Training Method
At the core of The Way of the Wag (TWOW) is a love and appreciation for the uniqueness of every dog.
We know that all dogs can learn (even the old ones), and we see them transform, becoming well-mannered, calm and confident. Their humans learn, too, to become better pack leaders and improve communication.
My guiding principle at The Way of the Wag is “Agency with Discipline.” I use only positive reinforcement and encourage dogs to learn to choose the right thing. And they do.
what is positive reinforcement?
As the name suggests, positive reinforcement relies on a system of rewards to teach the dog what we want. (Negative reinforcement, on the other hand, punishes a dog for not doing what we want.) I use verbal praise, pets, toys, and high-value treats to signal to the dog that they’ve done the right thing. Through many years of experience, I have found that organic, low salt, grass-fed beef hot dogs are the best reward. No surprise. I also intersperse Charlee Bear cracker treats to keep your dog’s digestive tract from getting, uh, overwhelmed.
we train the humans, too!
For the humans, I like to use Memory Tricks (mnemonics) to make learning easy and intuitive. Example:
The key to all training is C-R-A-P: Consistency-Repetition-And-Patience. I’ll help you understand how to put CRAP into practice.