Full Transcript for Learning Theory For Real Life Dogs

constantly in dog training. 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:05.120 The most obvious place you see it is in marker words. 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:12.560 So when I first teach a dog what yes means, I'm pairing the sound of my voice, yes, with a treat. 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:19.839 I follow it up with a reward of some sort over and over until yes alone makes the dog excited. 00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:23.439 The word then becomes meaningful through association. 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:26.480 So that is classical conditioning. 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:34.959 It's also what we're doing when we introduce uh like scary things slowly and pair them with good things. 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:41.279 So, like your dog is nervous around strangers, we pair strangers with a high value reward. 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:44.399 Over time, the dog starts to feel differently about strangers. 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:46.639 It's the same principle. 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:49.759 Operant conditioning is different. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:53.839 Operant conditioning is learning through consequences. 00:06:54.079 --> 00:07:02.319 The dog does something, something happens as a result, and that outcome changes the likelihood of the dog doing that thing again. 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:13.519 So, this is the foundation of all the training we're gonna talk about today, and it breaks down into four quadrants that I will walk you through one by one. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:22.079 It took me, like to be completely honest, it took me probably far too long to actually understand the quadrants. 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:43.839 And I have my little notes in front of me just so that I don't mess anything up, but I am sharing all of this information with you, knowing that I don't necessarily talk to my clients about this in sessions, and I talk to my virtual shadow program students a lot about this. 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:55.360 Is that like I don't necessarily use the fancy terminology, but I do think that it's very important for us to understand the science and why we're doing what we're doing. 00:07:55.680 --> 00:08:01.439 So before I get into the four quadrants, I want to clear something up. 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:07.040 In learning theory, positive and negative don't mean good and bad. 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:12.079 Positive means you're adding something, negative means you're removing something. 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:20.000 And that distinction matters enormously and is what trips most people up when they first learn this. 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:22.879 I this, I really struggled with this, I'm not gonna lie. 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:26.639 And I also like went to school for this and I still struggle with it a little bit. 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:31.920 So just hold that in your head as we go through the four quadrants. 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:34.559 Okay, four quadrants. 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:45.279 Each one is defined by two things: whether you're adding or removing something, and whether the result increases or

decreases a behavior. 00:08:45.440 --> 00:08:47.279 So let's go through all four. 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:52.080 Quadrant one is positive reinforcement or R. 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:57.039 You add something, the dog likes, the behavior increases. 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:01.919 For example, dog sits, you give them a treat, then the dog sits more. 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:04.080 That is positive reinforcement. 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:10.639 This is what most people think of when they think of dog training, and it makes sense because it's the most intuitive. 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:16.639 You do the thing that I want, good stuff happens, you do it more, clean, clear, simple. 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:19.519 Positive reinforcement works incredibly well. 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:20.879 We use it constantly. 00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:26.320 I use food, play, praise, access to things that the dog wants. 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:32.720 The important thing to understand, though, is that the dog decides what is reinforcing, not you. 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:39.360 If your dog doesn't actually want the treat you're offering, it is not a reinforcer. 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:41.759 It's just a piece of food. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:51.519 This is why some dogs seem unresponsive to food-based training, and why some trainers don't like to use food in training. 00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:57.039 Either the food isn't valuable enough or the environment is competing too hard. 00:09:57.279 --> 00:10:04.559 So, like the squirrel, the other dog, the smell on the ground, whatever it is, is more interesting than what you're offering. 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:09.759 And in that moment, food is not doing its job as a reinforcer. 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:15.120 I raise my dogs from puppies working for their meals. 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:21.279 So when I say yes and offer food, they come sprinting back to me because food means something. 00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:24.720 That's a trained response built over time. 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:27.360 It doesn't just happen automatically. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:32.080 All right, quadrant two, negative punishment. 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:41.519 P minus, if you kind of see it in the diagram, you remove something the dog likes and the behavior decreases. 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:52.000 So we most often see this with like dog jumps on you, you turn away and cross your arms and take away your attention. 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:57.840 The dog stops jumping because the thing that they wanted, which is your attention, went away. 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:08.799 This is actually used really uh like frequently in purely positive training, removing attention, removing access to something the dog wants. 00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:12.080 It's not harsh, it's just clear communication. 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:14.960 You do that thing, the good stuff goes away. 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:19.919 Okay, quadrant three positive punishment P plus. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:24.480 You add something the dog

doesn't like, the behavior decreases. 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:26.879 So dog pulls on leash. 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:36.399 I can give the dog a pop on a prong collar, I can tap on the E collar, the dog stops pulling, pressure turns off, all that jazz. 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:40.879 This is the quadrant that gets the most controversial. 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:46.480 And I understand why, because the word punishment makes people uncomfortable. 00:11:46.799 --> 00:11:49.840 But remember what positive means here. 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:54.960 It means you're adding something, not good or bad, just adding. 00:11:55.679 --> 00:12:05.279 When we use leash pressure, a prong collar, or any collar at appropriate levels with the right timing, we're using positive punishment. 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:16.960 And the key word in that sentence are appropriate and right timing, because a tool applied poorly at the wrong level with bad timing is a problem. 00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:19.840 The quadrant itself is not the problem. 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:21.360 The application is. 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:30.159 Quadrant four, negative reinforcement, R-Yove something the dog doesn't like, the behavior increases. 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:33.759 So dog is in a sit with leash pressure, right? 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:36.480 I can guide the dog back into a sit with leash pressure. 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:42.799 Dog sits, pressure releases, the dog learns that staying in the position makes the pressure go away. 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:44.320 So they do it more. 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:51.759 This is the foundation of the first phase of e-color conditioning, which we're definitely going to get into. 00:13:51.840 --> 00:14:04.320 And I've talked about this many, many times in other episodes, but it's essentially the sensation goes on, the dog figures out how to turn it off by doing what you asked, the behavior increases because it feels better than not doing it. 00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:08.320 Not because they're scared, it's because they've solved the puzzle. 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:11.600 Okay, we're gonna bring it all together. 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:21.519 So a purely positive reinforcement trainer works almost exclusively in R and P minus. 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:29.200 They add good things and remove good things, they avoid adding anything uncomfortable. 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:36.000 A balanced trainer uses all four quadrants based on what the dog in front of them needs in that moment. 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:39.919 That is not a physical sorry, I cannot talk. 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:43.840 That is not a philosophical position. 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:47.120 That is just a complete toolkit. 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:52.799 Think about it this way: if you only own a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:58.799 That works great for nails, not so great for screws or other tools. 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:16.320 A full toolkit means you can actually help more dogs, including

the dogs that have spent two years learning that ignoring you is a viable option, including the dog that is genetically driven, that food simply cannot compete in that moment. 00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:22.240 Dogs that purely positive methods genuinely couldn't help. 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:28.399 And look, I want to say this clearly: I am not anti-positive reinforcement. 00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:31.360 We use positive reinforcement constantly. 00:15:31.519 --> 00:15:34.000 It is a huge part of how I train. 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:36.559 I use a ton of food in our training. 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:40.720 You can talk to my clients, I'm like, grab a handful of food, and they're like, is this enough? 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:42.240 And I'm like, no, more. 00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:53.039 But it is just one of four quadrants, and pretending the other three don't exist doesn't really serve the dogs that we're working with. 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:59.519 So let's get into classical conditioning and marker words. 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:07.440 We'll start with marker words because this is where classical conditioning shows up most in our day-to-day training. 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:12.080 And it's the thing I am most picky with in my students. 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:18.720 A marker word is a precise sound that tells the dog exactly which behavior earned the reward. 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:21.039 It works because of classical conditioning. 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:26.559 So you pair the word with something the dog loves over and over until the word itself has meaning. 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:32.320 The reason we use a word instead of just delivering food is because of the timing. 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:37.279 By the time you pull a treat out of your pocket, the moment has already passed. 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:47.039 The dog doesn't know what behavior you're you're rewarding, but the word can be delivered in the exact second the right behavior happens. 00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:51.200 And that precision is everything in dog training. 00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:54.799 So here's my system, four words, that's it. 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:55.840 We keep it simple. 00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:58.080 Yes is my terminal marker. 00:16:58.159 --> 00:16:59.679 It means that was it. 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:02.080 Come, you're done with the behavior. 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:03.759 Come to me, get your reward. 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:11.839 So when I say yes, the dog releases out of whatever position they're in and comes to get their food and they shoot out of the command. 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:14.559 Good is my continuation marker. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:17.119 It means that's right, keep doing what you're doing. 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:20.240 Your reward is coming to you in position. 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:22.799 Good is an implied stay. 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:29.359 When I say good, the dog holds what they're doing because the reward is coming to them where they are. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:32.240 No

means don't do that. 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:34.160 A correction is coming. 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:36.799 And uh-uh is that's not what I asked. 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:39.599 Try again, but there's no correction. 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:43.039 Four words, very simple communication. 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:51.119 Now, here is the mistake I see most every single student make when they first submit their videos in the virtual shadow program. 00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:54.720 And it's the same mistake I see dog owners make everywhere. 00:17:54.960 --> 00:18:00.559 They say yes and rewarding position, or they say good and let the dog wander off. 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:08.079 And it seems small, but it's not small because now the dog doesn't know whether yes means stay or come. 00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:11.440 They don't know whether good means to hold or release. 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:17.599 You've blurred the picture, and a very blurry picture creates a dog that's uncertain. 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:22.319 And an uncertain dog is slower, they're less confident and harder to train. 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:29.359 And I see it in my students' videos all the time when we're inconsistent with what we expect with each word. 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:34.799 The dog is kind of confused and like doesn't really know what they need to do. 00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:42.240 So precision in your marker words is not about being like rigid or robotic. 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:44.799 It's just about being clear. 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:54.000 And clarity creates a dog that actually wants to work with you because they understand how to get rewarded, how to get the good stuff. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:59.119 I learned my marker word foundations from trainers who work I really respect. 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:05.680 And over the years, I've refined the system based on what I see actually working with the dogs and owners I work with. 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:20.799 This like four-word system, I did not invent, um, but it's what I've landed on because it's simple enough for any owner to use, clear, and it's super clear that the dog can always understand what's being communicated. 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:23.440 One more thing on marker words. 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:25.359 The conditioning matters. 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:31.279 You can't just say yes and throw food once and expect the dog to have a strong marker. 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:34.559 You have to build the association over time. 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:38.799 Like I'm talking hundreds of repetitions. 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:42.400 And the stronger the marker, the more useful it becomes. 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:52.319 And a really strong yes can eventually be used to disrupt reactivity, redirect a dog away from a trigger, and build speed and drive in your training. 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:56.400 But that only works if the marker is conditioned really well. 00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:59.039 So put in the time early. 00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:09.519 All right, let's get into balanced versus R and what the actual difference is. 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:19.519 I want to talk about this without the drama because honestly, the drama is mostly online and it's not what I see in real training sessions. 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:22.799 I have been training dogs for over seven years. 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:25.519 I have trained thousands of dogs and owners. 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:33.599 I have clients who come to me from force-free trainers who couldn't get results, and I have clients who come to me from trainers who were too heavy-handed. 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:35.599 I have genuinely seen it all. 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:38.160 And here is what I actually think. 00:20:38.720 --> 00:20:41.759 Purely positive reinforcement training is effective. 00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:46.400 I'm not here to tell you that it doesn't work for many dogs and many behaviors. 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:48.079 It works incredibly well. 00:20:48.240 --> 00:21:01.279 If you have a food-motivated, easy-going dog who has been raised well from puppyhood and you're working in low distraction environments, positive reinforcement only can get you very far. 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:05.680 So the question isn't whether it works. 00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:13.039 The question is whether it covers every dog and every situation you are going to encounter as a trainer or as an owner. 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:19.839 And in my honest experience, for a lot of dogs and a lot of real world situations, it doesn't. 00:21:20.160 --> 00:21:25.279 Here's where a balanced approach fills in those gaps. 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:31.039 The dog knows the behavior, but chooses not to do it when something more interesting is happening. 00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:35.680 So, like you call your dog, they look at you, they look at the squirrel, they choose the squirrel. 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:36.880 They know the recall. 00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:39.359 They just decided the squirrel was a better deal. 00:21:39.519 --> 00:21:42.720 And a treat is not going to compete with that in that moment. 00:21:42.880 --> 00:21:44.640 So then what do you do? 00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:53.759 The dog who has been accidentally reinforced for two years for pulling on leash, every single walk, they pull and they get to go where they want to go. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:57.599 That's two years of positive reinforcement for pulling. 00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:59.839 And now you're trying to undo it with treats. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:03.440 And it can be done, but it's slow. 00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:07.279 And in the meantime, you're getting dragged down the street every morning. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:19.920 The dog with serious prey drive or reactivity who genuinely cannot hear you when they're over threshold and they're popping off at another dog, their nervous system is flooded. 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:22.960 Food is not on their radar. 00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:28.880 So you need a way to communicate that can get

through to them when they are in that state of mind. 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:34.880 And these are all real situations that every dog owner encounters constantly. 00:22:35.119 --> 00:22:44.079 And a full toolkit gives you ways to address them that don't exist in a purely positive approach. 00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:51.039 Now, here's the thing I want to say about genetics because I don't think it gets talked about enough. 00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:57.839 So much of a dog's behavior comes down to genetics, like so much more than people want to admit. 00:22:58.079 --> 00:23:07.599 The dog that blows through a recall because the prey drive is overwhelming, that dog's genetics are pushing really hard in a particular direction. 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:10.160 That is not a training failure. 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:12.319 That's just what that dog is. 00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:22.480 I have had bored and trained dogs where I've done everything right and there are still certain things that the dog is always going to want to do because of what they were bred for. 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:36.880 And our job as trainers and as owners is to recognize what our dog actually is, not what we wish they were, not what the breeder told us they'd be, what they actually are. 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:48.799 So get real with yourself about your dog and then use all the tools available to you to help them be the best version of themselves in the life you guys have built together. 00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:51.359 Let's talk about the e-collar. 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:58.799 So I want to spend a few minutes specifically on e-collar because I know it's the tool with the most controversy around it. 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:06.160 And I think the controversy comes almost entirely from misinformation and not from people who have actually used one correctly. 00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:08.160 So let me explain what it is. 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:11.599 An e-collar is an electronic collar. 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:13.440 That's where the e comes from. 00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:18.720 It delivers a low-level electrical stimulation to the dog's neck. 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:22.000 And when I say low level, I genuinely mean it. 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:25.759 Obviously, not all e-collars are created equal. 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:33.759 And obviously, we can use it at high levels, but at the working level, which is the lowest level the dog actually feels the sensation. 00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:35.359 It is just a tap. 00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:43.359 It is the same sensation as a TENS unit, which is what physical therapists use on humans for muscle recovery. 00:24:43.599 --> 00:24:45.680 It's like a vibration. 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:48.319 We're not actually shocking the dog. 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:51.039 So here is what I do every single time. 00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:57.279 I have a client who's skeptical and I have this conversation on basically every intake call. 00:24:57.519 --> 00:25:02.640 I put a collar at working level and I let them feel it on their own wrist every time. 00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:05.519 And every single time they go, That's it? 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:06.880 That's what you're using. 00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:08.400 Yeah, that's it. 00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:25.119 So the idea that e-collars are torture devices comes from people who have never actually felt one or from stories about people using them incorrectly at very high levels, which is a real problem, but it's a problem of misuse, not a problem with the tool. 00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:29.759 And like I said, we can definitely use the e-collar as a correction. 00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:33.200 And, you know, I had a conversation with my client about this today. 00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:42.079 We're kind of in the stage of reactivity training where I'm like, let your dog mess up, let your dog go out and commit to being reactive, and we can correct that. 00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:44.079 And it's going to be really uncomfortable. 00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:45.200 But guess what? 00:25:45.440 --> 00:25:49.839 They're not going to do it again because that is a true punishment, right? 00:25:50.079 --> 00:26:00.720 So the difference between a punishment and just like a disruptor is a punishment stops the behavior from repeating again. 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:05.119 Whereas like a disruptor just disrupts it in that moment. 00:26:05.200 --> 00:26:10.319 But if the dog were to be in the same situation, they might pop off at the dog again. 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:10.880 Okay. 00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:16.000 Anyways, so here's how I use the e-collar in two phases. 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:18.559 Phase one is escape. 00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:23.519 This is where I teach the dog what the sensation is and how to turn it off. 00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:29.759 The collar goes on at a working level just before or at the same time as my cue. 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:33.119 So the cue tells them how to turn the sensation off. 00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:39.839 So I'm walking, the dog gets out in front of me, I tap on the collar, I change direction, dog follows me, sensation stops. 00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:45.519 Over time, the dog learns when I feel that tap, I pay attention and I move with her. 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:46.640 That turns it off. 00:26:46.799 --> 00:26:48.720 That is literally the whole game. 00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:51.279 And we can pair this with whatever we want. 00:26:51.359 --> 00:26:55.759 So I can say place, tap, tap, tap, tap, dog goes on to place, tapping stops. 00:26:55.920 --> 00:27:00.799 I can say sit, tap, tap, tap, tap, dog goes into a sit, tapping stops. 00:27:01.119 --> 00:27:05.119 I get out of that phase as fast as possible. 00:27:05.680 --> 00:27:13.039 The second the dog shows me they understand, meaning they start moving with urgency before I've finished the cue. 00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:14.319 I am moving on. 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:22.640 Because here's the thing about staying in phase one for too long: the collar

sensation becomes paired with every obedience command. 00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:28.400 And then the dog starts to avoid the command because it's always associated with the collar going on. 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:33.279 And I see this all the time with dogs who have been trained by somebody else before they come to me. 00:27:33.440 --> 00:27:39.359 The dog hears place and shuts down because their whole experience of place is the collar turning on. 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:44.240 That means somebody spent way too long in phase one. 00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:47.599 So phase two is avoidance. 00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:50.240 This is what I send dogs home in. 00:27:50.480 --> 00:27:53.039 Tell the dogs what you want, give them a moment. 00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:57.119 If they don't follow through, the collar goes on and stays on until they do. 00:27:57.279 --> 00:27:59.680 Tap, tap, tap until they move into position. 00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:01.519 Once they're there, it stops. 00:28:01.759 --> 00:28:04.240 They learn that doing the thing makes it stop. 00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:07.039 Doing the thing becomes the better option. 00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:10.319 For pet owners, I keep it really simple. 00:28:10.559 --> 00:28:13.039 Tell your dog what you want, give them a chance. 00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:15.839 If they don't take it, that's when the collar comes on. 00:28:16.079 --> 00:28:20.799 We are not layering the collar over commands constantly. 00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:27.359 We're using it as accountability after the dog has already been given the opportunity to choose. 00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:38.079 So that's the difference is I like the dog is given the opportunity to avoid the STEM entirely if they follow through with what I've asked of them. 00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:48.480 And one more thing: your working level is going to change based on the environment, based on the dog's arousal state, based on what's happening around them. 00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:55.680 A dog that works at 12 in your backyard might need a 40 around the dog park. 00:28:56.319 --> 00:28:58.079 That's just physiology. 00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:02.720 Their arousal level is higher, their threshold for feeling the sensation is higher. 00:29:02.799 --> 00:29:03.839 So you adjust. 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:06.799 You always adjust to the dog in front of you. 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:12.799 Don't get hung up on the levels, just go off of how the dog is responding. 00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:18.319 Okay, last section before we wrap up. 00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:26.960 And this one is very important because all of this theory only works if you are actually paying attention to the dog in front of you. 00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:29.839 Dogs are communicating constantly. 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:36.480 Their body language is a full language, and most people miss most of it. 00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:40.960 Not because they're bad owners, just because they haven't learned to see it yet. 00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:46.720 Once you start seeing it, you can't unsee it and it changes every single training session. 00:29:46.960 --> 00:29:53.200 I think about dog body language like a traffic light: green, yellow, red. 00:29:53.519 --> 00:29:58.640 And your job in any training session is to know what color your dog is in. 00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:01.839 Green zone is where you want to be. 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:10.880 The dog is relaxed and ready to learn, loose body, soft eyes, relaxed mouth, maybe a little wiggly. 00:30:11.200 --> 00:30:13.039 This dog is open. 00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:15.839 This dog is available for training. 00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:20.480 This is when you make the most progress in your training sessions. 00:30:20.960 --> 00:30:24.000 Yellow zone is stress. 00:30:24.480 --> 00:30:39.200 This is like the lip licking when they're not thirsty, yawning, looking away, sniffing the ground, the whale eyes, where you can see like the whites of their eyes, a tucked tail, ears back. 00:30:40.240 --> 00:30:44.640 These are like the dog is telling you they're uncomfortable. 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:50.240 They're telling you to slow down, back up, and kind of give them more space. 00:30:50.559 --> 00:30:58.880 So in the yellow zone, you can still train, but you need to adjust and lower your criteria. 00:30:59.119 --> 00:31:01.599 Increase your reward rate. 00:31:01.839 --> 00:31:07.039 When I see the dog starting to get, I tell my owners like they'll get a little flat. 00:31:07.599 --> 00:31:10.960 We'll do some like treat chases where I do like get it, right? 00:31:11.119 --> 00:31:16.799 Or for my dogs, if they're getting a little flat in training, I get them barking at me. 00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:20.640 Um, this could be adding distance to whatever is stressing them. 00:31:20.960 --> 00:31:27.519 Just don't push them too far to the point where the dog is like completely shutting down. 00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:31.440 So the red zone is completely shut down. 00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:38.720 They're stiff, their eyes are just like hard, high, stiff tail, hackles up. 00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:42.640 Um, they're fixating on something, they're not able to look away. 00:31:42.960 --> 00:31:48.160 This dog is not available for learning, and the training stops. 00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:50.079 You're not gonna get the response that you want. 00:31:50.240 --> 00:31:54.319 And if you try to force it, you're probably going to make things worse. 00:31:54.640 --> 00:32:01.279 So, your job when the dog is in this like red zone is to help this dog get back to green. 00:32:01.599 --> 00:32:11.920 So, distance, decompression time, food traces chases, like whatever you need to do to bring that dog back to you. 00:32:14.400 --> 00:32:17.599 And here's the practical application of this. 00:32:17.759 --> 00:32:21.359 Before you ever start a training session, check out your dog. 00:32:21.519 --> 00:32:22.480 Watch them. 00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:26.079 What zone is that dog in right now? 00:32:26.319 --> 00:32:28.640

What happened before you got here? 00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:31.920 Is like if you're a dog trainer, is the owner stressed? 00:32:32.079 --> 00:32:33.359 Is there a trigger nearby? 00:32:33.519 --> 00:32:35.920 Is the dog already amped up from something else? 00:32:36.079 --> 00:32:39.359 Were they barking in the car on the way over to the session? 00:32:39.680 --> 00:32:41.839 You plan for the session. 00:32:42.400 --> 00:32:52.000 It should be based on what the dog is actually giving you in that moment, not the plan that you had in your head on the way over to the session. 00:32:52.160 --> 00:33:06.480 And that's one thing that I think a lot of my owners really struggle with is there's you can have a plan, but we can't always follow the plan to the T because we have to be able to look at the dog in front of us. 00:33:06.960 --> 00:33:15.279 And I had a uh follow-up session with a board and train today, and that's kind of what I was talking about. 00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:17.440 And we did three lessons. 00:33:17.680 --> 00:33:21.759 The first one, I covered punishment, basically. 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:25.759 I was like, all right, this is when we would punish certain behaviors. 00:33:25.920 --> 00:33:27.680 We're keeping it super simple. 00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:31.279 Day two, we went over an active training session. 00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:32.720 What does that look like? 00:33:33.039 --> 00:33:39.599 How can I get the dog excited to train even when there's other dogs around, even when there's triggers around? 00:33:39.759 --> 00:33:43.119 I can, you know, open the window of training, say, are you ready? 00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:45.920 Do our treat chases, throw in some obedience, right? 00:33:46.079 --> 00:33:49.039 And the dog doesn't care about what is going on. 00:33:49.440 --> 00:33:55.599 And then our final day, we went over how to redirect her dog, right? 00:33:55.759 --> 00:34:07.200 So we covered like, hey, if you're able to redirect your dog and let's say, you know, yes, and reward them before they have a chance to go be reactive, do that. 00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:18.159 You know, if you've missed that and the dog is going and like fully lunging, has committed, then hey, I want you to punish that behavior, but we're not gonna linger there. 00:34:18.320 --> 00:34:24.000 I want you to get the dog back on you, get them hyped up, bring them back into that green zone. 00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:35.679 But you have to be able to read the dog in front of you and constantly either like you know, get them back up if they're a little bit shut down or like stressed out. 00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:37.119 How can I get that dog up? 00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:40.159 Tree chases, like I told her, like, push your dog a little bit. 00:34:40.239 --> 00:34:40.719 He likes that. 00:34:40.800 --> 00:34:43.599 Like you push him, hype him up, and wow, good job. 00:34:43.760 --> 00:34:45.840 He's like, oh my gosh, okay, okay. 00:34:46.159 --> 00:35:00.079 So being able to have our tools available to us, either redirecting or rewarding or punishing, and reading the dog in front of us to decide what we use in that moment. 00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:13.519 So I will adjust a whole session based on what I see in the first two minutes, because a dog in the yellow zone needs something completely different from a dog in a green zone. 00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:22.559 And running your planned session on a yellow zone dog without adjusting is one of the most common mistakes I see new trainers make. 00:35:23.039 --> 00:35:29.599 The trainers who get consistent results read the dog in front of them. 00:35:29.760 --> 00:35:39.599 They're not just following a perfect protocol, they're in a conversation with the real living animal in front of them. 00:35:41.199 --> 00:35:44.639 Okay, let's tie all of this together. 00:35:44.800 --> 00:35:46.639 Let's bring it all home. 00:35:46.960 --> 00:35:53.119 Learning theory is the science of how behavior is acquired and changed. 00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:57.599 It is not a philosophy, it is not up for debate. 00:35:58.079 --> 00:36:05.199 Classical conditioning is how we build associations and it's the foundation of our marker words. 00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:15.199 Operant conditioning happens in four quadrants, and a complete trainer uses all four based on what the dog actually needs. 00:36:15.519 --> 00:36:23.280 Positive reinforcement is powerful, it is one of the best tools we have, but it is one of four. 00:36:23.760 --> 00:36:28.800 And pretending the others don't exist doesn't help our dogs. 00:36:29.760 --> 00:36:33.360 The e-collar is not a torture device. 00:36:33.599 --> 00:36:39.599 At working level, it is a tap, it is a sensation used correctly in two phases. 00:36:39.760 --> 00:36:45.519 It gives us one of the clearest forms of communication we can have with a dog. 00:36:46.159 --> 00:36:50.400 And body language is your real-time feedback system. 00:36:50.880 --> 00:36:57.440 Learn to read it, it tells you everything about whether your training is landing or not. 00:36:57.840 --> 00:37:07.840 So this is week one of the virtual shadow program because I believe if you understand the why behind the work, everything else makes sense. 00:37:08.079 --> 00:37:16.800 You stop second-guessing your tools, you stop apologizing for your methods that work, you just show up and train the dog. 00:37:17.039 --> 00:37:29.679 So if this is the kind of content you want more of and you're thinking about becoming a dog trainer yourself, the virtual shout-out program is where we go 10 times deeper on all of this. 00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:34.239 Four weeks, daily videos, live sessions. 00:37:34.400 --> 00:37:39.599 There's a community of people who are in the exact same boat as you. 00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:45.519 And you guys can visit my website if this is something that you're interested in. 00:37:45.920 --> 00:37:54.559 And if you're here just as a dog owner who wanted to understand your dog a little better, I hope this episode was useful. 00:37:54.639 --> 00:37:59.760 I know it was a little short, but it was pretty dense, so I didn't want to drag on for too long. 00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:09.519 And I hope it made you a little more curious and a little less frustrated next time your dog does something that makes no sense. 00:38:09.840 --> 00:38:15.280 So, as always, thank you guys so so much for being here. 00:38:15.519 --> 00:38:17.360 And I'll see you next week.