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Operant Conditioning

Basenji Training

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eeeefarm
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Since the subject comes up from time to time, it is useful if everyone applies the terminology correctly. I dug around and found a pretty good explanatory article here.

For anyone who took psychology, this is not new news, but with the current popularity of "all positive" dog training, it's useful to understand where it comes from. B.F. Skinner's work is hardly new or modern, but it is certainly in vogue these days! Unfortunately it is also frequently misunderstood or misinterpreted. Understanding the basics is helpful when you are observing how an animal is reacting to your training methods, and can help one make good decisions about both reinforcement and punishment. IMO, many people make the mistake of not moving to a variable reinforcement schedule once a behaviour is established. Anyhow, I hope the article is helpful in clarifying the terms and the science behind them.
"In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"
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@elbrant said in Operant Conditioning (explained):

@eeeefarm said in Operant Conditioning (explained):

some professional trainers suggest to their classes that they starve dogs that aren't all that food motivated

This is just disturbing... in today's society, this type of behavior would be considered animal cruelty. Certainly we can find a way to encourage compliance without depriving an animal basic care.

I know, it shocked me too when I heard it. The first instance was a friend of mine whose Border Collie was disinterested in food rewards, and she was advised by the instructor not to feed the dog anything on class days so there would be an incentive to accept treats. The second instance was my niece, and in this case a German Shepherd dog that again didn't want to take treats, and she was given the same advice by a different trainer, in fact in a different city, so it appears that it isn't unusual. Both these dogs work well for praise and in both cases the owners declined to starve the dogs....
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Know when to walk away....

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• • • eeeefarm

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Let's also consider that when you chase your dog, the dog thinks it's a game and will run away from you. Like... "you can't catch me!" Man, Basenji's can bolt! On the other hand, when you are the one running away, the dog instinctively joins you because you are part of the dog's family/pack. This is not to be confused with a learned command to chase an assailant, in Police work, for example. That would be a totally different game of chase.
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• • • eeeefarm

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@eeeefarm - Totally agree with both of you, while I don't do the "restrain the pup", but if it works great and in a pinch it does work for me if really needed. When we have pups (babies) and Mom is tired of them and puts herself in a position that they can't reach her, they turn to the next adult in the house.... same thing will happen if they get over excited and yes, I have seen Basenji Moms, pin the pup to the ground and/or other adults in the home.... so it is something that a pup understands. Walking away works for me... or I try to change up the "game" by turning to working their minds and getting them to think about other things. In the Basenji Breed this is another way of teaching them that the prior behavior is not acceptable. They learn pretty quickly. Thanks for posting this thread eeeefarm... well needed...
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9 months puppy started to chew on skirting boards

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• • • Little_T

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Management is the greatest tool for preventing this kind of behavior.

Also, as others have mentioned, exercise and wearing them out energetically is very useful as well.

If they have access to an appropriate toy to chew on, are managed correctly, and get enough daily exercise, you shouldn't have too many problems.
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• • • Little_T

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Chase is great... if he's chasing you. But if you're chasing him, this is very bad.

Playing chase, with him chasing you, will also help with engagement. Play chase with food.

Also, I would recommend hand-feeding for (at least) a month. You want to build value in you.

In addition, it has to be said, that some puppies are just lazy and like being bummy. You can encourage active behavior by making yourself valuable (so he wants to be around you) and by making activities valuable. At 6 months however, you might be out of luck. Still, it's your dog, so it's probably worth it to give it a dedicated try.

You also, might want to try using more valuable food rewards (like steak, cheese, etc. (whatever he loves and doesn't typically get much of)).

Best of luck.

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Operant Conditioning

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