The only goal we have with our own personal dogs is to shape them into attentive and willing followers! I believe in using operant conditioning — positive reinforcement given when the dog naturally performs a desired behavior. Such as, (without being told) the dog naturally sits, lays down, is attentive to you, comes to or follows you, etc.
I am guided by the following core beliefs:
- The use of Operant Conditioning to positively influence their desired behaviors.
- Condition your dog to be a reliable demand eater (dogs are not born as grazers)
- Be their benevolent leader
- Be pro-active versus reactive with your training and interactions
- Give you dog a job
- Behavior is not static, it is either getting better or getting worse
- Dogs are masters at reading our body language
- Be clear, concise, and consistent with your criteria
Creating this relationship requires some “Sit” and “Attention” training, which is the foundation upon which your entire relationship is built. I’m pleased to show you my recent Dog Blog post, using this beautiful, young Beabull “Duke” as my subject. Duke will help me guide you through my “sit” command protocol — showing you an inside view of my operant conditioning approach toward the desired goal of having an attentive and willing follower.
Watch the video to see if Duke gives me 10 consecutive responses to my 10 requests for him to “sit” and/or “watch” during our training sessions. I’ve even provided a downloadable PDF of the Sit Training Protocol, for you to print and take with you during training.