What is choice training my dog?
Times are changing in dog training, which is great!
We already have a big movement towards positive reinforcement methods. Barks & Splendour really value the power of giving your dogs choices – in life, and when training.
You may have heard of positive reinforcement. In a nutshell this means:
”Rewarding dogs for desired behaviour through the use of a clicker or click word, followed by a reward of food or something else motivating”
Scientifically speaking this increases the likelihood of your dog repeating the desired behaviour in the future.
However, it is not as simple as it sounds for it to be truly effective. This is where the expertise of a professional and qualified dog trainer is essential.
Timing of the marker word and delivery of reward is key, and also where the reward is delivered. Then we need to consider the reward its self regarding suitability and effect on it’s success chances, the frequency rate of reward, the environment, how the dog is feeling, and when and how it is delivered. Reward training is not waving a treat around. It is also not a bribe. Rewards come after, and often appear after the desired behaviour has happened, with right timing.
Dogs are pretty clever! & lovely .
But this discussion is about choice training with dogs, not about usual positive reinforcement.
So what is choice training?
BARKS & splendour
Giving your dog choices within training, so they can feel empowered, and choose to engage or not engage. Only doing things they are comfortable with and engaging on their terms.
Choosing to do things when they WANT to actually supercharges their training. Makes training more engaging, fun and is great for building in your relationship bank
Allowing this also means they can decide & choose if they are comfortable in a situation, or not. We can tell by reading their body language- extremely beneficial to learn.
Then we can respect this.
There is a wide scope in choice training. For example, if your dog is fearful of something, then the best thing we can do is allow distance & not force anything that’s scary for that interaction. We build up in comfortable stages.
Would you like to try this for yourself?
Give it a try for yourself! Change your ‘sit’ method.
Instead of asking for a sit, allow your dog the opportunity to choose to sit. You can then mark the behaviour the second it happens and reward.
As a dog professional who also helped a rescue centre in Cyprus called Lost Paws for two years, I dod no training with these dogs. The focus in supporting them came in supporting their emotional needs, their sensory needs, and their needs as a dog. But one thing that I occasionally did, was reward some great that choices naturally happened.
Barks & Splendour is a lifestyle enhancement company especially developed for dog owners, supporting both dog and owner to have the best life together. This life, is so much more than training. We are passionate about one of our key areas in canine wellness of giving dogs opportunities to make choices.
Our immersive canine wellness experience sessions allow complete choice for your dog, including sensory exploration, confidence building, self selections of nutrition, scent exploration and more. Clients are taken on an immersive journey during the session and see your dog in a new light.
All clients enjoy a restful time after the wellness experience as dogs are so relaxed and nourished, they sleep for hours once home. Choice in your dog’s life, the right times brings many benefits for you both.
Would you like to experience a canine wellness session with your dog?
Contact us, or sign up to our e-letters to find about how to be on the invite list with Barks & Splendour.
”We control 99% of our dogs choices every day, giving our dogs safe opportunities to exercise agency and make their own choices is heart-warming and simply wonderous to watch them grow”’
Give it a try for yourself! Change your ‘sit’ method.
Instead of asking or telling, consider allow your dog the opportunity to choose something this week.
