How Do You Stop a Single Behavior Now?

Jeff Gellman is one of the nicest guys in the world and a terrific dog trainer who not only goes around the country training dog trainers and owners, but is constantly learning and passing it on. What he does is truly heroic work, and a benefit to dog owners, trainers, and shelter dogs.

Another dog trainer, who I personally do not know, but who I have been following on his Facebook page, videos, and on his web site, is Gary Wilkes, who first brought clicker training for dogs to the world, and who is a massive supporter of rewards-based training, but who is also quite adamant that most of the serious problems people have with dogs is about self-rewarding behaviors that need to be stopped, and preferably sooner rather than later.

Jeff recently interviewed Gary for one of his Periscope presentations, and watching and listening to this interview is highly recommended.  Click on the link.  Guaranteed goodness.

The topic: How do you stop a single behavior now?

The question is a simple one, and yet if you talk to people with "dog problems," the answers you get back are astounding.

"Pookie runs to the window every 5 minutes to bark at the squirrels in the yard."  

Right. And what do you do about it? Ask that question, and you get a blank look back.

You mean I am supposed to DO something??

Yes.  Let's start there.  And for the rest, see this link.

A word of warning, however:  don't even think about arguing with Gary Wilkes or going off topic. He won't have it, and if you think I run a tight ship in that regard, Gary runs an even tighter one. Zombies, time wasters and anonymous cowards should take their nonsense elsewhere.