Odd Training Technique

[Tangwyn]

I think this technique works on the basis of "hotspotting" which basically means that dogs will avoid an area where they have had a sufficiently bad experience. People who use e-collars for retriever training use the hotspotting technique to get dogs to avoid taking certain routes out or back on a retrieve. Loudly scolding or verbally and physically abusing a piece of furniture is probably just enough to make the dog think it better steer clear of that area.

[cavNrott]

I think this technique works on the basis of "hotspotting" which basically means that dogs will avoid an area where they have had a sufficiently bad experience. People who use e-collars for retriever training use the hotspotting technique to get dogs to avoid taking certain routes out or back on a retrieve. Loudly scolding or verbally and physically abusing a piece of furniture is probably just enough to make the dog think it better steer clear of that area.

When I was doing this with the puddles or piles on the floor I didn't raise my voice at all....but then I don't raise my voice at my dogs either. All I did was wag my finger at the offending mess and tell it how naughty it was for being on the floor. My pup was usually standing back watching me tell the mess off. I doubt she felt connected to the problem as I never made eye contact with her.

As I was cleaning it up and grumbling at it she watched all this and she was fairly sure I was pretty cross at the mess that shouldn't be there. I wonder why some folk say you should never let a dog see you clean up their mess, I never did find out the reason. Maybe Erny will explain it to me.

The dogs see me doing poop pick ups twice a day in the yard and they don't seem to have suffered any psychological damage.

[Erny]

Erny, what do you mean by "Supposedly reduces the chance of perception of 'importance'." Just curious

I wonder why some folk say you should never let a dog see you clean up their mess, I never did find out the reason. Maybe Erny will explain it to me.

I can't say I ever really looked into and analysed the reasoning behind it - it was simply something that I read way back when .... and simply kept it in the back of my mind. In short, I think it goes to "owner having control of valuable resources" with the pup possibily making the connection that the 'mess' is a valuable resource ..... or some such.

I don't believe in the action of cleaning up in front of the pup having HIGH and COMMON potential for this pairing and I'm not anal about it - but I do think cleaning up in the absence of the dog is a good suggestion for more than just the possible 'pairing' reasoning - it does get the pup out of the road; it does eradicate any possibility that an owner might inadvertantly give the pup attention during the process; and it does prevent the owner getting 'mad' at their pup for the mere fact that they have a 'mess' to clean up in the first place. And besides, if there is any "potential" for the pairing, why not avoid that possibly occuring in the first place.

That's my take on it and it doesn't really matter to me if it is argued. I simply haven't spent the time doing that myself. IMO - there is absolutely no harm in it and for that matter, given the above, has the potential for good and it is something that I recommend people do particularly (but not necessarily only) if they are having a toilet-training/house-soiling problem (which is when I am most sought in any case).

Edited November 9, 2007 by Erny

[gila]

lol interesting technique! I'm pretty sure if I tried this though, Spence would not be content to just sit back and watch.. he'd rush straight over to help berate the offending object!

[cavNrott]

I can't say I ever really looked into and analysed the reasoning behind it - it was simply something that I read way back when .... and simply kept it in the back of my mind. In short, I think it goes to "owner having control of valuable resources" with the pup possibily making the connection that the 'mess' is a valuable resource ..... or some such.

I have a feeling that my pups didn't consider the mess on the floor to be a 'valuable resource' since the presence of it availed them of nothing they wanted. I suspect they weren't aware they had a connection with it but they were pretty sure I wasn't happy with it. S'pose they wondered why.

I heard about it years ago too Erny and I still see it written occasionally. I always ask why when I see someone say not to clean up in the presence of the dog but haven't yet had anyone who has explained why. Maybe it's a myth that's lingered beyond its due date and no one can remember why.

[Erny]

I have a feeling that my pups didn't consider the mess on the floor to be a 'valuable resource' since the presence of it availed them of nothing they wanted. I suspect they weren't aware they had a connection with it but they were pretty sure I wasn't happy with it. S'pose they wondered why.

I heard about it years ago too Erny ... Maybe it's a myth that's lingered beyond its due date and no one can remember why.

Remember that there are many other pups in many other different households with many other different owners and different relationships between them, than you with yours. Perhaps it is a myth .... but I'm also aware that sometimes what become "myth like" have an underlying reasoning behind them. And perhaps it was a case of inadvertent attention? ;) I don't know either. But sometimes for some people it just makes cleaning up that bit easier when pups are out of the way, even though they might not think to put pup out of the way for the purpose until someone suggests it. Even sometimes the simplest of suggestions can be like a .

Edited November 11, 2007 by Erny

[cavNrott]

Remember that there are many other pups in many other different households with many other different owners and different relationships between them, than you with yours. Perhaps it is a myth

I speak only of my experience, I wasn't advising others to follow my example.

I thought that's what we were doing in this thread....just speaking of some strange things we did and having a laugh about it ;) .

[Erny]

I thought that's what we were doing in this thread....just speaking of some strange things we did and having a laugh about it ;) .

Oh cNr .... I thought we were doing so well - no need for the . Perhaps you misread the tone in my post? It was just furthering discussion. There's no 'winners' here.

Edited November 11, 2007 by Erny