Understanding the major concepts and instincts gives you every chance of successfully training a German Shepherd; it is essential to understand how it learns.
The dog and owner must be happy to work and interact together
Dogs learn by association, repetition, and consequence: each behavior is influenced by what follows its action, even more so if it is very short term (less than 2 seconds).
The major mechanisms of conditioning,
They are described by researchers as Skinner and have made it possible to highlight several key concepts:
- Positive reinforcement involves adding something pleasant (reward) to increase the likelihood of a behavior (e.g., giving a treat after a successful recall).
- Negative reinforcement involves removing something unpleasant to increase a behavior (e.g., releasing pressure on a leash when the dog returns).
- Positive punishment adds an external constraint (not necessarily unpleasant) to reduce a behavior (e.g.: pressure on the hindquarters at the same time as the sit command).
- Negative punishment removes something pleasant to reduce behavior (e.g., withholding caresses or attention in the event of inappropriate behavior).
Balance in the use of these mechanisms is fundamental: excessive punishment and reinforcement, especially at inappropriate times, can generate stress, confusion, and even mistrust. Conversely, a reasoned use of both reinforcement and punishment develops confidence, motivation, and emotional stability.
Dogs must be attentive to the owner
Although we encourage positive reinforcement, we are against anything positive. It's nonsense; there's no day without night, no heat without cold. This is especially true with strong-willed dogs like the German Shepherds we breed.
It is also a decoy, what seems "nice" can in some cases cause long-term suffering, as much as what seems "mean" in the moment can in some cases avoid many long-term problems. The system works when we know how to use the four aspects, not just one. For example, positive reinforcement, to be effective, consists of feeding an animal (or offering it a reward, ball, sausage, caress...) when and only when it carries out the requested orders, if it does not obey it has nothing (no reinforcement), this amounts to taking away what it wants, that is to say negative punishment! Those who practice positive reinforcement, practice in parallel, often ignoring it, negative punishment!
The key to success is understanding how to communicate
The main instincts
Beyond pure learning, understanding the dog's great natural instincts is also crucial, both to know how to use them and to respect them:
- Prey instinct : engine of play, of pursuit, tracking, biting, shaking, motivation to work to obtain one's prey (ball, sausage, treat).
- Defense instinct: basis of protective behavior, need to preserve one's integrity or that of the group, defend one's territory, reaction to provocation.
- Pack instinct : need for belonging and social hierarchy, cohesion, social obedience, intra- and infra-group communication.
- Reproductive instinct : sexuality, domination rituals, maternal instinct.
A happy dog can satisfy its instincts
A working-bred German Shepherd generally possesses these instincts in a strong way. Training should therefore be based on carefully reading these instincts, channeling their expression without ever denying them.
Finally, it is important to remember that learning in dogs is ongoing: every interaction, every response, even the most trivial, contributes to shaping their future behavior.
Educating is therefore more than teaching orders: it is building a relationship based on mutual understanding, consistency and trust.
Des Crocs Véritables Puppy in action
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Inconsistency in the rules: A dog needs stable reference points. Varying instructions from day to day or from person to person can lead to misunderstanding and anxiety.
- Punish without teaching: Correcting misunderstood or poorly learned behavior doesn't solve anything. First, you must clearly demonstrate what is expected.
- Too many meaningless repetitions: Repeating an order without getting a response damages learning. It's best to adjust the method or environment before insisting.
- Lack of emotional clarity: Dogs constantly read our emotions. Inconsistency, agitation, or nervousness seriously impair effective learning.
- Forgetting natural instinct: Trying to extinguish the prey or protective instinct, rather than channeling it intelligently, generates frustration and deviant behavior.
- Neglecting socialization: Even a well-trained but poorly socialized dog will eventually develop fears, inappropriate reactions or excessive behavior.
Summary of the fundamental bases to understand to communicate with your dog
