Books on positive traing. - Page 1

Anyone some good ideas about some books/dvd about the positive training of gsd's?

Thanks,

I enjoyed reading this book.  The Art of Raising a Puppy ,by the Monks of New Skete. Its an older book. I would be interested to see what others recommend.

I would just advise you please do not get carried away by this whole "Positive" training wave. Take it with a pinch of salt. It's more of a marketing gimmick to sell dvds and books by authors.

cheers

Arlette,

I am a trainer. I'm not sure where you live, but if you pm me I'll get in touch.

I have used the monks books...take what I need leave the rest. I also am a firm believer that food is not love. I do not even use treats when training. On occasion when working with a stubborn breed such as corgis, I'll use trests for platz stay orsitz stay. Contact me. All the best.

Ravenhawk

Purely Positive Training by Sheila Booth.

If interested in positive training I suggest "The Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson.

Do not expect to have suggestions from someone who does not apply positive training 100%. Now for advanced obedience such as SchH there are hardly any true believers. Most of the people that engage in SchH use aversives or at the best chance they are only partly positive.

The truth is that positive training has started to gain significant ground over the existing methods when some people came to realise that it really can work and mainly without breaking the dog's character but using it as a means for learning. It is all (positive or not) based in learning theory which although still imperfect is definately working.

So, if you are to engage in any kind of training there are 3 approaches:

1) Use trial & error which is what most of the "old fashioned" trainers do

2) Be completely positive

3) Be somewhere in between, which is what some "old-fashioned" trainers have switched to

Let me give an example:

Supposing we want the dog to jump the barrier, fetch the dumbell and bring it back.

Most would not leave another option to the dog but jump the barrier (either by correction or by creating a technical obstruction to the dog) and leave only one option to the dog and give him space only by jumping the barrier. Thus the dog is learning that "Given the circumstances the only thing I do is jump over the barrier"

In positve training WE WANT THE DOG TO MAKE A MISTAKE and thus find out by himself that there is no reward for that but only for the case that he jumps with no physical or thechnical restrictions. It takes some patience at first but when the dog gets it, he will work for you 100% PLUS you will have a "thinking" dog...

Now, that is only what I think and do...

I am not saying that the traditional "old fashioned" methods using aversives do not work. They definately do IF YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING. Of course, I will never understand people how can one know the pain or discomfort levels of each and every dog in the use of eg the prong collar (unless of course they were a dog). I have seen dogs' necks bleeding by that and the dog still fight and do not "aus" the sleeve. To me this not not healthy training, I do not like it and will never consent to it. 

The point is that ALL of us want to have a working dog. Everyone has an opinion on his own. Every dog may have a different approach. I just prefer to use learning theory of Pavlov, Skinner, Bailey, ect and pratice them trying to have a good outcome rather that exercising aversives which make also myself (not only my dogs) frustrating and lossing control sometimes. I have been there for a while and did not like it at all...

 Ivan Balabanov's books and dvd. He has proven it time after time. I never herd of the others.

 Steve White is a police k9 trainer and officer with 30 yrs. experience.  He started out with the force methods and now with great results uses positive training methods.  He is a wealth of knowledge and a wonderful human being.

Go to dogwise and there are dvd's of his seminar..

he does have to use corrections on occasion, but they are light collar corrections and they are used very sparingly.

Jean Donaldson, Patricia Mcconell, Ph.d,  Ian Dunbar are top behavorists and trainers that understand dogs have the capabilty to learn, if we would just take the time to learn how they learn instead of imposing physical force on them.

 There is no reason to hurt  a dog in order for him to learn.  Dogwise has many books of these trainers and also dvd's of their seminars.  Also if you join the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, you will find an abundance of humane training techniques and material.

I do use food, we get paid for a job well done, why should'nt our dogs?  You have to feed them anyway, so have them do some work for it. Once they learn the exercise, games, balls, frisbee, walks, tugs are also considered a paycheck.

Steve White and Ivan have shown police protection work, tracking and shutzund can be taught without force.

Best of luck to you and remember it is your dog, don't let anyone talk you into hurting your dog for the sake of training. It's your job to look out for him. 

 Petros,

GREAT POST.  I see we're on the same page ,  I agree 100%.

We all have a choice on how to train, I've done it the old way, like you, I'm not saying it doesn't work, but why would I want to choose to hurt my dog, when there are kinder methods?!   And if not done correctly you can absolutely ruin a dog and create a much larger problem than what you started with, like aggression.

I work with many aggressive cases and most of the time you can trace it to owners that just did not know any better and let some trainer man handle their dog, causing fear. And what does a fearful dog do?, he bites.

I appreciate your information and your dog is one "lucky dog"!!

Laura

 Ivan Balabanov