Stages of Learning

There are four basic stages of learning for dogs.
1)  Acquisition
2)  Automation
3)  Generalization
4)  Maintenance

During the Acquisition stage of learning, a dog learns the a particular new behavior is rewarding through prompting and shaping.
Shaping  is basically teaching a dog through small steps.  An example of this would be trying to teach a dog to go on his matt or place.  Place the matt a few feet from the dog and wait for the dog to look or take a step toward the matt, reward.  Next the dog steps away from the matt, you do not reward.  It is basically like playing the game "Hot or Cold."  As the dog moves closer to the matt, keep rewarding.  When the dog works out in his mind that this is what you are looking for and makes it all the way to the matt, greatly reward for a job well done.  This is using shaping.

Capturing a behavior is basically waiting for your dog to do something you like, then rewarding him for it.  An example of this would be waiting for your dog to naturally "wipe" his feet after going number two, and rewarding him for the behavior.  Capturing a behavior is catching your dog in the act of a desired behavior and rewarding them for it.

During the Automation stage of learning, the dog automatically will give a specific behavior to a cue without being lured or prompted.  An automation response is when the dog moves into the down position every time you say "down."

During the Generalization stage, the dog learns that the response should be the same, no matter if a different person gives the cue, or if the cue is given in a different location.  Dogs do NOT generalize well.  Owners should practice all known cues in as many different places with as many different people as possible.

When a dog is complying consistently with a cue in many situations 90-100% of the times, he is in the Maintenance stage of learning.  You can feel comfortable that your dog has an understanding of the cue once he has reached the maintenance stage.  When the dog makes a mistake, you must go back to practicing an easier version of the cue, or "Go back to Kindergarten."  

Homework Dog

Our dogs generally want to hang out with us no matter what we might be doing.  Today Nekita decided my boyfriend needed some help with his homework, although she doesn't seem to find math very interesting.

Breed of the Month--Chinese Crested

Chinese Crested


Color:  Any color or combination of colors.
Height:  Males:  11-13 inches/  Females:  9-12 inches
Weight:  Varies, no more than 12 lbs
Life Span:  10-12 years

Breed Health Concerns:  Allergies, patellar luxation, dental problems, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, and skin problems (hairless).

Coat:  Two Types:  1) Hairless, has a silky, soft, flowing hair on head, feet, and tail.
   2) Powderpuff, has a double coat with a short, silky undercoat, and a soft, straight outer coat.
Country of Origin:  China/ Africa

Visit the American Kennel Club for breed standards and more information.

The hairless breeds of today have evolved from mutations that have occurred in past pariah-type puppy litters.  With such a unique appearance in the dog world, they Chinese Crested came to be very popular in Africa, China, Mexico, and Spain.

Many people fall in love with the Chinese Crested because it is affectionate, lively, and playful.  Proper socialization is very important in this breed to keep him comfortable with strangers and more outgoing.  This breed likes to dig and climb.  The Chinese Crested has a hare foot, making it able to hold food, toys, and even people.

Exercise: 
Chinese Crested dogs get some of their energy out by following family members around in their daily routine, but do need a good walk daily as well.

Grooming: 
Chinese Cresteds have no odor and are very clean.  The hairless kind needs to be bathed on a regular basis as well as have oil and/or creme applied to help protect it's skin.  The Powerpuff variety needs regular brushing, as the undercoat will become matted if not tended to.  Both types are naturally resistant to ticks and fleas.

Training:
The Chinese Crested will comply with basic requests and responds well to positive training.  Making training a game for the entire family will help this breed have fun and learn more quickly.

Halloween

Everyone needs a cool costume for Halloween...why not your dog too?

Types of Reinforcement

There are two types of reinforcement:
1)  Unconditioned reinforcement
2) Conditioned reinforcement

An unconditioned reinforcer, or primary reinforcer, is something that is necessary for the dog's survival, or something the dog very much likes, and therefore, the dog does not need to learn that this thing is rewarding.  Not each unconditioned reinforcer will have the same value for each dog.  Some examples of unconditioned reinforcement include:  food, air, water, shelter, toys, praise, and petting.  The dog (NOT the owner or trainer) determines what their unconditioned reinforcers are.

A conditioned reinforcer, or secondary reinforcer, is something that does not inherently mean anything to the dog.  The dog learns to associate the conditioned reinforcer as a good thing.  Some examples of conditioned reinforcers include:  walks, food bag noise, toys, "good" or "yes," the sound of a clicker, and the doorbell.  The best example of teaching a dog a conditioned reinforcer is using the "good" or "yes" cue to mark behavior.  Using this cue at the instant your dog performs a desired behavior increases the communication between human and dog.  The dog learns to make a positive association between your marker word (good or yes) and a food reward.

Breed of the Month--Collie

Collie


There are two types of Collies:  Rough coat Collie, and Smooth coat Collie

Color:  Tricolor, sable and white, blue merle and white, may have tan or white markings.
Height:  Males:  22-26 inches/  Females:  20-24 inches
Weight:  Males:  45-75 lbs/  Females:  40-65 lbs
Life Span:  14-16 years

Breed Health Concerns:  hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, eye anomaly, and dermatomyositis.

Coat:  Collie, Rough:  Double coat with a furry, soft undercoat, and straight, harsh outer coat.
Coat:  Collie, Smooth:  Double coat with a furry, soft, dense undercoat, and a flat, hard, short outercoat.
Country of Origin:  Great Britain

Visit the American Kennel Club for breed standards and more information.


Both the Smooth and Rough Collie have the same breed history and the same current breed standard.  The Collie comes from centuries of of guarding and herding dogs that worked hard for their masters.  Most people think of the fluffier Rough coat Collie when you mention the breed's name.  The breed was made even more popular by the famous dog, Lassie, in 1954.

Their noble and intelligent nature makes both types of Collies excellent pets for families that will be loyal and fair to their dog, and never use harsh punishments.  The Collie is known to be very loyal.

Exercise
The Collie requires plenty of daily exercise and enjoys going for long distances.

Grooming
Both the Smooth and Rough Collie require a good amount of grooming.  Regular brushing is necessary, and in Rough coats, you must be aware of problem matts forming in the long fur.  The Collie is a seasonal heavy shedder.

Training
If you approach training a Collie in a respectful and positive way, this breed is a joy to train.  Collie's must be socialized from puppies to avoid them developing a shyness in the future.  The Collie will greatly excel in activities such as agility, herding, obedience, and therapy.

Rough coat Collie

Smooth coat Collie (above & below)

Breed of the Month--Super Mutts

A friend of ours travels around the country on a weekly basis.  During his travels he has seen many things, but none as exciting as this one.  He discovered a litter of puppies in California that they call, Super Mutts.  These dogs are more along the lines of an African wild dog, or Australian dingo.  These dogs are mixed with so many different types of breeds, they have gained the name, Super Mutt.

Although many people swear by their purebred dog, I am a huge fan of mutts (a mix of more than one breed type of dog).  All my dogs throughout my life have been mutts.  Mixed breed dogs are better-suited pets for many dog owners because of their general easy-going nature.  Most mixed breed dogs tend to have less overall health problems as well.

This is our friend's "Super Mutt," named Trash.

Conditioning Behavior

There are two behavior-conditioning styles:  classical and operant conditioning.

Classical conditioning is basically a dog understanding a simple association.  The most well-known illustration of this is "Pavlovian conditioning."  We all remember the story of Pavlov's bell, salivation, food association.  Basically Pavlov started ringing a bell before the dog was being fed.  During classical conditioning, the dog learns that the bell leads to the smell of food, which leads to the dog salivating, because the dog then receives the food.  After classical conditioning the dog responds to the bell by salivating, because he has learned to associate the sound with food.  The dog is now anticipating food at the sound of the bell.


Operant conditioning is teaching a dog that this particular behavior, will have this particular consequence.  This is something a dog must learn to do (sit and wait for food), as compared to something the dog would do naturally (like salivate for food).  Sitting and waiting to be fed is not something a dog would do automatically, it is something they must learn to do.  Because the dog does not receive the food when he does not sit, he learns that sitting and waiting to be fed will get him the food instead.

Learning Theory

There are basically three essential elements to teaching a dog to learn.
These are:  motivation, reinforcement, and punishment.

Motivation is a need (conscious or unconscious), desire, or drive that incites a dog to produce some behavior or action.  A dog must be properly motivated to change behavior.

Reinforcement are actions, events, or items that positively or negatively increase or eliminate a behavior.  There is positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.
Positive reinforcement basically means the dog works for you to get things he desires.  Positive reinforcement involves rewarding the dog the instant he performs the desired behavior.
Negative reinforcement means the dog is working to avoid something the dog considers unpleasant.  Negative reinforcement is the removal of something unpleasant the instant the dog performs the desired behavior.

Punishment is use of a penalty.  There is both positive and negative punishment.
Positive punishment involves a negative consequence the moment the dog engages in an undesired behavior.  You are adding something negative.
Negative punishment involves removing something the dog likes when the dog engages in an undesired behavior.  You are removing something the dog likes.

A helpful way to think about these things is this...positive means you are adding something...negative means something is being taken aways.

Breed of the Month--French Bulldog

French Bulldog


Color:  Brindle, fawn, white, black, tan, liver
Height:  12 inches
Weight:  Males:  28 lbs/  Females:  24 lbs
Life Span:  10-12 years

Breed Health Concerns:  allergies, intervertebral disk disease, stenotic nares, hemivertebrae, brachycephalic syndrome, elongated soft palate.

Coat:  Soft, smooth, short, fine, and glossy.
Country of Origin:  France

Visit the American Kennel Club for breed standards and more information.

The bulldog originated in England.  Craftsmen moved from England to France during the Industrial Revolution, bringing their toy bulldogs with them.  Once in France, these dogs were mixed with several French breeds, creating what is now known as the French Bulldog.  Around 1898 the argument over "rose ears" versus "bat ears" was won by the fans of the "bat ear" look and is a notable trait in the dogs today.

The French Bulldog, affectionately known by the breed's lovers as "Frenchies," is a wonderful playmate and companion.  This dog is affectionate, inquisitive, and playful.  Frenchies get along well with other dogs and pets of all kinds.  This breed has a shortened muzzle and do have a tendency to drool and snore.

Exercise
The French Bulldog is more than happy to go with their owners anywhere, but does not require a large amount of daily exercise.  The short muzzle of the dog can make it hard for him to breath and therefore should not be overexercised in the heat.

Grooming
The Frenchie needs only occasional brushing and is kept clean easily.  The breed's wrinkly face must be kept clean to avoid possible infection.

Training
To get a Frenchie interested, training must be made especially worth while to the dog.  The French Bulldog is good-hearted but can have a very stubborn streak.  Harsh training is this breed is strictly discouraged, as the dog will just shut down.  To keep a Frenchie interested you must do something to help bring out the extrovert in the dog.  Socialization is very important for a Frenchie from a young puppy and throughout his life.