Phase 2 - Advanced K9 Training
Escape Conditioning, Condition Punisher & Avoidance Conditioning
Phase 2
Escape Conditioning
In 2nd Phase, we are doing more advanced K9 training and will introduce training collars. Here your dog learns through operant conditioning that they must obey. We first teach the dog what the correction means and how to escape it. You do not put on a training collar and start pulling on it. Do that to the wrong dog and you will get bit. A correction is nothing more than a simple light finger pump on the leash. It is more annoying to the dog than anything else. Here they learn to escape it and move back into the command given. This step is one of the major components of having a dog fully trained. This step prevents fight, flight, or freeze from happening. Do not skip steps in K9 training in doing so you will cause side effects and will cause your dog to become neurotic.
We spend a lot of time in phase 2, to build that command structure and ensure your dog understands how to escape the correction and what it means. This is all part of LIMA and ensuring your dog is stress-free and enjoys the training. At no point in training should your dog be in pain or go into flight or fight mode. At this level of advanced dog training your dog is still learning and we must remember that we are teaching.
Phase 2
Condition Punisher
Condition Punisher is teaching the dog a conditioned punisher. Like the word “No”, this is paired with the leach correction we taught the dog, then learn to associate the word no to the correction. For example, you tell your dog “sit” and your dog goes into down. The dog tried, it’s not far to correct the dog for trying so we say “no” which let the dog know that it needs to try again, if the dog does not correct itself we use the finger pump to guide the dog into the sit. The dog already knows how to escape the correction from earlier training. Now the dog is learning when corrections will be given and it has a chance to avoid them. We are being fair and predictable.
Phase 2
Avoidance Conditioning
In Avoidance Conditioning your dog is learning the punishment (not as bad as that sounds) is predictable and how to avoid it altogether. That is true obedience, a dog following a command regardless of competing motivators. Your dog is learning it has to obey. To learn more contact us today.
These steps are all advanced dog training techniques and you should never skip steps in the training process, you will get bad side effects. If punishment is not fair, predictable, and consistent your dog will break down into what is called Learned Helplessness “In psychology, learned helplessness is a state that occurs after a dog has experienced a stressful situation repeatedly. They believe that they are unable to control or change the situation, so they do not try, even when opportunities for change are available”.