Martin System BEAGLE MASTER 4 x 4, User Manual

Page: 50 / 68

48
Dog Training Techniques
1. WhaT is ThE MOTivaTiON FOR a dOg TO accEPT TRaiNiNg?
The reasons which can move a dog to obey commands are:
● It brings pleasant sensations
● It removes unpleasant sensations (training)
● Evading unpleasant sensations = “aversion” training
(from aversion = repulsion, nausea, etc.)
2. dOg TRaiNiNg PhiLOsOPhy
Do you have to teach the dog something or do you have to remove its bad habits?
2.1 Teaching
Behaviourists envisage two rewards:
● Positive reward = providing something pleasant
● Negative reward = removing something unpleasant
Both convince the animal to reproduce a given behaviour.
With the positive reward training method, 4000 to 6000 exercises are necessary
for a relative obedience. This is the reason why most people fail in their attempts
(not enough repeat exercises).
With the training techniques using negative rewards, only 400 to 600 training cycles
are needed (10 times faster).
In addition, in the case of occasional disobedience, the animal will understand
electronic correction much better.
2.2 Removing bad habits
In order to properly eliminate unwanted behaviour, it has to be linked with a
sufficiently unpleasant stimulation (aversion).
The animal will react to the unpleasant stimulation by a survival reflex (in the same
way that every normal person will immediately pull their hand away from water
which is too hot…).
It can be considered that 90% of dog owners have not consciously trained their dog,
but in fact it is just the opposite, it is the dog that has trained its owner to react to
certain behaviour. For example, if he barks, you open the door for him, if he shakes