![]() ![]() “They taught you how to protect yourself. “(Getting bitten) was common enough that they taught you how to deal with it,” says White. He returned to work a different dog and went on to finish the program as a Distinguished Honor Graduate. The dog was willing to acquiesce to sit and perform heelwork, but was all too ready to fight back when White attempted to force him into a “down.” In an intense battle of wills, White sustained a bite that sidelined his training for two weeks. Punishment in Dog Training Creates Conflictįor many dogs, especially those who are deliberately selected for their high-drive personalities and strong physical and emotional make-up, these techniques routinely create a conflict between dog and handler that results in a bite.įor White, the bite came after working with “Astro,” his first canine partner. Most behaviors were taught using negative reinforcement, a technique where the handler applies physical or social pressure in an effort to coerce or force the dog to alter his behavior – for example, pushing on a dog’s backside to elicit a “sit” or using a collar and leash to drag a dog into a “down.” In both cases the dog learns that compliance relieves the pressure he works to avoid the uncomfortable situation. ‘That’s a good boy, that’s a good dog, that’s a good baby!’ At the same time you were practicing praising your rock, you were practicing leash corrections on a chain link fence. “They made you stand at your rock, get goofy and excited. ![]() ![]() “They taught us to praise our dogs by making us face and praise a rock,” White says. Konrad Most and William Koehler, and can best be described as a “carrots and sticks” approach. At the time, military dog training methods were based largely on the early work of Col. Army as a patrol dog handler at Lackland Air Force Base, a joint forces military installation in San Antonio, Texas. White’s early dog training experiences were spent in the U.S. A sergeant with the Seattle Police Department, White has more than 35 years of experience as a canine handler. Fortunately, a growing number are beginning to realize that positive reinforcement not only produces reliable dogs, it also decreases dog-handler conflict and creates stronger working relationships.Īmong the “serve and protect” leaders of the movement toward positive training is Seattle-based trainer Steve White. The trainers of working police dogs generally feel that their dogs – and their jobs – also require the use of force-based techniques a majority of law enforcement dog handlers still rely on compulsion. However, many handlers involved in precision-based sports such as field work, obedience, and Schutzhund, along with many pet owners of “strong” breeds such as Rottweilers, Dobermans, and so-called “bully” breeds, still believe a healthy dose of compulsion is necessary to convince the dog he must perform as “commanded” (as opposed to “cued” or “requested”). Positive reinforcement training has made significant inroads among much of the dog-owning population. ![]()
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