Training a Hyperactive Dog to Calm Down. By Pat Miller, CPDT-KA, CDBC Boy, do I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say their dog was “hyperactive” or “ADHD” – I’d be a wealthy woman. In fact, those are clinical terms referring to very specific behavioral disorders (canine and human) that are relatively uncommon in dogs. In reality, most “hyper” dogs are just under-exercised. A couple of days hiking at the Peaceable Paws farm and you’d hardly know them. Not every dog owner has access to large tracts of acreage upon which to exercise their unruly canines, and in any case, “wild child canine syndrome” (WCCS) is more than just lack of exercise; it’s also lack of appropriate reinforcement for calm behavior – i.e., training.
Unfortunately, all too often a dog loses his happy home – maybe even his life, as a result of his high-energy behavior. We’ve seen several of these WCCS dogs at the training center in recent weeks. WCCS dogs often include inappropriate biting in their repertoire of undesirable behaviors. -Find it. Examples of operant training quadrants. A guide to operant training with positive reinforcement.
01 Housetraining Accidents: Causes and Solutions. When a dog starts having housetraining accidents, it’s easy to believe the dog is acting out of anger or some other defiant motive. That is rarely the case. Let’s look at reasons for housetraining accidents, and methods for improving your dog’s batting average. 1. Sometimes we think a dog is housetrained when that is not actually the case. Housetraining does not automatically transfer to a new location, either.
Dogs need consistent human help to keep the housetraining habits we humans want from them. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The solution to this problem is to stop all punishment (even a harsh tone of voice) and start giving the dog rewards for relief. 8. Solving this one can require detective work to find the cause, and changing how you handle the dog’s relief outings. 9. 10. Managing separation anxiety requires a behavior modification program carried out by the family, which in some cases can be aided by temporary medication. 11. Neutering helps this problem. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. Positive Reinforcement Dog Training. Dogs: Positive Reinforcement Training.