Non Reward Training
Dog training
discs are now in widespread use in modern dog
training classes and have been one of the focal points of the revolution in dog
training that has occurred in the past few years. This is simply because the
technique behind them offers owners and trainers a kind and more effective way
of correcting unwanted behaviors in dogs, without the fear-invoking punishments
of old, such as the horrible 'corrective' choke chains so beloved of Barbara
Woodhouse.
What
are dog training disks?
Dog
training discs were designed by the late John Fisher, when he realised the
importance of establishing and using a clear signal of non-reward in dog
training to complement the obvious and easy signals that go with rewarding a
dog. They consist of five brass tambourine-shaped discs on a key ring which,
when chinked together or shaken, produce a sound which, importantly, is unlike
any other everyday noise. The design and shape of the discs means they can be
picked up and carried silently both prior to, and after, use. In operation, a
fundamental premise of the discs is that they should never be used to startle or
threaten a dog, rather they are used to communicate calmly but very definitely
to the dog that the behavior he is about to perform will fail to earn him the
reward he is expecting. Initially, of course, the sound made by the discs is
meaningless to the dog, and it is the introductory process of the discs which is
crucial to the dog's perception of what they mean and which makes them such an
effective tool in the modification of inappropriate behaviors.
How
dog training disks work
The discs are a signal of non-reward or denial, taught to the dog away from the
problem behavior. The dog learns to associate the discs with the removal of an
expected reward, rather than as something that startles him. The difference in
emotional terms is that he remains calm and mildly frustrated on hearing the
sound of the discs. Bear in mind that this does not work on every dog.
As soon as a pre-conditioned dog hears the discs, he knows that his behavior is about to fail to earn him the reward which he is expecting to receive, such as contact and attention for the jumping up.
The emotional response triggered by the sound of the discs is resignation with mild frustration, as he realises that his anticipated reward for that particular behavior is not forthcoming. In this calm, resigned state the dog is then immediately ready to experiment with a new, more appropriate behavior to get the reward of social contact that he seeks and to be rewarded (positively reinforced) for that. For example, he will greet the owner with all four feet on the ground instead of jumping up. This contrasts with punishing or startling the dog for jumping up, for example, by smacking or shouting at him, or even just pushing him away. Such reactions contain some element of reward for the unwanted behavior but, more importantly, are likely to prime the dog's fight / flight system and make him highly aroused, reactive and unpredictable. His body will be prepared for survival against such threats, and punishment could even trigger a fearful or possibly an aggressive response from the dog in his own defence, and he will be in no state to learn an alternative behavior. He will also be in serious conflict as to whether his owner is a source of friendship or a threat that may attack him simply for greeting him!