Post by RealPitBull on Oct 9, 2008 12:43:31 GMT -5
By Mary Harwelik
Zen 4 Dogs
“To get what you want, you must give up what you want.”
The premise behind Zen 4 Dogs is that self control gets good things to happen. Your dog must show self-restraint in order to get things he wants, like food, fun, and attention. This is an easy but extremely valuable concept to teach your dog.
Practice 1:
Hold a very yummy treat (or other valued goodie) in your hand, out to the side – make sure your dog knows you are holding something exciting. Say nothing! If your You will reward your dog by looking at/towards your face by clicking and giving the treat. Initially, you may have to reward only a slight flicker of eye contact. Gradually shape the dog towards extended periods of eye contact when you whip out something he really loves (either food or a toy).
Practice 2:
Get in the habit of asking your dog to SIT before giving him ANYthing – this includes attention, his food bowl, freedom (i.e. before you take a leash off), before you snap a leash on for a walk, before your dog steps out the door, etc. Your dog must show restraint with the sit in order to get the goodies of the world to come his way.
Start with a simple scenario – with clicker and treats, dog on leash, show your dog treats in your hand. You will be click n treating lots of sits, in many environments. Get your dog to sit by luring, moving towards him, or better yet capturing the behavior (dog does it on his own, you CT).
Now begin looking for your dog to sit in everyday scenarios – before mealtimes, for instance, or before you give him some attention he’s craving. The goal is to have the dog offer the behavior on his own, without being cued. Wait for it to happen, then give your dog what he is ‘asking’ for by sitting.
Look for your dog to sit before you allow him to get attention from another person or say hello to a canine friend.
Keep this theme going – use your clicker and treats whenever possible or else use your verbal release word, but make sure to incorporate this practice into everyday life. What your dog wants in any given situation becomes his reward for practicing self control with a sit.
Watch
1) Say your dog's name; CT when he looks at you.
2) Hold treat out to the side like you did with Zen4Dogs – CT eye contact.
3) Bring your food lure up to your chin, CT when dog looks at your face/eyes.
4) Use your food lure (bring it up to your chin), and when your dog’s eyes reach yours, say WATCH, CT.
5) Gradually fade the lure (chin, throat, chest, stomach, hip, then side).
6) Practice in different environments (you may need to backtrack at each new location).
7) Gradually build duration (start at step 2 when you begin to build duration).
Zen 4 Dogs
“To get what you want, you must give up what you want.”
The premise behind Zen 4 Dogs is that self control gets good things to happen. Your dog must show self-restraint in order to get things he wants, like food, fun, and attention. This is an easy but extremely valuable concept to teach your dog.
Practice 1:
Hold a very yummy treat (or other valued goodie) in your hand, out to the side – make sure your dog knows you are holding something exciting. Say nothing! If your You will reward your dog by looking at/towards your face by clicking and giving the treat. Initially, you may have to reward only a slight flicker of eye contact. Gradually shape the dog towards extended periods of eye contact when you whip out something he really loves (either food or a toy).
Practice 2:
Get in the habit of asking your dog to SIT before giving him ANYthing – this includes attention, his food bowl, freedom (i.e. before you take a leash off), before you snap a leash on for a walk, before your dog steps out the door, etc. Your dog must show restraint with the sit in order to get the goodies of the world to come his way.
Start with a simple scenario – with clicker and treats, dog on leash, show your dog treats in your hand. You will be click n treating lots of sits, in many environments. Get your dog to sit by luring, moving towards him, or better yet capturing the behavior (dog does it on his own, you CT).
Now begin looking for your dog to sit in everyday scenarios – before mealtimes, for instance, or before you give him some attention he’s craving. The goal is to have the dog offer the behavior on his own, without being cued. Wait for it to happen, then give your dog what he is ‘asking’ for by sitting.
Look for your dog to sit before you allow him to get attention from another person or say hello to a canine friend.
Keep this theme going – use your clicker and treats whenever possible or else use your verbal release word, but make sure to incorporate this practice into everyday life. What your dog wants in any given situation becomes his reward for practicing self control with a sit.
Watch
1) Say your dog's name; CT when he looks at you.
2) Hold treat out to the side like you did with Zen4Dogs – CT eye contact.
3) Bring your food lure up to your chin, CT when dog looks at your face/eyes.
4) Use your food lure (bring it up to your chin), and when your dog’s eyes reach yours, say WATCH, CT.
5) Gradually fade the lure (chin, throat, chest, stomach, hip, then side).
6) Practice in different environments (you may need to backtrack at each new location).
7) Gradually build duration (start at step 2 when you begin to build duration).