Don't Shoot the Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training - Softcover

9780553380392: Don't Shoot the Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 
A Better Way to Better Behavior

Karen Pryor's clear and entertaining explanation of behavioral training methods made Don't Shoot the Dog! a bestselling classic. Now this revised edition presents more of her insights into animal—and human—behavior.

A groundbreaking behavioral scientist and dynamic animal trainer, Karen Pryor is a powerful proponent of the principles and practical uses of positive reinforcement in teaching new behaviors. Here are the secrets of changing behavior in pets, kids—even yourself—without yelling, threats, force, punishment, guilt trips...or shooting the dog:

·The principles of the revolutionary "clicker training" method, which owes its phenomenal success to its immediacy of response—so there is no question what action you are rewarding
·8 methods of ending undesirable habits—from furniture-clawing cats to sloppy roommates
·The 10 laws of "shaping" behavior–for results without strain or pain through "affection training"
·Tips for house-training the dog, improving your tennis game, or dealing with an impossible teen
·Explorations of exciting new uses for reinforcement training

Learn why pet owners rave, "This book changed our lives!" and how these pioneering techniques can work for you too.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:
Karen Pryor is a pioneer in the development of force-free training methods, and one of the leading proponents of operant conditioning. Karen continues to have an enormous influence in the animal training field, and is much admired for her influential body of work and generous spirit. She is based in Massachusetts.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:
What Is a Positive Reinforcer?


A reinforcer is anything that, occurring in conjunction with an act, tends to increase the probability that the act will occur again.

Memorize that statement. It is the secret of good training.

There are two kinds of reinforcers: positive and negative. A positive reinforcer is something the subject wants, such as food, petting, or praise. A negative reinforcer is something the subject wants to avoid--a blow, a frown, an unpleasant sound. (The warning buzzer in a car if you don't fasten your seat belt is a negative reinforcer.)

Behavior that is already occurring, no matter how sporadically, can always be intensified with positive reinforcement. If you call a puppy, and it comes, and you pet it, the pup's coming when called will become more and more reliable even without any other training. Suppose you want someone to telephone you--your offspring, your parent, your lover. If he or she doesn't call, there isn't much you can do about it. A major point in training with reinforcement is that you can't reinforce behavior that is not occurring. If, on the other hand, you are always delighted when your loved ones do call, so that the behavior is positively reinforced, the likelihood is that the incidence of their calling will probably increase. (Of course, if you apply negative reinforcement--"Why haven't you called, why do I have to call you, you never call me," and so on, remarks likely to annoy--you are setting up a situation in which the caller avoids such annoyance by not calling you; in fact, you are training them not to call.)

Simply offering positive reinforcement for a behavior is the most rudimentary part of reinforcement training. In the scientific literature, you can find psychologists saying, "Behavioral methods were used," or, "The problem was solved by a behavioral approach." All this means, usually, is that they switched to positive reinforcement from whatever other method they were using. It doesn't imply that they used the whole bag of tricks described in this book; they may not even be aware of them.

Yet switching to positive reinforcement is often all that is necessary. It is by far the most effective way to help the bed-wetter, for example: private praise and a hug for dry sheets in the morning, when they do occur.

Positive reinforcement can even work on yourself. At a Shakespeare study group I once belonged to I met a Wall Street lawyer in his late forties who was an avid squash player. The man had overheard me chatting about training, and on his way out the door afterward he remarked that he thought he would try positive reinforcement on his squash game. Instead of cursing his errors, as was his habit, he would try praising his good shots.

Two weeks later I ran into him again. "How's the squash game?" I asked. A look of wonder and joy crossed his face, an expression not frequently seen on Wall Street lawyers.

"At first I felt like a damned fool," he told me, "saying 'Way to go, Pete, attaboy,' for every good shot. Hell, when I was practicing alone, I even patted myself on the back. And then my game started to get better. I'm four rungs higher on the club ladder than I've ever been. I'm whipping people I could hardly take a point from before. And I'm having more fun. Since I'm not yelling at myself all the time, I don't finish a game feeling angry and disappointed. If I made a bad shot, never mind, good ones will come along. And I find I really enjoy it when the other guy makes a mistake, gets mad, throws his racquet--I know it won't help his game, and I just smile...."

What a fiendish opponent. And just from switching to positive reinforcement.

Reinforcers are relative, not absolute. Rain is a positive reinforcer to ducks, a negative reinforcer to cats, and a matter of indifference, at least in mild weather, to cows. Food is not a positive reinforcer if you're full. Smiles and praise may be useless as reinforcers if the subject is trying to get you mad. In order to be reinforcing, the item chosen must be something the subject wants.

It is useful to have a variety of reinforcers for any training situation. At the Sea World oceanariums, killer whales are given many reinforcers, including fish (their food), stroking and scratching on different parts of the body, social attention, toys, and so on. Whole shows are run in which the animals never know which behavior will be reinforced next or what the reinforcer will be; the "surprises" are so interesting for the animals that the shows can be run almost entirely without the standard fish reinforcers; the animals get their food at the end of the day. The necessity of switching constantly from one reinforcer to another is challenging and interesting for the trainers, too.

Positive reinforcement is good for human relationships. It is the basis of the art of giving presents: guessing at something that will be definitely reinforcing (guessing right is reinforcing for the giver, too). In our culture, present giving is often left to women. I even know of one family in which the mother buys all the Christmas presents to and from everyone. It causes amusement on Christmas morning, brothers and sisters saying, "Let's see, this is from Anne to Billy," when everyone knows Anne had nothing to do with it. But it does not sharpen the children's skills at selecting ways to reinforce other people.

In our culture a man who has become observant about positive reinforcement has a great advantage over other men. As a mother, I made sure that my sons learned how to give presents. Once, for example, when they were quite young, seven and five, I took them to a rather fancy store and had them select two dresses, one each, for their even younger sister. They enjoyed lolling about in the plush chairs, approving or disapproving of each dress as she modeled it. Their little sister enjoyed it too; and she had the ultimate veto power. And so, thanks to this and similar exercises, they all learned how to take a real interest in what other people want; how to enjoy finding effective positive reinforcers for the people you love.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherBantam
  • Publication date1999
  • ISBN 10 0553380397
  • ISBN 13 9780553380392
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages224
  • Rating

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

Karen Pryor
Published by Bantam (1999)
ISBN 10: 0553380397 ISBN 13: 9780553380392
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldenDragon
(Houston, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Buy for Great customer experience. Seller Inventory # GoldenDragon0553380397

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 28.30
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.25
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Karen Pryor
Published by Unknown (1999)
ISBN 10: 0553380397 ISBN 13: 9780553380392
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Front Cover Books
(Denver, CO, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover0553380397

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 28.07
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.30
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Karen Pryor
Published by Unknown (1999)
ISBN 10: 0553380397 ISBN 13: 9780553380392
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
LibraryMercantile
(Humble, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # newMercantile_0553380397

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 31.30
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Karen Pryor
Published by Bantam (1999)
ISBN 10: 0553380397 ISBN 13: 9780553380392
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldenWavesOfBooks
(Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0553380397

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 31.33
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Karen Pryor
Published by Bantam (1999)
ISBN 10: 0553380397 ISBN 13: 9780553380392
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldBooks
(Austin, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0553380397

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 32.19
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.25
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Karen Pryor
Published by Bantam (1999)
ISBN 10: 0553380397 ISBN 13: 9780553380392
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
Wizard Books
(Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0553380397

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 32.95
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.50
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Karen Pryor
Published by Bantam (1999)
ISBN 10: 0553380397 ISBN 13: 9780553380392
New paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
GridFreed
(North Las Vegas, NV, U.S.A.)

Book Description paperback. Condition: New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title!. Seller Inventory # 100-26929

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 36.64
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 5.45
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Karen Pryor
Published by Unknown (1999)
ISBN 10: 0553380397 ISBN 13: 9780553380392
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Ergodebooks
(Houston, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Softcover. Condition: New. Revised. A Better Way to Better BehaviorKaren Pryor's clear and entertaining explanation of behavioral training methods made Don't Shoot the Dog! a bestselling classic. Now this revised edition presents more of her insights into animal-and human-behavior.A groundbreaking behavioral scientist and dynamic animal trainer, Karen Pryor is a powerful proponent of the principles and practical uses of positive reinforcement in teaching new behaviors. Here are the secrets of changing behavior in pets, kids-even yourself-without yelling, threats, force, punishment, guilt trips.or shooting the dog:The principles of the revolutionary "clicker training" method, which owes its phenomenal success to its immediacy of response-so there is no question what action you are rewarding8 methods of ending undesirable habits-from furniture-clawing cats to sloppy roommatesThe 10 laws of "shaping" behavior-for results without strain or pain through "affection training"Tips for house-training the dog, improving your tennis game, or dealing with an impossible teenExplorations of exciting new uses for reinforcement trainingLearn why pet owners rave, "This book changed our lives!" and how these pioneering techniques can work for you too. Seller Inventory # DADAX0553380397

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 48.52
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Karen Pryor
Published by Bantam (1999)
ISBN 10: 0553380397 ISBN 13: 9780553380392
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Hafa Adai Books
(Moncks Corner, SC, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # Hafa_fresh_0553380397

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 46.57
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.95
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Karen Pryor
Published by Bantam (1999)
ISBN 10: 0553380397 ISBN 13: 9780553380392
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
BennettBooksLtd
(LOS ANGELES, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 0.44. Seller Inventory # Q-0553380397

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 58.78
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.13
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds