Use sound to train your Labrador
02 Jul 2009
You can set things up in a controlled way so you can use sound for training purposes. This lets you get the exact result you want.
The 4 steps we are going to describe should be carried out in different places. We are going to try to get inside our dog's mind to understand him better in order to start our work.
Dogs do think and do communicate, but not like us.So we have to make the effort to understand them better to have more success.
You have to be consistent so as not to confuse. Using conditioned reflex, you will be able to effectively change any behaviour you choose.
Using a set of cans, or any other source of sound, so long as it is brief, and so long as it can be presented from different directions on each consecutive instance, are all that you need to do to break any behavior. Simply create the sound, and follow through with praise! It's that simple. Any behavior can be stopped or broken, simply by creating a sound, and praising immediately. The secret is, to allow the undesired behavior to begin again, and simply present the sound from another direction, and follow through with praise. Of course you have to understand how your dog thinks and learns in order to successfully achieve this.
Each time you create a sound to stop or break a behavior, you must praise him for as long as he refrains from continuing such behavior (at least until he no longer thinks about that instance, usually ten or fifteen seconds), and be prepared to create your sound distraction and praise as soon as the behavior begins again. This is the sticking point with so many trainers. "Why should I praise this critter if he's not even doing what I want?" Remember, dogs do not think in human terms. Most behavior problems are simply a failure to clearly communicate.
Now that you have the technique you can continue for ever to use it to condition him. In future if he makes a mistake in any of the training you have conditioned, it is probably more of a challenge to you as the boss.
Because the process is so enjoyable many people use it forever. Part of that comes from the satisfaction of successfully training our dog. Bear in mind, these are corrections and not the teaching of new behaviors.
