Week 6: Why it works like 'magic' by Deb Kidwell

    

Why It Works – KMODT Week 6 by Deb Kidwell

 

The Throw Chains are an exercise in negative reinforcement.  In the same way that people learn to follow such traffic laws as stopping at a stop sign because failing to do so could earn a ticket, we can proof the dog’s attention against various distractions by applying a sudden and unpleasant consequence for failing to do so.  The negative reinforcement produces a predictable response--accountability to the handler, which is our objective of the week. 

 

If your parents taught you that morality was doing the right thing even when no one is looking, then you understand the type of accountability we teach with the negative reinforcement.  With practice, it becomes part of our belief system. This same principle occurs in the dog’s mind as a result of the Throw Chain lesson this week.

 

Be sure to follow the directions on the size and weight of the throw chains appropriate for your dog, as the point is not to cause pain or harm the dog in anyway. 

 

Also note the rules:

1.      Never let the dog see you throw the chain, so the dog does not know where the chain comes from.

2.      Never miss the dog, else he or she may begin to calculate hit and miss percentages.  This may take some practice to improve your aim before you attempt the exercise.

3.      Never let the dog see you pick up the chain, as we do not want the dog to know how many chains there are.  This may require a helper to pull off. 

 

Keep in mind that Throw Chains are not something that you have to repeat doing (generally).  If done correctly, most dogs respond fairly quickly to this exercise, so the effort put into doing it correctly pays off rapidly and permanently.  The dog doesn’t associate the flying chains with the handler if done in this manner, and the idea is to further instill that the handler has the dog’s back.  By responding to the quiet command to “Come” the dog can avoid the negative experience in the same way that we can avoid a costly ticket by stopping at a red light. 

 

At the end of the week, we should be able to call our dog at a whisper, from all distractions that we proofed during the week.  For this exercise, it’s important to be as creative as possible when choosing distractions.  The more and variety of experiences with throw chains will help the dog to always generalize the principle of accountability to the handler.    

 

All though the Week 6 lesson IS the shortest lesson in time to teach, it has THE most lasting and profound effects on the dog. The dog comes to believe that ‘mystically, magically’ their handler ALWAYS can reach out and help the dog do the right thing – Come when called and do so promptly.  It is the dog’s belief that will remain in the dog’s mind long after the use of Throw Chains ceases. This critical life belief CAN and WILL someday save a dog’s life.