Dog 360

Step 1: Follow the No Free Lunch policy.
To do this, you must become aware of all the things your dog likes.
These things are the dog’s unconditioned reinforcers, and even some self-taught conditioned reinforcers. The family should sit down and make a list. The dog should be required to do at least a simple “sit” before gaining access to anything she likes. This is No Free Lunch policy.
A sample list of a dog’s reinforcers may be:
◆ Food treats
◆ Playing Frisbee
◆ Fetching a tennis ball
◆ Going for a walk
◆ Going for a ride in a car
◆ Having her ears rubbed
◆ Having her chest scratched
◆ Going out to the backyard
◆ Playing with other dogs
Step 2: Teach a verbal conditioned reinforcer.
The reason you teach the dog a verbal conditioned reinforcer, such as “good,” is so you can communicate to your dog, “You just did the right thing and will get something you like for doing that.”
Remember, using the word “good” as your conditioned reinforcer is different from general praise like, “Oh, what a good boy you are!” This conditioned reinforcer (“good”) serves as a bridge to connect the correct behavior and the reinforcement, and is said at the moment the
dog does the proper behavior. This conditioned reinforcer, or bridge, must be said after each correct response to let the dog know she gave the correct response to your command.
Initially, you will be following each “good” with an unconditioned reinforcer (such as food), until the dog is at least 90 percent correct in her responses to a particular command. By teaching the dog a conditioned reinforcer, the dog will be just as happy when you say the word
“good” as she is when given a food treat, because she will anticipate getting a food treat each time she hears “good.”
The word “good” alone will eventually get this positive response, even when you have no food treat to give the dog. The power of the word “good” will need to be “recharged” by following it occasionally (about 25 percent of the time) with an unconditioned reinforcer.
Preferably, the unconditioned reinforcers will come after the dog’s best responses.
Step 3: Hide the rewards.
As soon as you possibly can, you must learn to hide the rewards you intend to give the dog. Hiding food treats and toys around the house that are out of the dog’s reach and awareness is a good way to start. This will enable you to surprise the dog with a reward. Give the dog an obedience command that you feel certain she will obey, then surprise the dog with the reward you have hidden. For example, give the dog the “sit” command very near to where
you have a reward hidden. The dog sits and you say “good.” You then release the dog with “OK” and reward the dog with one of the following:
◆ Giving the dog a food treat you had hidden in the room
◆ Playing with the dog using a toy you had hidden in the room
◆ Letting the dog go outside
If you only give the dog the things she likes after she obeys, she will look forward to obedience because it always comes before the things she likes.
Step 4: Offer food rewards at random times.
When the dog complies 90 percent of the time to a particular obedience command, you need not follow each “good” with an actual food reward. Be aware of your dog’s average obedience level, and only follow “good” with a food reward for better-than-average responses.
The dog will soon notice that only her best obedience gets rewarded. Never fall below a 25-percent reward rate (rewarding the top 25 percent of the dog’s responses). If you stick to the No Free Lunch policy and always give food rewards at least 25 percent of the time, you will be amazed at how willing your dog is to be obedient.
If you combine this with proper corrections for disobedience and go back a level following any disobedience, you will have a dog who is reliable and happily obedient for the rest of her life.
Remember, these methods and principles take time to understand and to master. Patience, understanding, practice and love will enable everyone to attain the goals you seek with your pets.