Training Blog

[Quercus]

http://www.michaelbaugh.com/?p=248

Really interesting blog about positive reinforcement training I would love to hear some of your thoughts!

[ToughAndPrissy]

Yeah, I still lurk around here. So much good advice!

I can't help but reply to this. I started my B-mix out with a supposedly "positive only" trainer for his first class. Really, it was positive rewards and positive punishment, and made my dog more reactive. I think he also picked up on my discomfort with screaming at him, yanking the collar, etc. After the conclusion of that class (I regret not trusting my instinct and just quitting), I joined this forum, in hopes to understand my dog better because I saw that he was not responding to traditional training methods.
I also found this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWSJVwZybwo
We started with that, and now my dog knows at least 20 commands/tricks. Our relationship is 1000% improved, even if he still has some quirks. This youtube trainer (channel name Kikopup) has videos for teaching everything, and how to do it with no intimidation. In my horrible collar correction class, I had a dog heeling, head down, eyes glazed over. Who really wants that???? I now have a happy, tail-wagging, heels-before-I-ask dog because he associates heeling with rewards and praise.
Sorry for the huge post, I just had to bump this up.

[sharronhurlbut]

ToughAndPrissy, glad you found something that helped your b learn as well as bond to you. Welcome!

[Patty]

This a very interesting article, Andrea. I'm not a professionla trainer and only have little experience in the field of professional dog trainers here. Those I do know mainly use positive reinforcement but I also know some old school trainers who while professing to now use positive reinforcement do rather confuse the two.

I love and totally agree with his statement that 'training is not something we do to our dogs: its something we do with them'. This I think sums up completely the way we need to train our Basenjis for the best results.

Toughand Prissy, thank you for posting that excellent video link.