Do You Praise For This?

[Lillynix]

Okay, I know that dogs respond to praise/rewards when training when they do the right thing, eg they sit on command, you reward.

But what about when you've asked them to stop doing something (say, digging the garden ) and they do stop, do you reward them for stopping or just leave it at that and keep telling them 'NO' everytime they do it (and therefore keep stopping) until they get the idea?

[Rusky]

yes reward

[Aussienot]

I know what you mean: should you praise the stopping of the unwanted behaviour? I struggled with this a bit too with a dog who had a laundry list of bad behaviours and very few good behaviours. Does the dog know you mean Yes, good for stopping? Or does the dog think that the bad activity is a way to trigger you into attention/praise?

I think it depends on the dog. I can see a very smart dog learning to engage in the activity to get you to praise him for stopping. In most cases, after the dog stops on your command, immediately redirecting the dog into another activity, be it a game of fetch, a game of chase, or some sort of "praiseable" training activity like a sit or a drop works the best. And maybe sometimes, praise and attention.

I'd mix it up so the outcome is not predicable.

[huski]

I would reward.

ETA: To clarify, if I gave the dog a command to do something (even if that was 'stop' or 'off') I would praise them for complying straight away. For example - some nights Cherry goes into the backyard and barks. If I call her to me to get her to stop barking, I give her a treat for doing the right thing.

Edited May 11, 2009 by huski

[Cosmolo]

If you are giving a correction rather than a command, i would not reward immediately as you don't want to teach the dog that your correction means a reward is coming. If you give a command such as in Huski's case then i would reward.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

I think you are better off teaching a behaviour that is incompatible with the problem behaviour (you can't sit and dig at the same time for example). Huski's recall is another good example. Cue the behaviour you want, then praise that.

That way you don't have to muck around with the issue of inappropriate linking of corrections and rewards. Also, be aware that even "Uh uh!" is a correction, it's just a verbal one.

I've yet to see a dog that will permanently stop digging a garden just on verbal corrections alone. Perhaps out there is a super biddable very well behaved dog that has done this, but none of mine fall into that category We have just fenced off a particularly muddy area so that our show Afghan puppy doesn't go digging in it.

[LilBailey]

I second Cosmolo. Don't rewrad a correction, but do reward correct behavour of a comand such as sit.

[Lillynix]

Thank you, your answers make perfect sense! I hadn't been rewarding the correction as I wasn't sure if I should, so i'm glad I was doing the right thing there.

But just quickly, to make sure I have the hang of this, if they jump on the couch and I tell them 'OFF' and they get off, they are rewarded but if they are biting and I yell 'OUCH' and they stop, I don't reward?

Sorry, i'm new to all this training stuff, just want to make sure i'm on the right track so I don't stuff it up and make it harder on myself.

[MolassesLass]

Since the dog doesn't speak English and thus don't know what "No" means, I praise for them stopping what they are doing as that's what I want them to learn "No" means.

[Rusky]

Thank you, your answers make perfect sense! I hadn't been rewarding the correction as I wasn't sure if I should, so i'm glad I was doing the right thing there.

So how does the dog then know it is doing the right thing ? I don't think you are doing the right thing at all.

BTW I don't say "off" I gently push down on the chest with my hand and give masses of cuddles and praise when on the ground. This has worked extrememly well for a heap of fosters in my home with shocking manners. I do let them lap sit at my invitiation if a lap dog but they have to be invited otherwise the same gentle removal.

Since the dog doesn't speak English and thus don't know what "No" means, I praise for them stopping what they are doing as that's what I want them to learn "No" means.

I like that will steal the phrase

[Odin-Genie]

Thank you, your answers make perfect sense! I hadn't been rewarding the correction as I wasn't sure if I should, so i'm glad I was doing the right thing there.

So how does the dog then know it is doing the right thing ? I don't think you are doing the right thing at all.

I don't give treats to my elky for corrections, only praise ('good boy'). I learnt the hard way. As a puppy he would consistently run away with socks, books etc. Every time he listened to 'leave', I gave him a treat. The smart fellow quickly figured out that he could get plenty of treats by listening. So he would get a sock, leave it on command, then get another

I stopped the treats and used the 'good boy' phrase to reward him when he listens to a correction. Now he leaves things on single command.

[VJB]

As a puppy he would consistently run away with socks, books etc. Every time he listened to 'leave', I gave him a treat. The smart fellow quickly figured out that he could get plenty of treats by listening. So he would get a sock, leave it on command, then get another

my dog does this too! Still working through training her not to.