06-22-2009, 01:10 PM
And be aware! when you give loose dogs, esp. aggressive loose dogs, any kind of cookie, treat or positive reinforcement for aggressive seeming behavior towards you... you are reinforcing that behavior
Dogs are fairly easy to reward train. If a loose dog is charging you & gets a treat (whether thrown away from you or from your hand or..), it will have a conditioned response training session, ie, "I bark &/or run at &/or lunge at this person & I got a treat, so barking & running at and lunging at people is good." That is not the conditioned response I believe that anyone on this thread would want.
(My only expertise at training animals is over a decade doing volunteer work on conditioned response training at an aquarium with several big fish species, & having worked on research papers on the responses. That, along with having quite a few large breed dogs all but the last 4 years of my life, inc. a husky/staffordshire mix. I only have worked with neighbor dogs on the islands, as we STILL haven't finished our house & yard/ fence YET, & I would want to have that finished before taking on the responsibility of a dog)
Dogs are fairly easy to reward train. If a loose dog is charging you & gets a treat (whether thrown away from you or from your hand or..), it will have a conditioned response training session, ie, "I bark &/or run at &/or lunge at this person & I got a treat, so barking & running at and lunging at people is good." That is not the conditioned response I believe that anyone on this thread would want.
(My only expertise at training animals is over a decade doing volunteer work on conditioned response training at an aquarium with several big fish species, & having worked on research papers on the responses. That, along with having quite a few large breed dogs all but the last 4 years of my life, inc. a husky/staffordshire mix. I only have worked with neighbor dogs on the islands, as we STILL haven't finished our house & yard/ fence YET, & I would want to have that finished before taking on the responsibility of a dog)