Re: Labradorsite article [quote author=Jen link=topic=7003.msg102669#msg102669 date=1408363250] In the article she explains the reactive dog feels empowered or relieved by the other dog moving away. It's my understanding that it is the reactive dog that moves away as reward for remaining calm and offering a replacement behaviour. [/quote] I can't see the difference in these two? I mean if to move away is a reward it must be associated with relief (or similar). Does it matter which dog moves away?
Re: Labradorsite article Hi Amanda What you've described is very similar to what I do. The BAT website and book focus a lot on set ups. Set ups using my dogs' triggers are not really practical so I follow the advice on using BAT on walks but adapt it depending on the situation. When a trigger is approaching I wait for my dogs to give the replacement behaviour (calming signal) and mark and reward and continue to reward for remaining calm and not reacting to the trigger. Most of the time their replacement behaviour is to look at me although sometimes Scott will just lick his lips. I've also trained look at me as a cue. It's better if they do it themselves but sometimes if I think we are getting a bit close to the trigger and they haven't looked at me I cue it so I can use treats to get and keep their attention. It also breaks their focus on the trigger and helps make them calmer. Little steps are definitely the way and patience and perseverance. : [quote author=JulieT link=topic=7003.msg104376#msg104376 date=1408886148] [quote author=Jen link=topic=7003.msg102669#msg102669 date=1408363250] In the article she explains the reactive dog feels empowered or relieved by the other dog moving away. It's my understanding that it is the reactive dog that moves away as reward for remaining calm and offering a replacement behaviour. [/quote] I can't see the difference in these two? I mean if to move away is a reward it must be associated with relief (or similar). Does it matter which dog moves away? [/quote] I see what you mean Julie. My understanding (I'm not saying its right I could have completely misunderstood) of everything I've read about training nervous dogs and particularly dogs with nervous aggression is that the wrong/worse thing that can happen is the trigger moves away. That is reinforcing the nervous behaviour. The dog acts aggressively to try and scare away the thing that is scaring him. If the trigger moves away it's telling the reactive dog that that behaviour works so it's worth repeating. If the reactive dog moves away from the trigger before it goes over threshold while it's still calm it hopefully learns that remaining calm puts distance between it and the trigger,which is what it wants and also learns it can choose to move away and not react.
