Positive reinforcement: This is a type of training that focuses on rewarding good behaviour rather than punishing bad behaviour. This can be done using treats, praise, or toys as rewards.
Clicker training: This is a type of training that uses a small, handheld clicker to mark the desired behaviour and then reward it. This allows the dog to understand more quickly what is being asked of them.
Operant conditioning: This is a type of learning in which an animal learns to associate a particular behaviour with a particular consequence. For example, a dog may learn that sitting on command results in a treat, while jumping up on people results in being scolded.
Classical conditioning: This is a type of learning in which an animal learns to associate a particular stimulus with a particular response. For example, a dog may learn to salivate at the sound of a bell if it has been trained to associate the bell with food.
Shaping: This is a type of training in which small steps are taken towards the desired behaviour, and each successful step is rewarded. For example, if you want to teach a dog to high-five, you might start by rewarding the dog for touching their paw to your hand, gradually increasing the criteria to lifting their paw higher and higher until they are giving a full high-five.
Chaining: This is a type of training in which a series of behaviours are linked together to create a more complex behaviour. For example, a dog may be trained to sit, stay, and lay down on command, and then these behaviours can be linked together to create the behaviour of "going to your bed."
Target training: This is a type of training in which the dog is taught to touch a specific object or location with their nose or paw. This can be a useful behaviour for guiding a dog to a specific location or for performing certain tricks.
Fading: This is a technique used to gradually reduce the use of prompts or cues in training. For example, if you are using a hand signal to tell a dog to sit, you might start by using the hand signal and a verbal command, then gradually fade the use of the hand signal until the dog is responding only to the verbal command.
Luring: This is a technique in which a treat or toy is used to guide the dog into a desired position or behaviour. For example, a treat might be used to lure a dog into a sitting position.
Capturing: This is a technique in which the trainer waits for the dog to spontaneously offer a desired behaviour and then rewards it. For example, if you are trying to teach a dog to lay down on command, you might wait for the dog to naturally lay down and then reward them for doing so.
Proofing: This is the process of testing a dog's training in different environments and with different distractions to ensure that they are able to reliably perform the desired behaviour.
Generalisation: This is the process of teaching a dog to perform a behaviour in a variety of different contexts and environments. For example, if a dog has been trained to sit on command in the living room, they should also be able to sit on command in the park or at the beach.
Extinction: This is the process of allowing a behaviour to naturally die out by no longer reinforcing it. For example, if a dog is jumping up on people for attention and the trainer stops reinforcing the behaviour by giving the dog attention when they jump up, the behaviour may naturally extinguish over time.
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