Helping your dog become the best friend he can be
Dog
training is all about forming a solid relationship with your dog.
Willing, eager, compliant, smart, mannerly. Listens
and follows directions!
A dog who is polite, easy to live with and fun to take everywhere with
you.
Our primary goal at Diamonds in the Ruff is to give you the tools to build communication and a satisfying relationship built on mutual respect and trust between you and your dog. We will show you how to understand your dog, how to teach your dog to understand you, and how to fit training into your busy schedule.
"If
there's anything I learned from you guys it's the importance of being
the perfect family for your dog, not just finding the perfect dog for
your family."
- Janine McCarthy
Diamonds
in the Ruff uses compassionate and non-violent methods.
We do not "dominate" dogs into "submission"
- These are not "show 'em who's boss" or "catch
'em in the act" classes. Nothing that we teach will harm your dog
or the relationship you have with your dog. Our methods are based on the
scientific principles of learning theory, using operant techniques that
are both effective and humane.
Our training philosophy is supported by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and the American Animal Hospital Association.
"Training
that is brain based, not pain based."
........- Suezanne
Law, Sympawtico Dog Training
Photo
of "Fez" courtesy of LeeAnn
Heringer
"First, do no harm"
What kind of relationship do you want with your dog?
Subservient and obedient? You can make your dog do what you say - or else - where commands are issued as ultimatums or warnings. Do it, or risk an unpleasant consequence. Your dog will appear "calm and submissive" because he is afraid to do anything else. If force training is the kind of training you are looking for, you won't find it at Diamonds in the Ruff. But if you want to build a great relationship with your dog through positive training, we hope you'll come train with us!"No force, just fun!"
- Angelica Steinker, Courteous CanineYou can create a reliable, willing and compliant training partner who loves working with you using reward based training. We have dogs not because we need them to work for us, but because we enjoy their companionship. We love the way they make us laugh and cheer us up, the way they encourage us to remember how to play. It's refreshing to see the world through their eyes. They are members of our families. Our goal is to teach your dog how to listen and follow directions from the whole family using methods that do not rely on physical strength or intimidation. This doesn't mean that if your dog does something that you don't want, that you won't interrupt and redirect him. What it does mean is that your primary focus will be teaching your dog what you want him to do, first and foremost.
Check out this great article by Kathy Sdao called "Organic Training"
The Dog Trainer's Trainer - Ian Dunbar!More about dominance theory - early wolf studies seriously flawed.
Excellent article by Dr. Ian Dunbar - human in fur suit? wolf in dog's clothing? "Why Can't a Dog Be More Like a Dog?"
The power of positive training - with sharks!
| The
basics of learning theory: Behavior is driven by its consequences. Reinforced behavior becomes stronger - unreinforced behavior weakens |
Catch
'em doing something good!
We
are training our dogs every instant that we are with them, but we seldom
use this knowledge to our advantage. Without realizing it, you and visitors
to your home may be teaching your dog to jump on you and run away when
called. The environment also trains our dogs - an unattended cookie rewards
the dog for counter surfing, a gate left open and free access to the neighbor's
yard rewards the dog for escape. Practicing any behavior, wanted
or unwanted, makes that behavior stronger.
If a behavior is strong, there is something fueling it.
We often don't stop to consider what is rewarding the behavior.
For example, dog jumps on the owner, owner yells and pushes the dog off.
Dog jumps up again. Why? The dog wanted attention. The owner was ignoring
the dog, so the dog makes contact. The owner 'rewards' the dog by talking
to it and touching it - yelling and pushing, but it's still attention!
The behavior is repeated and soon becomes a habit. By withholding the
reward (attention), turning away, and ONLY talking to and touching the
dog when it has four on the floor, the behavior of jumping is soon replaced
by four on the floor behavior - because THAT is the behavior that is working
for the dog. Identify what is driving the unwanted behavior and take away
the fuel, the unwanted behavior will run out of gas. Substitute a sit
for attention and you have installed a better way for the dog to get what
it wants, by doing what you want!
Puppy class student lures her pup into
a down.
From Ian Dunbar, PhD:
"In pet dog training, there is an endless quest for the quickest, easiest, most enjoyable and most expedient route to produce equipment-free and gizmo-free, off-leash, response-reliability. The choice of training technique has a huge influence on "time and trials to criterion." As by far the quickest, and one of the simplest of all training techniques, lure/reward training is the technique of choice for most owners to teach their dog basic manners." - Ian Dunbar, PhD
We use motivation and reward. You can use treats, toys, and all of the fun things in life to get your dog to want to listen and work for you. But you aren't bribing your dog and you won't have to use treats forever. Eventually, you can reward randomly and praise often, and the dog will still respond to the cue. Your rewards will be real life rewards.
The
stages of training
- Ian Dunbar, PhD:
- Teach The Dog What We Want Him To Do
- Teach The Dog To Want To Do What We Want Him To Do
- Enforce Compliance Without Fear Or Force
- Refine Performance Precision And Pizzazz
- Protect Performance Reliability And Precision
The first three steps focus on establishing response reliability and are all-important in all fields of dog training.
In Stage 1 - training lures are phased out completely (within a dozen trials) and replaced with hand or verbal cues (hand signals and requests/commands).
In Stage 2 - training rewards are phased out and replaced with life rewards (a la Premack). Eventually, the cued response becomes self-reinforcing as the dog becomes internally motivated. In a sense, "just doing it" becomes the biggest reward in dogdom.
In Stage 3 - a reliable cued response is enforced without force, fear, or pain.
The final two Stages--for refining precision and for protecting precision and reliability...
What
does training your dog mean for you? You get
a happy companion who pays attention, walks nicely on the leash, follows
basic commands, and is a joy to take with you wherever you go. What does
training mean to our dogs? It means they have an enjoyable, interesting
life in a home where they understand their place living with a human "pack"
who understands and appreciates their canine point of view!
Goals of training are many and vary with the individual person and their own personal long-term goals. The top notch obedience competitor or hunting partner doesn't live in the show ring or field every day, he lives in your home with your family. This is the dog we will help you train. We will give you the skills and understanding of dog behavior you need to accomplish your training goals and have the dog you want to live with every day.
Would you like to apply the training philosophy you've learned with your puppy to the raising of your children? Check out this excellent online parenting group!
Clicker Training Has Made Me a Better Parent - by Morgan Spector
