Saturday, September 3, 2011

Dog Health Questions: What is a "correction" in dog training?

When you think of a correction on a dog, what do you think that is? What exactly is done when a dog is corrected during training? How is a proper correction administered on a dog?

Regardless of if a correction on a dog is acceptable to you or not is not relevant here. All I want is for you to define and explain what you think a correction actually is in regards to dog training.

Is Dog Training Necessary? Part 1



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When I think of a correction the only thing I think of is what will work for that particular dog. Some dogs need more than ignoring and throwing chicken or hot dogs at them for some the collar correction is too much.
Corrections should match the dog so an evaluation is needed to deteremine what is needed.
A good instructor should have more that just one approach.

Puppy Dog Training in 7 Lessons


  • A correction to me is used to discourage a dog from exhibiting an undesirable behavior.

    But then rewarding the behavior that you wish to encourage or see with praise and treats!! :-)

    Well I guess it depends on what you're trying to discourage. I don't agree with HARD physical punishment-hitting etc. I think I'm more for using sounds and action - like a "eh eh" which is pretty effective with my dogs or a wave of the arm to discourage them from doing something. It's all about using your body to your advantage without scaring the living **** out of the dog. They need to realize that you don't want them to do something....but you don't want them scared of you either. It's hard because it differs from dog to dog. For some dogs a simple "no" will do it, but for others they might need a little more. I don't think that correcting a dog will scar it for life. It all depends on HOW you do it. Corrections can be very effective.....if done right.

  • Per our experience, "correction" is the word "no" during bad behavior using a training collar for emphasis, until the dog understands the word no, no "correction" can occur.

  • i just say no in a calm voice b/c my dog knows that no means thats the wrong thing to do then i position her in the right position and then praise her....or you can just not give her the treat untill she does it correctly or you could get a clicker dogs realy respond to that =]..[edit]

    ohh well if you position your dog in the trick position and they do it wrong then say no and start over then when they get it right give em a treat and praise

  • Well when I teach my dog commands and tricks he doesn't wear a leash.. so i simply "ignore" the wrong behavior and wait and praise for the correct behavior. I really need to get a clicker lol.

    While on leash, I give him a correction by tugging at it when he does something I don't want him to do, accompanied by a verbal command. I don't use his choke chain anymore, just a gentle leader so it's really not much of a correction >.>;

    As for bad behaviors around the house I shout "NO! BAD DOG!" and grab him by the scruff of his neck like an imitation dog bite. But that's really rare for me to have to touch my dog physically to scold him. If his ears go back when I say "NO" then I know he understands and I don't have to do anything further.

    I guess I could also add that before I was really a dog person I used a rolled up newspaper to make the spanking noise on his butt when he did something wrong in the house, like take a piss on the bed or chew up my boyfriends new sunglasses >_>; I'm not really against the newspaper, as it doesn't hurt, it's just a sound, but I have no reason to do it anymore.

    ADD: I also am a believer that any scolding should be done within 5 seconds of the behavior or else nothing should be done at all. If you come home to a wrecked house I don't believe you should scold your dog since he's not going to fully understand.

    ADD: And. I am against hitting/tapping the dog in the face or on the nose. It really bugs me when people do it to my dog. His face is sensitive, I know he's a pitbull so he has a high pain tolerance, but I don't want his face to get hurt. I fear his nose passage way could collapse or something. But I am ok with putting your hand around a dog's muzzle and holding it for a few seconds.

  • Its the opposite of forced training. Its basically treating the dog as a member of the pack, and telling the dog "no" instead of hitting the dog, or punishing the dog in anyway, and treating the dog like it doesn't belong in the pack.
    http://leerburg.com/corrections.htm

  • The actions that come to mind in terms of effective corrections are "popping" the leash (a single quick upward jerk of the leash, not to the point of choking the dog, just enough to get his/her attention), verbally saying "no" (with or without popping the leash), if it is a matter of dominance you physically lay the dog onto it's side, making it lay all the way down including the head until the dog becomes "submissive" to you as alpha...
    Depending on the situation, various corrections are appropriate, and different levels.
    The purpose is to stop undesirable behaviors or correct problem behaviors. And as with everything, when they stop or display positive behaviors, PRAISE the dog. I like to specify that discipline is just that-it instills discipline. I do not believe in "hitting" or "spanking" a dog-for one, dogs in nature don't do it, it's not effective, it just makes your dog afraid and hand shy, and what's more, it's just cruel...

  • Say your dog is pulling you on the leash.. You simply pull the leash with a jolt. If your dog is barking, you inturupt it. And if its on the couch. you just push it down. Its called a correction.. Because you try to correct it.. And i knwo you already knwop what it is.. but oh well.. And If you want some good tips.. Watch At The End Of My Leash.. Its on the Slice channel..

  • This made me think for a second of all the ways I use to correct and I realized I use a ton of different corrections based on age, training level, and what exactly the dog did. But no matter what form, the correction is delivered in a manner that lets the dog know clearly whatever it did was not desirable, and done fast, and then it's over.

    ** Oh HOW it's done. Maybe it's just a NO!. It could be a slight pull ot pop on a leash or pull tab with a prong collar. It depends on the things I said above. I thought you were asking what my idea of a correction is. Sorry lol

    *** Thank you DP, once again you said what I was trying to say and said it so much better =)

  • A correction is an indicator for the dog that a particular behavior is unacceptable.

    For my dogs, a "correction" involves a "pop" kind of tug with their martingale or prong collar.

  • *My* interpretation of a correction is simply a quick, sharp pop of the leash, which is a pop of the collar. It's not a drag, or an exceptionally hard tug- but it's quick and it's straight up- it's enough to startle the dog and get his/her attention, but not enough to cause any pain. It works with buckle collars, choke chains, and pinch collars differently. (I actually find it is less effective with the buckle, and more effective with pinch.)

    Hope this helps- you can e-mail if you have other questions about it. I think they are extremely effective if used appropriately- and each dog can handle/requires a different touch.

  • You cannot define correction so simply. Different dogs would need different corrections, and you would use a different correction depending on what behaviour you are correcting.

  • A correction is some action that is taken toward your dog when it needs to change a behavior or action.
    I would suggest that you try to manipulate your voice to show the difference between a disirable action and an undesirable action. I speek in a high pitched, sweetheart, baby talk voice to my dogs when I am pleased with them. When I am not so pleased I raise my voice and lower the tone to get his attention with correction words such as no, stop, quit it...etc. A rule of thumb is to always choose one___one correction word and stick to the one. Make sure that the entire family (including friends or others that may come in contact with the dog) knows and uses the same word for correcting the dog. Using several different words to say the same thing only confuses the dog and lengthens training time. When my dogs repeatedly disregard the word no, I will go to the dog and give it a quick firm pinch on the ear. This is effective most days. Another rule of thumb is to always go to your dog to give a correction, never ever call your dog to you to give a correction. If my dogs chew up shoes or anything else, I will bring the item to the dog and show them the problem. Pointing and saying no, no, no. If a young dog uses the bathroom in the house you should always show the dog the problem by pointing at it, you will be suprised how much it helps. They are not stupid and visual cues are very helpful in training. (such as pointing) I also do time-outs in a crate, in the same say you would do with a young child. If a dog will not stay out of a certain area and all the other corrections do not work, I will place the dog in the crate without any of his toys or treats for 5-10 minutes. This helps in some cases. Training is not only corrections. It is a task that requires patience and committment and dedication. You must show praise and have a close bond with your dog or it will not want to please you, therefore it probably will not please you. It takes a special person and a lot of tlc, but in the end,,,,, after all those thousands of corrections you will have a faithful friend that is as committed to you as a mother would be to her child. There is no other relationship quite the same as that between a dog and it's master. Your dog needs your guidance and support in order to be happy and healthy. When you provide the discipline your dog needs, it will provide you with confidence and that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you know your doing something good. I hope all this rambling has helped a little. GOOD LUCK

  • You give it WHILE the behavior is occuring, or better, when they begin to THINK about doing that behavior.

    A correction is *never* given AFTER a behavior has occured. That is PUNISHMENT. Which dogs don't understand.

    During potty training, if a puppy pees on the floor and walks away, it is too late for you to do ANYTHING. You can't say no, you can't rub their nose in it. Dogs, especially puppies, rarely connect action A with result B when they are not immediately connected.

    If the puppy is *peeing* on the floor, you pick them up while they're going, say no, and carry them outside and praise while they finish. You HAVE to catch them in the act. The most desireable situation is when you catch the puppy sniffing and beginning to crouch to go. You catch them before they start, say no, take them outside...

    Giving a correction is done either when the dog is *thinking* about doing something, or as they are doing it. Correction is not cruel, it's natural and has worked for hundreds more likely thousands of years. In the majority of instances, there should also be a reward involved after the correction. If it didn't work we wouldn't have gotten this far with dogs. Punishment, which is after the action is wrong, and IMO cruel.

    The type of correction and level of correction depend on the individual dog. No two dogs are the same and no two dogs should be corrected exactly the same. You have to KNOW your dog (GASP!), it's part of being a good pet parent.

    Corrections can vary between "no" and much stronger corrections. Some dogs will shut down with a harsh correction, some will walk all over you with a soft correction. Again, you have to KNOW your dog.

  • It really depends on why the correction was needed. Was it for an exercise the dog is just learning? Then it may just be a single pop on the leash or a physical repositioning of the dog, ie after the dog has gone down on a sit stay.
    If the dog knows how to do an exercise and just blows you off/flips you the paw, now the correction may be a bit firmer. I don't get abusive with my dogs, but if they know the exercise then they get a firm correction, it may be several pops on the leash if they broke a stay and moved out of position.

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