Karen Pryor wrote a great piece on being a change maker:
Here's a biologist's look at the process of making changes.
- Ignore you
- Pretend to agree, but actually do nothing
- Resist, delay, obstruct
- Openly attack you (the dangerous phase, but also a sign that change is starting)
- Absorb
- Utilize
- Take credit
- Proselytize
What people say in the process of accepting the change:
- "That might work for your population but not for mine." (absorbing)
- "I can use it, but not for anything important." (absorbing and utilizing)
- "Some of my people can use it if they feel they need to." (utilizing)
- "Oh yes, we've been doing that for years, it's quite good." (utilizing and taking credit)
- "We've come up with a really incredible program; you should try it." (taking credit and proselytizing).
A few days ago, I read an email from a very good trainer who said that Labs could learn with the clicker, but it doesn't work so well with big, slow dogs like Danes. It would never work for a Dane, she said.
I'm not sure where to start discussing the inaccuracies of that statement. The clicker isn't a gadget, a fad, or a newfangled method. It's pure, undadulterated behavior science. It operates on the rules of behavior. People who say things like the trainer did in that email simply don't understand the science of behavior.
What does that mean for me (and Talos)? That means I'm considering the gauntlet thrown! I'm always up for a challenge and I always need motivation, so I took that statement as a challenge. Of course I use clicker training. And of course I'm training the Great Dane, Talos exclusively with clicker training.
So over the next few weeks, I'm going to document (with video) just how slow and pokey Talos is (shouldn't come as any surprise to regular readers of this blog!) and then document just how well the click works to speed up behavior. Yes, even in a slow poke Dane.
Should be fun – I love a challenge!
You tell ’em Laurie!!!
I thought of you and Talos when I read that e-mail. I also thought of how quickly Katie learned to pick something up. Literally on 5-10 minute session. But she does it her way and you do it yours and Katie seems fine with either method. 🙂
can’t wait 🙂
I used to say “to each his own” when it came to training methods. I never really actually felt that way, but there wasn’t any good, hard scientific research to put behind my thoughts.
Now, however, there’s research that shows that mixing punishment and positive reinforcement training slows down learning. Inhibits it actually. Shuts a dog down. Which lots of people think is a good thing – they think the dog is listening, but really what’s happening is the dog is shutting down. Watch Cesar Millan – many dogs on that show that are “miraculously saved” are really just shut down. It’s called learned helplessness.
Search “poisoned cue” to find the details on how mixing punishment and reinforcement interferes with learning. There’s a lot of research coming out of the University of North Texas. I’m so glad the research is being done because now we have some empirical evidence – not just “he said, she said.”
am very interested in tracking r there any resources u know of in uk