe you can tug when your dog gets back to you, or have a second identical toy of equal value. 

Wrestling. Lots of folks like to wrestle with their dog but you need to be aware that this encourages mouthing behaviors. So if you don't want your dog to use their mouth with humans, make sure that your dog has something to hold in their mouth while you play wrestle. 

Remember to switch roles while playing. It's not very fun if you are always winning. Your dog needs to win too. Let them pull you around, let them pull the toy from you, let them catch when you try to miss. As a very general rule your dog should win 65% of the time. The other 35% of the time they should miss and try harder. Of course this ratio fluctuates in the moment. If your dog starts to lose hope and they don't try as hard you've made it too hard. If they find it so easy they lack in power, you've made it too easy.

 Interrupting behavior in dog training serves several purposes, and the context in which it's applied can vary. Here are some common reasons for interrupting behavior:

1. Preventing Undesirable Actions:

• Immediate Correction: Interrupting behavior helps provide immediate feedback to the dog, signaling that a particular action is undesirable.
• Redirecting Attention: It allows for redirecting the dog's attention away from an inappropriate behavior and toward a more acceptable one.

2. Safety Considerations:

• Preventing Harm: Interrupting certain behaviors is crucial to prevent harm to the dog, other animals, or people.
• Avoiding Dangerous Situations: It helps in avoiding potentially dangerous situations, especially in cases of aggression, chasing, or destructive behavior.

3. Communication of Boundaries:

• Establishing Boundaries: Interrupting behavior helps establish and communicate boundaries, teaching the dog what is and isn't acceptable.
• Setting Expectations: It reinforces the rules and expectations within the household or training context.

4. Training Reinforcement:

• Associating Interruption with Correction: Over time, the dog learns to associate the interruption with a correction, helping in behavior modification.
• Consistency in Training: Consistent interruption reinforces the concept that certain actions are consistently undesirable.

5.  Addressing Behavioral Issues:

• Correcting Undesirable Habits: Interruption is a valuable tool in addressing and correcting undesirable habits or behaviors.
• Behavior Modification: It is often used in conjunction with positive reinforcement to modify behavior effectively.

6. Immediate Feedback:

• Timing in Training: The timing of the interruption is crucial for the dog to associate the correction with the specific behavior.
• Providing Clarity: Immediate feedback helps the dog understand the cause-and-effect relationship between their actions and the consequences.

7. Encouraging Calm Behavior:

• Promoting Calmness: Interrupting overly excited or hyperactive behavior helps promote a calmer state of mind.
• Teaching Patience: It teaches the dog to exhibit more patient and controlled behavior.

9. Establishing Leadership:

• Leadership Communication: In the context of pack dynamics, interrupting behavior helps communicate leadership and reinforces the owner's role as the guide.

10. Building Trust:

• Establishing Trust: When interruptions are used consistently and fairly, they contribute to building trust between the dog and the owner.
• Enhancing Communication: Clear communication through interruptions helps dogs understand what is expected of them.

After interrupting your dog's behavior, it's important to immediately redirect to a positive behavior and reinforce it with encouragement, praise, or rewards (depending on the level of understanding your dog has in that particular situation), you create a well-rounded training approach that emphasizes positive alternatives. This not only helps in correcting unwanted behavior but also builds a positive association with desired actions, fostering a stronger bond between you and your dog.

•  Redirecting a dog to a positive behavior after a correction or interruption is a crucial aspect of effective training. This step helps reinforce positive alternatives and ensures that the dog understands what is expected of them. Here's an expanded discussion that includes the importance of redirection to a positive behavior: 

Timing: 

1. Immediate Feedback

• Provide immediate feedback when the dog exhibits the desired behavior or follows a command correctly.
• Timely rewards or praise strengthen the association between the behavior and the positive outcome.

2. Correction Timing

• Correct undesirable behavior as close to the moment it occurs as possible.
• Quick corrections help the dog connect the correction with the specific behavior.

3. Consistent Timing

• Be consistent in the timing of commands, rewards, corrections, and redirection.
• Consistency helps the dog understand expectations and builds clarity in communication.

4. Use of Markers

• Implement markers, such as a clicker or verbal cues, to signal the exact moment the dog performs the desired behavior.
• Markers help bridge the gap between the behavior and the reward.

Communication: 

1. Clear and Concise Commands

• Use clear and concise verbal commands to communicate expectations.
• Avoid confusion by maintaining consistency in the language used.
• Keep the sound of the words consistent to themselves. Saying "sit," three different ways can increase the challenge of creating consistent understanding during the learning phase. 

2. Body Language

• Utilize consistent and clear body language to accompany verbal cues.
• Dogs often rely on visual cues, so your body language should align with your verbal commands, but should come AFTER the verbal cue.
• When overshadowing a verbal cue with the physical cues, the dog will learn to only respond to the physical cues instead of the verbal. Remember: Verbal BEFORE Physical. 

3. Positive Reinforcement

• Communicate positive reinforcement immediately after the desired behavior.
• Reinforce good behavior with treats, praise, or play to enhance the learning experience.

4. Redirecting Attention

• Effectively communicate when the dog needs to redirect their attention from an undesirable behavior to an acceptable one. Pay attention to the timing. 
• Use redirection techniques, such as providing an alternative command.

5. Consistent and Effective Corrections

• Clearly communicate corrections for undesired behavior, the correction should be quickly effective at interrupting the behavior so you can replace it with another. 
• Timing is critical to communicate which behavior it is that you are interrupting. 
•  Being consistent is crucial for effective communication and helps your dog understand what is expected. 

6. Dosage 

• The correction should be strong enough to change the behavior, but not so strong that the dog is in fear.
• If the dog continues to attempt the undesirable behavior more than 3 times, the correction is ineffective. 
• The first correction is a surprise, the second let's them know it wasn't a fluke, the third should only be required during the learning phase. 

7. Redirection to Positive Behavior

• After a correction or interruption, immediately redirect the dog to a positive behavior that aligns with training goals.
• Encourage and praise the dog for engaging in the redirected positive behavior.

8. Rewards Based on Understanding

• Adjust the level of reward based on the dog's understanding and proficiency in the behavior.
• For more challenging tasks, offer higher-value rewards to motivate the dog.
• As the dog's understanding increases, the rewards will be withheld until the task is accomplished with cleaner action, more effort or greater commitment.

9. Consistent Expectations

• Maintain fairness by keeping consistent expectations in different settings and environments.

10. Training in Various Environments

• Train the dog in different environments to enhance adaptability.
• Gradually expose the dog to new stimuli and challenges while maintaining effective communication.
• Do your best to keep the dog under threshold to promote the correct behavior and limit the need for interruptions. 

By incorporating redirection to positive behavior and reinforcing it with encouragement, praise, or rewards, you create a well-rounded training approach that emphasizes positive alternatives. This not only helps in correcting unwanted behavior but also builds a positive association with desired actions, fostering a stronger bond between you and your dog.

1.  Skill Development: Just like humans, dogs benefit from continuous mental and physical stimulation. Increasing the difficulty of tasks helps them develop new skills and enhances their overall abilities.
2. Prevents Boredom: Dogs can become bored if training remains too easy or repetitive. Boredom may lead to behavioral issues or a lack of interest in training sessions. Progressive challenges keep the training sessions engaging and interesting for the dog.
3. Prevents Complacency: Keep their mind active and engaged. It reinforces learned behaviors, builds on their existing skills, and helps them adapt to new situations, fostering a well-rounded and adaptable canine companion. 
4. Builds Confidence: Successfully overcoming increasingly difficult challenges builds a dog's confidence. This positive reinforcement encourages them to tackle new tasks with enthusiasm and optimism.
5. Maintains Engagement: Dogs are more likely to stay engaged and focused during training if they find the exercises interesting and challenging. This engagement is crucial for effective learning.
6. Generalization of Skills: Progressive challenges help dogs generalize their learned skills to different environments and situations. This ensures that the training is applicable in various real-life scenarios.
7. Promotes Bonding: Training sessions are not only about learning commands but also about building a strong bond between the dog and the owner. Challenging tasks require teamwork and communication, strengthening the relationship between the two.
8. Prevents Regression: Dogs may regress in their training if not consistently challenged. Gradually increasing difficulty helps maintain and reinforce previously learned behaviors, preventing the dog from forgetting or ignoring commands.

In summary, progressive challenges in training contribute to a well-rounded, engaged, and confident dog, fostering a positive and effective learning experience.

working on it!