Put simply, it is a form of self-learning for your dog, where they are rewarded for making the right choices, which is gradually increased until you achieve the goal you set. Just as with humans, self-learning leads to deeper understanding.
There are three elements to this process and knowing what these are will help you plan your own shaping.
- Target Behaviour – Define exactly what you want your dog to do
This includes what command words to use for starting and stopping, where the dog is going to be and for how long. - Successive Approximations
These are the enabling objectives, the main task is broken down into a series of smaller, manageable, bite-sized chunks that achieves quick wins. - Differential Reinforcement
When the dog chooses to do the correct action, they are rewarded. This is where humans need most training 😊 Using the clicker for an audible cue and treat straight away. When the dog is consistently achieving one of the chunks, the reward for that step is stopped and you then only reward the subsequent step.
The secret to shaping is dividing the behaviour into enough chunks so that there can’t be any confusion. The dog must be able to work out what is going on and naturally figure out what to do.
There will be a demonstration at the AGM, so if you are planning to attend, bring some high value training treats.
The best thing about working with Eurasiers is that they are so quick to pick things up and are desperate to please!
by Tracy Cottrell, Willowfalls Eurasiers
