Understanding APDT Training Methods

The goal of training pet dog behavior is to make a reliable companion that will maximize the quality of your relationship. The two approaches to improving reliability are increasing desirable behaviors and reducing undesirable behaviors. First is training basic manners, or to perform desired behaviors on cue such as — “sit,” “down,” “come,” “stay,” and walk politely on leash and reducing undesirable behaviors like — don’t jump, pull on leash, run away, take candy from the baby.

Methods Used to Increase Desirable Behavior

Lure-Reward

 

The trainer entices the dog into the desired position by typically using a handheld food lure, like a treat. For example, the trainer lures a dog to sit by placing a treat in front of his nose and moving it backwards over his head. The dog follows the treat or ‘lure’ into the desired position. Reinforcement is generally giving the food reward along with verbal praise at the completion of the desired behavior.

Compulsion-Praise

 

The trainer manipulates the dog into a position by using physical placement or training equipment. For example, the dog may be physically manipulated into sitting by applying pressure on his bottom or brought into heel position with a head halter or collar correction. Reinforcement may be verbal praise and/or a food reward

Marker-Training

 

The trainer uses a sound, word, or clicker to ‘mark’ or immediately indicate the moment a dog is correct with a behavior. For example, the moment the dog’s bottom hits the floor in a sit, a trainer would use his desired marker to tell the dog that was the right behavior. A marker is followed by reinforcement with food and/or verbal praise. The marker creates a brief separation between food or touch and the performance of the behavior, so food is a reward, not an enticement. Behaviors can be either shaped, captured or lured using a marker.

Methods Used to Decrease Undesirable Behavior

Incompatible Behavior

 

The first approach for most reward-based trainers to reduce undesirable behavior is to train a replacement “good” behavior. Called an “incompatible behavior,” the new behavior both replaces and prevents the one the owner dislikes. For example, to eliminate jumping up to greet, a dog might be taught to stand still (4-on-the-floor) or sit when the owner walks through the door. Both stand and sit are “incompatible” with jumping up. Another example is pulling on a leash during a walk. In order to eliminate pulling on a leash, the dog is trained and rewarded for walking on a loose leash. Loose leash walking is incompatible with pulling.

Undesirable Consequence

 

When a dog “knows” a behavior, that is, when the trainer has a reasonable expectation that the dog has been sufficiently trained to recognize the cue and reliably respond appropriately, yet fails to do so, a trainer might employ consequences for this non-compliance. Trainers may also use consequences to reduce undesirable behaviors when an incompatible behavior is not appropriate or has not sufficiently addressed the behavior. The purpose of these consequences is to reduce or eliminate the likelihood of the behavior recurring and is evaluated in retrospect—by its affect on the behavior.