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Kwame graduates

Basenji Training

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  • eeeefarmE

    Operant Conditioning (explained)

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    eeeefarmE
    @elbrant said in Operant Conditioning (explained): @eeeefarm said in Operant Conditioning (explained): some professional trainers suggest to their classes that they starve dogs that aren't all that food motivated This is just disturbing... in today's society, this type of behavior would be considered animal cruelty. Certainly we can find a way to encourage compliance without depriving an animal basic care. I know, it shocked me too when I heard it. The first instance was a friend of mine whose Border Collie was disinterested in food rewards, and she was advised by the instructor not to feed the dog anything on class days so there would be an incentive to accept treats. The second instance was my niece, and in this case a German Shepherd dog that again didn't want to take treats, and she was given the same advice by a different trainer, in fact in a different city, so it appears that it isn't unusual. Both these dogs work well for praise and in both cases the owners declined to starve the dogs....
  • eeeefarmE

    Know when to walk away....

    Basenji Training
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    elbrantE
    Let's also consider that when you chase your dog, the dog thinks it's a game and will run away from you. Like... "you can't catch me!" Man, Basenji's can bolt! On the other hand, when you are the one running away, the dog instinctively joins you because you are part of the dog's family/pack. This is not to be confused with a learned command to chase an assailant, in Police work, for example. That would be a totally different game of chase.
  • eeeefarmE

    Learning from nature

    Basenji Training
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    tanzaT
    @eeeefarm - Totally agree with both of you, while I don't do the "restrain the pup", but if it works great and in a pinch it does work for me if really needed. When we have pups (babies) and Mom is tired of them and puts herself in a position that they can't reach her, they turn to the next adult in the house.... same thing will happen if they get over excited and yes, I have seen Basenji Moms, pin the pup to the ground and/or other adults in the home.... so it is something that a pup understands. Walking away works for me... or I try to change up the "game" by turning to working their minds and getting them to think about other things. In the Basenji Breed this is another way of teaching them that the prior behavior is not acceptable. They learn pretty quickly. Thanks for posting this thread eeeefarm... well needed...
  • eeeefarmE

    Communication

    Basenji Training
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  • thunderbird8588T

    Kwame

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    thunderbird8588T
    @Shaye's: Good for Kwame and you, too! Love his collar, great picture. thank you, his collar is vintage blue leather with a silver running hare surrounded by crystals, i don't normaly do bling but couldn't resist this
  • V

    Graduation

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    lvossL
    One of the games my instructor plays during graduation class is Musical Settles. Kind of like musical chairs except the one eliminated is the one whose dog lays down last after the owner sits, which is the only cue the dog gets. My basenjis have always done poorly at this game because they hate laying down on cold ground and though they will offer a sit, down is usually more than they are willing to do. Which is okay with me, we always kick butt at the recall game, basenjis are wicked fast! Anyway, at one of the many graduation days that we have attended we amazed everyone by making it all the way to the final two and then even more amazement when me and Nicky won. That was the only time my instructor made a basenji related comment which was, "See how practice and reinforcement pays off, the basenji won musical settles!"